SOME of the more observant may have noticed that the streets have seemed busier this year, and have no doubt given all the credit to the Wembley Exhibition.
In fact there has been a definite campaign by the railway companies this year, with the slogan “Come to London in August”, and this, aided by the efforts of members of the London Association, has undoubtedly influenced large numbers of country and industrial people to consider how much of interest there is in London.
The result is that London, usually empty in August, has been as busy as in many other months of the year. Perhaps one of the most striking proofs of this invasion of sightseers is the fact that the Royal Mint, where only limited parties can be shown over by card of admission, has not a single place vacant in a visiting party until September 15, while records at the Tower of London show that there have been 90 per cent more visitors in the first 20 days of the month than there were last year.
The attendances at the zoo also show an increase of more than 30 per cent, and the other recognised show places, such as Hampton Court, Windsor Castle, and the British Museum, also report largely increased attendances.
On some days the number of visitors at the British Museum has risen from the normal 3,000 to 5,000, and it is reported by the London Association that last week at times the queues waiting to go through the Houses of Parliament stretched down both sides of Whitehall to Trafalgar Square.
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There is no sign yet that the holiday invasion is diminishing, and last week-end residents of more than 1,750 towns in the country were provided with excursion or tourist facilities for London. It is estimated that in all 145,000 extra people came into London during the weekend, many of them by period excursions.
One of the factors in drawing people to London this year is the British Empire Exhibition; but the experience of the firms who arrange accommodation is that the average visitor will devote two days in a week to Wembley, but another four days at least seeing the London sights, shopping and theatres.
It is impossible to estimate the extra volume of business that has come to London this August, but the large hotels, which are usually emptying now, are still comfortably full, while the middle-class hotels have had a steady business all through the summer.
The large catering firms have had their teashops far busier than usual, and what is more interesting still as an indication of the increased number of people in London is that the consumption of gas from one large company is 10 per cent higher than it was last August, while all the electric light concerns have been continuously bearing heavier loads than usual.