London Local Custom Tips by Sjalen

Dirt cheap cinema

The Prince Charles Cinema just off Leicester Square shows films a few weeks later than the big cinemas. As a consequence, they cost only a few pounds! On top of that, you might well get an additional show with the film. I shall never forget when I went to see "Priscilla, Queen of the Desert" and got a real drag show thrown in for starters! :)))

Trooping the Colours

I am not a royalist but in my days of anglophilia, I wanted to see all aspects of English life - absorbed it as a sponge - and therefore went to this ceremony 1987. It is basically the Queen's official birthday celebrations. An annual arrangement as June seems more fitting than April to her. I was just a street spectator but if you want to, you can buy tickets and sit at Horseguards Parade, where you get to see a military display by different regiments from all over the Commonwealth. These world regiments take it in turns to get various honours from the Queen. Afterwards, they all parade to Buckingham Palace and that is when I got this picture of Diana and the Queen mother...Today, it is a bit bizarre to look at actually...

London speak

All English regions have their way of addressing people and carrying on the conversation ('duck/duckie' to girls in Lincolnshire and 'petal' in Manchester for instance) and in London it's 'love'. Just get used to 'hello love' as a greeting or 'cheers love' as a thanks in shops etc. and don't feel intimidated or annoyed.