Living in London

I have been asked by my tutor to write a post entitled “Why I like living in London”.

Now that’s a tall order! Do I?

I asked my husband for some advice and all he did was to pretend to strum on a piano and sing “Maybe it’s because I’m a Londoner “ like the old song, which was not at all helpful as I’m not one!

Perhaps I can turn to Dr. Johnson who said, in a more serious vein, about if one is tired of London then one is tired of life. I’m certainly not the latter but I wonder what the good doctor would have thought of travelling on a bus, standing up with a stick in one hand and heavy shopping in the other while some burly man sat in front of one in comfort.

Anyway I must return to the main theme. I live in a very nice part of London, Bloomsbury, which is convenient for various shopping areas. I am not in favour of the West End having lived there. Knightsbridge and Oxford Street are definitely out in my books. The places I like most are the East End and further west - Ealing. We lived there for a few years and really enjoyed its different atmosphere. I used to enjoy Spittlefield Market before developers took over. To travel further east to Epping Forest, which has a haunted feeling about it, is a must with me.

I wonder how many people get on the D.L.R, get off at Islands Garden and walk to the Tower near by or go down in a lift to the seabed and walk under the Thames to Greenwich and the Cutty Sark! Different? Something to interest one, that’s the main thing, not to be bored.

If one is fit and able to get around there’s always something to do and new places to explore.

That’s why I like living in London!