Here are five facts that will make your visit to London just wonderful:
- if you like cheese (we don’t) there are many nice cheese shops in and around London, including Paxton and Whitfield, but our correspondents tell us that the store with the best cheese counter is Selfridges
- escalator signs, especially on the Underground, say that dogs must be carried, but you really don’t have to carry a dog just to go up an escalator. Just stand on the right or walk on the left
- don’t give money to vagrants or beggars as they could be part of some crime ring, or con artists. If you wish to help the homeless, send money to a charity that will use it wisely and not just for drugs
- there used to be pigeons in Trafalgar Square, and buying food for them was a thing, as was being hit by birds, being pooped on or catching something nasty from the flying rats. They are mostly gone now, so don’t take any bird food and don’t feed pigeons as it’s illegal
- it’s fine to drink tap water, and in fact it’s very tasty, so ask for it (for free) in restaurants and don’t waste your money on the bottled stuff
