Portal:London

Wikipedia portals: Culture Geography Health History Mathematics Natural sciences People Philosophy Religion Society Technology edit   Introduction Shaftesbury Memorial, Piccadilly Circus London is the capital city of England and the United Kingdom, and the most populous city in the European Union. London is one of the world's major business, political and cultural centres. It is a leader in international finance, politics, communications, entertainment, fashion and the arts and has considerable influence worldwide. It is widely regarded as one of the world's major global cities, and has been an important settlement for nearly 2000 years. London has an estimated population of 7.6 million (as of 2005[update]) and a metropolitan area population of between 12 and 14 million. London has an extremely cosmopolitan population, drawing from a diverse range of peoples, cultures and religions, speaking over 300 different languages. Residents of London are referred to as Londoners. The city is an international transport hub and a major tourist destination, counting iconic landmarks such as the Houses of Parliament, Tower Bridge and Buckingham Palace amongst its many attractions, along with famous institutions such as the British Museum and the National Gallery. London has three main central business districts: the City of London, the West End in Westminster and Canary Wharf in Docklands. The City of London is the largest financial and business district in Europe. More about London... Show new selections edit   Featured article Gray's Inn is one of the four Inns of Court in London. To be called to the Bar and practise as a barrister in England and Wales, an individual must belong to one of these Inns. Located at the intersection of High Holborn and Gray's Inn Road, the Inn is both a professional body and a place of living and office accommodation (chambers) for many barristers. It is ruled by a governing council called "Pension", made up of the Masters of the Bench (or "Benchers"), and led by the Treasurer, who is elected to serve a one-year term. The Inn is known for its gardens, or Walks, which have existed since at least 1597. Gray's Inn does not claim a specific foundation date; there is a tradition that none of the Inns of Court claims to be any older than the others. Law clerks and their apprentices have been established on the present site since at least 1370, with records dating from 1391. During the 15th and 16th centuries, the Inn grew steadily, reaching its pinnacle during the reign of Elizabeth I. The outbreak of the First English Civil War in 1642 during the reign of Charles I disrupted the systems of legal education and governance at the Inns of Court, shutting down all calls to the Bar and new admissions, and Gray's Inn never fully recovered. Fortunes continued to decline after the English Restoration, which saw the end of the traditional method of legal education. Although now more prosperous, Gray's Inn is still the smallest of the Inns of Court. (more...) More featured articles... edit   Featured picture Photo credit: David Iliff The platform at Clapham Common, a station on London Underground's Northern line. With tracks on either side serving trains moving in opposite directions, this is an example of an island platform. More featured pictures... edit   Selected quotation “ You are now In London, that great sea, whose ebb and flow At once is deaf and loud, and on the shore Vomits its wrecks, and still howls on for more. Yet in its depth what treasures! ” Percy Bysshe Shelley. From a letter to Maria Gisborne (1820). More quotations... edit   Categories Articles about London can be found under these categories: [−] London [+] Cities in London [+] Culture in London [+] Districts of London [+] Economy of London [+] Education in London [+] Environment of London [+] Geography of London [+] Local government in London [+] Health in London [+] History of London [+] London-related lists [+] London media [+] Military in London [+] Organisations based in London [+] People from London [+] Politics of London [+] Protected areas of London [+] Science and technology in London [+] London society [+] Sport in London [+] Tourism in London [+] Transport in London [+] Visitor attractions in London [×] Wikipedia books on London [+] Images of London [+] London stubs [+] London-related templates [+] WikiProject London edit   London Boroughs City of London † City of Westminster Kensington and Chelsea Hammersmith and Fulham Wandsworth Lambeth Southwark Tower Hamlets Hackney Islington Camden Brent Ealing Hounslow Richmond Kingston upon Thames Merton Sutton Croydon Bromley Lewisham Greenwich Bexley Havering Barking and Dagenham Redbridge Newham Waltham Forest Haringey Enfield Barnet Harrow Hillingdon † sui generis - not a London borough More about London Boroughs edit   Featured biography William Shakespeare was an English poet and playwright, now widely regarded as the greatest writer of the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's national poet and the "Bard of Avon". His surviving works consist of 38 plays, 154 sonnets, two long narrative poems, and several other poems. His plays have been translated into every major living language and are performed more often than those of any other playwright. Shakespeare produced most of his known work between 1590 and 1613. His early plays were mainly comedies and histories, genres he raised to the peak of sophistication and artistry by the end of the sixteenth century. Next he wrote mainly tragedies until 1608, producing plays, such as Hamlet, King Lear, and Macbeth, considered some of the finest in the English language. In his last phase, he wrote tragicomedies and collaborated with other playwrights. Many of his plays were published in editions of varying quality and accuracy during his lifetime; and in 1623, two of his former theatrical colleagues published the First Folio, a collected edition of his dramatic works that included all but two of the plays now recognised as Shakespeare's. Shakespeare was a respected poet and playwright in his own day; but his reputation would not rise to its present heights until the nineteenth century. More featured biographies... edit   Did you know... …that the Ritz Hotel in Piccadilly was the first British hotel with a private bathroom to each room? …that the forecourt of the Savoy Hotel (pictured) is the only street in the United Kingdom where vehicles are required to drive on the right? …that the Mayfair hotel Claridge's has been called an "extension to Buckingham Palace" due to its royal connections? …that the Langham Hotel appears in two Sherlock Holmes stories and that The Goon Show broadcasts were recorded in its ballroom? …that Winston Churchill had a wall built for privacy between his balcony at the Dorchester Hotel and that of the room next door, which survives to this day? Did you also know... edit   Things YOU Can Do Vote for: Next Month's Showcase Article Next Month's Showcase Biography Next Month's Showcase Picture Add: Suggestions for new "Did You Know?" boxes Relevant article links to the London Topics template WikiProject London Simplified aims - (read more here): Current major tasks: Tag all relevant articles with the {{WPLondon}} template on their talk page. Improve main article London to featured status. Other Contributions Write a requested article. Expand a stub: London Transport stubs, London railway station stubs, London geography stubs Contribute to the UK Portal, England Portal or London Transport Portal edit   Related portals London Transport England United Kingdom edit   Transport London has one of the oldest and largest public transport systems in the world. Many components of its transport system, such as the double-decker bus, the Hackney Carriage black taxi and the Tube, are internationally recognised symbols of London. The majority of transport services in the capital are provided by Transport for London (TfL), an executive agency of the Mayor of London. The Oyster card is accepted as payment across most TfL-controlled transport modes. In the past ten years TfL has invested heavily in walking and cycling to promote more sustainable travel choices in London, including a Velib-style bike hire scheme which will open in Summer 2010. London has a comprehensive rail network with several major railway stations. London has two international train stations, at St. Pancras railway station and Stratford International, which connect London to mainland Europe through the Eurostar service. London also has six international airports. In addition to public transport, London is the start point for a number of motorway routes. The M25 is an orbital motorway which enables vehicles to avoid travelling through central London and is one of the busiest motorways in Europe. edit   Wikipedia featured content on London Featured articles including Albert Bridge · Arsenal F.C. and History of Arsenal F.C. (1886–1966) · Baden-Powell House · Battersea Bridge · Buckingham Palace · Chelsea Bridge · Chelsea F.C. · Covent Garden · East End of London · Great Fire of London · Her Majesty's Theatre · Jack the Ripper · London congestion charge · Marshalsea · Only Fools and Horses · Postman's Park · Restoration spectacular · William Shakespeare · Jack Sheppard · Theatre Royal, Drury Lane · Tower of London · Vauxhall Bridge Featured pictures: View here Featured lists including London Marathon winners · London Underground stations · Tallest buildings See also Good articles including: A1 road · Arsenal Stadium · Battersea Power Station · British Airways · Chiswick Bridge · Hammerton's Ferry · London · London bid for the 2012 Summer Olympics · London Paddington station · National Gallery · National Police Memorial · Old St Paul's Cathedral · Senate House · Serpentine · Smithfield · University College, London · Vauxhall Gardens edit   London Topics edit   Associated Wikimedia London on Wikibooks  London on Wikimedia Commons London on Wikinews  London on Wikiquote  London on Wikisource  London on Wikiversity  London on Wiktionary  Manuals and books Images and media News Quotations Texts Learning resources Definitions What are portals? · List of portals · Featured portals Purge server cache