Island Life August/September 2018

Travel
effcient way to travel across and
through the City to the suburbs.
The network does not ‘stand still’
with extensive modernisation
and new lines opening. It is
worth picking up a free London
Underground Map to just take in
the sheer enormity of the network
and your options for travel.
With the Royal Albert Hall
offering regular concerts and
events, Covent Garden for its
music, ballet and opera along
with theatres offering some of the
finest shows in the country, your
entertainment options are endless.
As in every major city, there are
areas of London that are perhaps
less desirable, but for the greater
part “life” exudes from its very
heart each day. Having worked
in London for some years in
the early part of my career, I got
to know so many true London
individuals and some who still
remain friends. My late father
who was born in Fulham Palace
Road was proud to call himself a
Londoner – a claim that was only
possible to make if you were born
within the sounds of Bow Bells.
A ride in one of the iconic
London Black Cabs will often
yield plenty of useful insights
from the driver if he feels inclined
to engage with you. However,
the majority of the taxi drivers
have a wealth of knowledge of
the City and can often be very
useful in guiding you to your
destination or recommending
alternatives. There has always
been a genuine honesty from
the Cockney and in most cases
a willingness to welcome
people to their city with pride.
I shall never forget my organised
surprise visit for my family to take
them to see The Lion King musical
in the West End; having booked a
taxi from our early restaurant meal
to take us to the theatre, I was able
to mention quietly to the driver
upon his arrival that this was a very
special surprise for my family and
they had no idea which theatre
we were attending, or which
performance. Owing to serious
traffc congestion, the cab was late
arriving and I knew that the timing
would be very tight to arrive in
time for the opening of the show -
which in the case of The Lion King,
is something not to be missed!
As we all climbed into the cab,
there was an air of excitement and
guessing going on as our journey
began. However, the time was
passing quickly and I could see
that we only had five minutes to
the opening of the show, so I said
to the driver “are we nearly there?”
to which he replied “Don’t worry
Guv I can see the lion from here!”.
This caused great humour inside
the cab and my secret was blown
away – at which point the cab
driver suddenly realised what he
had said and apologised profusely.
Yes, Samuel Johnson was
right: in London there is “all
life can afford” and whether
you are visiting for the first
time or making a return trip,
you are rarely disappointed!
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www.visitilife.com