Great Chitter Chatter - Stories from Loud Voices

England is an incredibly beautiful|a most amazing nation in which to take a vacation. It has a great many visitor attractions well worth visiting to suit all tastes. For instance|One such place is the historic city of York which dates back to the times of the Roman Empire, Torquay (often called the English Riviera) and Liverpool (European City of Culture 2008). Possibly the most famous place to spend some time is London the capital city of the United Kingdom of Britain

London is an amazing destination to visit, maybe for just a weekend or, maybe for a longer period. You may be surprised at the number of people residing in Britain who have not yet visited London, this is especially surprising when you bear in mind the fact it is usually top of most visitors lists (of places they enjoyed most).

There are so many things to see and do in London that it is quite impossible 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 the Houses of Parliament and Big Ben. 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 Queen Elizabeth. Buckingham Palace is to be found at the heart of London which makes it the perfect focus for tourists. The daily pageant of ‘Changing of the Guard’ is incredibly interesting to see and typically English.

Buckingham Palace was originally referred to as 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 know it today.

During the next 3 quarters of a century Buckingham House was made larger by the building of an additional three wings creating a central courtyard. The primary architects responsible for these additions were Edward Blore and John Nash. It was also John Nash who was responsible for the interior design of the monumental staterooms.

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

The Queen has a selection of royal residences besides Buckingham Palace. Every year the Queen spends the Christmas season at Sandringham House in Norfolk. Sandringham House is actually privately owned by the Queen (classed as a private royal residence.

Another private residence is Balmoral Castle, found in Royal Aberdeenshire in Scotland. The Queen was in residence at Balmoral Castle when she heard of the shocking accident involving Princess Diana.

If you would like to take a vacation in the U.K. then you might be pleased to discover 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 surroundings and the small selection of boutique hotels in London should be more than satisfactory.

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 number 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 long 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