THIS WORLD OF OURS

[Music] this is London largest city on earth where Big Ben the world's most celebrated timepiece keeps its constant vigil over a mighty metropolitan parade London great city of Empire where destiny and history have set the passing scene where today busy bustling Piccadilly Circus sets the modern pace and tempo the ebb and flow of tireless traffic make it the counterpart of New York's Times Square there is no counter part of London's bobbies who though unarmed keep it the most law-abiding of large cities London mailboxes are known as pillar boxes the predecessors of the Americanized version but there's little different about a London phone booth except perhaps it's coloured these artistic creations are scattered throughout the city and provide the usual familiar incidents you move on to Trafalgar Square where Nelson's column rises in soaring majesty this is the physical heart of London nobly dominated by the statue of the heroic Admiral whose fame it commemorates paradoxically around the Marshall base cluster doves of peace the famed pigeons of Trafalgar Square fed by passing Londoners in scenes such as this reminiscent of New York Central Park or st. Mark's in Venice London's spiritual heart lies beneath the sacred spires of Westminster Abbey within its gothic halls have been crowned all the English kings for nearly a thousand years [Music] for 10 Downing Street residence of the Prime Minister and one of the world's most famous addresses again in Whitehall you see this inspiring Cenotaph dedicated to the dead of two world wars here along the Whitehall Street which is the administrative and political core of the British Empire are the imposing Treasury and the War Office where our made decisions governing the lives of millions of the world's peoples next you're intrigued and fascinated by one of Whitehall's most colorful traditions the changing of the horse cards you stand and trawl as the pavement echoes to the ringing platter of hoofs as the splendid squadrons of celebrated cavalry the proud descendants of warriors of other days go through their high trancing performance helmets glittering and swords flashing in this shining array of Sabres and sunlight it is a picture you never forget as the resplendent Horse Guards perform their significant ceremony in a display of Imperial pomp and show that stirs the heartbeat of London air and visitor alike [Music] rubble and ruin are all that remain of thousands of homes and buildings that formerly surrounded magnificent st. Paul's Cathedral during the fearful bombing of the last war the stately Church was miraculously spared and never did it seem more the soul of London than when seen through swirling smoke and flame the superb classical masterpiece of the great Sir Christopher Wren st. Paul's is the world's largest and most inspiring Cathedral built for Protestant worship looking up the Mighty River Thames you picture all the ships that have known his wondrous beast riding the river like a colossus is Tower Bridge one of the successors to the legendary London Bridge of the Romans which stood alone for 1500 years and was immortalized in the song chanted by countless generations of children of the english-speaking world when you think of history you think of the massive Tower of London built by William the Conqueror in 1066 today it is a museum holding among its priceless relics the crown jewels and protected by costume yeoman of the guard familiarly known as beefeaters Charing Cross station reflects the busy life of this teeming city for centuries the world's greatest metropolis but London is more than a city of ancient and modern landmarks more than a place where kings are crowned and the riches of the ages guarded and cherished it is above all a city of people a mighty and magnificent citadel of today's world which I take home town of some 10 million turbulent tumultuous living people [Music] people like this picturesque pensioner from the Chelsea a royal hospital where old soldiers live peacefully and rhe wage old Wars people that crowd the open-air markets of fabulous and colorful Petticoat Lane here Londoners say the peddlers will lift your watch at one end and sell it back to you at the other here you name it and you can buy it for a price that is for Petticoat Lane sells everything be in a fishbowl an old army hat or a doll the need to move and supply her enormous populace has made London the world's greatest transportation center besides her extensive underground rail system she has eight major railway terminals served by trains which are constantly coming or going on their far journey the sheer magnitude of this city of cities literally overwhelms you in her hundreds of thousands of dwellings lives the huge sprawling population which has ever been the source of her amazing strength and her spirit all these billions of humans whether doggedly following their daily routines or dreaming dreams of empire have generated the prodigious energy that lifted London to her pinnacle of eminence and eminence fully and proudly shared by all her citizens even the milkman pushing his little cart on his daily rounds possesses that spirited quality known as London pride which is not so much pride in London's size as it is in her storied history and great achievement The Londoner has a deep feeling of continuity and a strong sense of permanence now you're in famous Fleet Street this tremendous towns newspaper roll The Daily Express alone has a circulation of almost four million by far the world's largest although Fleet Street remains conservatively British the Metropolitan press is forthright and free freedom of speech as well as the Londoners cherished privilege and in Hyde Park it is exercised at its loudest here auditors may burst forth on the merits of Aristotle birdcages politics or Zulus if their audience permits but as often as not the listeners will exercise that inalienable right of protest and vociferously heckle recurs you marvel at the vast Port of London 45 solid miles of piers and wharves from which sail the seafaring descendants of such adventurers as Rowling and Drake to the far flung shores of the Empire their ships laden with the products of Industry months later they returned from the ends of the seven seas steaming up the Thames to their home births with cargoes of silk spices ivory furs with meat and grain to feed their own English islands another London landmark of time and tradition is the Bank of England the forwardable old lady of Threadneedle Street whose banknotes coined the phrase as good as gold the financial district occupies a section called the city which was the ancient London of Julius Caesar's time high hats are still the time used rule of the stock exchange through which was channeled the capital that combined with a venture some spirit to make Britain great Buckingham Palace built originally by the fabulous Duke of Buckingham is now the London home of the royal family the royal standard is flown to denote their Majesties are actually in residence at the palace on these occasions Londoners and visitors alike converge for an opportunity to view at firsthand the pomp and pageantry of Empire here revealed in the imposing display known far and wide as the changing of the palace guard the guardsmen themselves are picked for their stature and soldierly bearing an appointment to the palace is a signal honor aspire to by many yet achieved by few in His Majesty's military services as you watch this ceremonial parade with its marshal music and well-disciplined precision your thoughts turn back to other centuries to the pride and glory that has always been Britain's and you know that these things will never die so long as there are Englishmen to carry on this is more than a mere display of rigid discipline and colorful uniforms like the monarchy itself be the symbolic of the nation and the Commonwealth [Music] the music slows the marching tempo changes and you feel a singing thrill of its searching through you you're not alone in your unashamed emotion for no matter how cosmopolitan today's Londoner may be no matter how modest and unpretentious in his personal way of life he still treasures this I stirring heart stirring spectacle this impressive and inspiring display of military brilliance and imperial glory such is London with her ancient monuments and modern masses fascinating city of deeds and dreams city of high tradition and noble heritage respected and loved in this world of ours [Music]