London – a city like no other

The UK is made up of many villages, towns, cities, green fields, rolling landscapes, historic buildings, polite and proper people, diverse regions, accents and cultures… and then there is London! London is the powerhouse of the UK economy, a truly global city matched only by the likes of New York, Hong Kong and Tokyo. As seemingly important for Europe as it is for the UK, it is the world’s most visited city based on foreign arrivals, has the world’s largest city airport system and the largest metropolitan area in the EU!

London may seem a daunting place in which to visit and learn English, but with all our schools in travel zone 1, close to underground stations and tourist attractions, together with all accommodation within easy reach, it could not be easier to take a language course in the UK’s capital city.

London truly has something for everyone and you should never be bored regardless of how long you stay for. Time out has an excellent article of 101 things to do, which although it is fairly comprehensive, it only seems to scratch the service of what is available: Time Out London. Our school has two dedicated social programme organisers and a full calendar of activities, from walks around new locations in the city, museum trips, food and drink events, workshops, tours, sport clubs, parties and more!

A favourite area of London for me is Covent Garden. The underground station on the Piccadilly line is just a few hundred metres from the tourist heavy Leicester Square and although undoubtedly busy, it seems more of a genuine, special place that is there for everyone, not just set up for the tourists. Covent Garden can be reached from our school in just 15 minutes on the world famous London Underground.

Home to the Royal Opera House and many other Theatres, the London Transport Museum, London Film Museum and of course the Covent Garden Piazza (which is a former fruit and vegetable market and now a popular centre of shopping), Covent Garden contains one of the few remaining large pedestrianised areas in the city, just as popular with Londoners as it is with tourists. With restaurants and hotels to suit all budgets and tastes, I was happy to stumble across Bill’s last time I was there and will definitely make a reservation for my next trip.

Spending time in a friendly café in Covent Garden followed by a walk around the different shops – from one of the world’s most iconic Apple stores, to the hand-crafted goods on the local market – you are reminded that London is not a daunting place to be afraid of, but rather a place to discover all aspects of people, culture, tastes and interests – a true melting pot that everyone can and should appreciate.

Peter