In the second episode of his new documentary series, Griff Rhys Jones (pictured) delves into the secret life of London, revealing the surprising, quirky and sometimes humorous stories behind some of the city's most familiar places.
Rhys Jones arrives in London at 4am on board one of the city's iconic vehicles, a Routemaster bus. He visits the centre of London - not as you might imagine, Trafalgar Square, but a statue of Charles I.
Next he opts out of the rush hour to take a boat along the Thames to Westminster, where he visits the Houses of Parliament. Medieval customs are still adhered to here and age-old rituals take place every day by men and women wearing clothes that went out of fashion more than 100 years ago. "More than any other city in the world," says Rhys Jones, "London likes to keep one buckled foot in the past."
After visiting Parliament, he clambers up Big Ben to see how the famous clock is kept ticking, before passing through two of London's great green spaces - St James's Park and Hyde Park.
London has many hidden gems, and Rhys Jones discovers that 150ft under the surface of the City is a huge tunnel complex that was a secret for 50 years. It was built by a secret Act of Parliament and is just under a mile in length. The labyrinth was to be used as a telephone exchange in the event of a nuclear attack and is now one of the most unusual properties for sale in London.
As Big Ben strikes midnight, Rhys Jones is given a special lift for a spectacular view of the city at night. The Metropolitan Police air support unit is on call 24 hours a day, which is why his courtesy flight suddenly turns into a hot pursuit of a suspected axe-wielding man, who is thought to have attempted to steal a car.
Below them most of the city's inhabitants are asleep, and London prepares itself for the next day.
Add a comment