The last of the routemaster buses

link

what a sad day for London. Along with red phone boxes, they typify the city - and are very popular not only with people who live here but also with tourists.

oh well - another one down to mayor Ken.

maybe one day they'll bring them back again. Until then, they will only run on two tourist routes.

watch out for them, as they are now a dying breed.

From people who have been here

Who better to hear about London from than from other travellers who have been here.

Abbey Road

I get lots of requests to add a Beatles walk to my web site and so its next on my list to do.

In the meantime, this link may be of interest - its about peoples' visits to the famous Abbey Road crossing.

http://www.43places.com/places/view/201230

Commuters stranded near station

only in England ?

Let's talk about the weather

why not, most people in London do.

It's very odd. For a country so small in size, the weathermen spend a lot of time analysing it. Even the news bulletins for London provide an analysis of the weather across different parts of the city. Places that are less than 10 miles apart.

It's going to rain - or it isn't. Probably all we need to know, surely.

We can figure out the rest based on the time of year.

Why Australians come to London

BBC NEWS | England | London | City culture 'lures Australians'

I have to agree with their reasons for coming here - to travel around Europe and enjoy London's culture and museums.

Shame they didn't ask what they don't like about coming here. It would probably be the food, crowds, prices and litter.

Travelling on the Underground

BBC NEWS | England | London | 'Fix found' on troubled Tube line

ah, the Underground - as unreliable as ever. I see the northern line has been out of action for the past few days.

My first job in London back in 1989 was in the city. That meant I had to use this line 5 days a week. Its not for nothing that its also known as the misery line. It was enough to make me leave my job and find somewhere local to work.

How people can use it everyday to travel to work is beyond me. I guess most have no option but in my experience it is always hot, overcrowded and smells really bad. And now we are expected to pay around £2 for the privelage of using it to go just one stop.

Fortunately, in my current job I rarely need to use it and when I do, it is the more modern jubilee line - a slightly more pleasant experience than on the northern line.

Give me buses anyday - ok, slower but heaps cheaper and a lot more pleasant.

Who am I?

probably a good thing to start with - I am an Australian who has spent the past 16 years living in inner London.

When I first arrived, my immediate impression was how expensive everything seemed to be compared to Sydney prices anyway. That gave me the idea for my website, London for free, which I created back in 1997.

Since then I have had thousands of visitors and hundreds of emails from people across the world, asking me questions about London and thanking me for the information I provide on my site.

Sadly, as I work fulltime and am also studying, it is a continual struggle to maintain content on it. Which gave me the idea for this blog.

As well as including interesting links and news I find about London, I will also share my thoughts on what its like to live here day by day.

I hope you find it worth visiting, and maybe come back to it now and then.