Nightseeing in London

If you know the name of the night porter at your office then you should be asking for a pay review. Unless, I suppose, you are the night porter. In which case, I’d give it six months; there is a global recession on you know.

But there is a reason to relish leaving work late in the city. London is simply beautiful at night.

I suppose London isn’t alone in its night-time splendour. If you’ve walked around or even flown over other big cities after bedtime, then you’ll know how stunning they can be. But for me, London stands above the rest.

I’m not talking about the conference of neon brands at Piccadilly Circus. But the flickering street lights you pass on the way home; the lonely desk lamp on the eighteenth floor of a towering skyscraper; and the lights from a cocktail bar, bouncing off the river. For some reason these lights are more impressive than the sun’s broad strokes. At night the shapes of the city feel more connected. Like the organs of a dark, impressive beast.

The famous landmarks are also more striking when surrounded by darkness. And you don’t have to fight through crowds of tourists to see them. The London Eye is actually pretty boring during the day. But at night, its 32 pods shine out across the Thames like miniature majestic space pods. Likewise, cycling over Vauxhall Bridge in rush hour is not an enjoyable experience. But a few hours later the green glow and angular contours of the MI6 building beckon you quietly and curiously across the river.

More than this: the city’s faults are hidden after dark. There are no traffic jams. No litter. No smog.

So the next time you’re feeling disillusioned with this suffocating metropolis in which you regularly have to work late, take a moment to look out of the window on the bus ride home and let yourself get lost in its after-dark enchantment.

Photo by Mike Peel courtesy of Wikimedia Commons