Here are some interesting facts about London, we're not going to tell you who the Queen is, about her grandchildren, who the Prime minister is and what the native language is as you already know that! We've put together our top 20 facts that you may not know about the capital. Starting with some ‘need to know basics’.

 

  1. When you see a queue, always join the back and don’t push in
  2. Punctuality is regarded as simple manners, if a show says it will start at 8pm it will start at 8pm. Not a minute early and definitely not a minute later.
  3. When using trains, always let others off the train first before getting on
  4. Londoners are very big on manners, please, thank you and sorry are the most commonly used words
  5. Not just in London, but in Britain we drive on the LEFT side of the road
  6. London was the first city to reach a population of over one million in 1811; it remained as the city with the largest population until Tokyo took over in 1957.
  7. Mayfair has its name due to a fair held in May every year in the area
  8. The Houses of Parliament consists of 1000 rooms, 100 staircases, 11 courtyards, 8 bars and 6 restaurants – none of which are open to the public
  9. Three of the ten top museums and galleries in the world are in London
  10. There are more than 300 languages spoken in London, which is more than any other city
  11. The O2 arena is the world’s most popular music venue
  12. London has over 170 museums, 11 of which are national including the British Museum
  13. London hosts more than 250 festivals a year including Europe’s largest street festival, The Notting Hill Carnival
  14. In the early 1950s, Winston Churchill’s phone number was listed in the phone book meaning anyone could give the Prime minister a quick call
  15. No one knew what to do with the Millennium Dome before it became the infamous O2. It was a homeless shelter during Christmas 2004.
  16. Only 6 people died in The Great Fire of London, although it took over 50 years to rebuild London’s infrastructure
  17. In 2012, London became the first city to host the modern Olympic Games for the third time having previously hosted in 1908 and 1948.
  18. The M25 is the largest orbital in the world, measuring in at 122 miles
  19. 55% of the London Underground is actually not underground
  20. London is in the Southeast of England