The Open Guide to London: the free London guide - Differences between Version 35 and Version 2 of Easily Made Mistakes

Version 35 Version 2
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London has some peculiarities in how parts of it are named, which can catch out those who are [[New To London|new to London]].
London has some peculiarities in how parts of it are named, which can catch out those who are [[new to London]].
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== Terms for London often confused ==

*The [[City of London]] refers only to the small "square mile" and main business district. It is governed by the [[City of London Corporation]].

*[[Greater London]] is the ''administrative area'' made up of 32 London boroughs and the City of London.

*[[London]] is the ''region'' of England (there are nine in total) and has the same outer boundary as Greater London but is officially called '''London'''.

*[[City of Westminster]] is one of the London boroughs. The 'city' status of Westminster is historic.

*[[Kensington & Chelsea]] and [[Kingston upon Thames]] are also London boroughs which have 'royal borough' status. The status is purely honorific.

*[[Inner London]] is a defined term meaning those boroughs in the area that was part of the historic County of London (1889-1965). Sometimes the term is used with negative connotations but it includes rich and poor areas alike.

*[[Central London]] is an often used but vaguely defined term referring to the most central districts.

*[[Outer London]] is a defined term meaning those boroughs that are not in the area that was part of the historic County of London (1889-1965).

*[[London postal area]] is the area that has "London" in postal addreses. It includes all of Inner London and about half of Outer London and goes beyond the London boundary in only one place (near Chingford).

*[[Mayor of London]] is currently [[Boris Johnson]] who creates a strategic plan for London.

*[http://www.cityoflondon.gov.uk/Corporation/business_city/lordmayor/ The Lord Mayor of London] presides over the governing bodies of the [[City of London Corporation]], and should not be confused with the [[Mayor of London]].

*[[London Assembly]] are a group of politicians who scrutinise and approve The Mayor of London's plans and budgets.

*[[Greater London Authority]] (GLA) are the group of civil servants that carry out the plan.

*[[Transport for London]] are the part of the GLA's responsible for transport.

*The 020 area code does not cover all of London and extends beyond the London boundary in several places. Local numbers are issued starting with 3, 7 and 8 and can be assigned ''anywhere'' in the 020 area. Local numbers have eight digits, and can be dialled that way from anywhere else within the 020 area.
See [[Telephone Area Code for London]] for the history.

*There are no 0207, 0208 or 0203 codes, just one - '''020'''.

== Places in London ==

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* [[Locale Edgware|Edgware]] is nowhere near [[Edgware Road Station]] (see [[A5]] for more on the Edgware Road itself). Generally, "X Road" means "the road that goes to X"; by the time it gets to X, it'll have changed its name to be "(where you started from) Road". This doesn't generally apply to names ending in ''street'', though. Go figure.
* [[Edgware]] is nowhere near the [[Edgware Road]]. Generally, "X Road" means "the road that goes to X"; by the time it gets to X, it'll have changed its name to be "(where you started from) Road". This doesn't generally apply to names ending in ''street'', though. Go figure.
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* Charing Cross Hospital is not in [[Locale Charing Cross|Charing Cross]], but in [[Hammersmith]]; Hammersmith Hospital is similarly not in Hammersmith, but in [[White City]], as is Hammersmith Park.
* Charing Cross Hospital is not in [[Charing Cross]], but in [[Hammersmith]]; Hammersmith Hospital is similarly not in Hammersmith, but in [[White City]].
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* Sometimes [[Football Clubs|football teams]] move grounds, but keep their name. The name might include a place name which is no longer accurate. [[Queens Park Rangers]] are not at home in [[Locale Queen's Park|Queen's Park]], but [[Locale Shepherd's Bush|Shepherd's Bush]]. Similarly, [[Arsenal Football Club|Arsenal]] play in [[Locale Highbury|Highbury]], not [[Locale Woolwich|Woolwich]], where the club originated. [[Locale Millwall|Millwall]] is a place in [[Tower Hamlets]] but the football team of the same name is based in [[Locale Bermondsey|Bermondsey]].

* The names of English towns are by no means unique, for example, there are two Ashfords, one in [[Locale Middlesex|Middlesex]], near [[Heathrow Airport]], and the other in Kent. There are also two Stratfords - one in East London, and the other (Stratford upon Avon, the birthplace of Shakespeare) in Warwickshire.

*The same can also be true of London districts. Similarly there are two Hayes, one in LB Hillingdon, west London and one in LB Bromley, south east London. There are two [[Locale Plaistow|Plaistow]]s, one in LB [[Locale Newham|Newham]], the one with a [[tube station|Plaistow Station]], and the other in LB Bromley, near Beckenham. To be unambiguous about place names, quote the [[Postal Districts|postal district]] or London borough.

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** I was approached by a foreign tourist asking for directions to 'Liverpool' at a tube station recently. It took quite a while for me to help him understand the difference between Liverpool and Liverpool Street. ([http://www.bbcity.co.uk/user/tom Tom Morris])
** Manchester and Liverpool are both cities about 200 miles North-West of London.
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* Do not take the Tube between [[Leicester Square Station|Leicester Square]] and [[Piccadilly Circus Station|Piccadilly Circus]] it is [http://rodcorp.typepad.com/photos/art_2003/tube_walklines_final_lmfaint.html quicker to walk].
** Ditto [[Leicester Square Station|Leicester Square]] and [[Covent Garden Station|Covent Garden]] the train barely has time to speed up on leaving one before it needs to slow down for the other.
** Ditto [[Bayswater Station|Bayswater]] and [[Queensway Station|Queensway]], which the tube map would have you believe are two trains and an interchange apart, but are in fact only 150 yards away from each other - on the same side of the same street.
** Ditto [[Charing Cross Station|Charing Cross]] and [[Embankment Station|Embankment]] stations, which are at opposite ends of the mainline Charing Cross station.
** Ditto [[Mansion House Station|Mansion House]], [[Cannon Street Station|Cannon Street]] and [[Monument Station|Monument]] stations, though [[Cannon Street Station]] does have restricted hours.
** [[South Ealing Station|South Ealing]],[[Northfields Station|Northfields]] and [[Boston Manor Station|Boston Manor]] are all very close together. The rumour is that [[Northfields Station|Northfields]] was built at the behest of a locally-living major shareholder.
** While not exactly a hop, skip and a jump, [[Chancery Lane Station|Chancery Lane]] to [[Farringdon Station|Farringdon]] is more pleasant as a stroll east along Holborn, left into Hatton Garden and right into Greville Street than anything involving the Central & Circle Lines
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* Do not take the Tube between [[Leicester Square Station|Leicester Square]] and [[Piccadilly Circus Station|Piccadilly Circus]] &#8212; it is quicker to walk.
** Ditto [[Leicester Square Station|Leicester Square]] and [[Covent Garden Station|Covent Garden]] &#8212; the train barely has time to speed up on leaving one before it needs to slow down for the other.
** Ditto Bayswater and Queensway, which the tube map would have you believe are two trains and an interchange apart, but are in fact only 150 yards away from each other - on the same side of the same street.
** Ditto Charing Cross and Embankment stations, which are at opposite ends of the mainline Charing Cross station.
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For more examples see the page [[Adjacent Stations]].

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* [[Bank Station|Bank]] and [[Monument Station|Monument]] stations are actually only one station - with internal interchanges and two different names at the platform. Be warned though it's an awfully long trek between them and infested with [[Tube/Buskers|buskers]].
* [[Bank Station|Bank]] and [[Monument Station|Monument]] stations are actually only one station - with internal interchanges and two different names at the platform.
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* '''Pavement''' - In England, this is the word for a sidewalk or trottoir. In America, the word "pavement" is used to refer to any asphalted surface suitable for driving vehicles over, such as a car park or a road! Talking to an American about walking on the pavement might give them undue concerns for your safety.

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website='' summary='Added info on Stratford' website='' summary='Added info on Stratford'

London has some peculiarities in how parts of it are named, which can catch out those who are new to London.

  • Edgware is nowhere near the Edgware Road. Generally, "X Road" means "the road that goes to X"; by the time it gets to X, it'll have changed its name to be "(where you started from) Road". This doesn't generally apply to names ending in street, though. Go figure.



Tube bloopers

  • Always use the full name of the station when buying a ticket, i.e. Leicester Square, Piccadilly Circus, not Leicester or Piccadilly. The exception to this rule is King's Cross St Pancras, which is unambiguously abbreviated to King's Cross.
    • There is an urban legend tale of an American tourist being sold a ticket to Manchester Piccadilly, when they wanted a ticket to Piccadilly Circus.
  • Do not take the Tube between Leicester Square and Piccadilly Circus — it is quicker to walk.
    • Ditto Leicester Square and Covent Garden — the train barely has time to speed up on leaving one before it needs to slow down for the other.
    • Ditto Bayswater and Queensway, which the tube map would have you believe are two trains and an interchange apart, but are in fact only 150 yards away from each other - on the same side of the same street.
    • Ditto Charing Cross and Embankment stations, which are at opposite ends of the mainline Charing Cross station.
  • Bank and Monument stations are actually only one station - with internal interchanges and two different names at the platform.

Can anybody think of any others?


Confusing terminology

English language usage has evolved differently, on each side of the Atlantic. An American may be used, in a restaurant, to settling the check with a bill, whereas in England, you can pay your restaurant bill with a cheque.

  • Subway - In England, a subway is a pedestrian walkway which takes you underneath a busy road. There is no Tube station there unless the signs indicate this.

See this page on Everything2 for more examples of confusing terms.

Other mistakes

A commonly made mistake is to assume the most ornate bridge with the lifting spans is London Bridge. It's not, it's Tower Bridge. London Bridge is a plain structure.



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