Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Royal Courts of Justice
When former Spice Girls sue tabloids for libel, when media mogul Rupert Murdoch is
called to testify in a corruption inquiry, or when ex-Beatles pay $50 million divorce set-
tlements to gold diggers, the trial is likely to be held here, at Britain's highest civil court.
(Criminal cases are heard down the street at the Old Bailey.) Paparazzi often litter the en-
trance, awaiting a celeb or a lawyer (many of whom are celebrities themselves). The 76
courtrooms in this Neo-Gothic complex are open to the public. At least step into the lobby
to see the vast Gothic entry hall (submit to a security check to go farther in). This is just
one of several legal buildings in the neighborhood.
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Across the street is...
Twinings Tea Shop (216 Strand)
When this narrow store first opened its doors (“established 1706”), tea was an exotic con-
coction from newly explored lands. (The Chinese statues at the entrance remind us that tea
came first from China, then India.) This store has been in the Twining family for nearly
