51吃瓜

Atul Singh鈥檚 reminiscences of London in his FO掳 Wednesday newsletter on November 29, 2023, were just wonderful. I felt I was walking next to him. He asked, 鈥淲hat makes London special: history, beauty or community?鈥� For me, it is all of these, plus some indefinable 鈥済lue鈥� that binds them all into a unique culture.

Am I a Londoner?

Since my 鈥測oof鈥� (youth) in the 1960s, I lived, studied and worked in London for nearly 40 years. Yet, even though I feel more attuned to London than any other place in Britain, I cannot honestly call myself a true Londoner. To acquire that distinction would require that I had been born and bred there 鈥� not necessarily in the East End 鈥渨ithin the sound of Bow Bells鈥� (an old phrase referring to the bells rung at the church of St Mary-le-Bow). That would make me a traditional Cockney. But no, at least somewhere within the 32 boroughs of Inner and Greater London or within the City of London, the smallest and oldest local authority right in the center of the metropolis.

Still, I can join in with fellow patrons in one of the traditional pubs (short for 鈥減ublic houses鈥� or licensed drinking establishments) in singing 鈥淢aybe it鈥檚 because I鈥檓 a Londoner鈥� and other ditties (short, simple songs), especially if it鈥檚 backed by an old Joanna (piano). Or, I can join in traditional pub sports such as darts, dominoes, skittles or cribbage. Nowadays, one has to seek out such traditional nightspots, since most metropolitan pubs cater for fast-moving modernity and youth, and they eschew parochial signaling.

Nevertheless, the pub tradition doggedly remains. An old college professor once advised me that the role of the pub was not to get the patrons inebriated but rather to provide social affirmation. The sociologist Victor Turner to this phenomenon as 鈥渟ocial liminality and communitas.鈥� A pub is a congenial place for social cohesion 鈥� what the Germans would call Zusammenhalt 鈥� where patrons rub shoulders and engage with friends, acquaintances and complete strangers from all walks of life and hopefully leave feeling moderately uplifted. Long before psychiatrists and antidepressant medications, the publican and fellow patrons provided a ready sounding board for lay diagnosis, problem solving and support.

Then, there is the distinctive London lingo or patois, a diluted form of Pure with terms and rhyming slang such as 鈥渁pples-and-pears鈥� (stairs), 鈥渂utcher鈥檚鈥� (short for 鈥渂utcher鈥檚 hook,鈥� meaning 鈥渓ook鈥�), 鈥渃or-blimey鈥� (may God blind me), 鈥済uv鈥� (boss, governor), 鈥済eezer鈥� (a man), 鈥渂loke鈥� (a man), 鈥渨edge鈥� (sizable bundle of banknotes), 鈥渟ov鈥� (拢1, short for 鈥渟overeign,鈥� a gold coin), 鈥減ony鈥� (拢25) and 鈥渕onkey鈥� (拢500).

Given my name, Alan, how could I ever forget the expression 鈥淒on鈥檛 get your Alans in a twist鈥�? Alan Whicker was a well-known BBC television journalist from the 1950s to 80s. Rhyming with Whicker are 鈥渒nickers鈥� (underpants). Since 鈥済etting one鈥檚 knickers in a twist鈥� means getting unduly frustrated and annoyed as a result of one鈥檚 own actions failing to solve a minor problem, the Cockney expression鈥檚 meaning becomes all too clear.

No one today, except perhaps a few diehard Cockney 鈥�,鈥� stuffs their colloquial speech with such language like Dick Van Dyke did in the 1964 film Mary Poppins. Nonetheless, many Londoners of all social and educational strata do drop the odd Cockney expression into conversations for effect, usually to convey an emphasis, exasperation or absurdity.

In the past 50 years or so, London itself has continued to evolve and change, as it has done since at least the time of Roman Londinium. Encircled by the M25 motorway, the Greater London population is now somewhere between 10 million and , depending on boundary definitions, with a multi-ethnic polyglot character. Ever since Roman times, London has been a magnet for foreign immigrants of all kinds 鈥� invaders, traders, entrepreneurs, students, refugees and so on.

Moreover, starting in the 1960s, the population who work in London has continued to spread out across the surrounding Home Counties and beyond, often seeking more affordable housing. The government this migration as part of post-World War II reconstruction and development and to control urban sprawl. Eight 鈥淣ew Towns鈥� were designated within a 50-mile radius of London alone to accommodate London’s population overspill, but many more existing towns have also continued to attract Londoners.

Nowadays, commuting 200 miles into London every day is not uncommon. A gradual modification of spoken English has also this population spread, so that within a 100-mile radius from Central London it has become 鈥渁veraged out鈥�; a mild Cockney-ish accent. Even in the posh spoken English of lawyers and university dons, one can often now detect the odd glottal stop or disappearing 鈥淭.鈥�

This new spoken English is called , alluding to its prevalence in the populations spread out across London and counties on both sides of the River Thames and the Thames Estuary. I am an exponent of the genre, although I do check myself when conversing with non-Estuary speakers. Pronouncing a final letter 鈥淟鈥� as a 鈥淲鈥� (e.g. we-w instead of well), or not enunciating a final 鈥渙w鈥� (e.g. tomorrah instead of tomorrow), or omitting the letter 鈥淭鈥� (e.g. be-uh instead of better) may convey laziness or poor education.

Feeling personally connected

In many ways, my own ancestry reflects the post-Roman history of London and Britain generally: a melange of Celtic, British, Norman, Scandinavian and Anglo-Saxon DNA. The surname Waring does not appear in British documents until after 1067; it first crops up as Warin, Warenger, Warrene and Guerri in the , William the Conqueror鈥檚 infamous taxation register of all real estate and other property ownership, completed in 1086. Of ten Warins listed in the Domesday Book, none had owned properties in Britain before 1066, but by 1086, some owned dozens of properties.

Other Norman of Waring include Guerin, meaning guard or protector. The Normans themselves were of mixed descent from both Romano-Celts, Franks and seaborne invaders from North Germany, Denmark and Norway. The Waring name via the Normans may also be related to the German Wahrung, also meaning guard or protector.

In the late 1970s and early 80s, I worked as a Principal Officer at the Corporation of the City of London. This local authority was formed in the 12th century. It covered the original Londinium of the Roman era. The City further developed in Saxon times, and it successfully defended itself against Viking invaders, but not the Norman takeover of London in 1067. In 2006, the word Corporation was dropped from its branding and public-facing name, becoming just the City of London 鈥� but for me, it will always be the City Corporation.

My office was in the oldest part of the Guildhall over the ceremonial main entrance doors into the Guildhall proper, where the many state banquets are held. There are many guildhalls across Britain, the name likely stemming from the Saxon 鈥�gild鈥� or 鈥�geld鈥� (money) and the place (鈥渉all鈥�) where local taxes and dues were paid. But this , originating in 1411, is the most famous and prestigious. My office window was the perfect reconnaissance point to observe all the comings and goings of staff, visitors and dignitaries as they crossed the Guildhall Yard below.

Down in the Guildhall vaults, the Museum of London (run by the Corporation at its own site at the junction of London Wall and Aldersgate Street) keeps City records from all the way back in Saxon times, including the original freedom charter that William the Conqueror the city elders in 1067. This was a way of buying their loyalty and deterring them from opposing his takeover after King Harold II lost Battle of Hastings in 1066.

Quirkiness and hidden talents

The City has its ancient legislature and administration (The City Aldermen, the Common Councillors, the Court of Common Council, the Town Clerk) and the over 100 ancient livery companies and trades guilds whose titles all start with 鈥淲orshipful Company of…鈥� (examples include 鈥淔ishmongers鈥�, 鈥淗aberdashers鈥�, 鈥淪alters鈥�, 鈥淰intners鈥�, 鈥淲ax Chandlers鈥�, and 鈥淭obacco Pipemakers and Tobacco Blenders鈥�). Freemen of the City are entitled to join a livery company. By the way, since 1872, the term 鈥渇reeman鈥� has applied equally to men and women!

The livery companies elect the Aldermen, whereas the eligible resident and business population of the City elects the Common Councillors. The quaint livery companies, many of whose actual trades died out centuries ago, facilitate the interests of big business corporations and their bosses who operate in the so-called 鈥淪quare Mile,鈥� which is the nation鈥檚 financial hub. It鈥檚 all about power, privilege, contacts and doing business.

The term 鈥渁lderman鈥� in British administrative law evolved from Anglo-Saxon times and probably stems from the North Germanic term of 鈥�脝濒迟别谤尘补苍苍鈥� (elder), a term for a person recognized for their age and wisdom. It was still part of local authority structures throughout Britain when I was a boy, but largely disappeared as a result of local government streamlining in the 1960s 鈥� yet not in the City of London. Similarly, the chief executive of a local council, big or small, was the Town Clerk before they all became Chief Executives 鈥� but not in the City of London. These quaint historical relics remain unchanged.

The Corporation also a surprisingly wide range of responsibilities. For example, it manages and maintains the Tower Bridge, operates several major iconic markets (such as Smithfield meat market and Billingsgate fish market), runs several elite schools including the Guildhall School of Music and Drama and the two City of London Schools (one for boys, one for girls), manages 鈥渇or the people of London鈥� the whole of Epping Forest (an ancient hunting forest just inside the region of Essex) and curiously runs the Animal Quarantine Service at Heathrow Airport. It also provides and administers the Central Criminal Court at the Old Bailey and owns the freehold (the property and the land that it is built on) on vast tracts of prime commercial property across London.

A sense of history, continuity and loyalty

My own sense of history, continuity and loyalty to the Crown grew during my time in the City and was cemented by two particular privileges that I was granted. One was being allowed to see the original City freedom charter, a very rare honor. The other was being granted of the City, the honor that allows a person to call themselves a freeman. One archaic privilege of being a freeman was that, in past centuries, I could have run my sheep and livestock through the City streets and traded them at fairs and markets, all without paying any tithes or taxes. Most of these anachronistic privileges are long gone, and most contemporary privileges are more symbolic than practical.

The City Chamberlain (complete with fur stole and regalia!) officiates the Freedom investiture of an individual in his own court. The first recorded instance of this ceremony took place in 1237. During my own, I read out a special oath of allegiance to the monarch (then Queen Elizabeth II) from 鈥渢he little red 鈥� entitled Rules for the Conduct of Life (there are 36 of these rules). Although written in slightly archaic English, it is packed with both common sense and guidance on steering one鈥檚 life with honesty, integrity, honor and being ever mindful of one鈥檚 own limitations and the rights of others.

Perhaps it should be required reading for all politicians, corporate executives and public officials!

[ edited this piece.]

The views expressed in this article are the author鈥檚 own and do not necessarily reflect 51吃瓜鈥檚 editorial policy.