London Archives - Foreign policy

Where are the Best Places to Live in the UK

Published on December 23, 2020

The United Kingdom is a country of possibilities. Environmentally diverse, that gives hope to people as an ideal place to live in. You are welcomed with open arms and you can quickly adapt to it because of the enchanting neighbourhood you can have. When people talk about the UK, the first thing that comes to mind is London. But, it is not limited to that area – the United Kingdom’s beauty lies from within. The best places to live in lies outside London – places where you can quickly call home and acquire the sense of freedom that you want. If you are searching for a home or an flat, take a look at the options on for-sale.com. Now, let’s have a look at the best cities to live in UK.

Living Outside of London

Once you take the challenge of living outside London, you will feel a sense of excitement and accomplishment. It can also open up new possibilities and opportunities in knowing your right path. You will also get the chance to explore the UK’s hidden gems – the unique vibes and classic styles. Here are the top places you can consider helping you explore where to live in the United Kingdom.

Birmingham

It is the second-largest city in the UK; locals affectionately call it Brum. Most expatriates see this as an industrial place. But, you can consider this a place of settlement. The industrial vibe from Brum boosts its culture and diverse heritage. You can see this in the shopping practices, building structures, museums, and even the famous canal side dining.

Birmingham’s size can be a great deal because it has various areas to choose from. It all depends on your preference, from a picture-perfect neighbourhood in Bournville, the nature vibe of Edgbaston, to the home of the famous chocolate manufacturer, Cadbury. You can also experience a canal side living experience. The accessibility of the rural landscape can help you discover extraordinary places like Malvern Hills and Cannock Chase.

Glasgow

It is the largest city in Scotland, and it modernized itself decades ago. It was once an industrial hub place, but now has become popular especially to tourists and expatriates. Once you go into the city, you can quickly notice the elegance in its architectural designs that promote Glasgow’s heritage. It is a place to look forward to the future, ensuring that things are in the proper areas as people live for today. This famous city is widely known for shopping, partying, and dining. You can also discover lovely neighbourhoods and friendly locals.

Glasgow is famous for young professionals and students. You can also get the vibe of traditional and modern homes. You can also indulge yourself with an affordable way of living in the Queen’s Park area.

The Cotswolds and Oxford

Education is what you think about when you hear the place Oxford. It is an enchanting dream for great minds and because of this, Oxford is known as one of the best places to live in the UK. Even with a small size, Oxford does not fail to cater to a diverse community. The uniqueness of every neighbourhood is present. You can also enjoy the affluent vibe of the streets and cosy cafés.

As you head west from Oxford, you can enjoy the mesmerizing nature that the Cotswolds offers. You can stand in awe of the 2,000 square kilometres of green hills. The villages also take part in the beauty of the landscape with houses made from local honey-colored stone. If you are looking for a family-centered way of living accessible to famous rural destinations then Oxford – Cotswolds can be one of your top choices.

Brighton

You can choose to enjoy the luxury that Brighton can offer. It stretches along the south coast of England. It has a lot to offer, from the lively streets and the elegance of the homes on the waterfront. If you are family-centered, you can enjoy the pier and the beach. The diverse community is also accepted, having the UK’s largest LGBTQ community.

Geographically, Brighton was known for the name “London by the sea.” You can explore more here – from the cosy hills in Hanover to liberal yet extravagant Kemptown. Aside from the scenery, the way of life here is not that expensive. You can enjoy affordable homes and easily access local necessities like buses and trains.

Cardiff

Caerdydd, the capital of Cardiff, is part of the cities in rebirth. The regeneration process has improved the town well. It becomes more attractive to expatriates who live and work in the UK. In shopping centres, necessities are readily available. There is no boring time for you can also enjoy yourself with sports by catching the national rugby team practice and play.

Being part of the capital can give an impression of the necessities’ high cost – but it is not the case with Cardiff. You can shop for the best yet affordable home. With the geographical structure of Cardiff, you can easily access great deals.

Edinburgh

It is one of the beautiful and elegant cities that you can visit and live in the UK. An ancient volcano wrapped it, making an unforgettable sight. Aside from that, it is a Cosmopolitan capital with Edinburgh Castle in the centre. The castle itself is the centre of the city, surrounded by the magnificent Georgian town and the breathtaking Old Town. Once you settle in Edinburgh, you can experience two of the world’s famous festivals – the Fringe Festival and the International Festival. Because of these international festivals, Edinburgh has become Scotland’s centre for culture.

The Thames Valley and Reading. If you plan to move to the UK, this place can be one of your top options. It reinvented itself to cater to all the needs of the residents. There is a 20-minute train ride to Central London, and necessities and commodities are readily accessible.

You can get the cheapest home deals in Reading. You can also catch exclusive deals and experience once in a lifetime outdoor activities.

Final Thoughts

The United Kingdom is known for its beautiful scenery, amazing people, and mesmerizing culture. You can enjoy possibilities and diversely try and be what you want to be. People often think that it is only limited in London, but it is not, and there are lots of unique places to explore. The above cities are just some fantastic places in the United Kingdom.

8 Tips for Planning a Perfect Trip to London

Published on June 27, 2020June 26, 2020

Travel

If you enjoy traveling and want to see as many places as you can, then the chances are that London is on your list of cities to visit in the future. Even though the coronavirus has made this impossible right now, that doesn’t mean that you can’t start planning your trip.

London is a magnificent city that has so much to offer to everyone who visits it, and you probably already have a list of popular tourist attractions that you want to see. This is great, but still, there are numerous things that you have to learn regarding the trip itself as well as accommodation, transportation, and so on.

Where to rent furnished apartments in London?

First things first, let’s narrow down the part of the city that you should investigate for accommodation. You are probably thinking about Central London, as most people do. Yes, furnished hotel apartments in London can be quite costly, which is why you are probably thinking about renting at a place that isn’t in the close vicinity of the center of the city.

Still, you have to understand that commuting will not only take a lot of your time, that you could spend exploring the city, but it can turn out to be quite pricey. Obviously, this is something that comes down to your personal preference, but make sure to weigh in all pros and cons.

How to find one?

The first thing that affects whether you will choose a long or short term fully furnished apartment in London is the duration of your visit. If you are only going to stay for a few days or a week, you probably want to go with a cheap furnished apartment so that you could have more money at your disposal. On the other hand, if you plan on staying longer you can rent a comfortable and modern furnished apartment.

When it comes to finding these places, there are numerous websites where you will find all the information regarding the accommodation and the area where it is located. If you have already decided on the type of housing you want to rent, you can visit this link to check out what your options are, and also learn about the prices, so that you could plan the budget.

What do fully furnished apartments include?

Naturally, when it comes to this, it depends on the type of flat you choose. Generally speaking, they include all the necessary amenities, fully furnished kitchen, and the best part is that these are serviced, which means that you will have a cleaning crew at your disposal, so you will be able to completely relax and enjoy your holiday.

How to move around?

Surely you know that cabs in London can be costly, but you should also know that the transportation system in London is very effective. The most popularly used is the London tube. It will allow you to travel between distant areas of the city fairly quickly.

Yes, we know, this won’t allow you to see the city, so you should combine it with buses. You can’t visit London without taking a ride on the famous red double-decker, right? Finally, you can opt for cabs, which are by far the best option if you have a lot of luggage.

When it comes to paying the ticket, you should purchase the Oyster card. It is a simple electronic card that you can use for all the rides, and it is much affordable than paying for a single ticket every time you enter a bus or metro. In addition, it is quite convenient because it can be refilled at numerous locations all around the city.

Use your credit card

Clearly, you will need to have some cash with you at all times, but keep in mind that credit cards can prove to be quite convenient simply because you can use them anywhere.

However, there are some things that you should know. Firstly, Visa and MasterCard are the most frequently accepted. Moreover, you will need a card with a 4-digit PIN number and a chip. Also, every time you want to make a payment or use the ATM, you will be required to pick the currency. Naturally, your options are either the local one (UK pound sterling) or your country’s currency. Our advice is to always go with the UK pound, because the currency exchange rates can be very high, meaning that you will spend more money than you have to.

What to see?

When it comes to the places you want to visit and activities to experience, you should be smart about it and make a list of everything that you can fit into your schedule. If this is your first time in London, you probably want to see everything, but you should be realistic about it. It simply isn’t possible to visit all the places in just a few days.

Naturally, you should start by listing attractions that are in close vicinity of your housing. If there are some places that you have to visit, but that aren’t close to your furnished apartment in London, you should plan an entire day for them, because you will probably need it, considering the transportation and traffic.

Plan everything in advance

Not planning everything beforehand is the most common mistake people make. You have to understand that popular attractions are always crowded and that you probably won’t be able to enter a museum if you don’t have the ticket, and you will be forced to wait in line for hours to purchase it.

Due to this reason, you should try to book as many activities as you can in advance. This can easily be done online before you even arrive in London. This way you will know the exact day and even the hour when your tour begins. Naturally, you should be careful about this since you have to think about the approximate time you need to get there because the last thing that you want is to book too many things and end up being late for the tour.

Get the London Pass

There is one thing that you need to know, visiting all the popular places in London can turn out to be very expensive if you were to buy individual tickets for each one of them. Because of this, our recommendation is to purchase the London Pass. It is quite similar to the Oyster card, but this one is going to enable you to visit places such as Westminster Abbey, The Tower of London, London Bridge, The View from The Shard, and so on.

Obviously, there is no point in buying this pass if you are interested in seeing only one of these places, because it will cost you more. On the other hand, if a number of these attractions are on your list, then buying this pass is the best option.

This is How Boris Johnson Got Infected

Published on April 9, 2020

Coronavirus

British Prime Minister, Boris Johnson is infected by Coronavirus and is fighting for his life at an ICU.

Recently some video clips were shared on which you can see British PM Boris shopping in an Arab, Turkish or Pakistani shop in London.

Immediately after the video was shared, it went viral, and people started speculating a lot.

People started commenting that it’s a big possibility that he got infected by Coronavirus when he was shopping there because the shop was full of people.

British PM Boris Johnson is still in the intensive care unit, but he is feeling better than he was before. British Finance Minister, Rishi Sunak, stated that Boris is feeling better and that now he can sit in his bed.

People on social media platforms are commenting that maybe he wouldn’t get infected if he didn’t go to that shop while others are saying that Boris is a sweetheart because he was shopping with regular folks.

Cool Things To Do In January in 2020

Published on December 25, 2019December 26, 2019

Travel

If you are visiting London for a holiday and you will be staying through January there are plenty of fun and cool things to do.

Since London is one of the most visited cities in the world, it maintains its liveliness throughout the year with spikes in activities during festive periods. The Christmas season is one of the best periods to visit London because you get to experience the capital city like no other time of the year. And the atmosphere usually maintains a festive feel throughout January 2020, but more in the first two weeks – it’s a new year.

January is one of the best months to visit London. You get to take advantage of the January sales at some of the city’s top shopping destinations. You will also find many mouth-watering hotel deals around this time of the year.

You might discover that many London attractions seem quieter than in December, which means that you have fewer queues to worry about and a great time to stroll to many of the city’s museums.

It gets quite cold in January, so do remember to wear several layers of clothes when you are exploring the streets of London in winter.

Cirque du Soleil

The popular entertainment company, Cirque du Soleil will perform AT THE Royal Albert Hall between January 12 and February 16, 2020. This is a fan favourite that promises to be as entertaining as previous performances. The company is known for its imaginative and bold productions. Be prepared to be wowed by their performance – extraordinary acrobatics, uneven bars, cerceau, and teeterboard. This makes a perfect place to go on a date.

Ice Skating at Natural History Museum

January is also a great time to go ice skating at the Natural History Museum. The rink was set up in October and will remain open till January 12, 2020. The Natural History Museum opens up the skating rink which makes for a perfect Christmas activity and experience. We suggest booking ahead of time to guarantee your entrance. The rink is open for both adults and children, making it a cool family activity to try in January.

Chinese New Year in London

If you are in London from January to early February, then you should attend the Chinese New Year celebrations. This is going to be packed full-day event taking place in West End, including a thanksgiving ceremony at Trafalgar Square, a colourful Chinese New Year parade, Chinese art exhibitions and a variety of Chinese meals.

Crazy golf in Shoreditch

Another cool thing that you can do in January or any other time of the year is golfing at the Plonk Golf venue in Shoreditch. If you are around the area visiting some of the attractions, do stop by the venue and tackle the craziest 9-hole mini golf course you have ever seen.

Crazy golfing in Hoxton

If you are in Hoxton in January, do check out the Plonk Golf venue in the area. It is not just a mini golf venue, but also a clubhouse with a well-stocked bar. It is packed with a variety of fun games like pinball, foosball, retro arcade games, you name it!

Sports events in London

London is one of the cities that has a very interesting sport program no matter what part of the year is. Quite simply, there are a lot of sports clubs in the UK capital. Definitely the most popular sport is football, but you can also visit snooker and darts events. As far as football is concerned, the most interesting are the matches of the 5 Premier League clubs, Tottenham Hotspur, Chelsea, Arsenal, Crystal Palace and West Ham United. In addition to great football events, we believe that a visiting the William Hill World Darts Championship would also be the right way to spend quality time. Also, Dafabet Masters Snooker event is a great choice.

Ice Skating and Hyde Park

One of the most interesting and cool winter activities you can do in London is ice skating. Although there are several ice-skating locations, however, we decided to recommend Hyde Park to you. This location is best known for skating rink as well as for food and hot chocolate. So, it’s a great place to spend your holiday season in London. Probably the most exciting part of Hyde Park is Winter Wonderland. It features a skating rink that is currently open and runs until January 5th. Ticket prices are £14.50 for adults, and £9.50 for children.

Visit more locations and save with London tourist pass

Since all of you reading this article probably don’t live in London and coming as tourists for the holiday season, then we have a great suggestion for you. London is a really big city with lots of attractive locations that are definitely worth visiting. However, paying for tickets at all places can be expensive. Fortunately, the people in charge of tourism in the British capital have designed a fantastic London tourist pass.

So, if you buy one of the London tourists pass bundles, it means that you will be able to visit some very exciting sites, museums and buildings in the city for as much as 55% lower price. This offer is really great and the buildings and locations you can visit include Madame Tussauds Museum London, The London Zoo, Buckingham Palace, Wembley Stadium Tour, London Bike Tours, Tower Bridge and many more.

Hamley’s Toy Store

You’ve probably heard of Hamley’s toy store. This store is one of the oldest in London (more than two centuries old) and definitely among the most famous toy stores in the world. It can be especially exciting if you come with children because this part will definitely be the most interesting for them. Even though you are alone while visiting London, you can visit Hamley’s toy store because it is a location with a very long tradition. You may be able to find the proper gift for someone or just window shopping.

Relocating to the UK – The Top 3 Cities To Move To

Published on September 17, 2019

Travel

When relocating to the UK, you’re spoilt for choice as far as cities are concerned. The United Kingdom is awash with great cities, which all have their advantages, be it for work or leisure. However, several stand out cities to consider, and we’ll tell you exactly why below.

Liverpool

What you immediately get with Liverpool is the work-life balance of dreams. It is undoubtedly one of the UK’s top cities for business and employment, but it also has fantastic culture and nightlife too, a balance that is rare to find in many respects.

The European City of Culture is thriving and continuing to grow as time progresses, making it the ideal place to relocate to if you want to be part of a city on the up. The dedicated business quarter is a prime example of how far Liverpool has come recently, with more companies than ever looking to pitch up and call this place home.

From retail through to banking, there are literally endless job opportunities in Liverpool, see the example this site. This not only translates into being able to get the perfect role but the real chance to realize your full potential in one of the UK’s most vibrant cities. Plus, the housing is affordable too, with no compromise on quality.

London

London, the capital of the UK, is undoubtedly the city where most people would and do relocate too, and for a good reason. The diversity of London has been and continues to be a huge draw, and with opportunities aplenty, it makes perfect sense to relocate here.

Like Liverpool, with London, you also get that perfect work-life balance, and in many respects, there’s a lot more to see and do in London than anywhere else in the UK. From shopping through to bars, restaurants, and casinos, there’s always something for everyone in the capital.

There are, of course, a world of employment opportunities too, and the range is vast. London is quickly establishing itself as the perfect place for tech companies and gaming firms, but there are also more traditional options such as working in retail or at the famed markets.

Edinburgh

Moving up north into Scotland, you’ll find the cultural capital, which is Edinburgh. Edinburgh has always been a famous city, and many do relocate here, but its popularity has risen in the last several years due to being declared a tech hub.

Edinburgh is thriving once again, and as it also plays home to Edinburgh University, one of the most prestigious universities in Europe, there are even more reasons to be positive about the city, making it the perfect location to relocate to and set up home.

We mentioned the culture above, and you can’t escape it in Edinburgh, for all the right reasons. From the theatre, through to museums and, of course, festivals, Edinburgh has it all, and then some. With excellent healthcare on tap and meager rates of unemployment, it’s hard to find reasons why Edinburgh isn’t the ideal choice for those looking to relocate now, or in the very near future.

15 Lesser Known Facts about History of Education in London

Published on August 28, 2019

Education/History

Education in England has changed and developed a lot since the beginning. Right now, we are looking at one of the most promising educational hubs and the home of prestigious academic institutions like University College London and Imperial College London. However, the development of education has happened gradually throughout the years. In this article, you’ll learn about the history of education in London and the UK and the 15 lesser-known facts that brought the country where it is now.

1. 1870: The SLB Was the Only School Board

Back in 1870, the Elementary Education Act created the only school board in London. This board covered the jurisdiction area of the Metropolitan Board of Works. Right now, this area is known as inner London. The goal of the Board was to provide educational opportunities and places for poor children in the city. Soon after, it became the biggest provider of primary education in London.

2. 1871: School Attendance Became Mandatory

A year later, the school became mandatory for children aged five through thirteen. However, this wasn’t truly forced until almost a decade later, and it still was paid.

3. 1880: Attendance Was Made Compulsory

Attendance became compulsory nine years later. The following year, education became free for students aged five through thirteen.

4. 1889: The LCC Replaced the Metropolitan Board of Works

In 1889, the London County Council, also known as the LCC, replaced the previous local government body in the area of inner London.

5. 1893: The TEB Was Established

In 1893, the new local government body established the Technical Education Board. The aim of this board was to help the provision of secondary and technical education in London. This is when the junior county scholarships were first introduced, allowing students to go to technical and secondary schools after they finish elementary education.

6. 1897: Conflict between the SLB and TEB

The history of education in London continued with one significant change. In 1897, TEB allocated the grants of the Science and Art Department. It also fought with SLB over the higher-grade institutions.

7. 1901: The Board Couldn’t Fund Schools

As a result of the previous fact, the UK ruled out that funding the schools that are outside of the elementary remit is illegal. Soon after this, the history of education in England led to the SLB abolition.

8. 1904: The Education London Act

The Education London Act of 1903 made a huge change in the history of education in the UK. A year after it was signed, the LCC took over the responsibility for the educational provision from TEB and the SLB. It brought all elementary schools under a single administrative structure, carried out renovations and building that improved the school conditions, and introduced various welfare reforms. These reforms included medical centers, open-air schools, and free meals for the pupils.

9. 1918: Education Act

The LCC had to limit the educational developments during World War I. However, they still opened some central schools and raised the school leaving age to 14. It was later in 1934 that a law was passed to raise this number to 15. If you want to learn more about these grande changes, according to https://au.edubirdie.com/ you can read some of their history paper samples.

10. the 1920s: Focus on the Unemployment

Because of the bad economic conditions after the war, the LCC organized recreational and instructional centers for the unemployed young people aged sixteen to eighteen.

11. World War I: Most Schools Were Destroyed

During the war, almost half of the London school population had been evacuated. By its end, 290 schools in the area were damaged or fully destroyed.

12. 1944 Education Act

The Education Act of 1944 made education compulsory for students up to the age of 14, which created an official division between primary and secondary education.

13. 1960: Creation of the GLC

The end of the LCC came in 1960 when the Herbert Commission created a new body named the Greater London Council and made them responsible for the area called Greater London.

14. 1965: The ILEA Special Committee Creation

In 1965, the GLC created a special committee called the Inner London Education Authority. This committee followed the work of LCC and was responsible for the development of the educational system.

15. 1983: The GLC Was Abolished

In 1983, it was announced that the GLC will be abolished. However, since the boroughs in inner London could not handle the education provisions, it remained the elected body in the area. It wasn’t until 1990 that ILEA was abolished and the provision for the education was handed to the local boroughs.

Final Thoughts

Right now, 94% of the London schools are judged to be outstanding or good. They leverage the power of technology, which gives them the highest percentage of outstanding educational systems in all of England’s regions.

Most Sought-After Jobs in London

Published on July 29, 2019

Business

When it comes to moving to a larger city looking for a better life, there is no denying that London is one of the most popular places to be. A city is known for its extremely luxurious lifestyle, stunning culture, and architecture, and most importantly, well-paid jobs. London is a city that gets many visitors, and for many different reasons. Some visit the city in order to learn more about the culture, others visit for the iconic places, and last but not least, there are people who are trying to pursue a career. This city is one of the most beautiful ones in the entire world, but today we’re focusing more on the job-seeking aspect of it. If you happen to be someone who is currently looking to move to London and start a career in this city, this article might be really handy to you. Feel free to continue reading until the end if you want to learn more, and without further ado, let’s begin.

Some Statistics First

About thirty percent of London’s population is made from 23-30-year-olds. This means that in this city, there are a lot of young professionals that are seeking high-degree education and stepping into the business world as prepared as they can be. Why are we telling you this? Well, whenever you’re trying to succeed in something, it is important to know your competition. If you’re a person of that age, you will be having a lot of competition, so make sure that you bring all of your qualities to the table when applying for a job. Now, let’s take a look at some of the most popular fields in which you can get a well-paid job in London

Financial Services

London is a city in which the financial services field is extremely popular. If you happen to be someone who’s good with numbers and interacting with people, financial services are definitely something that pays really well.

Media and Creativity

According to Just London Jobs, this city has many well-developed and high-quality Film and TV Studios, so if you’re a young filmmaker, you’ll surely be finding your place in London. Pinewood is a film studio with some well-known titles under their belt, such as James Bond and Star Wars, so there’s absolutely no denying that London is exceptionally well area for the young creative minds.

Video Game Development

London doesn’t only have a Film and TV Studios industry, game development is blooming in this city as well. If you happen to be someone who likes to make video games for a living, this city can absolutely help you out.

Software Engineer

This profession is highly sought-after in every larger city, but in London, it pays quite well. If you’re a software engineer looking to improve or start an entirely new career, the salaries in London are quite good.

Owning a Place

There are many amazing bars, restaurants, lounge bars and night clubs in London, so if you’re someone who likes to own a place and make a living from it, there isn’t really a better option than settling in this city. London is full of tourists during all periods of the year, and whatever you decide to open, there will be people who visit and use your service.