London is an awesome city, and nobody can deny her of that. It's a vibrant city, it's crowded, it's congested, things are always moving (apart from the traffic). Noise, people, colors, flashing lights... all those wonderful and not so wonderful things that make it the city it is. It's really a love and hate relationship for people living and working in London. At least for me it is. Some people embrace the whole living in London thing because there's always entertainment at your doorstep. But some people just get in and get out right after work. I am the latter.
I live out in the suburbs, it's quite a trek from the office but it gives me the balance I need from the busy city. On the weekends I usually don't go back into the smoke, unless I need to go to the vintage markets, see a show, exhibit, or if I really really need a proper Chinese food fix (I do get homesick occasionally). I find that I almost avoid the city if it wasn't for work. If I tell people that I live out in the burbs, they get quite surprised, especially people my age. They say they can't do it, first of all, is not that much cheaper, if you add up your transportation fees. Second of all, aren't you a bit bored? Sometimes I do get bored, but that's when you take the tube to go into the city. But most of the time, I find that the burbs have a lot to offer, there is almost so much to explore that I don't think I can see it all, and if you pay real close attention to your surroundings in these old towns, like the inscriptions on walls and churches, you will be astounded by the amount of history around you.
Anyway, one of my favourite spots in the suburbs is Amersham old town. Amersham is probably one of the last stops on the Metropolitan line way out in the North West. While visiting the old town I caught sight of a plague on the side of the market hall landmark. On it, it says "Amersham was documented in the Domesday Book as Elmodesham... and was granted a market and fair status by King John in the year 1200...". I was standing in a town that is more than 1000 years old and standing at the same market hall which people had traded since 1682. Little has changed in the town regarding street layouts and the architecture. People always say, this is what it looks in the old days or this is what is like a couple hundred years ago, well at Amersham, you can see it for your own eyes.
Not far from the car park in old town is where St Mary's Church still stands. The church is a Grade 1 listed building. The church itself dates back to 1140AD and stands on a holy site where Roman Roads crosses the River Misbourne. It is the place where 1000 years ago, Baptist monks of St Augustine and Bishops Baptist their converts. Sometimes if you look at the tombstones on some of the graves around the church, you wonder what life was like for the person that's buried underneath a couple hundred years ago. You wonder if their family is still around, or the grave just lies their forgotten.
Amersham old town also has lots of quality cafes, serving up good quality traditional English breakfasts and coffee. The Broadway is also home to many quaint shops selling home accessories. Even high end brands like Phase Eight,suddenly becomes more quaint than usual being housed amongst a row of Elizabethan and Tudor coaching inn buildings.
If Central London becomes unbearable, and you fancy a quiet morning somewhere out in the country. Consider a visit to these little towns, and savour every bit of history they have to offer.
Plague on the side of Market Hall, Amersham.
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