London, an insiders view

I feel like Dorothy out of The Wizard of OZ when I say "there's no place like home!". I am of course talking about London. Nowhere, other than America maybe, will you find such a melting pot of cultures. We have them all and we can boast that we are a symbol of how people with so many diverse backgrounds, cultures and religions can work, play and interact with each other on a daily basis without prejudice, and if some prejudices exist, then it is not tolerated period.

We would like to think that we live in a classless society, but I am sorry to say that we do not. The British media is fundamentally run by the middle classes, so you the tourist will get a distorted picture of London. What saddens me most, is that you will only ever see the attractions of London that serve an economic purpose, like Buckingham Palace, Big Ben, Houses of Parliament, Westminster Abbey, Tower of London....et al. But these are just tourist traps. There is so much more to London and so much cheaper. Sure, the afore mentioned are a part of London's history, but the part they play is just that.

So you want to come to London?

Where do you stay? Well don't stay in the West End, there are so many cheaper places, remember we have the tube, it's easy to use and will get you into the centre of London within minutes. Go to http://www.msn.com, then type in cheap London Hotels, the list is enormous. Choose a hotel in Highgate, Camden, Muswell Hill, Crouch End, Woodgreen, Finchley, Barnet, Enfield. Go get your atlas and look up London, choose a borough away from the centre of London and I guarantee you will have saved yourself a packet!!!!!!

Obviously, like most places we have our fair share of crime, but no place is really out of bounds. My advice... Leave the wallet behind, put your credit cards and cash into your front trouser pocket. Leave the flashy digi-cam/camcorder/camera at home, the instant camera is just as good. Get Lost, I mean it! Forget the street map, just take a tube map with you. Go and see the non tourists London. Highgate Cemetery, Hampstead Heath, Waterlow Park, Ken Wood, they are all in the same area of Highgate.

Food:

• For a taste of India, go to Brick Lane

• For a taste of Greece, go to Green Lanes (Woodgreen)

• For a taste of China, India, Italy and Thailand and good old English pubs come to Crouch End (nearest tube is Finsbury Park (we have a good music venue here called the worlds end) then the W7 to Muswell hill, you go up a hill and down the other side is Crouch End)

• For a taste of Mexico, go to Camden, there you will find markets, restaurants, music venues, canals, (my work place, come say hello), AND HISTORY!!!!!!!

London is what you want it to be, so don't be a tourist be yourself and do what I do, explore and have fun. By the way, you will not need sun screen between the months of September and July! Umbrella's are good to have between the months of September to September. And don't drag your kids, let them drag you, you will both have a better time of it, and NO, NO, NO you can not do London in a day!

Your Guide
Jessica