The Sights of London.
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A Personally-conducted Tour by Motor Char-a-bancs.
Although the tourist season is now practically over for this year, the more we hear about the interesting innovation on the London streets, the rho'.or sight-seeing car, the more we feel sure it will be capable of considerable development. Primarily intended to cater for the requirements of our American cousins, who so often pay what are rightly called " lightning " visits to Europe, such conveniences as the motor sight-seeing car, of which we gave first particulars two weeks ago, affords to visitors from the provinces of our own country, are to be appreciated. This service is being run by the Great Western Railway by arrangement with Motor jobmasters, Limited, of 79, 8o, York Street, Westminster, S.W., and the chassis employed is one of the standard motorbus chassis built by the Wolseley Tool and Motor Car Company, Limited. This chassis has been fitted with a very neat and commodious, 24-seated, char-a-bancs body, with a canopy extending from the back to the front of . the vehicle, the back being built in With glazed panels as a protection from the dust. The whole bodywork, which is finished in dark blue, has a very pleaSing and quiet appearance, and with its full load, when progressingthrough the Metropolis, it attracted considerable notice and ap
proval: .
The object of this service is to offer a convenient and speedy method of seeing the prinCipal thoroughfares and public edifices in the Metropolis. On Tuesday and Thursday of each week, at 10.30 and 2.30 of each day, a round trip is made, starting from the arrival platform of Paddington Station, The car is accompanied by a lecturer, a gentleman who is able to tell most Londoners a great deal they never dreamed of regarding their native city. The fare for the round trip has been very aptly fixed at 45., or one dollar, as is announced on the bill. The 2d, off the current exchange is an inducement, we understand, to such Americans as are anxious to make something on cash transactions.
A representative of " THE COMMERCIAL MOTOR" took an opportunity during last week of accompanying the party making the round of London. Starting from ,Paddington Station a few minutes after 10.30 a.m., the car passed along Praed Street into Edgware Road, which we were told by our well-informed guide was one of the most important thoroughfares in the West End of London. On our right we would see Oxford Terrace, which, in times gone by, was an old Roman road, that leading from London to Oxford. At the end of Edgware Road we would pass the spot where Tyburn was situated, and, turning sharply to the left, we would see the Marble Arch. Our attention would be called to the magnificent, iron gates, which were only opened for Royalty to pass through. Proceeding down Park Lane, the houses of the aristocracy were not forgotten, indeed to our American cousins such an omission would have been unpardonable. Other residences which were of interest to them were those of the late Alfred Beit and Barney Barnato. The official home of the American Ambassador, Mr. Whitelaw Reid, and the dwellings of the Roths childs were also pointed out in due course. Turning round Rothschild's Corner (so called, we were informed, by the bus and cab drivers), Apsley House, the residence of the Duke of Wellington, and the houses of Baron Rothschild and Lord Rosebery came in for a due share of attention.
From Hyde Park Corner, the route lay down Grosvenor Place through York Street to Westminster. At the Abbey the party alighted, and spent a few minutes inside. One of our illustrations shows them about to resume the journey. After leaving the Abbey, a slight detour was made, to point out the Houses of Parliament, and then the car proceeded up Whitehall and, in the words of the lecturer, we passed over "the spot where King Charles was beheaded." Presently, if one may be per-. mitted to employ an Irishism, we encircled Trafalgar Square, our guide informing us that if we wanted to know the points of the compass we must remember that the " statue of Nelson faced south, he has turned his back upon the north, his empty sleeve is on the west, and his sword to the east." Through Northumberland Avenue an approach was made to the Embankment, Cleopatra's Needle, and the L.C.C. trams and steamers, being the objects of interest pointed out. Then up Norfolk Street and across the Strand, in order that a visit might be paid to the Old Curiosity Shop, one of the sights most dear to the Dickensloving American. After a few rapturous sighs from the passengers, the car proceeded through the busy Fleet Street and up Ludgate Hill to St. Paul's— Fleet Street is celebrated for journalists and " The Cheshire Cheese," Progress through the City was then made down to London Bridge, which was crossed, and running through Tooley Street, the Tower Bridge was reached, and a passage to the north bank effected over it, a splendid view of the Tower being incidental to this proceeding. Passing up the Minories, and returning down the Whitechapel Road, Middlesex Street was passed through, the famous " Petticoat Lane" Market being described. Coming down Bishopsgate Street Without, Crosby Hall was pointed out as a feature of interest ; the
Bank, the Royal Exchange and the Mansion House came in for their share of attention as we passed them on the return through the City, via Newgate Street and across Holborn Viaduct. The British Museum invited a last detour before Paddington Station was finally reached, at one p.m. The two and a half hours spent on board this smoothly-running car are certainly most interesting and instructive, and it is wonderful what a large number of the principal sights of London one can see in such a short space of time. As was remarked earlier in this article, the conductor often surprises one with points which he brings out regarding the old familiar places and buildings of the City, and such a trip is one which jaded Londoners, who, as tradition has it, know less of the town than any of their provincial brothers or sisters, should undertake without delay, and have something of the romance of the World's Metropolis instilled into them. The provincial visitor requires no such recommendation, and in a still lesser degree those who come from across the "herring pond."