Anyone else find it ironic how the Rick Steves London guidebook says London isn't very English?

I don't interpret those as negative comments.

The estimate for the population of London that were born outside of the EU is over 25% although it's expected to be higher due to the nature of legal status of some residents. This is a significant figure and therefore it's easy to see how on first impressions some parts of London do seem "un-English".

I don't see how this observation can be considered ironic or undermining the business of promoting European culture.

I was struggling to think about why this offended you, until I realized that you thought it identified only the traditional stereotype as "English." You may be correct in some ways. I don't think that was ever the intent of the author. I think the comments were meant to point out that the stereotypes that many of us have, really aren't the accurate picture of the population.

I remember my first trip to London about 10 years ago. I was surprised. I turned to my husband and said, " I think I may be one of the few people I've met today whose grandfather was born in England. I didn't mean it in a disrespectful manner. I had simply expected (for no good reason at all) to see people similar to me. I needed educating and being brought up to date. Perhaps that is why Rick includes those comments. There may be others who just hadn't thought through what they should expect in a diverse and progressive country such as the UK.

I also see nothing negative in the statement.

I think the premise does play off an assumed stereotype Americans apparently have of England and London, one can argue that point I suppose. But based on the number of questions on here about Pubs, Afternoon Tea, Fish and Chips, and the like, the premise has some validity.

On the other hand, one could argue what exactly being "English" is. In my experience it is much more diverse than what I assume most think, many of our stereotypes are rooted some 100 to 200 years ago.

And yes, I think the same could be said for just about any major city in Europe...or the US I suppose.

I think he’s doing it to help people realize that London is a big international city and not the stereotype that Downton Abbey viewers might think of. And, since many first time visitors start off in London, they may think it’s a lot more like Chicago or NYC than uniquely British. I’d say it might be similar to a European visiting Dallas and expecting cowboys and six shooters and not office workers in finance and IT. Rick definitely has a dad joke sense of humour, and saying ‘cheerie oh!’ will get you weird looks.

I think he wants you to know not to expect an Epcot exhibit when you go to London but also make it appealing enough that you’ll buy his books and tours.

Been traveling to London since the 70’s.

Its constantly changing yet constantly the same.

Wonderfully diverse neighborhoods. Bustling city center.

Spent another Christmas there in 2019. This trip I chose to stay in Richmond.

Walked in and around the gorgeous Richmond Park. Perfect Christmas Day sojourn!

London is the capital of the world. It’s like New York. It’s not typical of the rest of the country.

In the England guide it says ''Not all 'English' people speak English''

dunno what that's supposed to mean.

London is more British than Paris is French, in my opinion.

London is certainly British. But I'm not sure it is particularly English beyond Lord's or Westminster Abbey and so on. Culturally and politically I'd divide the UK into five home nations - the current four and London as the fifth.

Statisticians determined a couple of years ago that the 'most normal place' in England is Didcot. Maybe Mr Steves needs therefore to put this in his books & on one of his tour itineraries along with the next four most normal places, ie Droitwich, Worcester, Southwick, and East Leake.

In the England guide it says ''Not all 'English' people speak
English''

dunno what that's supposed to mean.

I always understood that to be a bit of a lazy shorthand way of saying that not all residents of England speak English as their first language. England in general, and London in particular, is not the homogenous Anglo Saxon stereotype that some people seem to think it is. It's not surprising that there have been large influxes of immigrants as a result of their being the head of, first, the British Empire, and then the Commonwealth. But this is little different now from most major cities, which attract immigrants from all over the world.