Last night it began to snow hard. Within 10 minutes we had a couple of centimetres in London and it was only set to get worse overnight and into the next day. Night came and went and upon getting up for work, I was met with close on a foot of snow; the worst it has been for 18 years. Whilst eating my cereal it was announced that my mum’s school was shut, parts of the M25 were closed along with other major roads, the whole of the underground train system was suspended stopped an there was not a single London bus in operation. For me, this was great as it meant a day off from work but it really highlights how things grind to a halt when there is significant snowfall in the UK. Internationally it is also an embarrassment as flights into and out of Gatwick, Heathrow and London City Airport are all disrupted.

If you go to the northern states of America or continental Europe, when snow is predicted there will be a fleet of gritters on the roads preparing the motorways and also snow ploughs clearing the snow as it falls. In the UK, we simply are not prepared for a significant snow event like this. With no transport in London, many businesses and services simply will not run today and possibly tomorrow depending on the snow fall in the next few hours.

Many people coming to London as tourists this week will suffer serious disruptions to their plans, but many Londoners will be enjoying a glimpse of what a real English winter used to be like 20 years ago. Grab your sledge, build a snowman make the most of it while it lasts!!

On my travels I have been to quite a few cities in several continents, but I have recently decided that none of them top the one on my own doorstep. Now this may sound pig headed but from the ones I have seen, London has the greatest variety of activities, modern attractions, history, and entertainment of them all.

Before I start with London I will say that other cities I have visited have been a nice change. I enjoyed Paris as a city because there are lots of sights, churches, a good atmosphere and great food, and Rome for similar reasons and additionally the ancient history. Cities further away such as Bangkok and Kuala Lumpur each left me with a good vibe because they were busy, hectic and so very different from what I had previously known.

I feel that London has brilliant choice and can satisfy people searching for different things. If you are into history then you can visit the Tower of London, Buckingham Palace, Westminster Abbey, St. Paul’s Cathedral, Tower Bridge or one of the many superb (and free) museums. If history is not what makes you tick then you can catch a show in the west end, party at a gig at the o2 arena, or browse the National art Gallery for free. Kids can also be entertained at London Zoo, the Aquarium, on the London Eye Ferris Wheel, at the London Dungeons Experience, Madame Tussauds or the Science Museum. Furthermore, the city flaunts some of the best shopping and night life around. At the risk of this post turning into a tourist’s guide to London, it is fair to say that the variety is immense, and I did not find this was true for a lot of other cities around the world. The USA, particularly New York, did have a lot to see and do but lacked the history as it is a relatively new nation. Auckland seemed very small in comparison and could not compete on the same level but is good for a short break. Sydney was another of my favourites because after you have seen the sights you can head out of the city on an excursion to the bush, and Tokyo was a crazy place, very busy but certainly not for everyone. I found the language barrier quite hard to get on board with through no fault of its own.

I am by no means knocking any other city; I would never do that until I tried it. They are all different which is great and how it should be, but am I being narrow minded? Despite travelling the globe am I still blinded by my love for my own city? Let me know if you prefer your own city or share my love for London.