" There was a faint glimmering of the coming day in the sky; but it rather aggravated than relieved the gloom of the scene, the sobre light only serving to pale that which the street lights afforded, without shedding any warmer or brighter tints upon the wet housetops and dreary streets." (Oliver Twist; p134)
Many people feel that the dark, grim atmosphere of London is off putting and ill suited to a modern metropolis. However one only has to consider the history of this great city; Boadicea who burned London to the ground leaving the modern city's foundations upon a black layer of ash, the Great Plague of 1665 and Great Fire of 1666, the Industrial Revolution, Jack the Ripper, The Blitz! (to name but a few). Throughout history, London has been based upon this symbolic drear and blackness ... it is its essence, London's very core is a black foggy gloom. To truly get a feel of London and what it represents, one must appreciate the engulfing shadows and come to the realisation... This is London!
You are immediately greeted by London's iconic symbols, the roaring traffic, intercepted at regualr intervals by the big red buses, grand Victorian and Edwardian buildings that seem simply too huge to be inhabitable, grimy faced beggars with hands outstretched (never underestimate the ability of a London beggar to recognise a tourist upon a glance!) And the people... London is such an amazing place to people watch, it is such a melting pot of diversity; from the suited man, armed with briefcase, head down, walking a straight purposeful route; to the flaneur, people who appear to be walking aimlessly through the city, no purpose or direction, just wandering up and down city streets and alleyways going wherever the veins of the city decide to take them; and finally the tourists, millions of people from all over the world visit London every year. These of course are easily noticeable, huge spread out maps trying to make sense of the labrynthine nature of the capital, camera hanging from the neck, ready to capture the famous monuments photographed an infinite number of times before, and yet each moment captured becomes unique to the eye of the beholder, a specific moment in time that cannot be replicated, ever. All of this was noted and ingrained in my mind during the short walk from Victoria station to St Georges Street where our chosen hotel was situated...
South Bank...
Due to our limited time in the capital, we decided to devote an entire day to the South Bank, walking from the Houses of Parliament- all the way to Tower Bridge, taking in all the sights in between.
First we encountered Tate Britain, a beautiful pillared building encompassing British art all the way back to the sixteenth century. Its a wonderful place to spend an hour (easily more when not on a tight schedule), just wandering through the galleries admiring the massive collection ... and best of all, entry is free! (although donations can be made).
As you continue to walk along the river it is difficult not to be drawn to the stunning cityscape that runs alongside the Thames, it is immediately easy to see why London holds such an important place within world finance and economy. Huge buildingd dominate the skyline and the formality of it all can be somewhat daunting to a first time visitor. It is however, this very dominating aspect of London that makes it so very attractive to millions every year, London culture is purposeful, directed and rational, and this is very much reflected in the layout and architecture within.
As you continue to walk along the river, your eyes began to be magnetically drawn away from the huge imposing cityscape... instead they become fixed on the glittering, golden spires of the Houses of Parliament, such iconic buildings and yet their magnificence cannot be truly felt until you are standing beneath them looking up... It is then that you come to realise your central postion in one of the most influential metropolises in the world. You could stand for hours just gazing at the tiny intricacies that make up these buildings... that is until you are rudely awakedned by the 'dong' of Big Ben, again reminding you where you are, keeping London moving on time for hundreds of years. All cities have distinctive views and symbolic buildings, but London is the only city that springs to mind that has an unmistakeable sound, the chimes of Big Ben, a continuum in the very move in time that it represents unceasingly. As you continue round onto Westminster Bridge you can get a fantastic view of Big Ben with the perfectly suited backdrop of a cloudy London sky, another iconic image and perfect photograph opportunity.The city of paradoxes continues to impress as you continue towards the South Bank... from the old grandeur of the Houses of Parliament, you are suddenly greeted with the Post Modern beauty of the London Eye. This, another postcard symbol of London in modern years, represents the modernity of this historic city, providing a bemusing juxtaposition with the old city represented by Westminster, and yet again despite its strangeness and seeming unsuitability, fits perfectly with one's admiration of London. This aptly named piece of engineering really does represent the eye of the city, fitting perfectly with Ackroyd's body analogy. From the top of the eye, one is met with the most spectacular views accross the whole of the city, views that can only really be appreciated from such a dizzying height.
Next you notice the surrealist statues by the artist Salvador Dali, which line up against the river and make interesting viewing as you pass. Especially fascinating is the sculpture of Dali's famous piece 'The Persistance of Memory' a particularly apt piece in such a historically documented city.
A necessary detour within this part of the trip is to walk onto Jubilee Bridge and take a look back at the Houses of Parliament and the London Eye, a fantastic view, where you can truly appreciate the paradox between old and new. This is the point from which many of the famous photographs of London's most iconic buildings are taken, and when standing there with the rushing Thames beneath you, it is easy to see why.
Other interesting sights such as the sheltered skateboarding area, covered in colourful graffitti make for a surprisingly pleasing sight, where you can sit and watch the skaters performing their tricks. Also look out for the impressive street performers in this area, when we visited we were graced with a performance by a group of very talented break dancers and the terrifyingly realistic human statues. Finally within this area are Jubilee Gardens a nice place for a rest to take in and contemplate the massive array of sights already seen in such a small area of the city.
The Tate Modern is a great place for art lovers looking for something different. Its modern collection is quite different from what most of the other galleries have to offer, and there are often weird and wonderful exhibitions being held to capture the thriving imagination that one gains when in London. Held within an old power station, it is clear from the outside that Tate modern is different, far from the classicist design of Tate Britain, this gallery is held within quite an ugly, industrial shell of a building, however, this is part of its charm, afterall beauty within he post-modern era is completely different to what was considered beautiful in the past. The industrialised setting of the Tate Modern renders the modern art within, only more fitting the modern city. The views from the top towards the Millenium Bridge and St Paul's cathederal are also worth a look for yet another facinating perspective of the juxtaposing old and new architecture.
As you walk accross the Millenium Bridge, the looming mass of the dome of St Pauls casts a massive shadow accross the cathederal promenade. The symbolism here is unmissable, another reason for the darkening of London, the shadows reminding one of a mysterious and yet facinating past. The building itself is more than impressive, however as you step into the cool shadow cast by St Paul's you are taken back to a time before modern enlightenment giving the building a certain quality which represents far more than simply bricks and mortar.
Next you pass Shakespeare's Globe Theatre a reconstruction of the original, and very impressive at that. A tour within takes right back to the Shakespeare's day and what it would have been like to watch an original play directed by the bard himself. Also gives an interesting insight into the social politics of the day with the theatre seating being arranged in tiers by social class.
A quirky little feature upon the Southbank is 'The Anchor' pub, a charming little place with crooked flooring reminiscent of its early modern origins. The pub is so old in fact, that Samuel Pepys was thought to have sat within watching the fire of London and recording his thoughts within his famous diary. A lovely place to stop for a drink as well as have a wander, admiring its character and charm.
After a refreshing drink and much needed rest, you exit the dark and mysterious public house and become bewildered by post-enlightenment, post-modern brightness of the outside, yet another reminder of the binary opposites which continue to shock and enthrall. It is now that one truly begins to appreciat
e the sheer size and significance of tower bridge, its two massive towers providing a fitting representation of this city of doubles and opposition. Feeling one's stomach lurch with vertigo as it opens it's massive jaws to allow yet another ship to pass down the city's osophagus, and finally the small thrill that one experiences when walking accross the huge crevice that separates the bridge down the middle, excitably aware that one glich in engineering could set the jaws to open when you are still not safely accross... Of course you make it, but the morbid curiosity is not dissaparated, because their looming above you in all its gory glory is the Tower of London, a stark reminder of the royal blood that has quite literally been spilled to make Britain Great. Traitor's Gate which leads straight into the dungeons of this great imposing body of architecture, which has a real sense of forboding and 'no return' about it, which again sets the senses racing, a strange sense of magnetised disgust, that simultaneously makes you want to look away and yet stops you from doing so!. After an entire day walking along the vein of London that is the Thames, there is no better way back than a river cruise. A chance to relax and reflect on all the sights and what they represent as you glide past them for a second time.
It seems then that Samuel Johnson was right, London is a life in itself, a metaphorical body of exploration, corrupted and aged by thousands of years of blackened dust and ashes and yet at the same time it is continually being reborn, as a brand new, modern and worldly relevant metropolis... In my opinion London embodies paradox it is at the same time, a home and a world completely foreign and alien, old and new, rich and poor, black and white, male and female, and as unsettling as this may seem, one can't help but be transfixed and enamoured with this city...London.
