St Mary's Hospital, London

Can you feel a cool, gentle mist on your cheeks. Can you hear the low rumble of a big, red bus driving by. Look over there, see the wide, silvery river that winds and wiggles right through my heart. I have been here for a very, very long time, and I hold so many secrets and stories in my old stone buildings and busy streets. Kings and queens have walked here, and children have played in my parks for hundreds of years. I have watched boats sail up my river and trains chug along my bridges. My story is as long as my river is wide, and I love to share it. Hello, I am London.

My story began almost two thousand years ago. A group of brave people called the Romans came across the sea and decided to build a town right here by the river. They gave me my very first name, Londinium. They were very clever builders and made my first-ever bridge across the big River Thames, so people could easily get from one side to the other. Many years later, a king named William the Conqueror arrived. He wanted to show everyone how strong he was, so he built a huge stone castle to protect me. You can still see it today. It’s called the Tower of London. But my story has sad parts, too. On September 2nd, 1666, a big fire started. The Great Fire of London was scary, and many of my wooden houses burned down. But I was brave. The people who lived here decided to build me back even better than before. A very clever man named Sir Christopher Wren designed amazing new buildings, like the beautiful St. Paul's Cathedral with its giant dome that touches the sky. I became stronger and more beautiful. Then, people had another brilliant idea. They thought, "What if we had a train that could travel underground.". So they built the world's first underground train, called the Tube. It zips around under my streets like a friendly worm, taking people everywhere they need to go.

Today, I am a wonderful mix of old and new. You can see my ancient castles standing proudly next to shiny glass skyscrapers that reflect the clouds. My streets are filled with the happy sounds of people from all over the world. They have brought their languages, their music, and their yummy food to share, making me a home for everyone. My green parks are full of children laughing and playing, and my red buses are always ready for a new adventure. I am a city that is always changing and growing, but I always have room for new stories and new friends. I am a place where history and the future dance together, and everyone is invited to join in.