And the reason perfectly described for trying to learn and understand the scientific (Latin) names of timber/trees. A wood can have a babel of common names, sometimes quite contradictory, but one and only one scientific name. All misunderstanding is removed.
The wood in this pen certainly isn't London Plane (aka lacewood) but is a species of maple with a nice ripple figure - and the timber known as Sycamore in the UK is a type of maple, as Neil correctly says. The medullary rays that give the line of flake-like markings down opposite sides of a turned piece are much smaller and more delicate in maples than London Plane.
It's still a lovely piece of timber, though!
