London Hunt Assignment

Part One
The trains at King’s Cross will take you to many cities throughout England and Scotland. Some examples are Edinburgh, Aberdeen, and Cambridge. The trains at Waterloo also take you throughout the UK. Some places on the departure list were Alton, Strawberry Hill, Portsmouth Harbor, and Poole. There was also a rail line, Eurostar, which had international trains.
The architecture at King’s Cross was old fashion with lots of bricks and big rounded arches at the platforms. There were also windows to allow in light and the design allowed for air to flow freely. Outside looked a bit more modern with two large window arches and a clock on top of the station. Waterloo station had similar architecture with red and white steel beams, red bricks, and large arched windows. The inside had a feeling of an outside market with townhouses and food shows, but it was all encased in a glass ceiling to allow light to shine through.
Around King’s Cross was extremely busy with lots of buses, people, and taxis. There were lots of ethnic and fast food restaurants as well. The surrounding neighborhood of Waterloo was also very busy. There were lots of buses, restaurants, markets, and shops. A few of the restaurants were The Wellington, Thai Silk, and McDonalds. I heard many European languages spoken at both stations such as French and German.
I did see a lot of evidence of privatization in the train stations. Waterloo trains are all owned by South West. This was visible from their bright décor of red, yellow, orange, and blue. King’s Cross also had lines that were privatized. I found it interesting that you were not allowed on the platform in Waterloo without a ticket, but there were no such regulations put in place at King’s Cross.

Part Two
1. I visited two small parks, Postman’s and Bloomsbury Square Garden. At Postman’s Park, the patrons here could be seen sitting on the benches relaxing or reading the stories on the wall of heroic people who lost their lives to save others. At Bloomsbury Square Garden, people could be seen walking the paths or having quiet conversations.
2. There are sections of open grass for play or a picnic, pathways with benches for leisurely walking, and fountains to admire.
3. The activities do not seem to match the intended use. Few people were in both parks when I visited them, and most seem to be using them as short cuts rather than for leisure. However, there were some people relaxing on the benches and taking a break from their hectic London life.
4. I visited both parks in the middle of the day, which may explain why I did not see a lot of activity. After work there may be more use of the grass by children and families. Most people do not have time during their work day to relax and meditate in a park.

Part Three
Tate Modern à I was unaware what the Tate looked like before visiting it on my walk. As I approached it from the South Bank, I thought it was just a factory. However, I soon recognized the name and became excited to see the exhibits inside. There was a huge open space in the middle of the museum with escalators taking people up and down. The artwork was unlike any I have ever seen before. The few exhibits I was able to see were conveying a strong message to society, and I can not wait until I have more time to head back and discover all that it has to offer.
Tower Bridge à While pictures of the Tower Bridge are breathtaking, they do not compare to the actual experience of walking across it. However, I was surprised to see that it was only two lanes wide. I expected a much larger roadway because few bridges in US cities are only one lane in each direction. I did not hear numerous languages here as I did at the other sites. It seemed that people were mostly using it to get from one place to another instead of crossing it as a tourist.
Westminister Abbey à I was amazed by the sheer size of Westminster Abbey upon my visit. It is a cathedral that definitely commands a presence and makes you wonder how it was built so long ago without modern day technology. There were endless amounts of tourists at this site, and I heard lots of languages, many of which I did not recognize.
St. Paul’s à This cathedral was clearly a major tourist site because there were lots of people taking pictures, and I heard many languages spoken. The Cathedral was designed by Christopher Wren and contains a large dome that came be seen from a far distance. It is currently being cleaned and improved so it was difficult to see parts of its beauty. There is currently a two week concert series with contemporary classical music with evening prayer.

Part Four
a) Some headlines are Shock toll of British injured in Afghan war, Scrap these ‘19th century’ GCSEs, Brown: plans ready for snap election, and Britons fear rise of the yob.

b) I did not notice any major differences among papers like the Guardian and The Observer. Clearly, papers like the Financial Times are more business related, but all the papers cover local and national events. I did realize that the UK papers appeared to be a bit more liberal than some papers in the US.

c) Both US and UK papers cover international topics, but there are some minute differences observed. The sports section features different sports (rugby, football, polo) than US sports (football, basketball, hockey). In addition, there are many more articles about theatre and opera than in my local US papers. There were also articles on the royal family, which would most likely appear in the entertainment section than as a main article.

d) Flats are priced according to their location, number of bedrooms, bathrooms, and other amenities available. A two bedroom flat in West London can run anywhere from ₤200 to ₤1000 a month. I was unable to find this information in the papers so I used www.uk.yahoo.com, which provided a massive amount of listings. A studio flat in Clerkenwell is listed as ₤1083 a month. This price seems very high to me, but I have never lived in a city, and this may be normal for such an area. Additionally, I have also noticed many real estate agents throughout London with pictures of flats posted in the windows.

e) I looked at the Observer online to find jobs. I found it interesting that there were many jobs available in marketing, PR, and media. The salary for jobs seemed to be comparable to that of the US, if not higher. I looked up secretarial jobs and found that they made between ₤21000 to ₤35000, which is similar to the US standards.

f) I found ads for banks, radio, and magazines. I also found ads for televisions, computers, printers, and new cars as low as ₤5,860.

2. After watching the tellie for an hour or so, I noticed that soap opera style shows are very popular. There seems to be a type for teenagers and adults. Big Brother was also a very popular show; however, I found it to be monotonous and boring. I also watched a show called Holly Oaks that was similar to MTV reality shows. There were also a lot of radio talk shows, which you do not typically find on American television.

Part Five
We took a one and a half mile walk down the South Bank, which turned into the best five hours I have had in London yet. We started at the Westminister tube station, walked along the Thames, crossed the Millennium Bridge, visited St. Paul’s and finished by crossing back over the Tower Bridge. There was a festival for grandparents along the river that consisted of stands, ethnic foods, live music, and short plays.

Part Six
I feel that London is a world capital with so much to offer in so many areas. There are endless opportunities to explore different cultures, music, science, and religions. For the most part, people are extremely friendly and helpful when I find myself lost or confused about how something works.
London seems very prosperous from my first week here. Evidence of this can be seen in the clean streets, productive transit system, and well maintained businesses. There is also a huge amount of construction taking place. While there may be some abandoned shops or buildings, I have yet to see any. Most cities change from affluent to poverty areas very quickly, but I have not noticed that here. I do see graffiti from time to time, but that is to be expected in any city.
I think England has done an excellent job with preserving the past while reinventing itself for the future. The streets have kept an old fashion British feel with the small pubs, cafes, and shops. Many areas are blocked off and can only be reached by foot or bike on cobblestone pathways. There are also endless historical sites which have been beautifully preserved and tie in with the modern city. For example, the remains of the Roman wall can be viewed right next to new modern buildings. Both bring necessary elements to the city and are vital for London’s continued growth as a world capital.
I most definitely believe that the National Geographic description of London by Simon Worrall is more accurate. London has done an excellent job of preserving its past while staying up to date with the latest advancements. The government seems to be in tune with the needs of the city.