General Information

Text based on the 2003 edition of the guide.

Section contains:

A brief history of London

There is no evidence that the ancient Britons settled on the site of what is now London. The Iron Age inhabitants arrived in the south-east of England around 500 BC, and one of their settlement areas was in what is now Heathrow Airport. Londinium grew after the Roman invasion in 43 AD. After Roman rule, the Dark Ages saw London controlled by Saxon invaders, who were often in dispute with the Vikings for control of the country. This was until 1066 when William the Conqueror took over, changing Saxon England into Norman England.

London grew in both population and prestige, becoming England's most important city. There was a large palace and abbey at Westminster, where Chaucer and many other famous people are buried. Also the beginnings of the Tower of London. Tudor London saw the reign of Henry VIII, which is best discovered at Hampton Court where he lived. The population increased rapidly. During the Stuart period the bubonic plague hit the city, reaching its peak in 1665 with the Great Plague. London then took another purging, with the Great Fire in 1666. This is said to have been started accidentally by a baker in Pudding Lane, and the site is commemorated by a huge Doric column, known as the Monument. As part of the reconstruction, St Paul's Cathedral and many other famous churches were built.

The effects of the industrial revolution can be seen clearly. There are old power stations in central London, and there was extensive development, including the Docklands, towards the east. Throughout the Georgian, Regency and Victorian eras, London developed enormously. There was a mixture of elegant housing for the wealthy, much of which remains, and of rat-infested tenements for the poor (well described by Dickens in his many novels). This reflected the success of both traders and industrialists and the human cost of that success. The less attractive parts have been, or are being, extensively rebuilt and redeveloped. The architecture of the times can be seen in many of the remaining buildings, with extensive Victorian development in outer suburban areas.

London became the capital of the British Empire, the world's largest city, and the world centre for banking and trade. Since then its relative importance has declined, but it remains one of the great capitals of the world. We hope that you have an enjoyable visit, and that the information available will be helpful.

Climate

Visitors must take into account the generally mild but unpredictable weather. There are hot spells in the summer and cold periods in the winter but the forecast of 'sunshine and showers' is all too common. When packing, you should allow for chilly winds in the winter (and even the possibility of snow and ice). It may rain at any time, but there are often good spells of several weeks when it will be dry and sunny. If you come in the summer, remember that relatively few buildings have air-conditioning.
The temperature can vary from 32°C/90°F right down to -11°C/10°F. Places to go if it's really wet or cold include the big museums, the Barbican and South Bank areas, or some of the very big shops or covered shopping areas. Covent Garden is a possibility, with both shelter and street entertainment. If it's fine, the parks and riverside are particularly attractive.

Emergencies

In the event of accident or emergency, the standard procedure is to telephone the Police, Fire Service or Ambulance by dialling 999. That way you'll get the right help or advice. The first person you'll speak to is the operator who will ask, 'Which service do you require?' When you then get through, you can explain what is needed.

Normally both doctors and dentists are available only during working hours. If you need to collect a prescription, your nearest police station keeps a list of local pharmacies and their opening times. Two chemists open late are:

Bliss

54 Willesden Lane NW6
Tel: 020 7624-8000
Open 09.00-22.00 Mon-Sun.

Boots

Piccadilly Circus W1
Tel: 020 7734-6126
Open 08.30-20.00 Mon-Sat 12.00-18.00 Sun.

The Medic Alert Foundation,

12 Bridge Wharf, 156 Caledonian Road N1 9UU
Tel: 020 7833-3034 Fax: 020 7278-0647.
website: www.medicalert.org.uk e-mail: info@medicalert.org.uk
Medic-alert provides a useful service for those with medical problems that could be compounded by treatment after an accident. It is of special importance to those who have epilepsy, haemophilia, diabetes or allergies, and to those who need regular dosage of a particular drug. Life membership is available for a nominal fee. Members wear a metal emblem engraved with the telephone number of the Emergency Service and a note of the immediate medical problems of the wearer. Additional medical information is filed at the Emergency Headquarters, where the telephone is staffed 24 hours a day.

SOS Talisman Co,

21 Gray's Corner, Ley Street, Ilford, Essex IG2 7RQ
Tel: 020 8554-5579 Fax: 020 8554-1090
website: www.sostalisman.com
operate a similar service, which works on the basis of including information in a small locket which is worn permanently.

Maps and guides

The street plans of London come in a huge variety of sizes. Some cover the whole of greater London, almost out to the M25, others cover just the central areas. They come in ring bindings, in soft covers, and in hardback. There are four principal publishers: the AA for Street by Street guides; Collins; Ordnance Survey and Geographia (for the A to Z series). They're all good, and much depends on your choice of style. You can get a good ring-bound, large scale street plan for central London and the Docklands area for less than £5, and the one we recommend is the one published by Collins. It is called the Superscale London atlas.

Website sources which can be helpful in locating places include:

These can all provide you with a local map based on a postcode, or, possibly on a street name together with the area name.

There are numerous listings about what is happening in London, including pamphlets from the LTB and other tourist offices. The Evening Standard which is London's evening paper, has listings, as do some of the national daily papers. The Evening Standard has a searchable website, www.thisislondon.com. On Thursday, the paper includes a magazine called Hot Tickets. The most extensive listing of events is in Time Out which comes out weekly. This tells you about theatres, restaurants, sporting, musical and special events, and exhibitions. If you want to get a copy before you leave, their website is: www.timeout.com, e-mail: net@timeout.co.uk of Tel: 020 7813-6060.

Note also The Big Issue which is a weekly magazine providing both an income and hope to some of London's homeless people. It includes interesting articles on London issues, and information about what's going on.

There are literally dozens of guide books to London, all with slightly different angles and presentation. A listing here does not imply that their advice for disabled visitors or residents is particularly good and that's why you need Access in London !

When choosing a guide, check the date of publication, as things change, particularly prices and opening times. There are many specialist guides to particular aspects of London and its history and life. Where relevant, we have detailed these in each chapter.

For general guides to interesting and historic places, we recommend the Eyewitness Guide to London published by Dorling Kindersley. It includes good area maps and building cut-aways which are relevant to access. The other one with particularly good building cut-aways if the Michelin Green Guide. Other guides that we have found useful include: the Lonely Planet London the Rough Guide to London and Time Out London. The Fodor London Companion gives a comprehensive and readable background to many of the interesting places and events.

In addition to those already mentioned, there are:

If you are on a tight budget, London for Free, published by Harden's Guides, gives hundreds of ideas for activities and visits for which there is no charge. If you are looking for something to do with the children, try Days Out With Kids, from Two Heads Publishing or Take the kids, London published by Cadogan Guides.

Big books that include a great deal of background information or look at the city from a different angle, include The London Encyclopaedia edited by Ben Weinreb and Christopher Hibbert and published by MacMillan; London The Biography by Peter Ackroyd and published by Vintage; Terence Conran on London, which has some superb illustrations and is published by Conran Octopus; and finally London from the Air by Jason Hawkes and published by Ebury Press.

Telephones

The code for London is 020 with phones in the central area being followed by a 7 and those further out followed by an 8. The inner area covers central London and Docklands numbers while the outer area covers most subscribers more than 4 miles from Charing Cross. You need an eight digit number when dialling between the zones. If in doubt consult a phone book. Outside London, different codes apply. If in doubt, ask the operator for advice (dial 100). For emergency services dial 999. For directory enquiries use 192 for UK numbers or 153 for international numbers. [Note that there are new numbers replacing 192 listed in Updated Information]