Let's LOOK and LEARN English around LONDON - Speak English with Misterduncan

Hi, everybody. This is Mr. Duncan.

How are you today?

Are you okay? I hope so. Are you happy?

I really think you must be feeling happy right now

because you are here joining me with another one of my English videos.

If you remember recently, I was meeting up

with some of my lovely students in Paris.

Well, today I am in another city,

a city that is slightly closer to home,

but is still a very long way from much Wenlock.

Today I am in a place that many people used

to refer to as 'the big smoke'.

Even though these days it is not as dirty as it used to be.

I am in the capital city of the UK,

which of course is London.

The City of London is the capital of the UK.

It is the political and financial centre where most of the big decisions are made

and where equally large amounts of money is invested.

It is a vibrant metropolis with many places to visit

and lots to do whilst there.

Just like most large cities, London attracts

millions of tourists each year to its bright lights and hustle and bustle.

Behind me you will see something that is a very common sight around London these days.

Lots of these electric bikes that are standing around on the street corners

and it is possible to actually hire these bikes

for maybe an hour or a couple of hours.

And amazingly enough, you might think that

this particular hire service would be expensive, but in fact, it is not.

It's only a couple of pounds for half an hour.

And during that time you can ride around Hyde Park.

You can enjoy the scenery of London.

And there are many safe places also for you to ride around on.

So if the Roads of London concern you, then you don't need to be worried at all

because there are lots of lovely cycle lanes for you to enjoy as well.

Having mentioned cycle transport in London, it would only be fair to also mention

the most well-known transport system in the capital city.

That is of course the underground, or as it is

often referred to as 'the tube'.

The London Underground system is the oldest of its kind in the world,

having first opened in 1863 and being adapted

later to electric in 1890.

The London Underground

has become the iconic emblem of this famous city,

along with the often seen London double decker buses.

Various lines serve the capital in all directions

with over 270 station stops served on average

by over 540 trains every day.

The oldest section of line forms part of

what is now known as the Circle Line.

The most recent to open the Elizabeth line

began Operation in 2022.

The Elizabeth line originally ran as three sections,

with the final part opening in May 2023.

Over 2 million people use the tube network every day,

and for many commuters,

it is still the most convenient way of getting around London.

Hi, everybody.

This is Mr. Duncan outside of about in London.

I've decided to come to the West End.

This is Leicester Square,

the place where all the theatres are

the entertainment hub, if you will.

The word hub means a collection of things

that are all situated in one place.

So you can describe Leicester Square and also the west end of London

as the entertainment hub.

There are lots of theatres, lots of places to entertain yourself at.

We also have lots of street performers as well.

Oh, there you are.

How nice to see you here again.

I'm in another part of London now.

This is a place where people like to sit.

They like to watch the waterfalls and the fountains.

And there is one right behind me at the moment.

There is also a man, a very famous man looming up above.

Can you see him?

There he is keeping watch over this area.

It is, of course, Lord Nelson himself.

This is, of course, Trafalgar Square

commemorating the Battle of Trafalgar.

There are many lovely buildings around here to look at.

As I mentioned, there are fountains.

There are also lots of sculptures as well.

Right behind me, that is the National Gallery,

a very popular tourist destination.

You might also notice at the moment there is a lot of renovation work taking place.

Now, this is something that I also noticed when I was in Paris.

I did notice that there were many buildings

that were being renovated and I have to be honest,

if you are travelling thousands of miles to a city

and you want to see one particular building, I can only imagine the disappointment

you feel when you get there and you find that your favourite monument

has been covered with tarpaulin and scaffolding

and is being slowly chipped away.

We interrupt this

video lesson to bring you some breaking news, very strange man from

YouTube is now hanging around outside the BBC...

Broadcasting House in London.

The suspect has been named as

Mr Duncan, a very strange man who apparently is walking around London

talking to himself, if anyone sees this man,

please be sure to stay very far away.

It would be hard to show the sights of London

without mentioning the grandest of all the landmarks.

Of course, we are talking about Buckingham Palace,

the official ceremonial residence of the serving monarch

with its grand approach and splendid gardens,

welcoming millions of tourists every year.

It is hard not to be overawed by the sight of this building.

Originally built in 1703,

the then titled Buckingham House was constructed on land

that had been previously owned by, amongst others, Edward the Confessor,

William the Conqueror, and the monks of Westminster Abbey.

The building, as it

stands now, is very different from how it originally looked.

Large extensions were added

and much later the front facade was altered,

with the addition of the now iconic royal balcony.

These alterations were made so as to make the buildings seem more...

'palace like'.

The monarch does not always stay at the palace

when in residence the royal standard flag is flown

above to show that the monarch is there.

Since 1997, the union flag is flown

when the sovereign is not in residence.

Many important ceremonies take place at Buckingham Palace,

some of which can be viewed from a distance by the public.

There are even parts of the palace open to the general public

to visit at certain times.

Okay, I've decided to take a risk.

I'm here now in Piccadilly Circus.

A lot of people said a lot of the people said,

Mr Duncan, you must go to Piccadilly Circus.

Please go to Piccadilly Circus.

The only problem is Piccadilly Circus is a very busy place.

As you can see behind me, there is a lot of hustle and bustle.

Of course, a lot of people think of Piccadilly Circus

when they think of the large billboards,

the advertising screen is behind me.

Can you see them flashing away?

So I might get some sponsorship for this video?

Who knows who?

Piccadilly Circus is one of the busiest junctions in central London

as it is the intersection of five main roads,

the lead through of Regent Street to Regent Street, St James,

Piccadilly, Shaftsbury Avenue and Coventry Street.

Haymarket also runs in the direction of Piccadilly Circus as well

as the most notable sights on

the circular junction are the bright LED signboards

and the Shaftsbury Memorial fountain.

The bright billboards were first used in 1908

with the placement of an advertisement for 'Perrier Water'.

The bright signage has been scaled back over the years

and now only occupies one building These days.

One sophisticated high definition display is used to show the various advertisements

at the same time,

the Shaftsbury

memorial fountain sits slightly off centre in Piccadilly Circus.

It used to be right in the middle, but was repositioned.

After World War Two.

On top of the fountain, perch is a statue which is often incorrect.

Ali, named as Eros, the God of love.

However, this is not so.

The statue is in fact a depiction of the brother of Eros

Aniteros, the avenger of unrequited love.

My mother used to say to me

when people were coming in and out of the house all the time, she used to always complain.

She used to say that the house was turning into Piccadilly Circus.

A lot of people will use that phrase when they are talking about a situation

where there are lots of people coming and going.

If there is a lot of hustle and bustle, you might say that

it is a little bit like Piccadilly Circus, which is where I am right now.

Finally, we will look at the district where all the big decisions

are made concerning the population of this country.

This is Westminster, situated near the River Thames,

which serves as the political hub of the capital, a busy district for many reasons.

Westminster has lots of interesting buildings to view and explore.

The well known landmarks include

Westminster Abbey, the setting for many occasions

royal weddings, royal funerals, royal coronations,

almost everything royal and regal has occurred there.

Of course the most photographed and admired landmark in this area

must be the place that serves as the seat of power and privilege.

The original Westminster Palace was constructed a thousand years ago

and the site was originally intended as the residence of the reigning monarch.

The building we see today was constructed over 180 years ago

as a replacement for the previous building, which was destroyed in a fire.

Parliament now sits in the large chamber, which is divided into two houses.

The House of Commons and the House of Lords,

one formed by elected representatives in one chamber and a group of unelected peers in the other.

The most striking feature of Westminster Palace

is the large clock tower, originally known as St Stephen's Tower.

It was later renamed the Elizabeth Clock Tower in tribute to the then monarch Queen Elizabeth II.

Inside the clock tower hangs the famous bell known as Big Bang,

Although these days, most people mistakenly refer to the whole clock tower by that name.

It is interesting to note that part of the original medieval structure

still exist as they were integrated into the new design.

More recently, some of the original stonework on the outside of the building

had to be replaced due to excessive pollution.

More renovation work will soon take place,

forcing both houses of Parliament to find a new place to meet, possibly outside London.

There are many places and activities

I didn't get to explore or do in London that deserve an honourable mention.

Places such as Hyde Park, the Tower of London,

Oxford Street, the British Museum, the London Eye Tower Bridge.

Madam Tussauds, Kew Gardens, the Parliament, The Shard view.

Afternoon tea at Claridge's, a boat cruise along the Thames.

The changing of the guard at Buckingham Palace, and many other things

guaranteed to make your head spin.

One thing is for sure you can't do London in a week.

I am at the moment in Leicester Square.

No, I'm not.

well, that was a mess.