Redbridge, Greater London

The leafy suburbs of the London Borough of Redbridge are rich in prehistoric remains; so rich in fact that the Victorians would go ``elephant hunting' to look for mammoth skeletons which were discovered in this area. Evidence of a more recent historical event can be found at the end of Blake Hall Road in Ilford where a deep crater marks the site where a bomb was dropped during World War II. One quarter of the borough is designated as green-belt, a large part of which is Epping Forest, which gives the area a remarkably rural atmosphere. The borough has 14 conservation areas with many parks and woodland. Other areas of Redbridge are given over to sports facilities, housing and bustling shopping centres. The London Borough of Redbridge organizes many arts and entertainments programmes including the annual Redbridge Show, literature festivals, concerts and tea dances. The schools all take part in a biennial choral festival which is held in the Royal Albert Hall.