Popular music

London is famous for its rock scene, and was the starting point of some of the greatest 60s and 70s
artists such as David Bowie, Iron Maiden, The Clash, Led Zeppelin, Fleetwood Mac, The Sex
Pistols, The Who, Pink Floyd, Queen and popular 90s acts like Blur andColdplay. Most major bands'
tours will pass through London as well, favourite venues being the Brixton Academy, the London
Astoria, and the Hammersmith Apollo.
In addition to spawning the bands mentioned above, London, in its capacity as the UK's cultural
centre, has served as the base of a number of internationally important acts, including The
Beatles, Elton John and Jimi Hendrix, as well as being instrumental in the birth ofdance music.
London is also known for spawning numerous massively successful pop acts; with The Spice
Girls, Cliff Richard and One Direction being especially note-worthy.
London also has a thriving urban scene, mainly throughout the 21st century. Soul singers
like Adele, Amy Winehouse and Lemar have found themselves chart, and international
success. R&B singers such as the Sugababes, Leona Lewis, Taio Cruz, Jay Sean andAlexandra
Burke are also extremely popular. London also has a strong rap scene; rappers
including Wiley and Dizzee Rascal among others have helped contribute to London gaining the
status of having the strongest rap scene outside of the USA.
London is the home of one of the biggest underground scenes in the world. Genres include Uk
garage, Drum and bass, Dubstep, 2step and most notably, grime.

London hosts several festivals, fairs and carnivals throughout the year with over 40 free festivals
each year. The most famous is theNotting Hill Carnival, the world's second largest carnival. The
carnival takes place over the August bank holiday weekend, and attracts almost 1 million people. It
has a distinctly Afro-Caribbean flavour, and highlights include a competition between
London's steelpan bands and a 3 mile street parade with dancing and music.
London also hosts the Carnaval Del Pueblo, Europe's greatest Latin American Festival, held on the
first Sunday of August each year. Seven countries participate in this street procession, which ends in
Burgess Park. Live music, dance, and Funfairs go up to 9:30 pm.
There are also large parades held on St. George's Day (April 23) and St Patrick's Day (March 17).
The Dance Umbrella is held every October, and features a variety of dance companies putting on
displays across London. In addition there are many smaller fairs and parades, including
the Christmas Without Cruelty Fayre, a fair held annually to promote animal rights.

Food

1. Welsh rarebit
This tasty treat is a chic version of cheese on toast and is made using grated
Cheddar or Stilton cheese and a mustard and beer sauce that is mixed together
with an egg and placed on top of a slice of toast before being grilled in the oven.
Where to try it : The Wolseley 160 Piccadilly

2. Beef Wellington
This is a whole fillet of beef covered in pastry and is similar to the French beef en
croute. However, to add a pinch of patriotism, the British have renamed it after The
Duke of Wellingtons victory over Napoleon in Waterloo in 1815
Where to try it : Rules- 35 Maiden Lane, Covent Garden

3. Sunday roast with Yorkshire pudding

This is a traditional roast dinner with beef or lamb and a good Yorkshire pudding
which should be light so you can mop up the juices of the meat.
Where to try it : Simpsons in the Strand 100 The Strand

4. Fish and chips

Served with a simple wedge of lemon, fish and chips are unbeatable when nice
and crispy.
Where to try it : Bradys 513 Old York Road

5. Chiken Tikka Massala

This is the UKs most popular dish and was, as legend says, created in an Indian
restaurant in Glasgow. You are free to believe it or not!
Where to try it : In any curry house on Brick Lane East London

6. Kedgeree
A delicious anglo-indian dish that is made by cooking basmati rice with smoked
haddock, curry spices and hard boiled eggs. It is the perfect dish for Sunday
brunch in London.
Where to try it : Albion Caf 2 Boundary Street, Shoreditch

7. Haggis, neeps and tatties

The national dish of Scotland, this is made from offel that has been boiled with
oats and bran for 3 hours in a casing of sheeps stomach. Rest assured, it tastes
better than it sounds! It comes served with potatoes and turnips.
Where to try it : The Canton Arms 177 South Lambeth Road

8. Steak and kidney pie

The most flavorsome and popular pie in the United Kingdom- enjoy with a pint in a
good pub.
Where to try it : The Windmill 6-8 Mill Street, Mayfair

9. Stilton and walnut pie

With between 3 and 4 million Britons who do not eat meat, Britain offers great
vegetarian cuisine. This blend of a nutty tart with the strong blue English cheese
is simply divine!
Where to try it : Vanilla Black 17-18 Tooks Court

10. Lancashire hotpot

This is one of the most famous meals from the north of England and is made up of a
generous portion of lamb that is covered in round slices of potatoes then baked in a
low oven for a whole day. To sample this dish- escape London and head up
north!
Where to try it : The Three Fishes, Mitton, Lancashire

CEREMONIES AND TRADITIOS

trooping rhe colour
Often cited as the ceremonial event of the year, the Trooping the Colourmarks the
'official' birthday of the Queen. Her actual birthday is 21st April (see below) but it is a
long-standing tradition to publicly celebrate her birthday on a summer day. This
tradition dates back to the early 18th century when the Colours (flags) of the battalion
were carried (Trooped) past soldiers to reinforce the colours of their regiment so that
they would recognise them in battle. Ever since 1748 this ceremony has also marked
the Sovereign's birthday.
The queens birthday gun salute
The Queen usually celebrates her actual birthday, 21st April, privately, but the occasion
is marked publicly by gun salutes in central London: there's a 41-gun salute in Hyde
Park, a 21-gun salute in Windsor Great Park and a 62-gun salute at the Tower Of London,
all taking place at midday. The Queen's Birthday Gun Salutes take place on her actual
birthday, ahead of her official birthday in June which is marked byTrooping the Colour. At
Hyde Park the Queen's Birthday Gun Salute is carried out by the King's Troop Royal
Horse Artillery who ride into the park from the north by Marble Arch along North
Carriage Drive, line up abreast and gallop down the parade ground to roughly opposite
the Dorchester Hotel. The Troop itself arrives at around 11.45am ready to fire the first

round at midday. The guns are then unhooked and the salute is fired off. Duty
performed, the horses gallop back up towards North Carriage Drive. The band arrives
separately and can usually be seen from about 11.30am. It is a spectacular show of
pomp and ceremony and it's also the only time when you will see horses legally at a full
gallop in Hyde Park - with a ton and a half of cannon in tow.
State opening of parliament
Dating back to Medieval London, this spectacular annual ceremony marking the
beginning of the new parliamentary year takes place May (prior to 2012 it took place in
October or November) and features peers and bishops in traditional robes and a royal
procession involving the State Coach (visible to the public). The Yeomen of the Guard
(royal bodyguards since 1485) are responsible for searching the cellars of theHouses of
Parliament before the Queen arrives - a duty undertaken ever since the infamous
Gunpowder Plot of 1605 when Guy Fawkes tried to blow up Parliament. The televised
ceremony that follows takes place in the House of Lords.

Lord mayors show

The annual Lord Mayor's Show has been taking over the streets of London for nearly
800 years now. The parade involves over 6,000 people, bands, over 140 decorated
floats, costumed performers and a gilded State Coach that the Lord Mayor travels in. If
you aren't sick of fireworks by this time (the show traditionally takes place in November,
just after Bonfire Night), this is possibly the most dangerous and amazing of all the
public shows in the capital. River barges are piled high with explosives and set adrift on
the Thames with several brave men on board.
Ceremony of the keys.
Every night the Tower of London is locked up by the Chief Yeoman Warder who, dressed
in Tudor uniform, makes his way to the gates from the Byward Tower at exactly 9.53pm
to meet the Escort of the Key, clad in the familiar Beefeater uniform. The pair tour the
various gates, locking them ceremonially, before being challenged by a sentry at the
Bloody Tower archway. "Who goes there?" asks the sentry. "The Keys," replies the
Warder. "Whose keys?" "Queen Elizabeth's Keys." "Pass Queen Elizabeth's Keys. All's
well."
Changing of the guard
A hugely popular spectacle, the Changing of the Guard takes place at a range of royal
locations in and around London daily during the summer (April-July) and on alternate
days for the rest of the year. There is no ticketing, so make sure you get there early.
Ever since 1660 Household Troops have guarded the Sovereign Palaces. The Palace of
Whitehall was the main residence until 1689 and was guarded by the Household Cavalry
(they can still be seen here today; outside Horse Guards Arch). The court moved to St
James's Palace in 1689 and when Queen Victoria moved into Buckingham Palace (1837)
the Queen's Guard remained at St James's Palace and a detachment guarded
Buckingham Palace, as it does today.