HYDE PARK, Tour

I recommend entering the park from its traditional Grand Entrance, a majestic Neoclassical 19th-century portico with grooved columns, a large arch in the middle, and two smaller ones on the sides. It was designed by the same architect as the Wellington Arch, which celebrates the Duke of Wellington's victory against Napoleon at Waterloo. Originally intended for the gardens of Buckingham Palace, it was then moved to Hyde Park Corner, and the statue of Wellington on horseback that decorated its upper section was replaced by a more generic quadriga featuring Peace.

Hyde Park is big enough to accommodate large music festivals such as the Live Aid concert of 2005, which had an audience of over 200,000 people.

You'll definitely see fewer spectators at the Sunday performances at Speakers' Corner, an area once used for capital executions that's almost at the opposite end from the Grand Entrance. This open-air forum is a historic institution that allows anyone, even you if you're interested, to publicly express their opinion on any topic, even non-political ones. It's interesting to learn that freedom of speech in this area of the park dates back to the second half of the 19th century, when the Parks Regulation Act was passed to avoid unauthorised demonstrations....