There is the United Kingdom, there is England, and then there is London. . Three are related, but strictly speaking, London seems to be a world apart from the rest of Britain, marching to its own, unique rhythm.

Everything in London comes across as new and different. Throughout history, its people, fashions, trends and street life have always expressed the very essence of city life. Like New York, London is a city that never sleeps. Millions of tourists arrive in London every year, many of them already half in love with the city. You see them in the London Underground (the tube), on red double decker buses and stepping into taxis. The new central London traffic zone, where private transport is essentially banned, makes the sights of London more navigable than ever before. It is
also possible, and very pleasant, to walk through the city on foot, or to rent a bicycle along the Victorian Embankment on the Thames.

 

David Beckham's football academy will continue to reach children across the UK despite the closure of its London venue, the managers have insisted, after pleas by parents to keep the site open.

 

 The Pope will fly from Rome and touch down in Scotland on his visit to Britain later this year.
Pope Benedict XVI will arrive at EdinburghAirport in September on the first UK visit by a pontiff since 1982.

 

 Amid all this argy-bargy about how to fix the economy and put a few coppers back in our collective pockets, may I make a plea for whichever party prevails to sort out the latest stealth tax? I refer, of course, to the huge amounts I’m having to shell out to friends and acquaintances participating in this year’s London Marathon. Virtually my entire address book seems to be running it this year, and each fresh appeal for sponsorship involves a particularly deserving cause. What’s more, my friends’ entreaties leave me in no doubt as to what’s expected, and it doesn’t leave any change out of 50 quid.

 

Airspace throughout northern and central Europe was gradually reopening Tuesday but officials say London airports are likely to remain closed. A new wave of ash forced Norway to close airports on the southwestern coast.

Culture

British Queen

 

British Queen celebrates