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  • REPORTERGianFranco Belloli

I moved to London over 2 years ago but only last year I started writing for a local newsletter for Expats in London telling about my experience in this big city and giving advice to newcomers. London is a very dynamic city and has a lot for everyone but it’s important to have a local point of view to navigate it without getting lost. Let me be your guide to hidden London!

  • UK London
  • GianFranco Belloli
  • 2026.01.16
  • Change in visa procedures
  • How has London changed since Brexit?
    Those who used to live in the United Kingdom about seven years ago will tell you that in the days following the referendum that marked the beginning of Brexit, there was tension in the streets and the atmosphere outside the country's borders was shocking.
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  • UK London
  • GianFranco Belloli
  • UK London
  • GianFranco Belloli
  • 2025.12.08
  • Dover cliffs
  • Today, the majority of visitors to the United Kingdom arrive by plane.
    Thousands more reach London by train, crossing the English Channel.
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  • UK London
  • GianFranco Belloli
  • 2025.11.18
  • A volunteering experience
  • Volunteering is a personal growth experience for people and many people, particularly young ones, choose to volunteer in London.
    This is what the expression ‘testing yourself’ means.
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  • UK London
  • GianFranco Belloli
  • 2025.11.05
  • London and AI
  • London is accustomed to labour revolutions. In every economic era the British capital has rewritten roles, skills, and career paths.
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  • UK London
  • GianFranco Belloli
  • 2025.10.22
  • London, a sustainable city
  • London is a sustainable city: from carbon-neutral theaters to zero-waste markets, the metropolis is redefining its future.
    In the beating heart of one of the world's most dynamic metropolises, a silent but profound revolution is taking shape.
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  • UK London
  • GianFranco Belloli
  • 2025.10.10
  • It is all about the music!
  • The United Kingdom has always been a pioneering and innovative land in many ways, including music.
    It has given birth to countless musical genres, which have evolved and spread throughout the world over time.
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  • UK London
  • GianFranco Belloli
  • UK London
  • GianFranco Belloli
  • UK London
  • GianFranco Belloli
  • UK London
  • GianFranco Belloli
  • 2025.08.08
  • Mental care NHS
  • The UK was the first country to guarantee easy access to psychological therapies for anxiety and depression.
    The National Health System (NHS) of the United Kingdom has long been considered the jewel in the crown of the welfare state.
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  • UK London
  • GianFranco Belloli
  • UK London
  • GianFranco Belloli
  • UK London
  • GianFranco Belloli
  • 2025.06.25
  • Flower design in London
  • London in spring is something special.
    The days are getting longer and the temperatures are getting more pleasant, so much so that you can finally have lunch or a drink “al fresco” as we say here, using the Italian expression who knows why.
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  • UK London
  • GianFranco Belloli
  • UK London
  • GianFranco Belloli
  • 2025.05.26
  • Smog & Fog
  • Why has the London fog or smog entered the collective imagination as if it were an integral part of the landscape of the English capital?
    Is it just a myth or is it reality?
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  • UK London
  • GianFranco Belloli
  • 2025.05.07
  • London: Blooming Spring
  • London in spring is something special.

    The days are getting longer and the temperatures are getting more pleasant, so much so that you can finally have lunch or a snack ‘al fresco’ as they say here.
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  • UK London
  • GianFranco Belloli
  • 2025.04.08
  • Lucky penny
  • Every country has its own beliefs and superstitions, some are funny but somewhat deeply rooted in the culture.
    Some are different, or even opposite those of other countries.
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  • UK London
  • GianFranco Belloli
  • UK London
  • GianFranco Belloli
  • 2025.03.11
  • Sweet Sweet London.
  • London is not only scones and pastry for tea.
    In London you will find some of the best bakeries and pastry shops in the world, and I am not talking about the French pastry shops found all over town.
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  • UK London
  • GianFranco Belloli
  • 2025.02.25
  • Fancy a Paradox?
  • Sometimes the mundane routine of life needs a shake-up, and the Paradox Museum, which opened in London last summer will do just that.
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  • UK London
  • GianFranco Belloli
  • 2025.02.05
  • Resolutions time
  • “New Year, New Life!”
    It is not an original way to start a blog about good intentions but yet, sooner or later, we will all find ourselves saying these four little words.
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  • UK London
  • GianFranco Belloli
  • 2025.01.24
  • Theme fun
  • December is a very cold month in England, yet people love spending time outdoors visiting markets, winter wonderland fun fairs and theme parks which get additional decorations for the holidays.
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  • UK London
  • GianFranco Belloli
  • 2025.01.14
  • It’s the most wonderful time of the year
  • The atmosphere of London at Christmas is truly unique.
    It may be the beautiful lights throughout the city, it may be the Christmas decorations in every corner, it may be the special shop windows but it seems like a fairy tale.
    The city is always wonderful but during the Christmas period it gives the best of itself.
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  • UK London
  • GianFranco Belloli
  • UK London
  • GianFranco Belloli
  • UK London
  • GianFranco Belloli
  • UK London
  • GianFranco Belloli
  • 2024.11.12
  • A new place, a new discovery : Birmingham
  • This beautiful industrial-style city is famous not only for the red bricks that cover most of the buildings but also for the many kilometers of almost entirely navigable canals that inevitably change the profile of the city.
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  • UK London
  • GianFranco Belloli
  • 2024.11.01
  • God’s Own Junkyard
  • If you like art, as I do, if you don’t like crowds, just as much as I don’t, and you enjoy discovering new unique places, my favourite thing to do, please read on.
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  • UK London
  • GianFranco Belloli
  • UK London
  • GianFranco Belloli
  • UK London
  • GianFranco Belloli
  • UK London
  • GianFranco Belloli
  • 2024.09.09
  • Kensington
  • Kensington is perhaps one of my favorite neighborhoods in London, at least among those I managed to visit.
    It is a collection of very white and pastel-coloured Edwardian houses, tree-lined avenues and parks, museums and elegant buildings overlooking busy streets.
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  • UK London
  • GianFranco Belloli
  • 2024.08.06
  • Non-sense laws, here they come
  • England is a nation rich in history, culture and natural beauty, offering a wide range of attractions for visitors from around the world and, as I always say, London is one of the most dynamic and fascinating cities in the world.
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  • UK London
  • GianFranco Belloli
  • 2024.07.19
  • Jersey shores
  • I admit it without shame, the first time I heard of the island of Jersey I reacted with a resounding: “Where?”
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  • UK London
  • GianFranco Belloli
  • 2024.07.02
  • Learning our way
  • The English school system is a bit complicated to understand or, at least, it was for me. It is divided into primary school, secondary school and higher education. Primary school is from 4 to 11 years old, secondary school is from 11 to 16 years old and higher education is from 16 to 18 years old.
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  • UK London
  • GianFranco Belloli
  • UK London
  • GianFranco Belloli
  • 2024.06.06
  • What’s your character?
  • For those who live in London or visit the city for the umpteenth time, I recommend visiting the Cartoon Museum. The museum is a delightful place where to retrace the art of comics in Great Britain from the 18th century to the present day.
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  • UK London
  • GianFranco Belloli
  • UK London
  • GianFranco Belloli
  • 2024.04.26
  • Don’t fool me!
  • April Fool's Day is a tradition that Anglo-Saxons know very well and which falls on the first day of April of every year.
    Did you think that English aplomb made English people too serious? Think again!
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  • UK London
  • GianFranco Belloli
  • 2024.03.28
  • English people in the mirror
  • I have interviewed a friend, Sarah J., and a colleague, Finn M., and I have asked them the questions:
    “What do you think is unique about being English?”
    “What do you think are the common prejudices about English people?”
    and also “How do you think English people are perceived by foreigners?”
    These are the information I have compiled from their answers.
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  • UK London
  • GianFranco Belloli
  • 2024.03.12
  • Love is in the air.
  • As with all celebrations, each country has its own also when it comes to Valentine's Day traditions.
    In the United Kingdom, this day is not limited to lovers but it is also a day to celebrate fraternal love, friendship and family relationships.
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  • UK London
  • GianFranco Belloli
  • 2024.02.14
  • Enchanting North Wales.
  • This year I have spent my winter holidays in North Wales. North Wales really has a lot to offer visitors: wild nature, breathtaking landscapes, imposing castles, pristine beaches.
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  • UK London
  • GianFranco Belloli
  • 2024.01.16
  • Love, tea and curry.
  • In England, ethnic food lovers can find restaurants for every taste and Indian cuisine is particularly popular. Indian restaurants and curry houses, Indian takeaway delicatessens, are so widespread that for English people it is very normal to order Indian food for an informal dinner with family and friends.
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  • UK London
  • GianFranco Belloli
  • UK London
  • GianFranco Belloli
  • 2023.12.08
  • London Gaming at its best.
  • Video-games in London are quite popular and the city heavily relies on video game culture and it organizes numerous video-gaming competitions, exhibitions and themed events every year.
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  • UK London
  • GianFranco Belloli
  • UK London
  • GianFranco Belloli
  • 2023.11.01
  • Busy kids, soccer moms…
  • I come from Italy where football is almost as important as religion: it is the national sport and the sport children play in backyards and fields everywhere.
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  • UK London
  • GianFranco Belloli
  • UK London
  • GianFranco Belloli
  • 2023.10.04
  • Bring some magic to London, Harry!
  • On September 1st, like every year, Harry Potter fans gather to celebrate “Back To Hogwarts”, one of the most iconic anniversaries in the calendar of Harry Potter fans around the world.
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  • UK London
  • GianFranco Belloli
  • 2023.09.25
  • Novelties in London this summer
  • London is a city which “regenerates itself continuously.”
    It is always new, up to date and fun.
    London is alive.
    This summer, just as all other seasons, has seen the arrival of some new attractions and trends in the British capital.
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  • UK London
  • GianFranco Belloli
  • 2023.09.04
  • Brunch, London style
  • Brunch is one of the staple meals of the London weekend.
    The places that serve this super complete breakfast, consumed at a time closer to lunch time, are many and scattered throughout the city.
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  • UK London
  • GianFranco Belloli
  • 2023.08.23
  • Fancy a pint?
  • After going to the Great British Beer Festival in August last year, which is the biggest beer festival in London, I’m looking forward to attending the London Craft Beer Festival this upcoming August.
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  • UK London
  • GianFranco Belloli
  • UK London
  • GianFranco Belloli
  • UK London
  • GianFranco Belloli
  • 2023.06.27
  • A ROYAL MENU
  • The Coronation Quiche has been the official dish chosen by our King Charles III and Queen Camilla to celebrate their coronation.
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  • UK London
  • GianFranco Belloli
  • UK London
  • GianFranco Belloli
  • UK London
  • GianFranco Belloli
  • UK London
  • GianFranco Belloli
  • 2023.04.27
  • An Easter Day Tradition in LONDON
  • A typical Easter recipe is the Simnel Cake, a sort of plum cake filled with candied lemon peels and dried fruit, which takes its yellow color from the crunchy crust covered with saffron.
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  • UK London
  • GianFranco Belloli
  • 2023.03.23
  • Travelling back in time to the Tudors!
  • I finally went to visit Stratford-upon-Avon, the small town famous for being the birthplace of William Shakespeare, and famed also for keeping the remains of the most famous man in English history and literature.
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  • UK London
  • GianFranco Belloli
  • 2023.02.27
  • Artsy neighbourhoods and yummy bakeries
  • London is a continuous discovery. London is endless, or so it seems at times, as one can always discover more of it by strolling around or taking the Tube to a unknown station and just explore the surroundings as I sometimes do.
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  • UK London
  • GianFranco Belloli
  • 2023.02.13
  • A greener London
  • The keyword now in England and especially in London is sustainability.
    Maybe it is “too little, too late” as some people say, but there have been many changes and there is a new perspective for the future taking place when it comes to the environment and everything concerning it.
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  • UK London
  • GianFranco Belloli
  • 2023.01.27
  • A Welsh culinary experience
  • Over the Christmas holidays, I spent a few days in Wales for the first time. My trip was long overdue and when traveling it is essential to get in touch with the culture of the place and the easiest way to do it is through its local cuisine I think.
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  • UK London
  • GianFranco Belloli
  • UK London
  • GianFranco Belloli
  • UK London
  • GianFranco Belloli
  • UK London
  • GianFranco Belloli
  • 2022.12.01
  • London: Strolling around the markets in town!
  • There are many markets in London: between the permanent ones and the temporary ones, there are more than one hundred scattered throughout the city, not to mention the appointments with traveling markets on the occasion of the holidays.
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  • UK London
  • GianFranco Belloli
  • UK London
  • GianFranco Belloli
  • UK London
  • GianFranco Belloli
  • 2022.10.19
  • The end of a Royal era
  • The whole world has heard about it: Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II has passed away. This news has certainly had more impact in the Commonwealth countries, first and foremost in the United Kingdom and especially in London.
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  • UK London
  • GianFranco Belloli
  • UK London
  • GianFranco Belloli
  • UK London
  • GianFranco Belloli
  • 2022.09.06
  • A kingdom of Desserts
  • British cuisine has had a bad reputation for a long time: if you want to eat well in England, eat breakfast for lunch and dinner too, some say as a joke.
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  • UK London
  • GianFranco Belloli
  • 2022.08.19
  • What’s hot in London now? Everything!
  • The United Kingdom, and London in particular, is currently experiencing crazy heat and Londoners are overwhelmed by this extreme heatwave that has already set an absolute record in the history of the country.
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  • UK London
  • GianFranco Belloli
  • UK London
  • GianFranco Belloli
  • UK London
  • GianFranco Belloli
  • UK London
  • GianFranco Belloli
  • UK London
  • GianFranco Belloli
  • UK London
  • GianFranco Belloli
  • UK London
  • GianFranco Belloli
  • UK London
  • GianFranco Belloli
  • 2022.04.18
  • Strolling around Highgate Cemetery
  • I have recently visited the Highgate Cemetery here in London with a guide. It was one of the places I have been meaning to visit for quite some time but given the gloomy times we are living I had been postponing it until now.
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  • UK London
  • GianFranco Belloli
  • UK London
  • GianFranco Belloli
  • UK London
  • GianFranco Belloli
  • 2022.02.21
  • OF DOGS and CROWNS…
  • Maybe overseas you don’t even get this kind of news but, here in the United Kingdom, it is big news: Queen Elizabeth has welcomed a new ‘commoner’ to palace, she has adopted a new little dog.
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  • UK London
  • GianFranco Belloli
  • UK London
  • GianFranco Belloli
  • 2022.01.20
  • Holiday desserts by Gian
  • This year I participated at a Christmas lunch with my girlfriend and her family and we had the roasted ham, the veggie casserole and all the typical Christmas goodies including the most typical mince pies and Christmas pudding.
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  • UK London
  • GianFranco Belloli
  • UK London
  • GianFranco Belloli
  • 2021.12.21
  • BRITISH-ITALIAN FOOD
  • I have been thinking about this topic for a while now: if there is one thing that differs between the Mediterranean and Anglo-Saxon culture is the way of understanding food.
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  • UK London
  • GianFranco Belloli
  • 2021.12.10
  • FILMS UK
  • When we think of films, we think of Hollywood but, when we say English films, what immediately comes to your mind are the sweet comedies like Love Actually and Notting Hill, or even Harry Potter.
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  • UK London
  • GianFranco Belloli
  • 2021.11.25
  • Animal welfare and air quality
  • It was Queen Elizabeth during the traditional Queen's speech in Westminster, who announced that Britain will be committed to promoting higher standards of animal welfare.
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  • UK London
  • GianFranco Belloli
  • 2021.11.12
  • Open House London by Gian
  • After a long wait, this year we saw the comeback of the Open House London. Open House London is a nine-day celebration of London's architecture and it is an urban event that offers the opportunity to visit architectural wonders for free that are not normally open to the public.
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  • UK London
  • GianFranco Belloli
  • 2021.10.28
  • NO to VACCINATION PASS
  • The vaccination pass in England should have been implemented from October 1st, mainly affecting night clubs and big events halls which have recently been reopened.
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  • UK London
  • GianFranco Belloli
  • UK London
  • GianFranco Belloli
  • 2021.09.29
  • A Game of Skittles
  • If I say Skittles and you are not from England, you will probably think immediately about some colourful candies but here in England Skittles is something else.
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  • UK London
  • GianFranco Belloli
  • UK London
  • GianFranco Belloli
  • 2021.09.03
  • A day in Bath
  • I had to travel to Bristol for work recently and since it was a Friday and I hadn’t done a trip in a very long time I decided to stay overnight and visit Bath too.
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  • UK London
  • GianFranco Belloli
  • 2021.08.19
  • FREEDOM DAY and EUROCUP
  • The long-awaited Freedom Day has come.Freedom Day is set to be July 19th and it is the day when the British people will finally be able to free themselves from all the restrictions imposed during the pandemic.
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  • UK London
  • GianFranco Belloli
  • UK London
  • GianFranco Belloli
  • UK London
  • GianFranco Belloli
  • UK London
  • GianFranco Belloli
  • 2021.06.09
  • London: Back in business!
  • Yeah!
    Finally, we are back in business!
    After almost four months of lockdown, the United Kingdom reopened its doors mid-April after a fast-paced and well-organized vaccination campaign which gave positive results it seems, let’s keep our fingers crossed!
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  • UK London
  • GianFranco Belloli
  • 2021.05.28
  • Vegan Fast Food, a new era in London
  • Although British food is often criticized, London is certainly one of the most avant-garde European cities in the culinary field and it is also at the top of the list of the most vegan cities in the world right now.
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  • UK London
  • GianFranco Belloli
  • 2021.05.14
  • The death of a King
  • Only one news has replaced Covid vaccination record numbers, new covid cases reports, covid restrictions revocation and covid stories in the newscast lately here in the United Kingdom and that is that on April 9th 2021 Prince Philip Duke of Edinburgh died in his Royal residence in Windsor.
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  • UK London
  • GianFranco Belloli
  • UK London
  • GianFranco Belloli
  • UK London
  • GianFranco Belloli
  • 2021.03.17
  • A stepping stone. Art to smile about.
  • In the last year, governmental institutions and museums here in the United Kingdom (but all over the world, of course) have produced a large number of virtual materials through social networks and websites, some truly interesting ones.
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  • UK London
  • GianFranco Belloli
  • 2021.03.05
  • Ravens, legends and bad omens for England
  • It may seem like just an unimportant legend of the past but the Ravens of the Tower of London are a group of at least 6 ravens that live in captivity inside the Tower of London and, according to a superstition dating back to the time of Charles II, their presence protects the British Crown and the Kingdom of England.
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  • UK London
  • GianFranco Belloli
  • 2021.02.19
  • Marmite, love it or hate it
  • I wanted to keep this blog on a lighter note…enough was said about Brexit and Covid and not much can be done with words to ‘cure’ either it seems so I would like to tell you my very British experience with Marmite today.
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  • UK London
  • GianFranco Belloli
  • 2021.02.05
  • …and so we Brexited
  • Like many other Europeans residing in the United Kingdom, I had to rush last year to apply for permanent residency here because of Brexit.
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  • UK London
  • GianFranco Belloli
  • 2021.01.25
  • Boxing Day but the shopping will wait
  • Boxing Day in the United Kingdom is (was) celebrated with different activities.It is a public holiday in the UK, since it is the day immediately following Christmas day, and it falls on December 26th.
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  • UK London
  • GianFranco Belloli
  • 2021.01.12
  • Very little to celebrate
  • I’m glad I didn’t buy a ticket to go home for the holidays because a friend of mine did and his flight was cancelled – not to be rescheduled – just eighteen hours before departure.
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  • UK London
  • GianFranco Belloli
  • 2020.12.23
  • Let’s spread Christmas cheer but not the virus
  • Here in London we have just seen the end of another lockdown.It ended on Thursday December 3rd when the City of London and all its 32 boroughs were included in the ‘tier 2’ category according to the National classification of Covid-19 potential danger areas.
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  • UK London
  • GianFranco Belloli
  • UK London
  • GianFranco Belloli
  • UK London
  • GianFranco Belloli
  • UK London
  • GianFranco Belloli
  • 2020.11.06
  • Cornwall, where the Earth ends.
  • Unfortunately, I couldn’t visit my family this year (Covid, yuck!), nor I could go abroad – I could have but I chose not to, too complicated, risky, etc. etc. – so I decided to go to Cornwall instead.
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  • UK London
  • GianFranco Belloli
  • 2020.10.23
  • Bone China is from…England!
  • English porcelain is well known to collectors and enthusiasts of antiques and porcelain because it can be said that the oldest factory in Europe was born in this country, and more precisely in Staffordshire, but not only: the companies of the most ancient and important porcelain brands were founded here and even first bone china was born here (and not in China as one may think!).
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  • UK London
  • GianFranco Belloli
  • 2020.10.06
  • ETHNIC LONDON
  • Although the United Kingdom has an overall ethnic composition made of 76% of the western white population, the white British in London have fallen from 58 to 45 per cent of the London population in the last ten years.
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  • UK London
  • GianFranco Belloli
  • 2020.09.15
  • Under the stars: concerts, films and shows!
  • Although the main economic businesses are gradually reopening their doors here in England and life is slowly resuming some kind of normality, it is undoubted that the forced lockdown has changed the rules of consumption and lifestyles, depriving us of all those activities we used to do.
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  • UK London
  • GianFranco Belloli
  • 2020.09.01
  • Some Mystery in London
  • I know, Brexit first and Coronavirus then have discouraged and then even forbade traveling and visiting places, but London still has its door open right now especially for those who are here in the UK already.
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  • UK London
  • GianFranco Belloli
  • 2020.08.19
  • Lavender fields
  • Since, unfortunately, bars, cafés and restaurants were stormed on the first day of reopening after the forced closure due to the coronavirus, I keep on keeping a distance from such places and, although I sometimes order food to take out hoping it’s safe, I prefer to explore the outdoors London has to offer.
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  • UK London
  • GianFranco Belloli
  • 2020.08.03
  • Liverpool bound
  • Finally, a trip out of town! Everybody is in need of a trip out of town now and I was able to visit Liverpool.
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  • UK London
  • GianFranco Belloli
  • 2020.07.09
  • Richmond Park
  • When they visit London, not all tourists venture out of the city centre and this is often a mistake because interesting parts of London are missed that way.
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  • UK London
  • GianFranco Belloli
  • UK London
  • GianFranco Belloli
  • 2020.06.15
  • Art coping with Covid and post Covid
  • Since around mid-March the UK government advised against non-essential travel and contact with others to curb coronavirus, public arts spaces across the country have shut their doors to protect their staff and visitors.
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  • UK London
  • GianFranco Belloli
  • 2020.05.26
  • Homemade masks can be a useful craft to make
  • Although health professionals keep changing their minds every day about whether or not we should be wearing face masks to help prevent the spreading of the coronavirus, the Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (everywhere known as CDC) has now officially recommended that everyone but new-borns should wear a mask or face covering in public areas, especially indoor ones.
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  • UK London
  • GianFranco Belloli
  • 2020.05.07
  • How London is reacting to Covid 19
  • With this Covid 19 emergency the public healthcare system is suffering both for costs and for the pressure the medical personnel are undergoing here in the UK as well as elsewhere around the world.
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  • UK London
  • GianFranco Belloli
  • 2020.04.15
  • Sleeping in a fairytale in the Cotswolds
  • The Cotswolds is a gorgeous region in southern England which is very popular with tourists but also with Londoners who like to go there on the weekends to breathe some fresh air, have a picnic or visit the typical Cotswolds houses.
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  • UK London
  • GianFranco Belloli
  • UK London
  • GianFranco Belloli
  • UK London
  • GianFranco Belloli
  • UK London
  • GianFranco Belloli
  • UK London
  • GianFranco Belloli
  • 2020.02.13
  • Let’s all play cricket!
  • Cricket is a sport of Anglo-Saxon origin dating back to the 14th century when it started being practiced in the south of England by the then emerging bourgeois class.
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  • UK London
  • GianFranco Belloli
  • UK London
  • GianFranco Belloli
  • 2020.01.07
  • …it’s Xmas time! Ho Ho Ho….
  • Living abroad has many positive aspects: you learn and practice a foreign language every day, you know different people, you have the opportunity to learn a different culture and to improve yourself every day.
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  • UK London
  • GianFranco Belloli
  • 2019.12.23
  • REMEMBER, REMEMBER THE 5th OF NOVEMBER!
  • “Remember, remember the 5th of November…” goes a rhyme about the events of the 5th of November of 1605. November 5th is remembered to be the Dust Conspiracy, the goal of this conspiracy was to kill the English king: James I of England.
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  • UK London
  • GianFranco Belloli
  • UK London
  • GianFranco Belloli
  • 2019.11.25
  • MORE ABOUT THE ENGLISH CUISINE…
  • English cuisine is very close to the gastronomic tradition of other Northern European countries. I have already talked about the English breakfast, which is typically prepared with bacon and poached, scrambled or fried eggs, accompanied by buttered toast and jams or the notorious beans with ketchup.
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  • UK London
  • GianFranco Belloli
  • 2019.11.06
  • Halloween blog by Gian
  • Halloween, which is celebrated on the night of October 31st, for many is an American creepy and tacky holiday for kids who like to go around dressed up in costumes and beg for candies but, if you do some research, you’ll read that Halloween has very ancient origins and was not imported from the United States as many think: its history and its origins are European, precisely Celtic, very far from tradition and vision that we have today of this day, since the horror, the macabre and the masks have taken over at a later time.
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  • UK London
  • GianFranco Belloli
  • 2019.11.01
  • London, a fun place!
  • As a famous British writer once said “If you are tired of London, you are tired of living”… Truth is, you can’t get bored in London!
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  • UK London
  • GianFranco Belloli
  • 2019.10.09
  • BLACK CABBIE, LONDON STYLE
  • There are two cities in the world whose cabs are worldwide famous and easily recognizable: one is New York City with its bright yellow cabs, the other one is London with its old-fashioned black cabs.
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  • UK London
  • GianFranco Belloli
  • 2019.09.25
  • Fancy a friend? Or How to make friends in London town
  • Meeting new people and making friends in London can be difficult. London is such a lovely city but it can be a lonely place. If you do not come here to study, it is likely that you are completely starting from scratch, especially if you do not have a family living in the city or in the UK in general.
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  • UK London
  • GianFranco Belloli
  • 2019.09.12
  • The Royal Albert Hall and a close look at its Proms…
  • When you mention the word Prom in the United States of America, everyone immediately thinks about the dancing school parties in High School but, in the United Kingdom, if you say Prom, we think of the great concerts scheduled at the Royal Albert Hall in London every summer.
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  • UK London
  • GianFranco Belloli
  • 2019.09.03
  • Football
  • We, the Italians, at times would like to believe we invented soccer or, how English people call it, football.
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  • UK London
  • GianFranco Belloli
  • 2019.08.08
  • London on foot and from a different perspective
  • Outsiders may think that Londoners avoid doing anything touristy around the city and this is probably true when it comes to some “precautions” such as avoiding Piccadilly Circus during the day or steering clear of Camden Town at the weekend, but it is also true that Londoners like to participate in unusual walking tours of the city, especially when visitors come to town from abroad.
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  • UK London
  • GianFranco Belloli
  • 2019.07.25
  • All Aboard to watch a film!
  • Our Summer in London offers many outdoor experiences, initiatives to celebrate the weather that gets milder and the days that get longer (this year unbelievably high temperatures are supposed to hit our city too).
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  • UK London
  • GianFranco Belloli
  • 2019.06.25
  • Regent’s Park Outdoor Theatre and other summer events
  • Nothing can compare to an evening spent on a lawn with good food, good friends, great drinks and culture, under a (hopefully) starry sky. Sometimes not even the pouring rain (quite common unfortunately in our English summers...) could take away the magic from these outdoor theatres events organised in the city every summer.
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  • UK London
  • GianFranco Belloli
  • 2019.06.19
  • London Music Scene!
  • In addition to the Beatles’ Abbey Road, London has many other places worth visiting if you are a music fan and the very same Abbey studios were also used for many years by the Pink Floyd who recorded here their first album and several others.
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  • UK London
  • GianFranco Belloli
  • 2019.05.29
  • A melting pot of religions
  • According to a recent census I found in a local newspaper, there are about 50% of Christians in London (therefore including Catholic, Protestant, Anglican and other subdivisions of the Christian religion), about 13% of Muslims, 6% of Hindus, 2% of Jews and smaller percentages of most other religions of the world because London is a true melting pot of cultures and religions.
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  • UK London
  • GianFranco Belloli
  • 2019.05.15
  • St George's Day
  • In the United Kingdom every calendar marks the date April 23rd as St George's Day, the patron saint of England, although it is usually celebrated the weekend prior to this date which, this year, fell on Easter weekend.
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  • UK London
  • GianFranco Belloli
  • UK London
  • GianFranco Belloli
  • 2019.03.28
  • There is an underground city beneath London
  • London has accustomed us to get lost on its streets, often looking at its futuristic skyscrapers that stand out with their unique shapes. But the attractions of the British capital today tend to go in the opposite direction to that of Renzo Piano’s Shard, developing not in height but in depth.
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  • UK London
  • GianFranco Belloli
  • UK London
  • GianFranco Belloli
  • 2019.02.14
  • Abbey Road
  • Abbey Road.For many it is a simple road, for others it is a mere title of a music album which used to be famous, but for many music lovers it is THE album, more precisely THE cover which made the history of music.
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  • UK London
  • GianFranco Belloli
  • 2019.01.25
  • Brexit: what it really means
  • By now everybody worldwide has heard of the term Brexit which comes from the two words Britain + Exit. Brexit is a term coined by the media in the wake of the meaning of Grexit, in vogue last summer, a term that indicated the exit of Greece from the EU.
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  • UK London
  • GianFranco Belloli
  • UK London
  • GianFranco Belloli
  • 2018.12.25
  • The Longleat Estate
  • The Longleat Estate is located within 900 acres of landscaped grounds and it is home to the United Kingdom’s first Safari Park, as well as one of the best examples of Elizabethan architecture – the Longleat residence – and it also offers fun attractions including the Jungle Kingdom and the Animal Adventure safari area where it is possible to get up-close and personal with truly beautiful wild animals.
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  • UK London
  • GianFranco Belloli
  • 2018.12.13
  • Once upon a time there was a roast, a goat and a swan …
  • Yes, it's true, London is probably the most modern, futuristic and innovative capital in Europe. But, in the British metropolis, there is also room for some old and some rather funny traditions that still remain firmly anchored in the heart of Londoners although their origins go way back.
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  • UK London
  • GianFranco Belloli
  • 2018.12.03
  • …but what is it really like to live in London?
  • Every city has its pros and cons, there is no perfect country, no perfect city, nor perfect people. London has pros and cons too and, depending on whom you speak to, they will tell you some aspects of living here which may be pleasant or absolutely dreadful.
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  • UK London
  • GianFranco Belloli
  • UK London
  • GianFranco Belloli
  • 2018.10.29
  • London: “Action!”
  • London has played a leading role in many successful films thanks to its epic, unique and varied skyline, its charming streets and royal palaces. An alternative way to visit the city is just move on the ‘tracks’ of the movies that were shot in London and discover some places in the capital less visited by tourists, but that have now entered the collective imagination.
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  • UK London
  • GianFranco Belloli
  • UK London
  • GianFranco Belloli
  • UK London
  • GianFranco Belloli
  • UK London
  • GianFranco Belloli
  • 2018.09.06
  • Cheers!
  • In England, a pub is a public place where any person can go to have a drink, socialize with strangers and have fun cheering and singing along.
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  • UK London
  • GianFranco Belloli
  • 2018.08.17
  • In search of something new...
  • Having visited Tokyo, I know that themed restaurants and hotels are nothing new in Japan but, in Europe, they are just now becoming a trend as people are more and more searching for a unique night out experience, especially in London.
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  • UK London
  • GianFranco Belloli
  • 2018.07.27
  • Leeds Castle, like in a fairytale…
  • Certainly there are plenty of castles to visit around London, in England and in nearby Scotland but, I do not know if it is true, people say that the Castle of Leeds is the most beautiful castle in the world.
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  • UK London
  • GianFranco Belloli
  • 2018.07.13
  • All for one, one for all!
  • One cannot possibly imagine how many non-profit organizations exist in the city of London and how many Londoners actively participate year-round in fundraising events of all sorts: from carolling in the streets around Christmas time to competing in a race for a common good cause.
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  • UK London
  • GianFranco Belloli
  • 2018.06.29
  • The London Eye, ‘take a ride in the sky’
  • The London Eye is one of London's most beloved (and among its newest) symbols. It offers breath-taking views of the city, a pleasurable break from the bustle of the city below and an unrivalled position from which to take photos of the river Thames.
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  • UK London
  • GianFranco Belloli
  • 2018.06.21
  • Unique shops in London
  • I don’t know if I can mention name of shops here as it may be considered free advertisement so I won’t mention any names, but rest assured London has something for everyone and you can find ANYTHING you may desire here!
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  • UK London
  • GianFranco Belloli
  • 2018.06.07
  • MODERN LONDON: The Shard
  • And here I am, finally talking to you about a skyscraper that brings a bit of Italian "genius" to the world: The Shard, designed by the famous architect Renzo Piano.
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  • UK London
  • GianFranco Belloli
  • 2018.05.16
  • The Chelsea Flower Show
  • It will seem incredible but at the end of May in London is held the largest flower show in the world: the Chelsea Flower Show, the most anticipated gardening event for flower lovers.
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  • UK London
  • GianFranco Belloli
  • UK London
  • GianFranco Belloli
  • 2018.04.16
  • English habits 101
  • When I first moved to the United Kingdom from Italy, I had a culture shock. This is normal when you move away from your country to a new one and it may include a variety of aspects: getting used to the food, catching up with the pace of living and mastering the language.
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  • UK London
  • GianFranco Belloli
  • UK London
  • GianFranco Belloli
  • 2018.03.13
  • Cockney English, my China plate!
  • If you are wondering about the title, I’ll translate it for you: “London slang, my friend!”‘China plate’ means friend in Cockney English and Cockney English is the London’s dialect.
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  • UK London
  • GianFranco Belloli
  • UK London
  • GianFranco Belloli
  • 2018.02.15
  • Capital of fashion statements
  • It is not easy to talk about a city like London without referring to its fashion trends and lifestyle influences. London is where new trends are born and it has always been a place for trendsetters.Already considered the European Capital of Finance, one of the main technological hubs in the world and the birth place of many start-up companies, now London is growing in popularity when it comes to the fashion field.
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  • UK London
  • GianFranco Belloli
  • 2018.02.01
  • Winter Wonderland in London
  • Winter Wonderland is not just the name of a fair which takes place in London between January and February, but it’s also how I like to call that magical atmosphere which surrounds the British capital in the first months of the year. The Winter Wonderland fair takes place in Hyde Park and it’s a fair recommended to families in particular, because it offers free access and it includes a multitude of fun games and activities, comprising acrobatic performances, shows and a Ferris wheel.
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  • UK London
  • GianFranco Belloli
  • 2018.01.18
  • Big cats and small cats in London
  • When you think of London, the first thing that comes to mind is probably not cats. Actually, when you think of the British capital, you rarely make a connection between this place and animals (especially wild ones), but the city became famous in recent years for opening up a big cats project and thanks to a small (but very special) stray cat story.
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  • UK London
  • GianFranco Belloli
  • UK London
  • GianFranco Belloli
  • 2017.12.19
  • Farmers’ markets are not just for hipsters!
  • The fact that London is not the classic English city is clear to everybody, I believe. London is multi-ethnic, colourful, friendly, diverse and cheerful. The city is a temple of international and ethnic cuisines and it offers the best of all of them.
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  • UK London
  • GianFranco Belloli
  • 2017.12.11
  • Interesting facts about London
  • The British capital is one of the most visited cities in the world...but that does not mean it can’t have some surprises, even for its residents!These are some curious things in London that visitors don’t know and even some Londoners are unaware of.
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  • UK London
  • GianFranco Belloli
  • 2017.11.27
  • ALTERNATIVE LONDON: CAMDEN TOWN
  • No doubt about it: Camden Town is one of the most vibrant and interesting places in London. Camden Town, although it’s called ‘town’, is only a London neighbourhood and it’s not particularly big but it has a huge personality.
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  • UK London
  • GianFranco Belloli
  • 2017.11.08
  • Hyde Park
  • London is luckily a very lush city, full of gardens, green areas and flowerbeds but Hyde Park is one of the largest parks and, by far, the most famous one.It is well-known for its Speakers' Corner, a traditional place for public discourses and debates and for its artificial lake, called Serpentine, which divides the park into two parts.
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  • UK London
  • GianFranco Belloli
  • 2017.10.19
  • Brighton is fun, relax and culture. A city away from the city.
  • Brighton has always been the pulsating heart of the English coast, welcoming tens of thousands of language students and tourists every year and hosting some of the UK's most popular English schools but, above all, it allows anyone who chooses it to go home with wonderful memories of the city and East Sussex.
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  • UK London
  • GianFranco Belloli
  • UK London
  • GianFranco Belloli
  • UK London
  • GianFranco Belloli
  • UK London
  • GianFranco Belloli
  • 2017.07.27
  • The Red Telephone Box
  • One cannot think of London without imagining the English telephone booth, especially when trying to list the most important symbols of the city.
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  • UK London
  • GianFranco Belloli
  • UK London
  • GianFranco Belloli
  • UK London
  • GianFranco Belloli
  • UK London
  • GianFranco Belloli
  • 2017.05.22
  • Sharing is caring
  • The English maxim says ‘Sharing is caring’ and if you are a supporter of this principle, not only at the social level but also in everyday life, London is the city for you.
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  • UK London
  • GianFranco Belloli
  • 2017.05.02
  • Not the usual gym
  • Just like in any big metropolitan city there are several gyms, public swimming pools and sports clubs in London and in its suburban areas.
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  • UK London
  • GianFranco Belloli
  • UK London
  • GianFranco Belloli
  • 2017.03.31
  • Harry Potter or Shakespeare?
  • I don’t know if you have or haven’t been to London but do you think you know it? If you come visit the city, you’ll able to judge it with your own eyes and see how modern London has become…skyscrapers rising everywhere
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  • UK London
  • GianFranco Belloli
  • 2017.03.14
  • …and all that Jazz!
  • London is hosting a great and much advertised exhibition to celebrate the roaring 20s and the world of jazz. It opened in recent days and
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  • UK London
  • GianFranco Belloli
  • UK London
  • GianFranco Belloli
  • UK London
  • GianFranco Belloli
  • UK London
  • GianFranco Belloli
  • UK London
  • GianFranco Belloli

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