Inside the Houses of Parliament

I had to go to the Houses of Parliament for a meeting today.  As you do.

I was early for my meeting, so I did a couple of things that a tourist probably wouldn’t.

Firstly, I went into St. Margaret’s Church.  Never heard of it?  Well, that’s probably because it stands right next door to Westminster Abbey.  So you’ve got the HUGE abbey saying “look at me!!!” and it’s really easy to miss  St. Margaret’s completely (even though it’s not small), but it’s worth going in.  Admission is free, although a donation would be welcome.  St. Margaret’s is commonly known as the “parish church of the House of Commons” and was originally built in the 11th century, so there’s history shouting out from every detail inside.

It was the church in which Samuel Pepys (the famous London diarist) and Winston Churchill married their brides and Beau Brummel was baptised.  But not all the interesting bits are about famous people.  I was most touched by a simple yet beautiful hand-engraved 17th century wooden and brass plaque dedicated by a loving father to his ten-year-old daughter who died, praising her good nature, dedication and piety and hoping she would be an example to others.

It also has beautiful stained glass windows, both old and new, and while I was there a simple prayer was said that made everyone stop for a moment and think of things more important than where to go for lunch, or whether it was still snowing outside.

Having visited St. Margaret’s, I went into the Houses of Parliament and headed for Central Lobby.  You may think that if you’re not a UK citizen, you can’t go in, but during August, September and October you can book a tour.

Central Lobby is a stunning area in a breathtakingly beautiful building, as you can see here.  Pugin certainly let his talent run wild and every detail of every floor, wall, pillar, arch and ceiling is extravagant, stunning and a piece of art in its own right. Incidentally, the people-watching there is first-class too; from famous politicians and celebrities to harassed-looking young clerks and tour guides in knee-breeches, all bustling through with purpose whilst I sat there at leisure.  I’ve rarely enjoyed a ten-minute wait so much anywhere in the world.

Charmingly, it also holds the venue for my second reason for being early.  A post office.

A post office?  Really?  Yes – because I couldn’t resist writing and posting a card to my daughter in a special souvenir envelope, with a drawing of the Houses of Parliament and luxuriously embossed with the portcullis logo in gold.  And I have to say, for the sake of £2.50 plus postage I highly recommend you do so, too.  As souvenirs go, it’s pretty cool and very, very few people realise that you can do this.  The lady at Central Lobby post office stamps it with the special “House of Commons” post mark and then they give you a clear plastic envelope so your lovely message doesn’t get marked whilst going through the postal system, but arrives in pristine condition.  Great fun.  I can’t wait to see my daughter’s face when it arrives and she sees where Mummy went!

So if you’re going to Westminster remember, whilst St. Paul’s Cathedral is a must, don’t forget St. Margaret’s is there too.  And YES you CAN go into the Houses of Parliament even if you’re not a UK citizen (in the summer).  Tickets go on sale this Monday, 1st March, so get online and get booked in for the experience of a lifetime.  And don’t forget your address book…

Guest Post: Graham Greenglass – London Taxi Driver and London Tour Guide

The following is a guest post from Graham Greenglass, a London Taxi Driver and London Tour Guide. Check out his cool London tours here.

London is a small village of eight million people.  You don’t believe me?  Here’s a story to illustrate my point. Firstly, I suppose you should know that I’m a London taxi driver and on any day I can drive my black cab to any and many parts of this urban sprawl of said eight million. There is not a part of London I have not seen or been to.

One chilly morning last week I was driving empty through Kensington High Street, approaching Wholefoods (yes, we have one) when I was hailed by a slim middle aged woman, who turned out to be American.

We drove to her destination – a small Mayfair side street – via Hyde Park, past the Wellington Barracks billet of the Household Cavalry on the right, and to the left the former site of the Great Exhibition of 1851, now just a giant rectangle of grass.  The metered fare came to £11.60 which she topped up to £12.00, paying with a £20 note.

The day drags on, job follows job – sometimes more quickly than at other times – and around mid afternoon I find myself driving empty through Kensington High Street, approaching Wholefoods, when I was hailed by a slim middle aged woman, who turned out to be American.  The same middle aged American woman as before.

We laughed and made light conversation about the coincidence and when I dropped her off, in Chelsea, the metered fare came to £11.60 which she topped up to £12.00, paying with a £20 note.

This tale of connectivety brings me rather neatly to a little game that I’ve invented called ‘Six Degrees of London Separation’. It’s a simple and quite obvious game which is topped and tailed by two London subjects (the subjects can be anything or anyone connected to London at anytime).

For the first game I have selected two random and seemingly incongruous subjects: Harrods and Johnny Rotten.

Harrods – Henry Harrod, a small time tea merchant from Eastcheap in the City, bought a grocery shop in the village of Knightsbridge in 1849.  The business expanded and grew until the famous terracotta brick department store was built in 1901-05.

Dodi Fayed – Son of present Harrods owner Mohammed Al Fayed, who bought the store in 1985.

Princess Diana – Died in a car crash with boyfriend Dodi Fayed in Paris in August 1997.

Paul Burrell – Butler and PA to Princess Diana, up to her untimely death.

‘I’m a Celebrity Get Me Out of Here’ - Reality TV show on which Paul Burrell was a contestant (Series4).

Johnny Rotten – Londoner Johnny Rotten was lead singer of London punk band the Sex Pistols.  Under real name of John Lydon was lead singer of Public Image Limited and was a contestant on reality TV show ‘I’m a Celebrity Get Me Out of Here’ (Series 3).

Perhaps for this game to be more fun it should really involve the Anglotopia reader.  Email your two ‘separated’ suggestions to me at: enquiries@londoncabtours.co.uk /Subject: Six Degrees.

London Taxi Drivers Slang (pt1)

London Taxi Drivers have always had their slang.  It tends to be a mixture of the trades’ own originated words and phrases, cockney rhyming slang (but particular to the taxi trade) and borrowed.  Here are three examples:

The Wedding Cake – The Queen Victoria Memorial (QVM) in front of Buckingham Palace.  Basically it’s a tiered, sculpted ‘top of the wedding cake’ white marble spectacular.  Created by Sir Thomas Brock in 1911.

Sherbert (Dab) – Cockney rhyming slang for Cab.  As in most rhyming slang, only the first word is spoken.  The original sherbert dab was a traditional and much loved British sweet.  Typical usage: “I was driving my sherbert around The Wedding Cake, on my way to The Dead Zoo, when the Billy in the back asks me to take him to The Pit instead”.

Droshky – Borrowed directly from the Polish for Cab.  Many Jewish immigrants progeny were/still are cabbies in London.  Read Isaac Beshevis Singer to find many a Warsaw droshky ridden.

Check out the London Taxi Driver and London Tour Guide website.

London Travel: Quick Guide to Christmas in London 2009

London is a particularly magical place at Christmas time and I can’t wait to experience it myself for the first time this year. So, I’ve decided to put together a quick guide to Christmas in London for 2009.

London Christmas Lights

Most of the major Shopping Streets in London now have their Christmas lights turned on. The most popular are the Oxford Street Christmas lights which were turned on to great fanfare by Jim Carrey last week.

You can also see Christmas lights on:

• Carnaby Street
• Jermyn Street
• Regent Street
• Bond Street
• Marylebone
• Covent Garden will also be lit up with Christmas lights as well.

London Christmas Ice Skating

There are several romantic venues to take in ice skating in London:

• Natural History Museum
• Somerset House
• Tower of London
• Winter Wonderland in Hyde Park
• Hampton Court Palace
• Canary Wharf
• Alexandra Palace

Trafalgar Square Christmas Tree turn on Date

London’s most prominant Christmas tree is put on display in Trafalgar Square every year. It’s always a gift from Norway and it’s decorated in Norwegian style – it’s a thank you from Norway for the War. This year the Trafalgar Square Christmas Tree Lights will be turned on December 3rd 2009 – which I think is rather late and I’m going to miss it. Also, during mid-December, Trafalgar Square has carol singers who spread the festive holiday cheer.

Christmas Church Services

If you happen to be in London during the Holidays be sure to stop by St. Paul’s Cathedral or Westminter Abbey and enjoy a Christmas midnight service. All the churches in London are free and open to worshippers who’d like to experience a true English Christmas.

London Christmas Shopping

London is a shopping mecca and there are plenty of places to do your shopping for the holidays. There’s Oxford Street of course and Covent Garden, but also the Westfield Shoppingtown Mall in Shepard’s Bush. And of course – you must stop in to the Harrod’s Christmas shop! Sadly, chances are you won’t be able to see Santa in the flesh – there are only a couple Santa’s in London and they were pretty much booked solid back in August.

Do you have any top tips for Christmas in London?

The Anglotopia Guide to Tipping in Britain and London: Ten Top Brit tipping tips…

To tip or not to tip?  That is the question.

Oh, and how much?  How do I do it ‘gracefully’?  Can it cause offence?

And these questions are just the tip of the iceberg.  So, let me tip you a wink on the subject and then when you’re next in Blighty you won’t tip the applecart.

Okay, don’t worry, I’m finished with the excruciatingly predictable jests now and the rest of the post will be in English.  Ahem.

1.  No-one will be offended if you tip them.  There are a LOT of people in the tourist industry coping on truly awful salaries and I can’t think of anyone who would be offended by you tipping them if done discreetly and in a non-patronising manner.  There are a very select few resorts who say in their literature that “tipping is unnecessary”, but you will be aware of this in advance.  Occasionally you may be served by people who are extremely well paid and do not require a tip, but if you try to tip these chaps, they will politely and gracefully decline (and even so, they will not have been offended by your gratuity).  I was once staying in a very nice London hotel and held a door open for someone…who tipped me!  I simply smiled, thanked them and put it in the nearest charity box.

2. In the UK, we don’t tip anyone if the service was bad (although my husband has been known to tip a penny as a wordless insult for truly awful service).  If the service was really the best you’ve ever had, I tip and then also email head office to tell them they have great staff.  If it was the worst I’ve ever had, I email about that too!  I like to think that’s firm but fair.

3. In cabs; the usual way to tip is to round up the fare.  So if your journey costs £8.40, just give him £10.  If you’re on business and you need a receipt, say “Can we call that a tenner and can I have a receipt please?”.

4.  For food; in restaurants, look at your bill (check).  If no service charge is shown and your service was good, tip 10-15%.  If you are in any doubt as to where the money might go (some owners bank the money if you pay by card) then give your tip in cash directly to your waiter.  If eating in a cafe or pub, it is perfectly acceptable to pay your bill, receive your change and then leave coins on the table by your plate when you leave.  Tips are not usually left in coffee shops unless the service was very good, and most coffee shops have a dish by the till for this.  Tips are not given in fast-food or takeaway places.

5.  In hotels, we generally do not tip the doorman (if he simply opens the door), the staff at reception or the waiting staff at breakfast-time.  I make a point of not tipping porters (bellboys) who insist on carrying my tiny bag to my room when I have already said I am fine carrying my own, but do tip if they have helped me with particularly awkward bags, or if a bellboy has gone back down to the car for me when I have forgotten something.  Tipping concierges can be tricky, as the best ones are sometimes very old-fashioned, wonderful gentlemen who take enormous pride in making your stay productive and enjoyable.  If your concierge has been truly outstanding (and may I say the concierge at the Royal Crescent Hotel in Bath is possibly the most wonderful concierge I have ever been pointed in the right direction by), the best advice I can give is to tip them discreetly, perhaps by writing them a notelet expressing your heartfelt thanks for their kind advice and enclosing any amount you feel is appropriate to ‘treat’ themselves with.  Tipping chambermaids is another tricky one.  Personally, I am an unbelievably clean and tidy person; I don’t tip them.  If I made a lot of work for a chambermaid I would certainly tip an appropriate amount for the trouble I have put them to.

6.  In pubs; tipping is not often done at the bar, but if you are ordering complicated drinks or large rounds, then it is customary to say at the end of your order “and have one for yourself”.  Although your server is not allowed to actually drink during working hours, they will take around £2 to £3 as a tip.  That’s just how it’s always been done in pubs!

7.  Hairdressers; yet another tricky one.  Obviously if you’re going to see Nicky Clarke or another celebrity hairdresser type, they may be offended by you proffering a crumpled fiver.  Most hairdressers would be perfectly happy.  Personally I don’t tip my hairdresser (as he owns the business, so I consider him above it), but if the junior who washes my hair gives me a great scalp massage I leave them a pound or two.  Beauty therapy is another badly-paid profession, so tips would be gratefully accepted here.

8.  For other people you may meet, such as tour guides, shoe-shines, street entertainers etc. I would say follow your instinct; how great an impact has this person made on your stay?  If they have simply done their job and no more, personally I wouldn’t tip.  If they have gone over and above the call of duty to make your visit truly memorable and enjoyable, then tip accordingly.

9.  Remember; a heartfelt thank you, dazzling smile and firm handshake on parting is a great tip in itself for someone who is proud of what they do.  A handwritten note, or follow-up email shows thoughtfulness.  A tip is nice, too, but without the smile it can come across as arrogant, patronising, snooty or crass.

10.  Don’t worry about tipping all the time; in Britain we simply don’t.  People who receive tips are flattered by them and for the lowly-paid it is a tremendous help to make ends meet.  But if you don’t tip they won’t put your name on some British hotel blacklist or broadcast the fact on Twitter!  Enjoy your holiday.  Enjoy meeting people.  Enjoy being pampered.  Enjoy Britian.

From the Heart… of England: Shhhhhhh! TOP SECRET How to become a London Gent

Photo from Flickr by World of Good

Okay, this post is for all of you chaps who have ever fancied being a quintessential English gentleman for the day.

BUT IT IS SECRET.  This stuff is normally only known by true bonafide Brits (like me) and I shouldn’t really be divulging such secrets but… ho hum, I thought Jonathan might like to try being a proper English gentleman during his stay in London in November.

Now obviously a proper gent would stay at his club, but being a visitor, you’ll have to make do with The Savoy, The Grosvenor, Claridge’s or at a pinch, The Waldorf.  Please remember to bring a tie, else you won’t be allowed in the dining room; I saw someone refused entry once and it wasn’t pretty.

So, after a good night’s sleep and a sumptuous breakfast – remember a true old-fashioned gent would partake of porridge (with cream and salt, no sugar!) followed by kippers or kedgeree with a round of toast and marmalade to finish, preferably served with a pot of robust Assam tea – saunter down to Geo. F. Trumper’s at 20, Jermyn Street and have a shave (£30).  Yes, a traditional shave by a traditional barber; cutthroat razor, leather strop – hope you didn’t see Johnny Depp as Sweeney Todd…

And if one of the older chaps shaves you, he’ll be able to tell you all about life in bowler-hat London, when gentlemen used to call in for a shave on the way to their club for breakfast and women were never seen over the threshold at a barber’s (that would have been ‘most irregular!’).  You will emerge 40 minutes later having been wrapped in hot towels, lathered, shaved, massaged and moisturised looking and feeling better than you have ever done in your entire life.

By now you will not be walking, you will be floating.  So, float out of the door, turn right to the Daks store (at 101 Jermyn Street) and buy a new outfit, suitable for the new “English gent” you.  After all, if it’s good enough for H.R.H. The Duke of Edinburgh and H.R.H. The Prince of Wales, it’s good enough for the rest of us.  But remember, those brown corduroy trousers and dapper sports jacket must only be worn in the country, not in London (except on Fridays).  And if you’re a gentleman of a certain age, do buy a cravat.  Sorry, I just have a thing for men in cravats; can’t help it.  But they DO look divine.  Think Cary Grant (and yes, Archibald Leach was a Brit); oh dear, I’ve come over all unnecessary thinking about Cary Grant in a cravat now.  Anyway, where was I?  Oh yes.

Now scoot back around the corner to Piccadilly and go and find the missus.  She will probably have taken advantage of your back being turned and headed for Fortnum and Mason.  So pop along there and once she’s finished swooning over you and kissing your baby-soft skin you can plan what to do next.

Why not go to a lunchtime recital at St. James’ church on Piccadilly?  There are concerts most Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays and at £3 you could do with some good-value entertainment as you’ve had an expensive day so far (and that’s not even including what may have been spent at F&M)!

That should work up an appetite, so head back to Piccadilly circus and eat lunch at one of the best kept secrets ever (I can’t believe I’m telling you about this one); The Criterion Restaurant.  There it is, right by the Criterion theatre, with a revolving door.  How did you not notice it before?  What?  It’s closed? NO IT ISN’T!  They just make it look all dark when you peek in, so if you’re a tourist you’ll go away.  Walk in boldly and when you’re seated at your table, beware of neck ache (the ceiling is just…SO gold!).  When you’re there, eating in such sumptuous surroundings you can’t stop the words “British Empire” popping into your head.  The old-fashioned English gent would, of course, choose the mutton chop with mashed potatoes, but the organic salmon with samphire might be the more modern gent’s choice.  From £18 for two courses.  On the other hand, if you did have the kedgeree for breakfast, maybe just grab a quick sarnie (sandwich) from Pret.

After lunch, back down to the other end of Piccadilly again for a stroll in Green Park and, if weather permits, a perusal of The Times whilst nodding off in a deckchair.

On the way back to one’s club/hotel, amble up the Burlington Arcade for a new pair of leather-soled slippers and a Yard-O-Led pen (how could you be a proper gent without these British essentials?), then pop next door to the Royal Academy of Arts and soak up some culture.  Whilst there, you could book a table for dinner (with live Jazz music on Fridays) before sauntering back to your abode.

Good heavens.  That’s a whole day gone and we didn’t even have any time for visiting the markets, Piccadilly or Prince’s arcades, taking afternoon tea the The Ritz or antique shop browsing on Sackville Street!  Maybe we’ll have another Piccadilly post one day for the ladies…

How do I know all this secret stuff?  Well, my club IS on Piccadilly; let me know when you’re visiting, maybe I’ll buzz you in.

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