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Thousands of visitors come to Great Britain every year. Some come on business, others simply as tourists, but none misses the opportunity to see the capital of Great Britain.
London is grand and attractive. It is certainly very old and full of historic associations. It has strong links with the past. Its old customs and traditions have survived and even the types of people. They are a strange mixture of past and present, of old-fashioned and very modern.
London consists of many parts and they are all very different from each other. There is the West End and the East End, Westminster and the City. The City is not only the centre of business; it is the birthplace of London.
In 43 AD, the Romans conquered Britain and for 400 years it remained a Roman province. The Romans built long straight roads along which the Roman soldiers marched. Many of them met at the point where London Bridge now stands. The Romans made London, which they called Londinium, a large and rich city with good streets, beautiful palaces, shops and villas. Trade was growing. A lot of goods-skins, copper and iron ore, silver and gold were sent to Rome. And many strong blue-eyed boys were sent to Rome, too, to be sold as slaves.
In the fifth century the Romans left Britain, but other invaders came to the British shores. They almost rained the city and it remained in this poor state for almost 400 years.
Only in the 9th century the Saxon kings began to rebuild the city. They started the building of Westminster Abbey.
In 1066 came William the Duke of Normandy or William the Conqueror who settled in London which became the capital of Norman Britain.
For 500 years the Normans were masters of Britain. They brought with them Latin and French civilization, the laws and the organization of the land. Many Latin and French words penetrated into the Old English (Germanic) language. They did their best to make the city beautiful. The Westminster Abbey was finished and William was the first king to be crowned there. Since then, all English kings have been crowned in the Abbey. At that time the Tower of London was built on the Thames and it stands there still unchanged. Commerce and trade grew very quickly, but the population grew even faster. London became a busy, rich and crowded city. The old city looked very picturesque with its tall houses of wood and plaster and its narrow streets.
But then London suffered two awful tragedies, at first - the Great Plague and men the Great Fire. In a few months nearly 100,000 people, that is 1/5 of the population died because of the Plague. Sorrow and sadness sat upon every Londoner. And only winter and its cold saved the city and the people.
The Great Fire happened through carelessness of a young baker who left a small bundle of wood near a very hot oven. In a few hours all the houses made of wood were burning like paper. This fire destroyed 3000 houses and at least 97 churches.
Fortunately the wind soon stopped and then heavy rain fell. Thus London was saved.
Bit by bit London was being reconstructed until it has become the city which is now one of the most beautiful and attractive places of the world.
The oldest part of it is the City which is the business and financial centre of London. During the day it is full of people, but at the end of the day, businessmen, clerks and secretaries go home and it becomes silent and almost empty.
Besides the City there are many other attractions such as Trafalgar Square with the Nelson column in the centre, the Houses of Parliament with the famous Big Ben, a lot of beautiful parks and gardens among which is Hyde Park well known all over the world. There is a lot more to tell about London. But if you have a chance better visit it and see everything yourself.