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  • UK London
  • 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
  • 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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