London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just over 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a 50-mile (80 km) estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a major settlement for two millennia. The City of London, its ancient core and financial centre, was founded by the Romans as Londinium and retains boundaries close to its medieval ones. Since the 19th century, The name “London” has also referred to the metropolis around this core, historically split between the counties of Middlesex, Essex, Surrey, Kent, and Hertfordshire, which largely comprises Greater London, governed by the Greater London Authority. The City of Westminster, to the west of the City of London, has for centuries held the national government and parliament.
As one of the world’s major global cities, London exerts a strong influence on its arts, entertainment, fashion, education, commerce and finance, health care, media, science and technology, tourism, and communications. Its GDP (€801.66 billion in 2017) makes it the biggest urban economy in Europe, and it is one of the major financial centres in the world. As of 2021, London had the most millionaires of any city. With Europe’s largest concentration of higher education institutions, it includes Imperial College London in natural and applied sciences, the London School of Economics in social sciences, and the comprehensive University College London. The city is home to the most 5-star hotels of any city in the world. In 2012, London became the first city to host three Summer Olympic Games.
London’s diverse cultures encompass over 300 languages. The mid-2018 population of Greater London of about 9 million[5] made it Europe’s third-most populous city, accounting for 13.4% of the population of the United Kingdom and over 16% of the population of England. Greater London Built-up Area is the fourth-most populous in Europe, after Istanbul, Moscow and Paris, with about 9.8 million inhabitants at the 2011 census. The London metropolitan area is the third-most populous in Europe after Istanbul’s and Moscow’s, with about 14 million inhabitants in 2016, granting London the status of a megacity.
London has four World Heritage Sites: the Tower of London; Kew Gardens; the combined Palace of Westminster, Westminster Abbey, and St Margaret’s Church; and also the historic settlement in Greenwich, where the Royal Observatory, Greenwich defines the Prime Meridian (0° longitude) and Greenwich Mean Time. Other landmarks include Buckingham Palace, the London Eye, Piccadilly Circus, St Paul’s Cathedral, Tower Bridge, and Trafalgar Square. It has numerous museums, galleries, libraries and sporting venues, including the British Museum, National Gallery, Natural History Museum, Tate Modern, British Library, and numerous West End theatres. The London Underground is the oldest rapid transit system in the world. Important annual sporting events held in London include the FA Cup Final, Wimbledon Tennis Championships and London Marathon. (Wikipedia)
A Blue Pullman set arriving at Paddington, September 5, 196246256 Sir William A Stanier at Euston, September 3, 1962Blue Pullman at Paddington, September 5, 1962D1000 Western Enterprise at Paddington, September 5, 1962Ivatt 2MT 46424 at Euston, September 3, 1962Spanking new D1037 Western Empress gets its running lamp changed at Paddington, September 5, 196246245 City of London at Euston, November 17, 196346254 City of Stoke-on-Trent backs out at Euston, April 12, 196372006 Clan Mackenzie backs down at Paddington, December 8, 1963A1 60114 W.P.Allen (Doncaster) departs Kings Cross, April 13, 1963A1 60130 Kestrel at Kings Cross, March 2, 1963A4 60022 Mallard deps. Kings Cross, March 2, 1963Black 5 45015 at Euston, May 25, 1963Cab of Caley Single 123 at Victoria, September 15, 1963Caley Single & T9 on Bluebell Special at Victoria Station, September 15, 1963Caley Single 123 departing Victoria, September 15, 1963Caley Single No.123 about to depart Victoria on the ‘Bluebell’ special, September 15, 1963EE type 4 D379 at the head of a train with Sulzer type 2 D5074 at Euston, October 6, 1963Jubilee class ‘Silver Jubilee’ departs Paddington on a Home Counties Special, October 6, 1963LSWR T9 No.120 doubles up with the Caley Single at Victoria Station, September 15, 1963Outside Cylinder Pannier Tank 1506 piloting at Paddington, April 20, 1963Paddington interior with Pannier Tank 8420, October 6, 1963Pannier tank No.8433 pilots a train into the platforms at Paddington, June 9, 1963Pannier Tank No.9420 and 2-6-2 Tank No.6163 on pilot duties at Paddington, June 15, 1963Stnd.5MT 73089 (Nine Elms) departs in the rain at Waterloo, April 20, 1963T9 120’s cab at Victoria Station, September 15, 1963The Clan, 72006, now departs Paddington suitably photographed by young enthusiasts, December 8, 1963Top Sheds A4 60015 Quicksilver backs down at Kings Cross, March 2, 1963U class 31639 (Norwood) had brought the stock of the Bluebell Special into Victoria Station, September 15, 1963U class 31639 at Victoria, September 15, 1963WC class 34046 Braunton at Waterloo, June 9, 1963LSWR T9 120 & CR Single 123 (from rear) at Victoria Station, September 15, 19634472 Flying Scotsman at Marylebone, April 18, 1964Britannia 70020 Mercury at Kings Cross, October 4, 1964Early morning departures from Waterloo – 34102 Lapford (clean) with 34006 Bude, October 11, 1964Experimental blue-liveried D1733 arriving Paddington, September 20, 1964LNER A3 4472 Flying Scotsman just arrived at Marylebone, April 18, 1964Pannier 9710 at Paddington, September 20, 1964SR Electric Loco E5010 on the Golden Arrow at Victoria, March 28, 1964Tank 6160 pilots at Paddington, August 8, 1964XP64 stock at Kings Cross, August 8, 1964Clun Castle dep. Kings Cross, September 17, 1967Flying Scotsman at Kings Cross, April 30, 1967Flying Scotsman departs Kings Cross on her special, April 30, 1967A loco of Flying Scotsman departing Kings Cross, March 30, 1969Flying Scotsman at Kings Cross buffers, August 31, 1969Flying Scotsman departing Kings Cross, March 30, 1969Flying Scotsman departing Kings Cross, March 30, 1969
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