A visitor to the capital shares his/her thoughts. . .

'Well, London is quite a bit cleaner than New York, but the air is far worse. I have to tell you that the air quality here is appalling - it's worse than LA. You can

see the dirt in the air, particularly around the Bond Street Tube station. That's strange. . . but at least my eyes don't burn the way they do in LA.

'It's also easier to get around in London. Yes, I know the natives say different, but I find the Underground very organised and I feel safe; not necessarily true of the New York subway. Not that any big city is safe. I'm actually more worried about what could happen to me out in the country.

'The roads are a different matter. What really scares me about the roads in London is that the pedestrian doesn't have the right of way; that's outrageous. Not that the pedestrian has the right of way on the pavement either. People bump into you and say 'Sorry',which is polite of them, but they still bump into you.

'The West End is very crowded though. I guess the New York equivalent would be Greenwich Village on a Saturday night, only the West End seems to be like that most nights. . . I was on the King's Road last Saturday doing an interview and photo-shoot and, oh, the mass of people and the crush of traffic - it was just creeping along. And it was raining. Very English.

'I'd say the really big difference between New York and London is the size of the buildings. New York buildings are so tall they block out the light; you get claustrophobic. In London the buildings are smaller - haven't you noticed that? You can actually see the sky and feel the sun. When there is sun. That's gorgeous.'

The Fabulous Lypsinka Show is at the Drill Hall, 16 Chenies St, WC1 until 4 June. (071-637 8270)

(Photograph omitted)