London, worth knowing.

Fun facts about London

1. 1The Tower of London keeps at least six ravens, because legend says the kingdom falls if they leave. One, Raven George, was sacked in 1986 for eating TV aerials: "Conduct unsatisfactory."Source: Historic UK; Wikipedia
2. 2Big Ben is the name of the bell, not the tower. The tower is Elizabeth Tower, and the clock is fine-tuned by stacking old pennies on its pendulum.Source: NBC News; NBC News
3. 3After the actor who recorded the Tube's "Mind the gap" died, his widow went to Embankment station just to hear his voice. London Underground brought his recording back there for her.Source: CBS News; Wikipedia
4. 4The Crown owns every unmarked mute swan on open water. Each summer, Swan Upping boats go up the Thames to count, weigh and health-check the cygnets.Source: The Royal Family; Wikipedia
5. 5In 1997 an artist stuck plaster noses onto London buildings. A few are still there, including one inside Admiralty Arch. Legend says whoever finds all the Seven Noses of Soho gets good fortune.Source: Amusing Planet; Wikipedia

Things to do in London

• ◦St James's Park has had pelicans since 1664, when a Russian ambassador gave some to King Charles II. You'll often find them sitting on the benches by the lake.Source: The Royal Parks; London Museum
• ◦Leadenhall Market's Victorian ironwork and cobbles appear in the first Harry Potter film: Hagrid walks Harry through here, and a shop door in Bull's Head Passage plays the entrance to the Leaky Cauldron.Source: Leadenhall Market; Time Out London
• ◦Tucked inside Holland Park is the Kyoto Garden, a gift from Kyoto in 1991. It has a tiered waterfall, koi in the pond, and peacocks wandering about.Source: Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea; Know Notting Hill
• ◦Under Waterloo station is Leake Street, a tunnel where graffiti is legal. Street artists are welcome to paint, so the walls are never the same twice. Banksy's Cans Festival started it in 2008.Source: Leake Street Arches; Wikipedia
• ◦God's Own Junkyard in Walthamstow is a warehouse glowing with neon: rescued signs, retro displays and real movie props, plus a little cafe inside.Source: God's Own Junkyard; Explore London, updated Sept 2026
• ◦The Monument is 202 feet tall and stands 202 feet from the Pudding Lane spot where the Great Fire of 1666 began. Climb its 311 spiral steps for the view.Source: One City London; Love London

Questions to bring to London

From Sojourn's journeys. Ask one over a long dinner or on a slow walk, and let the place do some of the work.

Going together

• When do you feel most like yourself?
• What does rest actually look like for you?
• What is one thing you wish we did more of?

Going solo

• What is the first thing this place is showing you that you didn't expect?
• What does this version of you know that the home version tends to forget?

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