37 REASONS TO LOVE LONDON

From megastars on Lime bikes to fashion powerhouses and even Gen Z-friendly bumps of caviar — this is the city that keeps on giving

- By Claudia Cockerell, Maddy Mussen, David Ellis, Vicky Jessop, Martin Robinson, Prudence Ivey and Joe Bromley

In 1777 Samuel Johnson spoke his immortal line, that when a man is tired of London, he is tired of life.

The phrase itself may have grown tired with use, but the words still ring true. In the 250 intervening years the city has morphed almost beyond recognition: the population has swelled tenfold, St Paul's Cathedral (once the city’s tallest building) is now towered over by the Shard and a hundred others, and Lime bikes have become our horse and carriage. Yet many of the things which make London great are the same ones that Johnson named: not just the grand buildings and squares but the winding backstreets and byways, and the fact that its “wonderful immensity” allows for such multitudes. Here are just a few reasons why we will never tire of London.

STORMZY IS COMING TO THE NATIONAL THEATRE

The National may be best known for its Shakespeare productions, but it is no stranger to the modern bard. In April next year it will collaborate with rapper Stormzy in a top secret production featuring his music. Can't wait? The theatre’s new artistic director Indu Rubasingham has kicked off her debut season with an updated version of Euripides’ Bacchae, where characters rap in verse and dance to heavy bass beats.

SIMPSON'S IN THE STRAND IS COMING BACK

There was nothing quite like sitting in a grand old wood-panelled room, having a Sunday roast wheeled up to you on a trolley and presented with a flourish from beneath a silver dome.

Simpson's in the Strand was loved by everyone from Charles Dickens to Churchill, right up until the pandemic when it closed its doors. After five years of obsolescence, restaurateur Jeremy King has come to the rescue and will be bringing Simpson’s back early next year — domes and all.

CORNER SHOP CULTURE