Location

 Hampstead

Hampstead is situated in north west London, close to central London, with quick access to the West End, City of London, and Westminster. The city centre is only twenty minutes away by tube (the London Underground) and Hampstead is also served by two British Rail Stations and numerous bus routes.

As well as being a suburb of London, Hampstead has a definite character of its own. Famous as a residence for London’s literary and artistic types – the poet John Keats lived here (his house is now open to the public) as well as dancer Anna Pavlova, and actors Hugh Grant and Kate Winslet.

Ten minutes walk up the hill from Pax Lodge is Hampstead Village, with its small, windy streets full of Georgian houses, fashionable shops, pubs, and restaurants. From the top of the hill it is possible to look down over the whole of London.

Beyond is Hampstead Heath, perhaps the most beautiful of London’s parks – less like a park and more like open countryside. The Heath is popular with Londoners and has many pleasant spots including the Ponds where visitors can swim, and Kenwood House, an eighteenth century building with wooded gardens and a well-known collection of British art. In the summer the Kenwood grounds host open-air concerts. Hampstead’s diversity and village
charm means that there is something for everyone.

London

It has frequently been said that London is one of the most interesting places on earth. There is no other place like it with its historic architecture, its beautiful green parks and its modern style. London is the ancient city, set on the River Thames, which curves through the city today as it flowed past the first Roman settlement nearly 2,000 years ago. The history of this great city greets you with every turn: from the great 17^th century globe of St. Paul’s Cathedral to Westminster, home to the "Houses of Parliament" since the 1250s and the reborn Globe, Shakespeare’s own theatre, on the banks of the Thames just 200 yards from where it stood in the 16th century.

 Sightseeing in London is endless and, with its huge number of attractions, the city has 29 million visitors per year.

A good introduction to the sights of London is the various walking tours, river cruises and the hop on hop-off tours on double-decker buses. Sights worth seeing include the Tower of London, Buckingham Palace and the Changing of the Guard, the Houses of Parliament, Trafalgar Square, the London Eye, the Royal Albert Music Hall and Hyde Park. London is famous for its theatres, restaurants, shopping, markets and various museums and art galleries including the Natural History Museum, Tate Modern, and
the British Museum.