London in literature (addressed to those who are familiar with london).

hee hee clara - i used to get that going north out of the city- sharp intake of breath and humming and hawing!!! i lived in north london for many years, worked in the city and if we had a night out would taxi home, the city pubs used to shut at 10pm!!!

loopy

 

As a foreigner person, I observe that all the "stuff" are north of the river (the "right side" as you say).
The most of Royal Parks are north (but Kew Garden and Richmond is south), Buckingham is north, Piccadilly, Charing Cross, all the museums (Science, Natural History, National Gallery, British Museums, etc.) are north, major stores are north, such "posh" boroughs as Hamstead are north, Saint Paul and the City are north, the Parliament is north, Royal Albert is north, Covent Garden is north, Carnaby street is north, Downing Street is north, etc.
But Greenwich is south...
The "zero longitude" is neither West-End nor north of the river...
Wimbledoon is south... (Wembley is north, instead...)

 

Anywhere "South of the water" isn't the "Surrey side", it's France.:lollol:

 

Greenwich is on the river and was a royal park, so the palace could be accessed via the river. Ditto Richmond, Kew and even Windsor.

South London has more green spaces I would have thought, when you consider the wonder open (and public) Commons - Streatham, Balham, Wimbledon, Clapham, Wandsworth and Woolwich

 

And as for high culture, let us not forget that until recently the South had Catford Greyhound Stadium :rotfl:.

 

All very true but the problem with "South of the Water" is the fact that they don't come from "North of the Water":wink::rotfl:

 

Hello again !
I am carrying on reading Sherlock Holmes.
Right now, I am reading "The valley of fear".
Talking about "made-up"/"inventede"/"fancy"/"fantasy" places (sorry, I do not know how you properly say in english), I would like to focus on the so called "village of Birlstone".
I try to find it on an english atlas and on google maps.
I fail to find it. :(
So I think that it must be an invented village that does not exist in the reality. Is that the case ???
Here an excerpt from "The valley of fear", chapter "The tragedy of Birlstone":

The village of Birlstone is a small and very ancient cluster of half-timbered cottages on the northern border of the county of Sussex. For centuries it had remained unchanged; but within the last few years its picturesque appearance and situation have attracted a number of well-to-do residents, whose villas peep out from the woods around. These woods are locally supposed to be the extreme fringe of the great Weald forest, which thins away until it reaches the northern chalk downs. A number of small shops have come into being to meet the wants of the increased population; so there seems some prospect that Birlstone may soon grow from an ancient village into a modern town. It is the centre for a considerable area of country, since Tunbridge Wells, the nearest place of importance, is ten or twelve miles to the eastward, over the borders of Kent.
About half a mile from the town, standing in an old park famous for its huge beech trees, is the ancient Manor House of Birlstone. Part of this venerable building dates back to the time of the first crusade, when Hugo de Capus built a fortalice in the centre of the estate, which had been granted to him by the Red King. This was destroyed by fire in 1543, and some of its smoke-blackened corner stones were used when, in Jacobean times, a brick country house rose upon the ruins of the feudal castle.

It reports Birlstone to be "on the northern border of the county of Sussex"
and to be "the centre for a considerable area of country, since Tunbridge Wells, the nearest place of importance, is ten or twelve miles to the eastward, over the borders of Kent".
Actually, in that location, I can only find "GATWICK AIRPORT". :D
As well as "the village of Birlstone", Gatwick Airport is located on the northern county of Sussex (indeed, West Sussex).
As well as "the village of Birlstone", Gatwick Airport is about ten or twelve miles west of "Tunbridge Wells".
It looks like that roughly in the place of the Sir Arthur Conan Doyle plot, is now an International airport... :D

Now, some thoughts of mine about the description of "Birlstone".
It talks about "half-timbered cottages".
This style (half-timbered) is also called "timber framing" and, in german, "Fachwerk" ("Framework").
In Germany towns and villages (for example, the german towns of "Celle", "Alsfeld", as well as the "Römerberg" (der "Rathausplatz", "City Hall Square") in Frankfurt am Main, in Germany as a whole, expecially in the western half and even in the brazilian town "Blumenau", we can find samples of this architecture style.
"Blumenau" is located in the brazilian state of "Santa Catarina".
Some of its former inhabitants were settlers who came from Germany.

In Germany, this architecture style looks like that:





In England, it looks like that, instead:



Talking about the vegetation, it says:

"About half a mile from the town, standing in an old park famous for its huge beech trees, is the ancient Manor House of Birlstone".

"Beech" is a tree like that:



We have this tree species also in Northern Italy.
But starting from an altitude of - say - 1500, 2000 ft above sea level (hills and low mountains woods).
It looks like - instead - that in Britain you have Beech even at Sea level or just a few feet above Sea level.
That's probably due to the fact that although in winter the british climate is not colder than Northern Italy climate, sure enough it is defenetely cooler in Summer time, during which time it is around 20, 25 degrees as opposed to 30, 35 degrees in Northern Italy.
And I must think that beech trees do not love too hot temperatures (and I would also say: "too hot-dry climates")...

Well, someone living in Sussex (I immediately think about the user "Sussexgardener" :wink could say some more words about "Birlstone" and the description of Sussex half-timbered cottages and beech trees woods...

Bye !!!

 

I see.
I see also how many ficticious places are in Sherlock Holmes story.
Probably, as someone says, not to offend anyone... (inhabitants, etc.).

 

Half timbering is tudor.

You mention Gatwick airport, but after Gatwick was built, the borders of (West) Sussex were altered to take in the new airport and it's surrounding countryside.

East Sussex also borders Kent, but I don't know that county so well. It could be any number of villages that might well have grown into towns by now or been altered completely by 'town planning', bombing, road enlargement, etc, etc.

Or it might just be made up!