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Entries Tagged ‘United Kingdom’

Buckingham Palace A Top Tourist Attraction In England

England is a most wonderful country in which to take a vacation. It has an awesome selection of tourist attraction|places of interest well worth visiting perfect for all tastes. For instance|One such place is the ancient city of York which dates back to the days of the Roman Empire, Torquay (which is widely known as the English Riviera) and Liverpool (which won the title of European City of Culture in 2008). One place to visit that should not be missed is the capital city of London

London is a most incredible place to visit, possibly just for a weekend or, possibly for a full vacation. You would be surprised at how many folk residing in Great Britain who have failed to visit London, even more surprising when you consider the fact it is commonly top of most visitors lists (of places they enjoyed most).

There simply so many things to see and do in London that it is simply not possible to list them all at the same time. Surprisingly one of the newest attractions in London also happens to be one of the most popular - The London Eye. Another popular attraction nearby to the London Eye is Big Ben and the Houses of Parliament. However, one place which must not be missed is Buckingham Palace.

Buckingham Palace is England’s most widely known Royal residence, as it is home to the Queen. Buckingham Palace is positioned right at the heart of London which makes it an important focus for tourists. The daily pageant of ‘Changing of the Guard’ is exhilarating to witness and typically English.

Buckingham Palace was originally called Buckingham House. It was originally a large town house, constructed in 1703 for the Duke of Buckingham. It is actually the townhouse which forms the main core of the palace as we are familiar with today.

Over the following 3 quarters of a century Buckingham House was extended with the addition of 3 wings forming a central courtyard. The main architects responsible for these constructions were John Nash and Edward Blore. John Nash was also responsible for the interior design of the monumental staterooms.

The widely known architect Aston Webb was responsible for the creation of the principal facade of Buckingham Palace which he re-designed in 1912. Webb in association with Sir Thomas Brock, the sculptor, were the winners of a competition to design a memorial to Queen Victoria. This memorial can still be today.

The Queen has a few other royal residences other than Buckingham Palace. Every year the Queen stays, at Sandringham House in Norfolk, during the Christmas season. Sandringham House is actually privately owned by the Queen (classed as a private royal residence.

Another private residence is Balmoral Castle, situated in Aberdeenshire in Scotland. Queen Elizabeth was at Balmoral Castle when she was told about the heartbreaking demise of Diana.

If you would like to take a vacation in England then you might be surprised to be informed that it is possible to find cheap hotels in London without any great difficulty, on the other hand you may want to stay in more luxurious accommodation and the small selection of boutique hotels in London should more than satisfy.


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London Offers Fantastic Shopping

The capital city of England is London, which is as famous for its shopping as it is for its history and culture. Tens of thousands travel from all around the globe to experience the incredible stores and markets.

Covent Garden has become known for its unusual and specialist shops, and has become a very hip place to be seen. There are a number of excellent restaurants in Covent Garden not just excellent shops. Until 1980 the Covent Garden market had many stalls selling flowers, vegetables and fruit its roots can be traced to the middle ages.

Camden Market is now one of the most popular places to visit in London. There has been a markets here in Camden for a long time, but in its present status only since 1974. The market is actually a group of adjoining markets selling wares of most things one could possibly think of.

The Kings Road is known as Chelsea’s high street, and one of the most chic and stylish streets to shop in London. Back in the 1970s the Kings Road was closely associated with ‘Punks’, who proved to be an attraction in London themselves. However, the Kings Road is more subdued these days and no longer just a haunt of the followers of the anti-fashion era.

Sloane Street is a street in London which runs north to south, and takes its name from Sir Hans Sloane, who purchased the surrounding area in 1712. Sloane Street has has, for a long time, been a fashionable shopping district, but is probably just as well known for lending it name to the ‘Sloane Rangers’ in the 1990s. The name Sloane Ranger was applied to the stereotypical young upper class English ladies seen in the area during this time. (One famous woman often referred to as a Sloane Ranger was Lady Diana Spencer)

Harrods department store in Knightsbridge is the worlds largest department store standing on 18,000 m2. ‘Omnia Omnibus Ubique’ is the Harrods motto and means all things for all people, everywhere. A very exclusive and luxurious department store, Harrods is famous the world over for its food hall and its toy department.

Another famous London department store is Selfridges in Oxford Street. Selfridges opened its doors to the public in 1909, and was built was the entrepreneur Gordon Selfridge. When it opened Selfridges set new standards for the retailing business. This was because all of the shop floors were designed so that goods on sale were more easily accessible to the customer.

The shops in London offer as much diversity as its culture and no matter how bizarre ones shopping requirements, it can be found in London. Whether you like to shop in department stores or prefer to rummage through the markets, London has it all.

If you are planning a shopping trip to London you will find plently of cheap London hotels listed at www.londonhotelhelper.com


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