Well It is, isn't it?

No, it's a kingdom that isn't united.
HTH

WGAF?

Stephen Walter has done an amazing map depicting London as an island: here and here

Crikey, the detail in that map. Ideal for the bog wall.

Disagree. I've lived in London and i've lived elsewhere: they're not that different, it's just the media portrayals typically are.

Trolling?

London is not representative of the united kingdom it's a landlocked island

or a city state

Hairychested – Member

No, it's a kingdom that isn't united.
HTH

Ha ha! That's how I remember the difference between UK and GB!! UK isn't united!!!

With a bit of global warming it could become New Atlantis

London needs an area the size of Spain to provide it's resources.

I wish it were an island, with tight border controls to keep some of you lot out. Come here clogging up our streets, enjoying all the culture and history and stuff we have to offer, then bugger off back to Oddmorden or whatever Godforsaken hell-hole you crawled out from, complaining about it. Stay away! I'd volunteer to man the gun turrets… 😉

You're right though Nutt. London is a unique entity unto itself, and doesn't represent the UK. Unlike all other cities which are merely UK cities, nothing more. London has the same mythical status as New York, Paris, Barcelona, Hong Kong; places which exist and thrive in their own right, not merely as part of a greater whole.

Greatest City on Earth, without a doubt.

London needs an area the size of Spain to provide it's resources.

And its GDP is the same as Austria's.

Greatest City on Earth, without a doubt.

Amazing what wealth and riches Imperial exploitation can bring.

Even more amazing to find out who is proud of this.

london is a shithole!

Amazing what wealth and riches Imperial exploitation can bring.

Name me a great city on Earth that wasn't founded along similar lines.

London is also the birthplace of many fantastic institutions of medicine, Law, art, learning and philosophy. The battleground for social justice and equality. A huge melting pot of different cultures and ideas.

I think the positives far outweigh the negatives, but there'll always be the envious naysayers.

Central London is an impressive place, loads of history, culture and all that good stuff. However it always amazes me how many people who live in the surrounding suberbs talk up London. From what I've seen of the sprawl that surrounds the centre there is little different from the sprawl around any major city. Might as well live around Manchester, Leeds or Liverpool. Nothing special about those places (except the stupidly high house prices).

Name me a great city on Earth that wasn't founded along similar lines.

That makes it OK then.

London is also the birthplace of many fantastic institutions of medicine, Law, art, learning and philosophy

All producing largely white, proffesional middle class, discourses that you spend most of your time on here bleating against.

I think the positives far outweigh the negatives, but there'll always be the envious naysayers

Not envious at all. If I wanted to live in London I would.

Interesting double standards on this one elf.

A few tips for us northern visiters to Londinium ofat' interweb thingy..
London Travel Safety Tips
•Try to avoid walking alone at night. Keep to well-lit main roads
•Stay alert: be aware of what's going on around you
•Avoid wearing headphones – they reduce awareness of your surroundings

All producing largely white, proffesional middle class, discourses that you spend most of your time on here bleating against.

What? Explain please? So, you're saying I'm opposed to White Middle Class professionals now, are you? Do you pay any attention to what I post?

Nah, you've got me mixed up with someone in your own imagination I'm afraid me old mucker.

Or do you just want an argument? 😉

Stumpyjohn; I agree to an extent re some suburbs, but then even some of them have their own uniqueness within London's history. Greenwich was once miles from the city, yet today is inseparable from any notion of what London is.

I think the difference between London and many other cities worldwide, is that London is a 'brand'. Same as Paris, Barça, New York etc. Other UK cities have tried this, but never really succeeded for that long. London has produced icons that symbolise the place like no other city on Earth has, really.

N.B. > ElfinFredsClothing's views do not necessarily represent those of the other 6million+ of us who reside in London

at this present time, I think it's 64% shithole, 30% great place to live, 6% meh

N.B. > ElfinFredsClothing's views do not necessarily represent those of the other 6million+ of us who reside in London

I respect your right to be wrong. 😀

I love it. Others don't. The World keeps turning….

A few tips for us northern visiters to Londinium ofat' interweb thingy..
London Travel Safety Tips
•Try to avoid walking alone at night. Keep to well-lit main roads

Also, affixing rubber soles to your clogs will stop your clattering being less noticeable.

Of course it's not representative, just as Birmingham isn't and Liverpool isn't and Edinburgh isn't, etc 🙄

this is hilarious, and ridiculous. the title might as well be:

"The UK is entirely homogenous, except for that london bit, which is different"

MrK doesn't deal in widespread generalisations.

Of course it's not representative, just as Birmingham isn't and Liverpool isn't and Edinburgh isn't, etc

I don't think those places are a separable from the rest of the UK as is London though. What I mean is, if you go to New York, you go to New York, not the USA. But if you go to somewhere like Hartford CT, you are going to the USA. Make sense? New Yorkers I spoke to agreed with me on this one. Their identity is very strong and distinct from the rest of the USA. I noticed the same with Paris and Barça.

I find the sense of distance of Londoners quite funny.
I know half a mile can make quite a difference in the type of neighbourhood but please, it's only half a mile – It's not some epic journey to another land.

"not representative" in what sense?

Give it a decade or two…

The air stinks. It ain't air.

Good place for bicycle shows though 🙂

It's not really an island…. it's more like a theme park, where the theme is London itself. It's almost like it tries so hard to maintain its brand it's become a self-fulfilling parody.

Don't get me wrong, I love it to visit (been 6 or 7 times this year), but it can feel quite 'other-worldy'

Their identity is very strong and distinct from the rest of the USA

They just like to think that – makes them feel special – same as some Londoners 😉 (speaking as a Londoner…)

Hartford CT, eh… been there?

MrK doesn't deal in widespread generalisations

Unfortunately you are far too sensible and reasoned to be on this forum. Please go and sit on the naughty step until you can type utterly unevidenced hyperbole…Hora is a available for lessons

I have not been often enough to pass comment on its distictiveness or otherwise. Usually when I travel I can tell I am somewhere different. I suspect London has that feel as well.

Was in london on saturday having a mooch about. I do just wandering about and seeing where you end up. Found this little local boozer about 10 mins east of liverpool st, loverly!
Wouldnt want to live there, but its important to me that i visit fairly regualarly.
Mind you blew my nose the next day and it was battleship grey!

Hartford, eh… been there?

Yes. It's not the most exciting place I've ever been to. 😐 I understand it does have history that is pretty significant though (formation of the Constitution of the USA), but it's not somewhere I'd choose to visit. NY on the other hand, was somewhere I'd always dreamed of going. But I'd dreamed of visiting NY, not the USA. There's a difference.

I'd agree with that but IMO New York is still very much the US even if it has it's own slant on things. Everywhere does really, it's just less shouty and nasal 🙂

When I worked there, I definitely found it to be a microcosm. Absolutely. You don't have to go anywhere for anything, and can spend your entire life there unless you choose to leave for some reason or other.

In smaller places, you often find yourself travelling to another town or city for whatever reason – quite possibly trivial of course. But that doesn't happen in London unless you want to do something outdoorsy. Because peoeple tend to spend so much time in the city, I think it takes over your mind a little and you think London rather than South Eastern England.

I am not a city fan at all, and Manchester or Birmingham would depress the crap out of me. London is far more than just a big city, however, and I simply enjoy being there. Chock full of inspiration, for me.

Inspiration, good point, that's why I'm thinking of going for a job there. If I could afford to leave the flat there's a lot to check out.
But I like being a 5 min ride from countryside. I need that green release. I wonder how long I could stand london for. You can't easily escape in any direction.

molegrips is bang on about the travelling to other towns aspect that happen when you live in other towns and cities but not in London.

The UK is a varied place and I can't think of any one area, town or City tat represents it particularly well.

duffmiver – Member
london is a shithole!

No different to most larger towns and Cities in the UK then, and to be fair it's better than most of them. Ever been to Birmingham or Liverpool? Any of the large business park towns such as Reading or MK? Post industrial towns with collapsed economies who then get a shopping centre and which is labelled as regeneration as unskilled retail jobs are claimed to be replacements for skilled manufacturing jobs? Or Post industrial towns that don't even have that redevelopment?

ooOOoo – Member
I find the sense of distance of Londoners quite funny.
I know half a mile can make quite a difference in the type of neighbourhood but please, it's only half a mile – It's not some epic journey to another land.

Distance in miles ceases to become relevant in large Cities like London it's all about time. While my girlfriend was doing her teacher training some idiot gave her a placement 15 miles away this took 1hr 45 min to get to, another area 20 miles away could have only taken a little over an hour it just depends on the connections.

I see your point
I guess the tube map has a lot to do with it. If you only ever use that you would have no sense of distance at all!

But I like being a 5 min ride from countryside. I need that green release. I wonder how long I could stand london for. You can't easily escape in any direction.

Hence the microcosm thing.

You lose scenic valleys and hills and so on. But there's a lot to be said for leafy old suburbs. I know you can't go mtbing but some of the suburbs are absolutely beautiful. We went to the Zoo the other day, and some of the streets from Camden Town tube were just beautiful. And this coming from a die-hard country boy.