I was actually a 'Best Man' to a dear friend of mine here, back in the summer of 2007 just a short…read morejourney into the introduction of Britain's civil partnership legislation. There is no place more popular across the metropolis than the borough of Islington, the enclosed photo was taken in the largest of the ceremonial rooms, the Council Chamber, seating up to 100 guests, with the option of an additional 60 in the public gallery above. This impressive circular chamber, with its domed ceiling, stained glass windows and panelled walls, adds a note of dignified grandeur to every occasion.

Great venue for professional meetings, forums, conferences and functions (Middle Entrance into the…read morebuilding) I say that because it's a very professional and well maintained building. Up stairs is like a mini version of 'The House of Parliament' so if your talking political. As soon as you walk in through the middle entrance though the double door on the left to the enquiry desk is the Lister room very spacey and great if you're looking to have a big group. Next entrance is great for fun events performances and information fairs (Right Entrance into building). Or maybe your not looking for any such thing and you've left your course work to the last minute and your legging it down to the (Left Entrance into building) Library? To finish your work? Nojust me? The shame the shame well as you walk in your see stairs to your left but we'll go there later. Downstairs is the children's section and teenage fiction not the biggest library and it closes at FIVE with no day where it actually stays open that bit later so if your coming from school or work your not going to have any time to get anything done. Oh yeah upstairs is the reference library a place to study use the computer and read the paper. If you choose to want to study here I mean it come early time waits for no man. You can't miss this building because it's famous for its giant clock that dings every hour so if your making your way there for any reason you'll know if you're on time.

Notting Hill is a London district which belong to The Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea…read more(RBKC). It's famous for its annual Caribbean Carnival in August and second hand + antique Portobello Road Market. District streets are large and enough spacious! Buildings look simple but shops are nice, interesting and have beautiful colours + designs! There are some good cafés and restaurants to check too. Well! Notting Hill is a nice quiet place from where you can go to Hyde and Holland Parks! We found it practical.

While in London, we stayed in Kensington. I would definitely recommend this area to fellow…read moretravelers - there are a ton of good bars & restaurants, plenty of grocery stores, plus multiple Tube stations so that you can get by fine without need of a car. It seems quieter and less hectic than other areas of the city, and the added bonus is access to great parks including Hyde!

Constructed between 1974 and 1982, the Thames Barrier enables the city of London to keep the Thames…read morefrom flooding the city. And that people, is a good thing! The visit includes a 22 acre park and you can see some of the structure from the inside along with information about the water itself and some of the species that live in the water. The complex is in London itself but not anywhere downtown so you'll have to get there via a taxi or possibly the tube although I'm not 100% sure if it goes all the way out there - I visited this with my middle school years ago. It was fun and definitely something different that most tourists overlook.

The museum was ok but it was quit small, but did teach you valuable information about the Thames…read moreBarrier and why it was built. It's good for children really there are interactive games to play which are on the walls and there are a lot of different buttons to press which kept me going for ages. It did not take long to get there but it is not very well sign posted. It did not take long to get round about 30mins, but there was a film which we watched which was about the building of the barrier.

Tip: You get a nice view of this bridge when you're dining at Peacock…read more Westminster Bridge connects people and vehicles between Westminster (north) with Lambeth (south). I did a hop-on-hop-off bus tour when I was in London in 2013. I went over this bridge thanks to this bus tour a few times, as I had a three-day pass. I was dining at Peacock, a Chinese restaurant, after visiting the London Eye and Sealife. I got a stunning view of this bridge, with the Houses of Parliament and Big Ben behind it, as I dined. They kept me company, along with the Thames. This bridge is green in colour. I learned that its distinctive colour was to match the seats in the House of Commons. Maybe when I return to London someday, I'll walk across it and take some photos. (32)

The bridge is crazy with all the tourists stopping to take pictures of the London Eye, Thames River…read moreand Big Ben.

This is a palace?…read more Obligatory stop with our tour group. I wasn't very impressed though.... It's small. And pretty boring looking lol Sorry not sorry! lol I expect more for a palace in London. There's a garden area too. Also small and not very exciting. lol

Interesting place. Took the 131 step walk up the Mideval tower. Misty, foggy day so view not that…read moregreat. Focus on garden theme, and not so much the building. Enjoyed hearing bits about the building's history.

Clarence House is the current residence of Prince Charles and Camilla and former home of Queen…read moreElizabeth, the Queen Mother before her passing. Since Prince Charles and Camilla do live here, Clarence House is only open 1 month of the year in August. However, if you buy tickets and sign it and get it stamped at the end of your visit, it's good for unlimited future visits for one year (though really, it's good for all of August next year because they're not open year-round). The tour is 45 minutes long and each tour is a bit different. Your guide will go over highlights that they're interested in, so if you get a different guide, you'll learn, hear, and see different tidbits and aspects of each room. Even though there are several stories, you only experience the rooms on the first floor. At the end of your tour, there is a gift shop for souvenir purchases. Beware of the condescending gentleman (if you can even call him that!) at the register who provides a snoot attitude when he deems you haven't purchased enough to receive a paper bag.

Famous as the London home of the late Queen Mother. Now the official residence of the Prince of…read moreWales and the Duchess of Cornwall. Pre-booked guided tour with a timed entrance. Small group views The Entrance Hall leading to the Lancaster Room. The Morning Room has been re-decorated by the Prince of Wales. Favourite along with the Dining Room. No photography is allowed in the grounds. Small gift shop. Wheelchair users can view all rooms.

There's so much to do in London!…read more We spent a couple of days here and mostly walked around and took the bus and train station around London. We went to a lovely Tea spot for a Spot of tea. We also walked around the area near Buckingham Palace. We didn't get to go in since we were there during the month after the queens death. But we got to walk around the common grounds, which was really cool!

Had to scratch my head on some of the raving reviews about the food and overall essence of London…read more The distance between most of the historic landmarks were too spread out and hard on my old feet - a tourist trap for sure. Most of the flights to Europe usually start at the Heathrow airport in central London and is the busiest in the United Kingdom. Our flight from Ft Lauderdale to London was a long painful nine hours and the airport was crazy packed. Upon arrival, we hailed a cab, well actually ordered one thru a phone app. A classic English black car called a Hackney Carriage arrived to take us to our boutique hotel. Had to get used to the cockney accents. We were warned by many about the "pick pockets" in the tourist rich areas and our group almost became a victim, but some others were not that lucky. After that, my head stayed on a swivel for the rest of our trip. Strangely, none of the police carry guns as an ultra liberal policy that lets the public think that the police are merely citizens in uniform. Not sure if this strategy is working due to the sounds of constant police car sirens echoing the entire time, especially around Big Ben. Also got stuck in the center of a massive LGBTQ protest. Two fun activities in London that I highly recommend as a tourist are shopping on Carnaby Street in SOHO, the London Eye ferris wheel and a cruise on the Thames River. If you're going on this cruise bring a jacket. Now a little about the food issue. London food was very bland with 'fish & chips' at the centerpoint of every menu amongst a few other English dishes. Took a guided tour of the old English pubs which was not expensive with a few notable craft beers. Decent time in London with friends viewing the detailed architecture, but other than that, the city itself is very overrated and would hesitate to return.