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Effie Deans

Effie Deans

:For the Scottish football club Heart of Midlothian, see Heart of Midlothian F.C. The Heart of Midlothian is the seventh of Sir Walter Scott’s Waverley novels, and by many considered the finest. It was originally published in four volumes on July 25 1818, under the title of Tales of my Landlord, 2nd series, and the author was given as "Jedediah Cleishbotham, Schoolmaster and Parish-clerk of Gandercleugh". Although the identity of the author of the Waverly novels was well-known by this time, Scott still chose to write under a pseudonym. The book was released only seven months after the highly successful Rob Roy. Scott was at the time recovering from illness, and wrote at an even more furious pace than usual. When the book was released, it more than matched the popularity of his last novel.

Plot

The title of the book refers to the Old Tolbooth Prison in Edinburgh, in the heart of the Scottish region of Midlothian. The historical backdrop was the event known as the Porteous Riots. In 1736, a riot broke out in Edinburgh over the execution of two smugglers. The Captain of the City Guards, Captain John Porteous, ordered the soldiers to fire into the crowd, killing several people. Porteous was later killed by a lynch mob who stormed the Old Tolbooth. The second, and main element of the novel was based on a story Scott claimed to have received in an unsigned letter. It was about a certain Helen Walker who had travelled all the way to London by foot, in order to receive a royal pardon for her sister, who was unjustly charged with infanticide. Scott put Jeanie Deans in the place of Walker, a girl from a family of highly devout Presbyterians. Jeanie walks to London hoping to achieve an audience with the Queen through the influence of the Duke of Argyll. Jeanie Deans is the first woman among Scott's protagonists, and also the first to come from the lower classes. While the heroine is idealized for her religious devotion and her moral rectitude, Scott nevertheless ridicules the moral certitude represented by the branch of Presbyterianism known as Cameronians, represented in the novel by Jeanie’s father David. Also central to the novel is the early-18th century Jacobitism, a theme found in so many of Scott’s novels. Scott’s sympathies can be seen in the ideal figure of the Duke of Argyll, a moderate on these issues. The Heart of Midlothian has been adapted for the screen once, in 1914, and for television once, in 1966.

Characters

- Jeanie Deans, girl
- David Deans or Davie Deans, father of Jeanie
- Effie Deans
- Duke of Argyll
- Dumbiedikes, a Scotch laird, in love with Jeanie Deans

External links

[http://www.gutenberg.org/etext/6944 The Heart of Midlothian on Gutenberg.org] [http://www.walterscott.lib.ed.ac.uk/works/novels/midlothian.html Information from the Edinburgh University Library] Heart of Midlothian, The Heart of Midlothian, The Heart of Midlothian, The

Sir Walter Scott

:For the first Premier of Saskatchewan see Thomas Walter Scott :For the first Lord Scott of Buccleuch see Walter Scott, 1st Lord Scott of Buccleuch :For the Australian rules footballer with Norwood, see Walter Scott (footballer). Walter Scott (footballer)]] Sir Walter Scott, Bart (August 14, 1771 – September 21, 1832) was a prolific Scottish historical novelist and poet popular throughout Europe during his time. In some ways Scott was the first author to have a truly international career in his lifetime, with many contemporary readers all over Great Britain, Ireland, Europe, Australia, and North America. His novels and (to a lesser extent) his poetry are still read, but he is far less popular nowadays than he was at the height of his fame. Nevertheless many of his works remain classics of English literature. Famous titles include Ivanhoe, Rob Roy, Lady of the Lake, Waverley and The Heart of Midlothian.

Early days

Born in Edinburgh, Scotland in 1771, the son of a Scottish solicitor of limited means, the young Walter Scott survived a childhood bout of polio that would leave him lame in his right leg for the rest of his life. To restore his health he was sent to live for some years in the rural Scottish Borders region at his grandparents' farm at Sandyknowe. Here he learned the speech patterns and many of the tales and legends which characterized much of his work. Also, for his health, he spent a year in Bath, England. He also learned by heart James Macpherson's Ossian poems, which it was claimed at the time were translations dating back to the Middle Ages, but later discredited when this was found to be untrue. After studying law at Edinburgh University, he followed in his father's footsteps and became a lawyer in Edinburgh. As a lawyer's clerk he made his first visit to the Scottish Highlands directing an eviction. He was admitted advocate in 1792. He had an unsuccessful love suit with Williamina Belsches of Fettercairn, who married Sir William Forbes.

Literary career launched

At the age of 25 he began dabbling in writing, translating works from German, his first publication being rhymed versions of ballads by Bürger in 1796. He then published a three-volume set of collected Scottish ballads, The Minstrelsy of the Scottish Border. This was the first sign of his interest in Scotland and history from a literary standpoint. Scott then became an ardent volunteer in the yeomanry and on one of his "raids" he met at Gilsland Spa Margaret Charlotte Charpentier (or Charpenter), daughter of Jean Charpentier of Lyon in France who he married in 1797. They had five children. In 1799 he was appointed sheriff deputy of the county of Selkirkshire, based in the town of Selkirk. In his earlier married days, Scott had a decent living from the monies he earned at the law, his salary as deputy sheriff, his wife's income, some revenue from his writing, and his share of his father's rather meagre estate. After Scott had founded a printing press, his poetry, beginning with The Lay of the Last Minstrel in 1805, brought him fame. He published a number of other poems over the next ten years, including in 1810 the popular Lady of the Lake set in the Trossachs, portions of which (translated into German) were set to music by Franz Schubert. One of these songs, Ellens dritter Gesang, is popularly called "Schubert's Ave Maria". Another work from this time period, Marmion, produced some of his most quoted (and most often mis-attributed) lines. Canto VI. Stanza 17 reads: :Yet Clare's sharp questions must I shun, :Must separate Constance from the nun :Oh! what a tangled web we weave :When first we practise to deceive! :A Palmer too! No wonder why :I felt rebuked beneath his eye; In 1809 his Tory sympathies led him to become a co-founder of the Quarterly Review, a review journal to which he made several anonymous contributions.

The novels

When the press became embroiled in pecuniary difficulties, Scott set out, in 1814, to write a cash-cow. The result was Waverley, a novel which did not name its author. It was a tale of the "Forty-Five" Jacobite rising in the United Kingdom with its English protagonist Edward Waverley, by his Tory upbringing sympathetic to Jacobitism, becoming enmeshed in events but eventually choosing Hanoverian respectability. The novel met with considerable success. There followed a large set of novels in next five years, each the same general vein. Mindful of his reputation as a poet, he maintained the anonymous habit he had begun with Waverley, always publishing the novels under the name "Author of Waverley" or attributed as "Tales of..." with no author. Even when it was clear that there would be no harm in coming out into the open he maintained the façade, apparently out of a sense of fun. During this time the nickname "The Wizard of the North" was popularly applied to the mysterious best-selling writer. His identity as the author of the novels was widely rumoured, and in 1815 Scott was given the honour of dining with George, Prince Regent, who wanted to meet "the author of Waverley". George, Prince Regent
Alternate View]] In 1820 he broke away from writing about Scotland with Ivanhoe, a historical romance set in 12th-century England. It too was a runaway success and, as he did with his first novel, he unleashed a slew of books along the same lines. As his fame grew during this phase of his career, he was granted the title of baronet, becoming Sir Walter Scott. At this time he organised the visit of King George IV to Scotland, and when the King visited Edinburgh in 1822 the spectacular pageantry Scott had concocted to portray George as a rather tubby reincarnation of Bonnie Prince Charlie made tartans and kilts fashionable and turned them into symbols of national identity.

Financial woes

Beginning in 1825 he went into dire financial straits again, as his company nearly collapsed. That he was the author of his novels became general knowledge at this time as well. Rather than declare bankruptcy he placed his home, Abbotsford House, and income into a trust belonging to his creditors, and proceeded to write his way out of debt. He kept up his prodigious output of fiction (as well as producing a non-fiction biography of Napoleon Bonaparte) until 1831. By then his health was failing, and he died at Abbotsford in 1832. Though not in the clear by then, his novels continued to sell, and he made good his debts from beyond the grave. He was buried in Dryburgh Abbey where nearby, fittingly, a large statue can be found of William Wallace—one of Scotland's most romantic historical figures.

Assessment

From being one of the most popular novelists of the 19th century, Scott suffered from a disastrous decline in popularity after the First World War. The tone was set early on in E.M. Forster's classic "Aspects of the Novel" (1927), where Scott was savaged as being a clumsy writer who wrote clumsy, badly plotted novels. Scott also suffered from the rising star of Jane Austen. Considered merely an entertaining "woman's novelist" in the 19th century, in the 20th Austen began to be seen as perhaps the major English novelist of the first few decades of the 19th century. As Austen's star rose, Scott's sank. Scott's many flaws (ponderousness, prolixity, lack of humour) were fundamentally out of step with Modernist sensibilities. Nevertheless, Scott was responsible for two major trends that carry on to this day. First, he essentially invented the modern historical novel; an enormous number of imitators (and imitators of imitators) would appear in the 19th century. It is a measure of Scott's influence that Edinburgh's central railway station, opened in 1854 for the North British Railway, is called the Waverley station, and two noted Rose Street pubs are the Waverley and the Ivanhoe bars, both named after his English characters. Second, his Scottish novels followed on from James Macpherson's Ossian cycle in rehabilitating the public perception of Highland culture after years in the shadows following southern distrust of hill bandits and the Jacobite rebellions. As enthusiastic chairman of the Celtic Society of Edinburgh he contributed to the reinvention of Scottish culture. It is worth noting, however, that Scott was a Lowland Scot, and that his re-creations of the Highlands were more than a little fanciful. His organisation of the visit of King George IV to Scotland in 1822 was a pivotal event, leading Edinburgh tailors to invent many "clan tartans" out of whole cloth, so to speak. After being essentially unread for many decades, a small revival of interest in Scott's work began in the 1970s and 1980s. Ironically, postmodern tastes (which favoured discontinuous narratives, and the introduction of the 'first person' into works of fiction) were more favourable to Scott's work than Modernist tastes. Despite all the flaws, Scott is now seen as an important innovator, and a key figure in the development of Scottish literature. Scott was also responsible, through a series of pseudonymous letters published in the Edinburgh Weekly News in 1826, for retaining the right of Scottish banks to issue their own banknotes, which is reflected to this day by his continued appearance on the front of all notes issued by the Bank of Scotland. Many of his works have been illustrated by his friend, William Allan.

Works

- The Chase (translator) (1796)
- William and Helen, Two Ballads from the German (translator) (1796)
- Goetz of Berlichingen (translator) (1799)
- The Minstrelsy of the Scottish Border (1802-1803)
- The Lay of the Last Minstrel (1805)
- Ballads and Lyrical Pieces (1806)
- Marmion (1808)
- The Lady of the Lake (1810)
- The Vision of Don Roderick (1811)
- The Bridal of Triermain (1813)
- Rokeby (1813)
- Introductory Essay to The Border Antiquities of England and Scotland (1814-1817)
- Waverley (1814)
- The Field of Waterloo (1815)
- Guy Mannering (1815)
- The Lord of the Isles (1815)
- The Antiquary (1816)
- Paul's Letters to his Kinsfolk (1816)
- Tales of my Landlord, 1st series, The Black Dwarf and Old Mortality (1816)
- Harold the Dauntless (1817)
- Rob Roy (1818)
- Tales of my Landlord, 2nd series, The Heart of Midlothian (1818)
- Provincial Antiquities of Scotland (1819-1826)
- Tales of my Landlord, 3rd series, The Bride of Lammermoor and A Legend of Montrose (1819)
- Ivanhoe (1819)
- Tales from Benedictine Sources, consisting of The Abbot and The Monastery (1820)
- Kenilworth (1821)
- Lives of the Novelists (1821-1824)
- The Fortunes of Nigel (1822)
- Halidon Hall (1822)
- Peveril of the Peak (1822)
- The Pirate (1822)
- Quentin Durward (1823)
- Redgauntlet (1824)
- St. Ronan's Well (1824)
- Tales of the Crusaders, consisting of The Betrothed and The Talisman (1825)
- Woodstock (1826)
- Chronicles of the Canongate, 1st series, The Highland Widow, The Two Drovers and The Surgeon's Daughter (1827)
- The Life of Napoleon Buonaparte (1827)
- Chronicles of the Canongate, 2nd series, The Fair Maid of Perth (1828)
- Religious Discourses (1828)
- Tales of a Grandfather, 1st series (1828)
- Anne of Geierstein (1829)
- History of Scotland, 2 vols. (1829-1830)
- Tales of a Grandfather, 2nd series (1829)
- The Doom of Devorgoil (1830)
- Essays on Ballad Poetry (1830)
- Tales of a Grandfather, 3rd series (1830)
- Letters on Demonology and Witchcraft (1831)
- Tales of my Landlord, 4th series, Count Robert of Paris and Castle Dangerous (1832)
- Young Lockinvar
- The Bishop of Tyre

Quote

Breathes there a man, with soul so dead, Who never to himself hath said, This is my own, my native land! from The Lay of the Last Minstrel by Walter Scott

Reference

- Sir Walter Scott, John Buchan, Coward-McCann Inc., New York, 1932

External links

- [http://www.eswsc.com The Edinburgh Sir Walter Scott Club]
- University of Pennsylvania [http://onlinebooks.library.upenn.edu/webbin/book/search?amode=start&author=Scott%2c%20Walter e-texts of some of Walter Scott's works]
-
- University of Edinburgh library's [http://www.walterscott.lib.ed.ac.uk/works/index.html digital archive of Scott's works and memorabilia] Scott, Walter Scott, Walter Scott, Walter Scott, Walter Scott, Walter Scott, Walter Scott, Walter Scott, Walter Scott, Walter Scott, Walter ja:ウォルター・スコット

July 25

July 25 is the 206th day (207th in leap years) of the year in the Gregorian calendar, with 159 days remaining.

Events

- 306 - Constantine I proclaimed Roman emperor by his troops.
- 1261 - The city of Constantinople is recaptured by Nicaean forces under the command of Michael VIII Palaeologus, thus re-establishing the Byzantine Empire. The Byzantines also succeed in capturing Thessalonica and the rest of the Latin Empire.
- 1547 - Henry II (France) crowned
- 1567 - Don Diego de Losada founds the city of Santiago de Leon de Caracas, modern-day Caracas, the capital city of Venezuela.
- 1593 - Henry IV of France publicly converts from Protestantism to Roman Catholicism.
- 1722 - Three Years War begins along Maine and Massachusetts border.
- 1758 - French and Indian War: The island battery at Fortress Louisbourg in Nova Scotia is silenced and all French warships are destroyed or taken.
- 1759 - French and Indian War: In Canada, British forces capture Fort Niagara from French, who subsequently abandon Fort Rouillé.
- 1797 - Horatio Nelson loses more than 300 men and his right arm during the failed conquest attempt of Tenerife Island (Spain).
- 1799 - At Aboukir in Egypt, Napoleon I of France defeats 10,000 Ottomans under Mustafa Pasha.
- 1814 - War of 1812: Battle of Lundy's Lane - Reinforcements arrive near Niagara for General Riall's British and Canadian force, and bloody, all-night battle with Jacob Brown's Americans commences at 18.00; Americans retreat to Fort Erie.
- 1853 - Joaquin Murietta, famous Californio bandit known as "Robin Hood of El Dorado", is killed.
- 1861 - American Civil War: The Crittenden-Johnson Resolution is passed by the U.S. Congress stating that the war is being fought to preserve the Union and not to end slavery.
- 1866 - The U.S. Congress passes legislation authorizing the rank of General of the Army (now called "5-star general") Lieutenant General Ulysses S. Grant becomes the first to have this rank.
- 1868 - Wyoming becomes a United States territory.
- 1869 - The Japanese daimyō begin returning their land holdings to the emperor as part of the Meiji Restoration reforms. (Traditional Japanese Date: June 17, 1869)
- 1894 - The First Sino-Japanese War begins when the Japanese fire upon a Chinese warship.
- 1897 - Writer Jack London sails to join the Klondike Gold Rush where he will write his first successful stories.
- 1898 - The United States invasion of Puerto Rico begins with U.S. troops landing at Guánica Bay.
- 1907 - Korea becomes a protectorate of Japan.
- 1908 - Ajinomoto is born. Kikunae Ikeda of the Tokyo Imperial University discovers that a key ingredient in Konbu soup stock is monosodium glutamate (MSG) and patents a process for manufacturing it.
- 1909 - Louis Bleriot makes the first flight across the English Channel in a heavier-than-air machine (Calais to Dover in 37 minutes).
- 1917 - Sir Thomas Whyte introduces the first income tax in Canada as a "temporary" measure (lowest bracket is 4% and highest is 25%).
- 1920 - Telecommunications: first transatlantic two-way radio broadcast.
- 1934 - Nazis assassinate Austrian Chancellor Engelbert Dollfuss in a failed coup attempt.
- 1943 - World War II: Benito Mussolini is forced out of office by his own Italian Grand Council and is replaced by Pietro Badoglio.
- 1944 - World War II: Operation Spring - One of the bloodiest days for Canadians during the war: 18,444 casualties, including 5,021 killed.
- 1946 - Nuclear testing: In the first underwater test of the atomic bomb, the surplus USS Saratoga is sunk near Bikini Atoll in the Pacific Ocean when the United States detonates the "Baker Day" device.
- 1946 - At Club 500 in Atlantic City, New Jersey, Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis stage their first show as a comedy team.
- 1952 - Puerto Rico becomes a self-governing commonwealth of the United States.
- 1956 - 45 miles south of Nantucket Island, the Italian ocean liner SS Andrea Doria sinks after colliding with the SS Stockholm in heavy fog, killing 51.
- 1958 - The African Regroupment Party (PRA) holds its first congress in Cotonou.
- 1965 - Newport Folk Festival: Bob Dylan goes electric.
- 1969 - Vietnam War: US President Richard Nixon declares the Nixon Doctrine stating that the United States now expects its Asian allies to take care of their own military defense. This was the start of the "Vietnamization" of the war.
- 1973 - Soviet Mars 5 space probe launched.
- 1976 - The first performance of the Philip Glass opera Einstein on the Beach
- 1977 - A supposed thunderbird is reported attacking a boy named Marlon Lowe.
- 1978 - The first so-called test-tube baby, Louise Brown, is born.
- 1984 - Salyut 7 Cosmonaut Svetlana Savitskaya becomes the first woman to perform a space walk.
- 1989 - Rock/Hip-hop trio The Beastie Boys release the classic Paul's Boutique.
- 1990 - Comedian Roseanne Barr grabs her crotch and spits on the ground when performing the U.S. national anthem at a San Diego Padres game.
- 1994 - Israel and Jordan sign the Washington Declaration which formally ends the state of war that has existed between the nations since 1948.
- 1997 - K.R. Narayanan is sworn-in as India's 10th president and the first member of the Dalits caste to hold this office.
- 1998 - The United States Navy commissions the aircraft carrier USS Harry S. Truman and puts her into service.
- 1999 - Lance Armstrong wins first Tour de France.
- 2000 - An Air France Concorde supersonic passenger jet crashes just after takeoff from Paris killing all 109 aboard and 5 on the ground.
- 2004 - Lance Armstrong makes history, winning his 6th consecutive Tour de France.

Births

- 1109 - King Afonso I of Portugal (d. 1185)
- 1336 - Albert, Count of Holland (d. 1404)
- 1404 - Philip I, Duke of Brabant (d. 1430)
- 1421 - Henry Percy, 3rd Earl of Northumberland, English politician (d. 1461)
- 1562 - Kato Kiyomasa, Japanese warlord and samurai (d. 1611)
- 1653 - Agostino Steffani, Italian diplomat and composer (d. 1728)
- 1658 - Archibald Campbell, 1st Duke of Argyll, Scottish privy councillor (d. 1703)
- 1799 - David Douglas, Scottish botanist, plant collector, explorer (d. 1834)
- 1839 - Francis Garnier, French explorer (d. 1873)
- 1844 - Thomas Eakins, American artist (d. 1916)
- 1848 - Arthur Balfour, Prime Minister of the United Kingdom (d. 1930)
- 1867 - Max Dauthendey, German writer (d. 1918)
- 1870 - Maxfield Parrish, American illustrator (d. 1966)
- 1883 - Alfredo Casella, Italian composer (d. 1947)
- 1884 - Davidson Black, Canadian anthropologist (d. 1934)
- 1886 - Bror von Blixen-Finecke, Danish big-game hunter (d. 1946)
- 1894 - Walter Brennan, American actor (d. 1974)
- 1901 - Lila Lee, American actress (d. 1973)
- 1902 - Eric Hoffer, American philosopher (d. 1983)
- 1905 - Elias Canetti, Bulgarian-born writer, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 1994)
- 1906 - Johnny Hodges, American saxophonist (d. 1970)
- 1907 - Varlam Shalamov, Russian writer (d. 1982)
- 1908 - Bill Bowes, English cricketer (d. 1987)
- 1920 - Rosalind Franklin, English scientist (d. 1958)
- 1923 - Estelle Getty, American actress
- 1928 - Keter Betts, American jazz bassist (d. 2005)
- 1929 - Somnath Chatterjee, Indian politician
- 1930 - Maureen Forrester, Canadian contralto
- 1935 - Barbara Harris, American actress
- 1937 - Colin Renfrew, English archeologist
- 1946 - Rita Marley, Jamaican-Cuban singer
- 1954 - Walter Payton, American football player (d. 1999)
- 1955 - Iman Abdulmajid, Somali model
- 1960 - Alain Robidoux, Canadian snooker player
- 1965 - Illeana Douglas, American actress
- 1967 - Matt LeBlanc, American actor
- 1967 - Chuck Paugh, American record company owner
- 1973 - Dani Filth, English singer (Cradle of Filth)
- 1973 - Kevin Phillips, English footballer
- 1977 - Kenny Thomas, American basketball player
- 1978 - Louise Brown, first test tube baby
- 1978 - Gerard Warren, American football player
- 1979 - Amy Adams, American singer
- 1982 - Brad Renfro, American actor
- 1987 - Michael Welch, American actor
- 1990 - Andy Evenchick, Amateur swimmer

Deaths

- 306 - Constantius Chlorus, Roman Emperor (b. 250)
- 1409 - King Martin I of Sicily
- 1492 - Pope Innocent VIII (b. 1432)
- 1616 - Andreas Libavius, German physician and chemist (b. 1550)
- 1643 - Robert Pierrepont, 1st Earl of Kingston-upon-Hull, English statesman (b. 1584)
- 1676 - François Hédelin, abbé d'Aubignac, French writer (b. 1604)
- 1681 - Urian Oakes, English-born President of Harvard University (b. 1631)
- 1790 - Johann Bernhard Basedow, German education reformer (b. 1723)
- 1790 - William Livingston, Governor of New Jersey (b. 1723)
- 1791 - Isaac Low, American Continental Congressman (b. 1735)
- 1794 - André Chénier, French writer (b. 1762)
- 1826 - Kondraty Fyodorovich Ryleyev, Russian poet and revolutionary (b. 1795)
- 1834 - Samuel Taylor Coleridge, English poet (b. 1772)
- 1842 - Dominique Jean Larrey, French surgeon (b. 1766)
- 1843 - Charles Macintosh, Scottish chemist and inventor (b. 1766)
- 1853 - Joaquin Murieta, California outlaw
- 1861 - Jonas Furrer, Swiss Federal Councilor (b. 1805)
- 1887 - John Taylor, American religious leader (b. 1808)
- 1934 - François Coty, French perfume manufacturer (b. 1874)
- 1934 - Engelbert Dollfuss, Chancellor of Austria (assassinated) (b. 1892)
- 1934 - Nestor Makhno, Ukrainian anarchist (b. 1889)
- 1963 - Ugo Cerletti, Italian neurologist (b. 1877
- 1971 - Leroy Robertson, American composer (b. 1896)
- 1973 - Louis Stephen St. Laurent, twelfth Prime Minister of Canada (b. 1882)
- 1980 - Vladimir Vysotsky, Russian poet, singer, and actor (b. 1938)
- 1988 - Judith Barsi, American actress (b. 1978)
- 1997 - Ben Hogan, American golfer (b. 1912)
- 2003 - Ludwig Bölkow, German aeronautical engineer (b. 1912)
- 2003 - John Schlesinger, British film director (b. 1926)
- 2005 - Albert Mangelsdorff, German jazz trombonist (b. 1928)

Holidays and observances

- Roman festivals - Furinalia
- Galiza - National Day (Dia da Patria Galega).
- Saint James the Great - patron saint of Spain.
- Costa Rica - Anniversary of the Annexation of Guanacaste Province
- Cuba - Eve of Revolution Day
- Puerto Rico - Constitution Day (1952)
- Tunisia - Republic Day (1957)
- Virgin Islands - Hurricane Supplication Day
- Inca - festival in honor of Ilyap'a
- Ebernoe Horn Fair, Sussex, England

External links

- [http://news.bbc.co.uk/onthisday/hi/dates/stories/july/25 BBC: On This Day] ---- July 24 - July 26 - June 25 - August 25 -- listing of all days ko:7월 25일 ms:25 Julai ja:7月25日 simple:July 25 th:25 กรกฎาคม

Pseudonym

A pseudonym (Greek: false name) is a fictitious name used by an individual as an alternative to his or her legal name. A pseudonym is distinct from an allonym, which is the name of another actual person assumed by one person, usually historical, in authorship of a work of art; e.g., when ghostwriting a book or play, or in parody, or when using a front such as by screenwriters blacklisted in Hollywood in the '50s, '60s, and '70s. To be pseudonymous means that the person is using a pseudonym. In some cases, the pseudonym has become the legal name of the person using it.

Pseudonyms in print

When used by an author, a pseudonym is also called a pen name (or in French nom de plume.) Some authors use pseudonyms for a variety of reasons; for example, to experiment with a new genre without the risk of upsetting regular readers. One author may have several pseudonyms depending on the genre. This use of pseudonyms is especially common if the new genre is of a somewhat risqué nature; such was the case of Pauline Réage, the pseudonym under which an editorial secretary with a reputation of near-prudery published Histoire d'O (Story of O), an erotic novel of sadomasochism and sexual slavery. Occasionally, a pseudonym is employed to avoid overexposure. Prolific authors for pulp magazines often had two and sometimes three short stories appearing in one issue of a magazine; the editor would create several fictitious author names so that readers would not realize this. Popular authors also sometimes use pseudonyms to distinguish different types of writing. For instance, mathematician Charles Dodgson used Lewis Carroll for his fantastic fiction. Science fiction writer Robert A. Heinlein set his early stories in a single future history; when he wrote stories not in this setting he used pseudonyms to avoid confusing readers. He also wrote stories under pseudonyms so that John W. Campbell could publish more of his work in his magazine at the same time. These stories were later reprinted under his real name. Pseudepigraphy, a particular form of pseudonym or pen name, is the technique of adopting the name of well-known figures as the publicly ascribed author on whom the actual writers attempt to pass off their work — typically to attain greater interest or credibility or pious tradition. It was traditionally employed in the Western world from Hellenistic times all the way up to the Middle Ages, particularly in theology and scripture. Examples include Pseudo-Dionysius and the author of the Book of Enoch, or, according to liberal scholars, the ascribed Solomonic authorship of the Song of Songs. A pseudonym may also be used to protect the writer, as in the case of Andy McNab the former SAS soldier famous for his book about a failed SAS mission titled Bravo Two Zero. (However, some critics have suggested that the primary motivation here may have been to boost the mystique of the SAS to help market McNab's books.) Ibn Warraq has been used by dissident Muslim authors.

Regnal name

In many monarchies, the prince starting his reign chooses his official name (regnal name) to be used hence, which may differ from his (birth) name till then; sometimes he selects one of his existing names, sometimes a completely different one. The same is true of the newly elected Pope, where it fits just as well in the monastic tradition of choosing a new religious name when entering orders. The choice of an existing name may simply be a matter of tradition or intend to honour a specific predecessor, and/or emphasize the hereditary legitimity of succession, or may actually convey a programme or intention.

Nom de guerre

Pseudonyms are adopted by resistance fighters, terrorists and guerrillas often to make enquiries more difficult, to seek and create an aura of mystery, and to protect their families from reprisal, although other reasons may often be included. The expression nom de guerre (IPA: /nɒm də gɛɹ/, "name of war") is often used for such pseudonyms (though this expression is rarely, if ever, actually used in French). It is occasionally used as a stylish substitute for nom de plume. Noms de guerre were frequently adopted by recruits in the French Foreign Legion as part of the break with their past lives. Pseudonyms used by some members of the French resistance were integrated into their last names after World War II; for instance, Jacques Delmas, alias Chaban, became Jacques Chaban-Delmas. Within Communist parties and Trotskyist organisations noms de guerre are usually known as party names. This took hold because revolutionaries were often persecuted by states (and also, in the case of Trotskyists, by pro-Soviet communist parties). Not only this, Athos, Porthos and Aramis in The Three Musketeers used those names instead of their real names: Le Comte de la Fère, M. du Vallon, and Chevalier d'Herblay, respectively. Some of the more famous noms de guerre include:
- Che Guevara
- Carlos the Jackal
- Abu Mazen is the nom de guerre of Mahmoud Abbas, the prime minister of the Palestinian Authority
- Abu Ammar was PLO leader Yasser Arafat's nom de guerre
- Abu Ala is the nom de guerre of Ahmed Qurei
- Abu Musab Al-Zarqawi, Jordanian terrorist with the possible real name "Ahmad Fadeel al-Nazal al-Khalayleh" Some famous party names include:
- Fahd
- Lenin
- Freddy Forrest (Raya Dunayevskaya) and Johnston CLR James.

The origin of "nom de guerre"

The assigning and adopting of noms de guerre was a long standing tradition in the French army, it certainly existed before 1651. In 1716 the practice became more formalised and the French army required all regular soldiers to have a nom de guerre. The names could be arrived at through the choice of the soldier, or perhaps the soldier’s company captain. Some of the naming practices adopted by particular companies enabled the men to be identifiable as members of their companies, much like a serial number: Practices such as assigning men the names of vegetables (the Company of Casaux of the Régiment de Boulonnois-infantrie, between 1764 to 1768). These names would be retained by the soldiers when they left service and would often be passed on to their wives and children. It is important to understand the old French practice of assigning Noms de guerre when tracing French family histories. Source: The Military Roots of the 'dit' Names by Luc Lépine (From December 2002 Connections © 2002 QFHS) Translated by Lorraine Gosselin. Sourced from: Quebec Family History Society website (http://www.cam.org/~qfhs/ main page) (http://www.cam.org/~qfhs/lib_connart4.html sourced page)

Pseudonyms in entertainment

When used by an actor, performer, or model, a pseudonym is a stage name or screen name. Actors — and others in show business — rarely use a pseudonym to disguise themselves. Actors who are members of a less-privileged ethnic or religious group have often adopted stage names, typically changing their surname or entire name to mask their original background — as has been done in other fields as well. This phenomenon was common in the United States in the first half of the twentieth century, as ethnic minorities began to attain a greater role in acting and films, yet social trends had not yet reached the point where such minorities would be accepted with their original non-mainstream identity. Popular Jewish comedian and "Daily Show" host Jon Stewart was born Jonathan Stewart Leibowitz. When asked why he dropped Leibowitz in a "60 Minutes" interview, Stewart explained that it "sounded too Hollywood". John Wayne, building a reputation as a tough guy, felt that his given name, Marion Morrison, did not connote the image he sought to assume. Stan Laurel, born Arthur Stanley Jefferson, was apparently happy to be known as Stan Jefferson until he realised that it had thirteen letters. In many cases, a screen name was constructed simply because a studio executive did not like the actor's real name. Today, the most common reason for a performer to adopt a pseudonym is that someone else has already achieved fame with that name. Performing arts guilds (SAG, WGA, AFTRA, etc.) enforce rules on the use of names formerly registered for credits, generally refusing to allow an identical name to be used again. In some cases, a stage name is intended to separate the public persona from the private life. But while keeping a real name for private use may help one go unrecognized in public, it can rarely be kept entirely secret and may become an item of gossip in itself. In the music world, pseudonyms have been used to allow artists to collaborate with artists on other labels while avoiding the need to gain permission from their own labels. George Harrison, for example, played guitar on Cream's song "Badge" (which he also co-wrote with Eric Clapton). He was credited on the recording as "L'Angelo Mysterioso" ("The Mysterious Angel"). Most hip hop artists prefer to use a pseudonym that represents some variation of their name, personality, or interests. Prime examples include Ol' Dirty Bastard (who was known under at least six aliases), Diddy (formerly known as Sean Combs, P. Diddy, and Puff Daddy), Ludacris, LL Cool J, and Chingy. See List of hip hop musicians.

Other pseudonyms

Others in public life have adopted pseudonyms for many reasons. In the late eighteenth to early nineteenth centuries, it was established practice for political articles to be signed with pseudonyms, the most famous American example being the pen name Publius, used by Alexander Hamilton, James Madison, and John Jay, in writing The Federalist Papers. Malcolm X, the civil rights campaigner, (born Malcolm Little), adopted the 'X' to represent his unknown African ancestral name. Many Jewish politicians re-adopted Hebrew family names on return to Israel, dropping westernized versions that may have been in the family for generations; Golda Meir, for example, was born Golda Mabovitz in Russia, and lived in USA before emigrating to Palestine; she adopted her Hebrew name on becoming a government minister in 1956. Famous pseudonyms of people who were neither authors nor actors include:
- Le Corbusier, the architect, was Charles Édouard Jeanneret.
- Aphex Twin, prolific techno artist Richard D. James, who uses up to 11 other different names on various releases.
- Alan Smithee is a name commonly used by directors who want to disown their own movie.
- George Spelvin and Georgina Spelvin are names used in American theater when the actor playing the part is unknown at printing time, wishes to remain anonymous, or the part is double cast or played by an actor who plays more than one character in the cast.
- Luther Blissett is a shared pseudonym often used for activist and artistic purposes, especially in the Italian art scene.
- David Agnew is used on BBC programmes where a writer's name cannot be used for contractual reasons.
- Nicolas Bourbaki was a famous pseudonym for a group of mathematicians.
- Student was William Sealey Gosset, discoverer of Student's t-distribution in statistics.
- Hambali is Riduan Isamuddin, the leader of Jemaah Islamiah, a terrorist group; he was born Encep Nurjaman On the internet, pseudonymous remailers utilising cryptography can be used to achieve persistent pseudonymity, so that two-way communication can be achieved, and reputations can be established without linking a physical identity to a pseudonym. Users on Namespaces such as Wikipedia also often use a pseudonym instead of their birth names.

External links

- [http://www.famousfolk.com/ An extensive list of pseudonyms]
- [http://go.to/realnames List of pseudonyms]
- [http://www.trussel.com/books/pseudo.htm Another list of pseudonyms]
- [http://www.copyright.gov/fls/fl101.html The U.S. copyright status of pseudonyms]
- Category:Semantics

Tolbooth

Tolbooth or tollbooth may mean several things:
- Historical Scottish terms for prisons.
- Booths for the collection of payment at toll roads.

Midlothian, Scotland

Midlothian (Meadhan Lodainn in Gaelic) is one of 32 unitary council regions in Scotland, and a Lieutenancy Area. It borders onto Scottish Borders, East Lothian and City of Edinburgh. It is also a traditional county, which borders West Lothian to the west, Lanarkshire and Peeblesshire to the south, and Berwickshire and East Lothian to the east. It includes the city of Edinburgh, and is sometimes known as Edinburghshire.

Constituencies

There is a Midlothian constituency of the Scottish Parliament and a Midlothian constituency of the House of Commons.

Towns and villages

- Crichton
- Dalkeith
- Gorebridge
- Newtongrange
- Penicuik
- Roslin

Places of interest

- Castlelaw Fort
- Crichton Castle
- Dalkeith Palace
- Pentland Hills
- Rosslyn Chapel
- Water of Leith

Local Notables

- Sir Walter Scott wrote the novel The Heart of Midlothian
- William Gladstone was MP for Midlothian 1880-1895 and conducted his famous Midlothian campaign across the county in 1880.

Twinning

Midlothian is twinned with Komárom-Esztergom in Hungary.
- Category:Districts of Scotland Category:Traditional counties of Scotland

Porteous Riots

As Captain of the City Guard of Edinburgh, Captain John Porteous was charged with keeping the peace and when, in April 1736, two convicted smugglers were due to be publicly hanged, the public outcry was such that the hangman had to be placed in protective custody. As the situation worsened, for fear of an attempt to rescue the victims, the Lord Provost of Edinburgh instructed Captain Porteous to call out the entire guard and to furnish them with powder and shot. After the execution the mob became violent, and Captain Porteous instructed his men to fire into the crowd, killing three people and wounding twelve others. For this offence, Porteous himself was eventually tried in the High Court of Justiciary and found guilty of murder and sentenced to death. Although later granted a Royal Pardon, Captain Porteous was dragged out to be cruelly tortured and lynched at the hands of an angry mob. The spot where he died is today marked by a memorial plate in the Grassmarket. John Porteous had been an early exponent of the game of golf. It is recorded that in 1724 "A solemn match of golf" between Alexander Elphinstone and John Porteous became the first match reported in a newspaper. A detailed account of the so-called Porteous Riots of 1736 is given by Sir Walter Scott in his novel The Heart of Midlothian (1818).

London

London is the capital city of the United Kingdom and of England. As Europe's richest city, London produces 17% of the UK's GDP, and is one of the world's major business and financial centres. The capital of the former global empire, London is a leader in culture, communications, politics, finance, entertainment and the arts and has considerable influence worldwide. arts]] arts] London is the most populous city in the European Union, with an estimated population on 1 January 2005 of 7,500,000 and a metropolitan area population of between 12 and 14 million. London's population includes an extremely diverse range of peoples, cultures, and religions, making it one of the most cosmopolitan, vibrant and energetic cities on earth. A resident of London is referred to as a Londoner. Over 300 languages are spoken in London, making it the most linguistically diverse city in the world. Initially it was a Roman city and known as Londinium and then as Lunnainn, Llundain and Londain in the Scottish, Welsh and Irish languages respectively. London is known by these names in other languages. London is the home of many global organisations, institutions and companies, and as such retains its leading role in global affairs. A city where cutting-edge meets tradition, London is a major tourist destination and transport hub. It has a great number of important buildings and iconic landmarks, including world-famous museums, theatres, concert halls, galleries, airports, sports stadia and palaces. London is one of the world's major global cities (along with New York City, Tokyo and Paris).

Defining London

Today, "London" usually refers to the conurbation known as Greater London, which is divided into thirty-two London Boroughs and the City of London and forms the London region of England. Historically, "London" referred to the square mile of the City of London at the conurbation's heart, from which the city grew. Between 1889 and 1965 it referred to the former County of London which covered the area now known as Inner London. There are other definitions of "London" which cover varying areas, such as the London postal district; the area covered by the telephone area code 020; the area accessible by public transport using a Transport for London Travelcard; the area delimited by the M25 orbital motorway; the Metropolitan Police district; and the London commuter belt. The coordinates of the centre of London (traditionally considered to be Charing Cross, near the junction of Trafalgar Square, the Strand, Whitehall and the Mall) are approximately . The Romans marked the centre of Londinium with the London Stone in the City.

Geography and climate

London Stone, with Green Park and St. James's Park to its right]] Greater London covers an area of 609 square miles (1,579 km²). London is a port on the Thames, a navigable river. The river has had a major influence on the development of the city. London was founded on the north bank of the Thames and there was only a single bridge, London Bridge, for many centuries. As a result, the main focus of the city was on the north side of the Thames. When more bridges were built in the 18th century, the city expanded in all directions as the mostly flat or gently rolling countryside around the Thames floodplain presented no obstacle to growth. There are some hills in London, examples being Parliament Hill and Primrose Hill, but these provided fine prospects of the city centre without significantly affecting the directions of the spread of the city and London is therefore roughly circular. The Thames was once a much broader, shallower river than it is today. It has been extensively embanked, and many of its London tributaries now flow underground. The Thames is a tidal river, and London is vulnerable to flooding. The threat has increased over time due to a slow but continuous rise in high water level and the slow 'tilting' of Britain (up in the north and down in the south) caused by post-glacial rebound. The Thames Barrier was constructed across the Thames at Woolwich in the 1970s to deal with this threat, but in early-2005 it was suggested that a ten-mile-long barrier further downstream might be required to deal with the flood risk in the future [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/london/4162905.stm]. London has a temperate climate, with warm but seldom hot summers, cool but rarely severe winters, and regular but generally light precipitation throughout the year. Summer temperatures rarely rise much above 33°C (91°F), though higher temperatures have become more common recently. The highest temperature ever recorded in London was 38.1°C (100.6°F), measured at Kew Gardens during the European Heat Wave of 2003. Heavy snowfalls are almost unknown. In recent winters, snow has rarely settled to more than an inch (25 mm). London's average annual precipitation of less than 24 inches (600 mm) is lower than that of Rome or Sydney. London's large built-up area creates a microclimate, with heat stored by the city's buildings: sometimes temperatures are 5°C (9°F) warmer in the city than in the surrounding areas.

History

microclimate bombings of London]] The name London is commonly thought to have come from the Latin name Londinium, as London was founded by the Romans during their reign over the land, around 43AD – although there is some slight evidence of pre-Roman settlement. The [http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/timelines/england/rom_roman_invasion.shtml BBC History website], however, claims that the name Londinium is actually "Celtic, not Latin, and may originally have referred to a previous farmstead on the site"; the root is 'Lond' meaning 'wild' (i.e. overgrown or forested) place. This fortified Roman settlement was the capital of the province of Britannia. According to findings displayed in London Museum, the initial language of London was Latin with much Greek spoken due to the presence of Greek speaking Roman soldiers and businessmen. Another suggestion for where the name of the city comes from could be that of the mythical leader, King Lud. It was said that Lud laid out the first set of roads in the city. His statue can be seen hidden at the church of St Dunstan's In The West, Fleet Street. Around AD 61 the Iceni tribe of Celts lead by Queen Boudica stormed London and took the city from the Romans. The Celts burnt the relatively new Roman town to the ground, and archaeological digs have revealed a layer of red ash beneath the City of London, which is believed to be the burnt remains of the old Roman town. After the fall of the Roman Empire, Londinium was abandoned and a Saxon town named Lundenwic was established approximately one mile to the west in what is now Aldwych, in the 7th century. The old Roman city was then reoccupied during the late-9th or early-10th century. Westminster was once a distinct town, and has been the seat of the English royal court and government since the mediæval era. Eventually, Westminster and London grew together and formed the basis of London, becoming England's largest – though not capital – city (Winchester was the capital city of England until the 12th century). London has grown steadily over centuries, surrounding and making suburbs of neighbouring villages and towns, farmland, countryside, meadows and woodlands, spreading in every direction. From the 16th to the early-20th century, London flourished as the capital of the British Empire. In 1666, the Great Fire of London swept through and destroyed a large part of the City of London. Rebuilding took over 10 years, but London's growth accelerated in the 18th century, and, by the early-19th century, it was the largest city in the world. London's local government system struggled to cope with this rapid growth, especially in providing the city with adequate infrastructure. In 1855 the Metropolitan Board of Works was created to provide London with infrastructure to cope with its growth. In 1889 the MBW was abolished, and the County of London was created which was administered by the London County Council, the first elected London-wide administrative body. Probably the most significant changes to London in the last 100 years were as a result of the Blitz and other bombing by the German Luftwaffe that took place during World War II. The bombing killed over 30,000 Londoners and flattened large tracts of housing and other buildings across London. The rebuilding during the 1950s, 1960s and 1970s was characterised by a wide range of architectural styles and has resulted in a lack of unity in architecture that has become part of London's character. Until their 1997 ceasefire, London was regularly a target for IRA bombers seeking to pressurise the British government into negotiations with Sinn Féin on Northern Ireland. On 7 July 2005, there was a series of coordinated bomb attacks by Islamic extremist suicide bombers on three underground stations and a bus. The explosions came less than 24 hours after London was awarded the 2012 Summer Olympics and as the G-8 summit was underway in Gleneagles, Scotland. A series of explosions also took place on 21 July 2005; however, in the latter incident, there were no fatalities.

Modern London

2005 Today Greater London comprises the City of London and the 32 London boroughs (including the City of Westminster). 12 of these boroughs are defined as Inner London, the remaining 20 defined as Outer London. The dominant centre of activity in London is the City of Westminster (including the West End) which is the main cultural, entertainment and shopping district, the location of most of London's major corporate headquarters outside of the financial services sector, and the centre of the UK's national government. The City of London (also known as the "Square Mile") is at the centre of international finance, and is Europe’s main business centre. The headquarters of more than 100 of Europe’s 500 largest companies are all in London. The London foreign exchange market is the largest in the world, with an average daily turnover of $504 billion, more than the New York and Tokyo exchanges combined. While very busy during the working week, most parts of the City tend to be quiet at weekends, since it is primarily a non-residential area. London is one of the most visited cities on earth. Tourist attractions are located mainly in Central London, comprising the historic City of London; the West End with its many cinemas, bars, clubs, theatres, shops and restaurants; the City of Westminster with Westminster Abbey, the Royal palaces of Buckingham Palace, Clarence House etc., the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea with its museums (the Science Museum, Natural History Museum, and Victoria and Albert Museum) and Hyde Park. Other important tourist attractions include St Paul's Cathedral, the National Gallery; the South Bank and Bankside areas of Southwark with the Globe Theatre and the Tate Modern; London Bridge, Tower Bridge, the Tower of London, and the Tate Britain on the Embankment; and the British Museum in Bloomsbury. There are many other places of interest across the city.

Culture

:Main article: Culture of London. London is an international centre of culture in all its forms - music, theatre, arts, museums, festivals and much more.

London Districts

See also: Inner London, Outer London.

Central London

City of London

Outer London]] The City of London is the principal financial district of the United Kingdom, and is one of the most important in the world. It is governed by the Corporation of London, an ancient body headed by the Lord Mayor of London. The City also has its own police force, the City of London police. Once dominated by the dome of St Paul's Cathedral, it is now home to many skyscrapers, including Tower 42 (formerly, and popularly still, known as the NatWest Tower) and 30 St Mary Axe (popularly known as the "Gherkin", built in 2003). The City has only a small (c. 7,000) resident population, but a daytime working population of more than 300,000. Its primacy as the chief financial district has been directly challenged in recent years by Canary Wharf in East London.

The West End

Canary Wharf.]] The West End is the most popular shopping and entertainment district in London. Trafalgar Square is the most prominent landmark. Oxford Street is one of the best-known shopping streets in the world. Running from Charing Cross Road in the east to Marble Arch in the west, via Oxford Circus where it crosses Regent Street, it is home to many large department stores and shops (Selfridges, John Lewis, Marks and Spencer). Tottenham Court Road runs north from the eastern end of Oxford Street towards the north of the city centre, and is best known for its plethora of hi-fi, computer and electronics stores. West of the City, Covent Garden is home to the Avenue of Stars, London's version of Hollywood's Walk of Fame. South of Oxford Street's eastern end is Soho, a network of small streets crowded with restaurants, pubs, clubs, smaller shops and boutiques, and theatres and cinemas, as well as media companies and film, advertising and post-production companies. Soho is also well known for its very lively club and bar scene, the notorious sex industry and as the major "gay quarter" of the city. Piccadilly is an elegant thoroughfare running from Piccadilly Circus in the east to Hyde Park Corner in the west. It is adjacent to Mayfair, and Green Park. Regent Street and Bond Street are important thoroughfares.

East London

East London saw much of London's early industrial development and much of it now is being extensively redeveloped as part of the Thames Gateway. It was also key to London's successful bid to host the 2012 Olympics, and is now scheduled to undergo extensive regeneration in the run-up to the games. This is the second time in modern history that East London has seen large-scale rebuilding: it took the full force of the Blitz in World War Two, with post-war reconstruction leaving a legacy of bleak housing estates and tower blocks in several areas.

The East End

tower block The East End of London is closest to the original Port of London, and tended for that reason to be the area of the city where immigrants arriving into the port would settle first. Successive waves of immigrants include the French, the Huguenots, Belgians, Jews, Gujaratis, Pakistanis, Bangladeshis and many other groups. The East End extends from the eastern side of the City of London and includes areas such as Whitechapel, Mile End, Bethnal Green, Hackney, Bow, Millwall and Poplar. The area has many places of interest including many of London's markets, (for example Columbia Road Flower Market, Spitalfields Market, Brick Lane Market, Petticoat Lane Market), and several museums, including the Geffrye Museum and the Museum of Childhood in Bethnal Green.

Docklands

Bethnal Green]] The London Docklands, on the Isle of Dogs along the Thames in the East End, has developed enormously since the early-1980s. For a period in the early-1980s, many warehouse buildings in Wapping had been occupied and used as artists studios and low-cost loft living spaces. This inevitably drew the attention of property developers who gradually (and then not so gradually) moved in to take over. The London Docklands Development Corporation (LDDC) was set up in 1981 to accelerate the process, and the first phases of major development started to reshape the area, culminating in Canary Wharf, whose best-known feature is the 1 Canada Square office tower (which is often incorrectly called "Canary Wharf"), which has been the UK's tallest skyscraper since 1991. A massive-scale development within the last three or four years has added a great many more skyscrapers, and many large businesses (investment banks, law firms, etc.) have moved in. A new headquarters for HSBC and Barclays as well as the European headquarters of Citigroup, have now been completed, and are in use. Attracted by this growth, restaurants, bars and nightclubs have opened, there are three interconnected shopping malls beneath the Canary Wharf structure, and a cinema complex has opened in the area. The Docklands Light Railway (DLR) serves the area, connecting to the London Underground at Bank, Shadwell, Canning Town and Stratford stations. There has also been a great deal of gentrification and residential development in the area: North of the Thames around Limehouse Basin and toward Wapping, as well as south of the Thames in Rotherhithe where former wharfs and the old docks have been converted into high-priced loft apartments for a community of bankers, software developers and others working in the financial service industries in and around Docklands. Further east in the London Borough of Newham are London City Airport and the ExCeL Exhibition Centre.

West London

West London includes many of the traditionally fashionable and expensive residential areas such as Notting Hill, made better known in 1999 by a film of the same name starring Hugh Grant and Julia Roberts. Within the district is the famous antique market at Portobello Road. Kensington and Chelsea are the most expensive places to live in the country. The area is also famous for the Kings Road, a distinguished and attractive shopping street and thoroughfare. Further to the west, at White City, near Shepherd's Bush, is the principal operating centre for the BBC, while in the extreme west, in the London Borough of Hillingdon, lies Heathrow Airport. Considered more south-west than West London on account of its being the only London borough to straddle the River Thames, Richmond upon Thames includes the attractive riverside districts of Richmond and Twickenham. This corner of London is home to Richmond Park, London's largest, and Twickenham, the home of English rugby union.

North London

North London includes suburbs such as Hampstead and Highgate, which retain a village atmosphere. North London is more hilly than the south, and many of the hills give excellent views across the city. Large parks include Hampstead Heath, which includes Parliament Hill, noted for its fine views over the city, and the Hampstead bathing ponds; and Alexandra Park, site of Alexandra Palace. Many areas have significant minority populations including Stamford Hill, home to a significant community of Orthodox Jews, the Green Lanes area of Harringay and the Finsbury Park area have large Turkish and Greek communities. Islington is considered one of the more affluent areas in London, due to large scale gentrification, although it is in fact one of the most deprived boroughs in the country; it is also home to Arsenal football club. North London's other world-famous football team, Tottenham Hotspur, play in nearby Tottenham.

South London

South London contains such diverse districts as Wimbledon (famous as the home of the major tennis Wimbledon Championships), Bermondsey, and Dulwich. Redevelopment of the Elephant and Castle, a road intersection and district close to the centre, is due to start in 2006. Greenwich is on the banks of the Thames where the river broadens into a wide meandering reach of muddy water. It is an historic neighbourhood and boasts a fine park and the Royal Greenwich Observatory. It is also has a popular market. Brixton, Camberwell and Peckham are home to many families (and their descendants) who immigrated to London from the West Indies during the 1950s, 1960s and 1970s, sometimes known as Afro-Caribbeans.

Demographics

Afro-Caribbeans London had about 860,000 people in 1801 (in comparison, Paris had about 670,000 in 1802), and the population of Edo (modern-day Tokyo, Japan), at the time the largest city in the world, has been estimated at 1 million to 1.25 million people. London was the most populous city in the world from 1825 until 1925, when it was overtaken by New York. Residents of London are known as Londoners. The city and the 32 boroughs (some 1,579 km² or 610 square miles) had an estimated 7,421,228 inhabitants in 2004, making London the most populous city in Europe alongside Moscow. Subsequent reviews suggested that the returns were understated, and that the population on Census Day was closer to 7.29 million. The official estimate of London's population in mid-2003 is 7,387,900 [http://www.statistics.gov.uk/statbase/Expodata/Spreadsheets/D8561.xls] In the 2001 census, 76% of these seven million people classed their ethnic group as white (classified as British White, Irish White or "Other White" in the 2001 census), 10% as Indian, Bangladeshi or Pakistani, 5% as black African, 5% as black Caribbean, 3% as mixed race and 1% as Chinese. The largest religious groupings are Christian (58.2%) and No Religion (15.8%). 21.8% of inhabitants were born outside the European Union. The Irish are the largest foreign-born group in London (numbering approximately 200,000). European Union] Unlike many other countries, the UK does not provide national metropolitan area population figures based on commuter percentages and econ