The writer Dr Samuel Johnson once said ‘when a man is tired of London, he is tired of life’, and I certainly have some sympathy with his argument. Like many young Scots and others from around the globe, I found my way to this innovative city straight after finishing my university studies and ended up spending most of my 20s there.
The term ‘global city’ is banded about quite a bit these days but London really does live up to this title. Within the city 300 languages are spoken on a daily basis, and almost 40% of the population were born outside the UK. You have the opportunity to dine in restaurants offering every conceivable global cuisine, shop at markets with goods from all over the world and mingle with people from every country you could think of. However, although a cultural melting pot, you are also never far away from the quintessential ‘British’ experience in London, be it the changing of the guard at Buckingham Palace, glimpsing of a red telephone box at the end of a handsome Victorian terrace, or passing police officers in their traditional custodian helmets.
Last weekend I made one of my frequent visits back to the metropolis to see friends and catch up with the dizzying pace of change in this global city. Since departing back in 2014, I have seen many changes and one of my great joys comes from re-visiting familiar haunts to see how they have developed since I moved on. As such a large city London can seem intimidating, especially for a first-time visitor. Some advice I was once given is to think of it not as one large city, but rather a collection of villages, each with its own main street, station, community and distinct character, and I find this very useful. The only way to see London is by exploring each of the individual neighbourhoods so you can really get under the skin of the city and see what makes it tick. For this reason I would recommend that rather than take the famous London Underground to get from A to B, you should walk where possible or alternatively sit on the top level of one of the city’s iconic red double-decker buses to get a bird’s eye view of the skyline.
Here at McKinlay Kidd, we know London intimately and our speciality is advising you on how to discover the city beyond the tourist clichés. We always include the more quirky and lesser known attractions and a specially curated art trail for all of our clients who will be visiting London as well as our own personal recommendations and favourite restaurants. We work with a small collection of family-run, original hotels in some fantastic central locations and can also set you up with one of our local guides for the day. London is at the centre of the UK and Ireland’s transport network so lends itself perfectly for a stopover at the beginning or end of a McKinlay Kidd holiday in Scotland, Ireland or elsewhere in England.
So the question is this; if I love it so much, why did I leave? Like all truly global cities, London does face challenges, notably the high cost of living and exorbitant housing prices. I made the decision to return north of the border to buy my own property and be closer to family, and I don’t regret it at all. At times like last Saturday though, as I sat sipping a gin and tonic with dear friends overlooking the Thames, I do feel incredibly lucky that I got to spend some of the best years of my life in this amazing city.
Words by Tom Hamilton @ McKinlay Kidd, with images from Chris @ McKinlay Kidd
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