The London Weather Station

Today I stumbled over two very different articles related to the perception of Londoners and the British by the "outside world".

One is the Anholt City Brand Index and the other the new edition of the Rough Guide to England.

Firstly, the Anholt City Brand Index has just confirmed something that those of us living in London already know. London is the most stylish city of the world! Yay!

According to them cities are basically brands and while Paris is romance, Milan is style, and New York is energy. On the overall stylish rating the city of London comes first!And it seems that even the stereotypically wet weather that we are known for couldn't take that crown away from us!

The survey was based on a survey of 18,000 people from 18 countries. 40 cities were judged on lifestyle, buzz, multiculturalism, cultural life and attractiveness. For example, those surveyed were asked to rank the cities on climate and weather, pollution, the physical attractiveness of buildings and parks. Further on how warm and welcome they expected the people of each city would be, and how important each city's contribution to the world has been over the last 30 years in the areas of science, culture and government.

If you are interested and want to read more about London the multi-culti winner here is the link to the Click2Houston website

On the other hand the Rough guide draws a very different picture. According to the rough guide th British are "overweight, binge-drinking, reality TV addicts" obsessed with "C-list celebrities and toffs".

Further it says: "But it's also a country of animal-loving, tea-drinking, charity donors, where queuing remains a national pastime and bastions of civilisation, such as Radio 4, are jealously protected. It's a nation that prides itself on its patriotism – yet has a Scottish prime minister, an Italian football coach and a Greek royal consort.”

"Ask any English person to comment on all of this and you'll get an entertaining range of views. Try to make sense of these, and the resulting picture might suggest something akin to a national identity crisis."

Then they poke fun at the obsession with the weather: "A two-day cold snap is discussed as if it were the onset of a new Ice Age and a week above 25 degrees starts rumours of a drought."
… I do not know WHAT they are talking about?… ;)

But seriously? Is it not strange how perceptions can vary? Or are these two just the two sides of the coin – two compatible portraits? Or do people in London really differ so much to the rest of the UK?