The Beefeater, Big Ben and the dome of St Paul’s are all icons of London recognised by everyone. But there’s another icon of the city that every Londoner knows, though perhaps they don’t think of it that way – the Underground map. Look at one of the early tube maps and what you’ll see is [...]
A bookstore tour of England
A trip to a good bookstore is about more than just picking up a new novel: you’ll understand if you’ve ever stepped foot in one. These are the places where the shelves are packed from floor to ceiling with interesting titles, the booksellers themselves are knowledgeable, friendly and likely to know better than you what [...]
A funky boutique hotel in the City
The City is London’s financial and historic district. Packed with stately buildings that house all sorts of financial services and law firms, the City was often considered staid. During my banking days, I was a frequent visitor to the City. So, yes, there’s some truth in that. Aside from London’s two iconic landmarks, the Tower [...]
Velvet moments: travel photo – sunset in London
I’d just arrived in London and was on my way to the City on the Docklands Light Railway (DLR) when the train passed the skyscrapers of Canary Wharf. The setting sun created a fiery glow on the horizon that contrasted sharply with the blue sky above. It was a stunning scene, made more dramatic by [...]
Ten alternative ways to explore London
London is a city that most first-time visitors will undoubtedly find overwhelming. It truly is one of the world’s greatest cities, with a financial and cultural influence that emanates around the globe. London is home to some of the world’s most recognisable icons like the Tower Bridge, Big Ben, Buckingham Palace, St. Paul’s and the [...]
The High Teas of London
Tea is the quintessential British meal, so much so that other languages don’t even have a word for it. And there can be few better places to enjoy a proper high tea than London, although you could perhaps make a case for Yorkshire or Cornwall. It can be as much a part of the experience [...]
Globetrotting in London
A guest post by Andrea Kirkby. Jules Verne challenged his character Phileas Fogg to get round the world in 80 days. I can do better than that – I like to visit the world without leaving London. Here are my top 10 favourite attractions for a globetrotter stranded in London… First stop Venice, Italy via [...]
A movie-lover’s guide to London
Look beyond the multiplexes and you’ll find a city dedicated to cinematic adventure. From the Ealing comedies and Hitchcock classics, through the swingin’ sixties to the Notting Hill rom-coms of Bridget Jones and Four Weddings, London is a city wrapped up in celluloid. Its historic architecture, towering landmarks, and dark and dingy cobbled back streets [...]
Five things to do around London Heathrow Airport
London Heathrow Airport isn’t much of a tourist sight unless you’re fascinated by airplanes. Yet it is one of the world’s busiest international airports so chances are many of us will end up going there at some stage and some will need to while away a few hours or even longer. Most people who stay [...]
The ultimate Liverpool pub crawl
A guest post by Andrea Kirkby. I recently visited Liverpool and The Beatles (though I love their music) were the last thing on my mind. I started by checking out some of the city’s startlingly good museums, including the Walker Collection. It was packed with interesting exhibits but one little Toby Jug caught my eye [...]
About Keith Jenkins
I'm Keith Jenkins. In July 2008, I left my ten-year banking career to travel around the world. I've not looked back since.
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