London
Whether it’s a football match or a mega concert: tens of thousands of people make the pilgrimage to Wembley Stadium – often returning straight to the hotel. They miss the real part of London with its exciting history and culture.
Three tunnels pass through Brent, one of London’s 32 cities, every minute. More than half of the approximately 340,000 people are not from Great Britain. But it is precisely they who enrich the district with their language and culture, which, in addition to Wembley, include Gilburn, Harleston and Neisten.
Historically, Brent, in the northwest of the metropolis, was designed primarily by Irish and Jamaican immigrants. The latter brought reggae to the city in the 1970s. It is not surprising that Bob Marley once lived in this area – and in 2020 Brent was named the official cultural district of London.
Wembley Ground
At 134 meters high, the “coat hanger” stretches over Wembley Stadium, the second largest in Europe with 90,000 spectator seats. Equipped with a special LED lighting system, the mighty curve sometimes shines in the colors of the football team, sometimes beyond the rainbow spectrum and Brent. Then the subway lines of the Metropolitan Line scream at the weight of thousands of fans.
Pop star George Michael hosted the first concert here since the stadium was completed in 2007. A home game for him; He grew up in the Friends Kingsbury area. In memory of the musician who died in 2016, London artist Don Meller created a house-high street art mural as part of the “Brent Final” art project. If you want to see this mural for yourself, you can find it here: 499 Kingsbury Road.
Growing energy
The term Gilbernocity was coined by London-based author Jody Smith. Especially in his novel London NW, he paints a picture of his multicultural hometown of Gilburn. In his view, gilbernocity is the most common interest energy here, making the best of everything currently available – in the practical or constructive sense. Everyone here wants to express themselves and can express themselves in their own way.
Lois Stonak, art director of the Brent 2020 Cultural Project, shares this opinion: “For me, what’s happening on Gilburn High Road is the most authentic version of London.” Although cities and businesses around the world are becoming more and more uniform, this is still the cleanest part of London.
its true. Pakistani cafes alternate with weekly markets with Girish Nail studios, international dailies, kabab or mobile phone shops. In between, the French cafe Maison Vie. Finally, a little further north, the famous “kiln”: the Gilburn Theater, well known throughout London, was selected as the best theater in London in 2021. It features a cinema, restaurant and a cafe with stage and window seats that provide a wonderful view of the colorful life on Kilburn High.
The magnificent Shir Swaminarayan Mandir Hindu Temple in Brent’s Neston District features 26,000 tons of marble elements, architecturally designed according to Hindu tradition. The temple, completed in 1995, is the largest outside India and looks like an enlarged cream meringue with its white domes, towers and ornate arches.
Offering flowers
The centerpiece is a sanctuary with ornate columns, hand-carved ornaments and a magnificent dome. Sometimes, white-robed temple volunteers leave fresh flowers and offerings in the shrines, which soon open. Shining gold idols appear: Statues of Hindu deities.
Believers chant mantras and the audience marvels at the beauty. Those who manage to tear themselves away from the glamor can also get themselves a gift of curries, dosas, chutneys and all kinds of vegetarian food at the Indian restaurant Shiona on Pramukh Swami Road, almost next door.
Iconic log shop
“It was a beautiful wild life when I toured with Bob Marley,” says Bobby Mann. The two combined interest and friendship over Reggae. The 72-year-old, with a bushy beard, owns a record store called Starlight Records in Harleston County. His little shop is lined with vinyl and CDs, and reggae sounds from the speakers. The iconic store of Bobby Teer is easily accessible via the Bakerlo Line – Wellston Junction.
Since the 1970s, he has established a registration label of the same name. Like Marley, the deer belong to Jamaica. The settlers took Reggae to Brent, from where stars such as The Simorons and Dennis Brown made their way across Europe.
Getting there: London can be reached by air via Heathrow, Stansted, Loton or Gatwick airports. Those who want to travel by train can go to London via Eurostar. For example, you can buy tickets online from Deutsche Bahn.
Entry: To enter the country, EU citizens usually need a passport, which is valid for the period of their stay. Tourists do not need a visa from EU citizens. Current information is available online.
Information Address: Travel information of Britain, Alexanderplatz 1, 10178 Berlin, tel. 030 3 15 71 90;
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