“Sir, when a man is tired of London, he is tired of life; for there is in London all that life can afford," said Samuel Johnson.
And some of it’s downright weird, he might have added.
Anyone who has spent time in London has their memorable encounters with lost celebrities and quirky characters.
I have yet to get a photo of the person who rides around on a cargo bike with a big, open front basket full of puppies. And I shan’t forget the time I saw a certain drunk pop star walk through a plugged-in power lead and sweep a laptop and a round of drinks off a table in one go.
And, of course, we all have memories of the strangeness of the empty streets and closed high-street businesses at the height of the pandemic in 2020.
Some moments you can’t plan for, but some things you can. London Zoo and London Aquarium both offer unique experiences, while you never you know what you’re going to get from a trip to the Spurs.
And, in fact, spend any amount of time in Shoreditch, Brixton, Camden or Soho and life will come to you.
“Sun is in the sky. Oh why, oh why would I wanna be anywhere else?” sang Lily Allen.
1. 10 things that you’ll never see in London - but they did happen. (Photos Getty)
10 things that you’ll never see in London - but they did happen. (Photos Getty)
2. The Met arrest Jackie Chan
In 1998 Jackie Chan hammed it up with two London “bobbies” while promoting Rush Hour. (Photo Dave Gaywood/AFP via Getty Images)
3. This haircut
A model walks the catwalk during the Charlie Le Mindu Spring/Summer 2010 show as part of Blow Presents during London Fashion Week at the Royal Festival Hall on September 19, 2009. (Photo by Samir Hussein/Getty Images)
4. Zero health and safety
Workers on the Central Electricity Board towers at Dagenham clamber around at height 120 foot above that of St Paul’s Cathedral in 1932. (Photo by Fox Photos/Getty Images)