TALK OF THE TOWN

WITH THE LAUNCH of a world-first, direct Sydney-to-London route imminent, the British capital reemerges not only as a gateway to the UK but also to Europe. The city is so fascinating in its diversity, and worth a stop whether you’re in the mood for drinking and dining, fashion, art, architecture, design, music, history, royal spotting, or all of the above. There are the posh leafy suburbs of

West London, where stately Edwardian terraces and the city’s most famous parks with their manicured rose gardens and swan-studded lakes make for a genteel backdrop. Then there s the gritty appeal of East London where the unending tide of gentrification continues to revive traditionally working class (and previously no-go) areas such as Bermondsey, Dalston, Hackney and Peckham, with uber-cool bars, eateries and arts precincts, many of them in repurposed warehouses and railway arches. The