July 23, 2016 Comments Off on Trigger Your Curiosity: London by Numbers Views: 1944 Urban Trekker

Even if you have not been in London at least for a day in your life, chances are that you still have some very rich imagination about the UK capital. An endless list of books set their stories at the streets of London. Poets and authors have certainly managed to establish this city as a world capital of imagination in a way. But what else is there? What can we learn from the facts and numbers about London?

Did you ever wonder how big London is?

There are more than 25,000 streets and more than 20,000 landmarks and places of interest within a ten killometres radius of Charing Cross, London’s central railway station. If you were to be a taxi driver in this realm, you would need to solve and learn basic 320 routes just to pass the test of knowledge. This is maybe the best example which illustrates how complex and big London is. Therefore, if you see a person running on a scooter and wearing a fluorescent jacket and a large map, it is probably an enthusiast who is to become a cab driver. It takes fantastic period of two to four years to mastermind all those routes.

That’s not surprising once we recall the fact that London took the title of most crowded city of the world back in 1840. Before, it was Istanbul holding the title since 1502. Today, this title would go to cities like Shanghai, Karachi and Beijing, the three having more than 20,000,000 residents.

London Transport Trivia

The London Underground, or known as Tube by the locals, is one of the oldest in the world. It was build more than 150 years ago and it caries over billion passengers a year. So if you see some items left behind in the Tube, even if it is a coffin or an urn full of ashes, don’t be surprised! It just speaks of how much weird humans are, and how the biggest cities in the world speak of the most weird and bizarre situations that could possibly occur.

Mind the bizarre items, but also “Mind the gap”, or at least that’s what you will hear or see as a warning phrase if you use the London tube. The phrase was first introduced in 1969 on the London Underground, and it warns you to take caution while crossing the spatial gap between the train door and the station platform.

There are several abandoned Tube stations in London, and these are sometimes used for filming or even closed private parties. The oldest one, Brompton road, was closed back in 1934.

And when it comes to London notoriously famous red double deck buses – they were not always red. Before 1907, there were buses in different colours, and that was according the city route.

Finally, the world’s first traffic light was installed exactly in London, near the Westminster Palace in 1868, at the junction of Great George St and Bridge St.

London knows of:

being the capital city of six countries during the World War II. The city remained one of the few safe harbors for those who opposed the Nazi regime. Poland, Norway, Belgium, Holland and France all had ‘government-in-exile’ in London, as the countries were invaded by Hitler;

during the World War II. The city remained one of the few safe harbors for those who opposed the Nazi regime. Poland, Norway, Belgium, Holland and France all had ‘government-in-exile’ in London, as the countries were invaded by Hitler; many persons being executed at the Tower of London throughout the centuries, but the last one was executed in 1941 , and it was a German soldier, named Josef Jakobs. The full list of persons and methods that were used for execution can be checked out here;

, and it was a German soldier, named Josef Jakobs. The full list of persons and methods that were used for execution can be checked out here; a historic meeting among Stalin, Lenin, and Trotsky, who met at the now demolished Brotherhood Church on Southgate Road in Hackney. It was a meeting for the Russian Social Democratic Labour Party in 1907 , which back then was banned in Russia;

, which back then was banned in Russia; of the “Manet And the Post Impressionists” exhibition which was organized by Roger Fry back in 1910 . The work of Van Gogh, Cézanne, Seurat and Gaugin was introduced for the first time in England; the exhibition was a public and critical disaster, however it turned out to be one of the most important moments in the history of modern art;

. The work of Van Gogh, Cézanne, Seurat and Gaugin was introduced for the first time in England; the exhibition was a public and critical disaster, however it turned out to be one of the most important moments in the history of modern art; of 14 May 1925 , the date when Mrs Dalloway, the classic modernism masterpiece was published. Mrs. Dalloway said she would buy the flowers herself, opens Virginia Woolf, and introduce us with the fictional world of Clarissa Dalloway, her life-changing day in London;

, the date when Mrs Dalloway, the classic modernism masterpiece was published. Mrs. Dalloway said she would buy the flowers herself, opens Virginia Woolf, and introduce us with the fictional world of Clarissa Dalloway, her life-changing day in London; 270 languages which are being spoken in its urban realms. That’s more than in any other city in the world;

languages which are being spoken in its urban realms. That’s more than in any other city in the world; 200,000 French people who reside today in London. This makes London the 6th largest city by number of French people living there. Some even refer to London as the “Paris-on-Thames”;

French people who reside today in London. This makes London the 6th largest city by number of French people living there. Some even refer to London as the “Paris-on-Thames”; the Savoy Hotel, which is one of the most famous hotels in London and is known centre for award shows, celebrities and scandals. It is the only place in the city (and in the country), where drivers are required to drive on the right-hand side of the road.

Of course, there is more to London than the above mentioned numbers and facts. The city of Trafalgar Square, Nelson, Tate, Soho, the O2, the London Bridge, Queen Victoria, Queen Elizabeth, Brexit, so on and so forth. All that for some future issue.

For now, we would love to hear from you: Keep filling in the list in the comments bellow – London knows of…

Tags: Fun facts, London, trivia