The sixth-largest French city is Londres
France and England are bound together by centuries of friendship and hostility, mutual admiration and distrust. The English cross the Channel in search of French joie de vivre and cuisine. French people have taken refuge in England and founded their own institutions there – for example the church of Notre Dame de la France in a shabby alley behind Leicester Square. It was built in 1865 for the numerous poor French residents of Soho, destroyed in the Second World War, and reconstructed in 1955. A shallow dome admits light to the circular interior, where monastic singing from concealed speakers cannot quite drown out the snoring of the homeless who come here to sleep on the benches. One feature of the church that makes a visit worthwhile are the murals painted by the film director and artist Jean Cocteau, now behind glass in a chapel. With vigorous lines and subdued colours, he painted a Crucifixion on which only Christ’s legs can be seen.
French influence in Soho has deep roots, including influxes of refugees during the revolution of 1789. In the war, the French House pub (49 Dean Street) was a rendezvous for supporters of Charles de Gaulle. Today the French quartier is South Kensington, where a lycée, the Institut français, a librairie française and French cafés lie close to the Tube station. Gallic presence is noticeable all over London, however, as the French population of the city is estimated at 350,000. Many of the younger ones work in hotels and restaurants as a way to learn English. Others earn high salaries in the City, or are attracted by London’s creative scene for design and new media. This means that Londres now has more French residents than Bordeaux, and vote-catching politicians come over from Paris during election campaigns.
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Address Leicester Place, WC2H 7RN | Public Transport Leicester Square (Northern, Piccadilly Line) | Hours Mon–Sun 9.30am–9pm| Tip Maison Bertaux (28 Greek Street), founded in 1871, is London’s oldest French patisserie.
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