I.

The London Eye

The London Eye is a giant Ferris wheel on the South Bank of the River Thames in London.
Also known as the Millennium Wheel, it has also been called by its owners the British Airways
London Eye, the Merlin Entertainments London Eye, the EDF Energy London Eye and, as of mid-
January 2015, the Coca-Cola London Eye.

The structure is 443 feet (135 m) tall and the wheel has a diameter of 394 feet (120 m).
When erected in 1999 it was the world's tallest Ferris wheel. Its height was surpassed by the 520
feet (158 m) tall Star of Nanchang in 2006, the 541 feet (165 m) tall Singapore Flyer in 2008, and the
550 feet (168 m) High Roller (Las Vegas) in 2014. Supported by an A-frame on one side only, unlike
the taller Nanchang and Singapore wheels, the Eye is described by its operators as "the world's
tallest cantilevered observation wheel".[8]

It is Europe's tallest Ferris wheel,[9] and offered the highest public viewing point in
London[10] until it was superseded by the 804 feet (245 m) [11] observation deck on the 72nd floor
of The Shard, which opened to the public on 1 February 2013.[12] It is the most popular paid tourist
attraction in the United Kingdom with over 3.75 million visitors annually,[13] and has made
many appearances in popular culture.

The London Eye adjoins the western end of Jubilee Gardens (previously the site of the
former Dome of Discovery), on the South Bank of the River Thames between Westminster
Bridge and Hungerford Bridge, in the London Borough of Lambeth.

Predecessor
 A predecessor to the London Eye, the Great Wheel, was built for the Empire of India
Exhibition at Earls Court and opened to the public on 17 July 1895.[14] Modelled on the original
Chicago Ferris Wheel, it was 94 metres (308 ft) tall[15] and 82.3 metres (270 ft) in diameter.[16][17][18] It
stayed in service until 1906, by which time its 40 cars (each with a capacity of 40 persons) had
carried over 2.5 million passengers. The Great Wheel was demolished in 1907[19] following its last
use at the Imperial Austrian Exhibition.[20]

Supported by an A-frame on one side only, the Eye is described by its operators as a cantilevered observation
wheel

The London Eye was designed by architects Frank Anatole, Nic Bailey, Steve Chilton, Malcolm
Cook, Mark Sparrowhawk, and the husband-and-wife team of Julia Barfield and David Marks.[5][21]
Mace was responsible for construction management, with Hollandia as the main steelwork
contractor and Tilbury Douglas as the civil contractor. Consulting engineers Tony Gee & Partners
designed the foundation works while Beckett Rankine designed the marine works. [22]
Nathaniel Lichfield and Partners assisted The Tussauds Group in obtaining planning and listed
building consent to alter the wall on the South Bank of the Thames. They also examined and
reported on the implications of a Section 106 agreement attached to the original contract, and also
prepared planning and listed building consent applications for the permanent retention of the
attraction, which involved the co-ordination of an Environmental Statement and the production of a
planning supporting statement detailing the reasons for its retention. [23]

The spindle, hub, and tensioned cables that support the rim

The rim of the Eye is supported by tensioned steel cables[24] and resembles a huge
spoked bicycle wheel. The lighting was redone with LED lighting from Color Kinetics in December
2006 to allow digital control of the lights as opposed to the manual replacement of gels over
fluorescent tubes.[25]
Opening
The London Eye was formally opened by then Prime Minister Tony Blair on 31 December 1999, but
did not open to the paying public until 9 March 2000 because of a capsule clutch problem. [2]
On 5 June 2008 it was announced that 30 million people had ridden the London Eye since it opened.

II. Big Ben

Big Ben is the nickname for the Great Bell of the clock at the north end of the Palace of
Westminster in London[1] and is usually extended to refer to both the clock and the clock tower as
well.[2][3] The tower is officially known as Elizabeth Tower, renamed to celebrate the Diamond Jubilee
of Elizabeth II in 2012; previously, it was known simply as the Clock Tower. When completed in
1859, it was, says clockmaker Ian Westworth, the prince of timekeepers: the biggest, most accurate
four-faced striking and chiming clock in the world.[4] The tower had its 150th anniversary on 31 May
2009,[5] during which celebratory events took place.[6][7]

A British cultural icon, the tower is one of the most prominent symbols of the United Kingdom and is
often in the establishing shot of films set in London.[8]

The Elizabeth Tower (previously called the Clock Tower), more popularly known as Big Ben,[3]
[6]
was raised as a part of Charles Barry's design for a new palace, after the old Palace of
Westminster was largely destroyed by fire on the night of 16 October 1834. [9][10] The new parliament
was built in a neo-gothic style. Although Barry was the chief architect of the palace, he turned
to Augustus Pugin for the design of the clock tower, which resembles earlier Pugin designs,
including one for Scarisbrick Hall in Lancashire. The design for the tower was Pugin's last design
before his final descent into madness and death, and Pugin himself wrote, at the time of Barry's last
visit to him to collect the drawings: "I never worked so hard in my life for Mr Barry for tomorrow I
render all the designs for finishing his bell tower & it is beautiful."[11] The tower is designed in Pugin's
celebrated Gothic Revival style, and is 315 feet (96.0 m) high.[12]
The Palace of Westminster, Big Ben and Westminster Bridge

Big Ben and environs, including St Margaret's Church, Parliament Square, Portcullis House, and the London
Eye

The bottom 200 feet (61.0 m) of the tower's structure consists of brickwork with sand-
coloured Anston limestone cladding. The remainder of the tower's height is a framed spire of cast
iron. The tower is founded on a 50 feet (15.2 m) square raft, made of 10 feet (3.0 m) thick concrete,
at a depth of 13 feet (4.0 m) below ground level. The four clock dials are 180 feet (54.9 m) above
ground. The interior volume of the tower is 164,200 cubic feet (4,650 cubic metres).

Despite being one of the world's most famous tourist attractions, the interior of the tower is not open
to overseas visitors, though United Kingdom residents are able to arrange tours (well in advance)
through their Member of Parliament.[13] However, the tower currently has no lift, though one is
planned, so those escorted must climb the 334 limestone stairs to the top. [12]

Due to changes in ground conditions since construction, the tower leans slightly to the north-west, by
roughly 230 millimetres (9.1 in) over 55 m height, giving an inclination of approximately 1/240. This
includes a planned maximum of 22 mm increased tilt due to tunnelling for the Jubilee line extension.
[14]
Due to thermal effects it oscillates annually by a few millimetres east and west.

Journalists during Queen Victoria's reign called it St Stephen's Tower. As MPs originally sat at St
Stephen's Hall, these journalists referred to anything related to the House of Commons as news
from "St. Stephens" (the Palace of Westminster contains a feature called St Stephen's Tower, a
smaller tower over the public entrance).[9] The usage persists in Welsh, where the Westminster
district, and Parliament by extension, is known as San Steffan.

On 2 June 2012, The Daily Telegraph reported that 331 Members of Parliament, including senior
members of all three main parties, supported a proposal to change the name from Clock
Tower to Elizabeth Tower in tribute to Queen Elizabeth II in her diamond jubilee year. This was
thought to be appropriate because the large west tower now known as Victoria Tower was renamed
in tribute to Queen Victoria on her diamond jubilee. [15] On 26 June 2012, the House of Commons
confirmed that the name change could go ahead.[16] The Prime Minister, David Cameron, announced
the change of name on 12 September 2012 at the start of Prime Minister's Questions.[17] The change
was marked by a naming ceremony in which the Speaker of the House of Commons, John Bercow,
unveiled a name plaque attached to the tower on the adjoining Speaker's Green. [18]

Clock

Dials

The dial of the Great Clock of Westminster. The hour hand is 9 feet (2.7 m) long and the minute hand is 14 feet
(4.3 m) long.

The clock and dials were designed by Augustus Pugin. The clock dials are set in an iron frame 23
feet (7.0 m) in diameter, supporting 312 pieces of opal glass, rather like a stained-glass window.
Some of the glass pieces may be removed for inspection of the hands. The surround of the dials
is gilded. At the base of each clock dial in gilt letters is the Latin inscription:

DOMINE SALVAM FAC REGINAM NOSTRAM VICTORIAM PRIMAM

Which means O Lord, keep safe our Queen Victoria the First.

Unlike most other Roman numeral clock dials, which show the '4' position as 'IIII', the Great Clock
faces depict '4' as 'IV'.

Malfunctions, breakdowns, and other interruptions in operation

The south clock face being cleaned on 11 August 2007

1916: For two years during World War I, the bells were silenced and the clock faces were not
illuminated at night to avoid guiding attacking German Zeppelins.[12]

1 September 1939: Although the bells continued to ring, the clock faces were not illuminated
at night through World War II to avoid guiding bomber pilots during the Blitz.[12]

34 June 1941: The clock stopped from 10:13 p.m. until 10:13 the following morning, after a
workman repairing air raid damage to the clock face dropped a hammer into the works. [21]

1949: The clock slowed by four and a half minutes after a flock of starlings perched on the
minute hand.[22]

London Bridge
 "London Bridge" refers to several historical bridges that have spanned the River
Thames between the City of London and Southwark, in central London. The current crossing, which
opened to traffic in 1973, is a box girder bridge built from concrete and steel. This replaced a 19th-
century stone-arched bridge, which in turn superseded a 600-year-old medieval structure. This was
preceded by a succession of timber bridges, the first built by the Roman founders of London.[1]
The current bridge stands at the western end of the Pool of London but is positioned 30
metres (98 ft) upstream from previous alignments. The traditional ends of the medieval bridge were
marked by St Magnus-the-Martyr on the northern bank and Southwark Cathedral on the southern
shore. Until Putney Bridge opened in 1729, London Bridge was the only road-crossing of the
Thames downstream of Kingston-upon-Thames. Its importance has been the subject of popular
culture throughout the ages such as in the nursery rhyme "London Bridge Is Falling Down" and its
inclusion within art and literature.
The modern bridge is owned and maintained by Bridge House Estates, an independent
charity overseen by the City of London Corporation. It carries the A3 road, which is maintained by
the Greater London Authority.[2] The crossing also delineates an area along the southern bank of the
River Thames, between London Bridge and Tower Bridge, that has been designated as a business
improvement district.[3]
The abutments of modern London Bridge rest several metres above natural embankments of
gravel, sand and clay. From the late Neolithic era the southern embankment formed a
natural causeway above the surrounding swamp and marsh of the river's estuary; the northern
ascended to higher ground at the present site of Cornhill. Between the embankments, the River
Thames could have been crossed by ford when the tide was low, or ferry when it was high. Both
embankments, particularly the northern, would have offered stable backheads for boat traffic up and
downstream the Thames and its estuary were a major inland and Continental trade route from at
least the 9th century BC.[4] There is archaeological evidence for scattered Neolithic, Bronze
Age and Iron Age settlement nearby, but until a bridge was built there, London did not exist. [5] Two
ancient fords were in use a few miles upstream, beyond the river's upper tidal reach. They were
aligned with the course of Watling Street and led into the heartlands of the Catuvellauni, who at the
time of Caesar's invasion of 54 BC were Britain's most powerful tribe. Some time before
Claudius' conquest of AD 43, power shifted to the Trinovantes, who held the region northeast of the
Thames estuary from a capital at Camulodunum. Claudius imposed a major colonia on
Camulodunum, and made it the capital city of the new Roman province of Britannia. The first London
Bridge was built by the Roman military as part of their road-building programme, to help consolidate
their conquest.[6]
 By the end of the 18th century, it was apparent that the old London Bridge by then over
600 years old needed to be replaced. It was narrow and decrepit, and blocked river traffic. In
1799, a competition for designs to replace the old bridge was held. Entrants included Thomas
Telford, whose proposal of a single iron arch spanning 600 feet (180 m) was rejected as unfeasible
and impractical. John Rennie won the competition with a more conventional design of five stone
arches. It was built 100 feet (30 m) west (upstream) of the original site by Jolliffe and Banks
of Merstham, Surrey,[21] under the supervision of Rennie's son. Work began in 1824 and the
foundation stone was laid, in the southern coffer dam, on 15 June 1825.[citation needed]

The old bridge continued in use while the new bridge was being built, and was demolished
after the latter opened in 1831. New approach roads had to be built, which cost three times as much
as the bridge itself. The total costs, around 2.5 million (205 million in 2015),[22]were shared by
the British Government and the Corporation of London.

The current London Bridge was designed by architect Lord Holford and engineers Mott, Hay
and Anderson.[27] It was constructed by contractors John Mowlem and Co from 1967 to 1972,[27] and
opened by Queen Elizabeth II on 17 March 1973.[28] It comprises three spans of prestressed-
concrete box girders, a total of 928 feet (283 m) long. The cost of 4 million (51 million in 2015),
[22]
was met entirely by the Bridge House Estates charity. The current bridge was built in the same
location as Rennie's bridge, with the previous bridge remaining in use while the first two girders were
constructed upstream and downstream. Traffic was then transferred onto the two new girders, and
the previous bridge demolished to allow the final two central girders to be added. [29]

In 1984, the British warship HMS Jupiter collided with London Bridge, causing significant
damage to both ship and bridge.

On Remembrance Day 2004, several bridges in London were furnished with red lighting as
part of a night-time flight along the river by wartime aircraft. London Bridge was the one bridge not
subsequently stripped of the illuminations, which are regularly switched on at night.

The current London Bridge is often shown in films, news and documentaries showing the
throng of commuters journeying to work into the City from London Bridge Station (south to north). A
recent example of this is actor Hugh Grant crossing the bridge north to south during the morning
rush hour, in the 2002 film About a Boy.

On Saturday, 11 July 2009, as part of the annual Lord Mayor's charity Appeal and to mark
the 800th anniversary of Old London Bridge's completion in the reign of King John, the Lord Mayor
and Freemen of the City drove a flock of sheep across the bridge, supposedly by ancient right. [30]
In vaults below the southern abutment of the bridge is 'The London Bridge Experience.'

Buckingham Palace

Buckingham Palace the London residence and administrative headquarters of the

reigning monarch of the United Kingdom.[3][4] Located in the City of Westminster, the palace is often at
the centre of state occasions and royal hospitality. It has been a focal point for the British people at
times of national rejoicing and mourning.

Originally known as Buckingham House, the building at the core of today's palace was a
large townhouse built for the Duke of Buckingham in 1703 on a site that had been in private
ownership for at least 150 years. It was acquired by King George III in 1761[5] as a private residence
for Queen Charlotte and became known as The Queen's House. During the 19th century it was
enlarged, principally by architects John Nash and Edward Blore, who constructed three wings
around a central courtyard. Buckingham Palace became the London residence of the British
monarch on the accession of Queen Victoria in 1837.

The last major structural additions were made in the late 19th and early 20th centuries,
including the East front, which contains the well-known balcony on which the royal family traditionally
congregates to greet crowds. The palace chapel was destroyed by a German bomb during World
War II; the Queen's Gallery was built on the site and opened to the public in 1962 to exhibit works of
art from the Royal Collection.

The original early 19th-century interior designs, many of which survive, include widespread
use of brightly coloured scagliola and blue and pink lapis, on the advice of Sir Charles Long. King
Edward VII oversaw a partial redecoration in a Belle poque cream and gold colour scheme. Many
smaller reception rooms are furnished in the Chinese regency style with furniture and fittings brought
from the Royal Pavilion at Brighton and from Carlton House. The palace has 775 rooms, and the
garden is the largest private garden in London. The state rooms, used for official and state
entertaining, are open to the public each year for most of August and September and on some days
in winter and spring.

Buckingham Palace finally became the principal royal residence in 1837, on the accession of
Queen Victoria,[32] who was the first monarch to reside there; her predecessor William IV had died
before its completion.[33] While the state rooms were a riot of gilt and colour, the necessities of the
new palace were somewhat less luxurious. For one thing, it was reported the chimneys smoked so
much that the fires had to be allowed to die down, and consequently the court shivered in icy
magnificence.[34]Ventilation was so bad that the interior smelled, and when it was decided to install
gas lamps, there was a serious worry about the build-up of gas on the lower floors. It was also said
that staff were lax and lazy and the palace was dirty.[34] Following the Queen's marriage in 1840, her
husband, Prince Albert, concerned himself with a reorganisation of the household offices and staff,
and with the design faults of the palace. The problems were all rectified by the close of 1840.
However, the builders were to return within the decade.

The palace measures 108 metres (354 ft) by 120 metres (390 ft), is 24 metres (79 ft) high and
contains over 77,000 m2 (830,000 sq ft) of floorspace.[43] The floor area is smaller than the Royal
Palace of Madrid, the Papal Palace and Quirinal Palace in Rome, the Louvre in Paris, the Hofburg
Palace in Vienna, and the Forbidden City.[44] There are 775 rooms, including 19 state rooms, 52
principal bedrooms, 188 staff bedrooms, 92 offices, and 78 bathrooms. The palace also has its own
post office, cinema, swimming pool, doctor's surgery, and jeweller's workshop. [43][45]

The principal rooms are contained on the piano nobile behind the west-facing garden faade
at the rear of the palace. The centre of this ornate suite of state rooms is the Music Room, its large
bow the dominant feature of the faade. Flanking the Music Room are the Blue and the White
Drawing Rooms. At the centre of the suite, serving as a corridor to link the state rooms, is the Picture
Gallery, which is top-lit and 55 yards (50 m) long.[46] The Gallery is hung with numerous works
including some by Rembrandt, van Dyck, Rubens and Vermeer;[47][48] other rooms leading from the
Picture Gallery are the Throne Room and the Green Drawing Room. The Green Drawing Room
serves as a huge anteroom to the Throne Room, and is part of the ceremonial route to the throne
from the Guard Room at the top of the Grand Staircase.[46] The Guard Room contains white marble
statues of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert, in Roman costume, set in a tribune lined with tapestries.

St. Paul's Cathedral

 This landmark cathedral was designed by Christopher Wren and construction took
36 years until its completion in 1711. However there were five previous churches which
stood on this site, the first dating back to 604AD. Three times the previous churches had
been destroyed by fire and rebuilt and the building we see today was constructed following
the Great Fire of London in 1666. The church stands on Ludgate Hill, the highest point in
the city and is the seat of the Bishop of London. Among the auspicious events held at the
cathedral were Winston Churchill's funeral and the wedding of Charles and Diana.

Distinct features of the church include the dome which is the second largest in the
world; it reaches a height of 111 meters and weights approximately 66,000 tons. The dome
is supported by eight arches and is crowned by an 850 ton lantern. Visitors can climb the
560 steps to the top of the dome to get awesome views of the city. As you ascend within the
dome there are a series of galleries, the first is the Whispering Gallery which earned its
name due to its great acoustics. The next gallery is the Stone Gallery which is 53 meters
from the ground and protrudes on the exterior of the dome above columns which circle the
dome. The Golden Gallery is just beneath the lantern and is the highest point that visitors
can climb.

Within the church the Baroque decoration includes mosaics on the ceilings which
were added in 1890, above the altar is the baldachin which was rebuilt in 1958 following
bomb damage during WWII. The tomb of John Donne was the only part of the church to
survive the Great Fire of London in 1666 and it dates back to 1631. The church holds
valuable works of art including Henry Moore's Madonna and Child. Famous people buried in
the cathedral include the Duke of Wellington, Admiral Nelson and Christopher Wren as well
as a number of memorials to important figures like Florence Nightingale and T. E.
Lawrence. On the western faade is a large portico topped by a decorated pediment. The
tympanum relief (1706) depicts the conversion of St. Paul.

A list of the 16 "archbishops" of London was recorded by Jocelyne of Furness in the 12th century,
claiming London's Christian community was founded in the 2nd century under the
legendary King Lucius and his missionary saints Fagan, Deruvian, Elvanus and Medwin. None of
that is considered credible by modern historians but, although the surviving text is problematic, either
Bishop Restitutus or Adelphius at the 314 Council of Arles seems to have come from Londinium.
[a]
The location of Londinium's original cathedral is unknown. The present structure of St Peter upon
Cornhill was designed by Christopher Wren following the Great Fire in 1666 but it stands upon the
highest point in the area of old Londinium and medieval legends tie it to the city's earliest Christian
community. In 1995, however, a large and ornate 5th century building on Tower Hill was excavated,
which might have been the city's cathedral.[6][7]

The Elizabethan antiquarian William Camden argued that a temple to the goddess Diana had stood
during Roman times on the site occupied by the medieval St Paul's Cathedral. [8] Wren reported that
he had found no trace of any such temple during the works to build the new cathedral after the Great
Fire, and Camden's hypothesis is no longer accepted by modern archaeologists. [9]
Bede records that in AD 604 St Augustine consecrated Mellitus as the first bishop to the Anglo-
Saxon kingdom of the East Saxons and their king, Sberht. Sberht's uncle and
overlord, thelberht, king of Kent, built a church dedicated to St Paul in London, as the seat of the
new bishop.[10]

It is assumed, although unproven, that this first Anglo-Saxon cathedral stood on the same site as the
later medieval and the present cathedrals

The fourth St Paul's, generally referred to as Old St Paul's, was begun by the Normans after
the 1087 fire. A further fire in 1136 disrupted the work, and the new cathedral was not consecrated
until 1240. During the period of construction, the style of architecture had changed
from Romanesque to Gothic and this was reflected in the pointed arches and larger windows of the
upper parts and East End of the building. The Gothic ribbed vault was constructed, like that of York
Minster, of wood rather than stone, which affected the ultimate fate of the building.

The task of designing a replacement structure was officially assigned to Sir Christopher
Wren on 30 July 1669.[14] He had previously been put in charge of the rebuilding of churches to
replace those lost in the Great Fire. More than 50 City churches are attributable to Wren. Concurrent
with designing St Paul's, Wren was engaged in the production of his five Tracts on Architecture.

On 2 December 1697, only 32 years and 3 months after the Great Fire destroyed 'Old St Paul's', the
new cathedral was consecrated for use. The Right Reverend Henry Compton, Bishop of London,
preached the sermon. It was based on the text of Psalm 122, "I was glad when they said unto me:
Let us go into the house of the Lord." The first regular service was held on the following Sunday.

Opinions of Wren's cathedral differed, with some loving it: "Without, within, below, above, the eye / Is
filled with unrestrained delight",[25] while others hated it: "...There was an air of Popery about the
gilded capitals, the heavy arches...They were unfamiliar, un-English.

Extensive copper, lead and slate renovation work was carried out on the Dome in 1996 by
John B. Chambers. A 15-year restoration projectone of the largest ever undertaken in the UK
was completed on 15 June 2011

Trafalgar Square
 Trafalgar Square is a traffic intersection in central London, the large square at its
center is used for many major events and celebrations in London. During the 14th to 17th
century the square was the courtyard of the Great Mews stables for Whitehall Palace. In the
18th century when the mews were cleared away, John Nash began designing a new street
connecting Charing Cross and Portland Place, this street formed the open square in the
Kings Mews area and in 1830 the square got its present name. The National Gallery on the
square was designed by William Wilkins; in 1838 Charles Barry developed plans to create
an upper terrace by the National Gallery connected to a lower level square by a sweeping
staircase. In 1843 Nelson's Column was designed by William Railton and in 1845 it was
erected on the lower level square. Fountains and statues on the square were designed by
Barry and Sir Edwin Landseer designed the bronze lions which sit at the base of Nelson's
Column.
Nelson's Column marks the center of the square, the Corinthian column is 51.6
meters tall and at the top is a statue of Lord Nelson who died in the 1805 Battle of Trafalgar.

Further renovations were made to the square in 2003 including increased

pedestrian areas, a caf and public toilets. Also on the square is St. Martin-in-the-Fields and
the Edith Cavel statue. The square was once famed for its pigeons which would flock here
to be fed by tourists, today feeding the pigeons is illegal according to bylaws as the birds
were deemed a health hazard and threat to the square's art work. The square is a popular
venue for social and political protests.
The square has 4 plinths (stone pedestals intended for statues) they hold a bronze
equestrian statue of George IV; a statue of General Sir Charles James Napier; Major-
General Sir Henry Havelock and the fourth Plinth in the north-western corner of the square
is used to display commissioned art work.
 Trafalgar Square (/trflr/ tr-FAL-gr) is a public square in the City of
Westminster, Central London, built around the area formerly known as Charing Cross. Its name
commemorates the Battle of Trafalgar, a British naval victory in the Napoleonic
Wars with France and Spain that took place on 21 October 1805 off the coast of Cape Trafalgar,
Spain.

The site of Trafalgar Square had been a significant landmark since the 13th century and
originally contained the King's Mews. After George IV moved the mews to Buckingham Palace, the
area was redeveloped by John Nash, but progress was slow after his death, and the square did not
open until 1844. The 169-foot (52 m) Nelson's Column at its centre is guarded by four lion statues. A
number of commemorative statues and sculptures occupy the square, but the Fourth Plinth, left
empty since 1840, has been host to contemporary art since 1999.

The square has been used for community gatherings and political demonstrations,
including Bloody Sunday, the first Aldermaston March, anti-war protests, and campaigns
against climate change. A Christmas tree has been donated to the square by Norway since 1947
and is erected for twelve days before and after Christmas Day. The square is a centre of annual
celebrations on New Year's Eve. It was well known for its feral pigeons until their removal in the early
21st century.

Building work on the south side of the square in the late 1950s revealed deposits from the
last interglacial. Among the findings were the remains of cave lion, rhinoceros, straight-tusked
elephant and hippopotamus.[11][12][13]

The site of Trafalgar Square has been a significant location since the 13th century.
During Edward I's reign, the area was the site of the King's Mews, running north from the
original Charing Cross, where the Strand from the City met Whitehall coming north
from Westminster.[14] From the reign of Richard II to that of Henry VII, the mews was at the western
end of the Strand. The name "Royal Mews" comes from the practice of keeping hawks here
for moulting; "mew" is an old word for this. After a fire in 1534, the mews were rebuilt as stables, and
remained here until George IV moved them to Buckingham Palace
 Argument
London is the most popular city on the planet : With 16.8m overseas visits

in 2015, 27.4 million nights spent and 300 differents communities London is the

place to be if you want to have an epic travel in Europe. An amazing city, with a

vibrant atmosphere and lots to do.

The numerous old places and trend (Tower Bridge, London Eye, Pub Culture) combined
with more recent phenomenons (Adele, Fabric Club, World Rugby Cup) give to this City an
incredible panel of attractions : No matter who you are, young, old, french, german, selfish,
pessimistic, deaf, mute or even blind, you will always find 5 top reasons to visit London.
1 Inescapable attractions
Big Ben is one of the most iconic attractions in UK. However, behind this big watch there are
many places much more interesting!
The Natural History Museum, for example, boasts a collection of the biggest, tallest and
rarest animals in the world. See a life-sized blue whale or a 40-million-year-old spider. Wait
for the closing, and if Ben Stiller (Night at the Museum) was right, stand on the diplodocus
and go straight to the London Eye : You will have the best panoramic view of this city ever.
Next-day, go to Baker Street to visit Madame Tussaud and all his family : Brad Pitt, Angelina
Jolie, Shakespeare, Lady Gaga We are sure that Prince William and Kate Middleton will be
very happy to take you at the Buckingham Palace to visit the home of the Queen
2 A growing artistic scene
London offers some of the worlds best musical scene. Its time for you to discover this type
of show ! The recent movie adaption (that you saw and liked) of the Phantom of the Opera,
Mamma Mia, The Miserable are normally dedicated for musicals.
One of the great things about modern musicals is that many of them are written for a large
audience. The lasts shows in London, the Lion King, Charlie & the Chocolate Factory, or Billy
Elliot appeal to a wide range of people who may not normally have considered themselves
musical fans.

3 40% of greater London is green space

We have eight million trees in London; the worlds largest urban forest, tell geography
students from Queen Mary University.
You have two types of green spaces in London : Royal Park (Hyde Park, Regents Park,
Richmond Park) and Garden Squares. Were not going give you a detailed map of each
parks but here is our tip if you want to spend a green day in London.
1- Prepare big sandwiches
2- Take one ball
3- Take the underground to chalk farm
4- Walk until Regents Park and climb the Primrose Hill.
5 Have a lunch in front of the panoramic view of London
6 Walk 5 minutes and you will have rugby, football playgrounds, and if you dont like these
sports you can visit the London zoo which is inside the park too

4 You will become a shopping addict

The shopping in London is surely among the best in the world with something to suit every
budget and style !
Maybe youre thinking that Oxford street belong to our top 5 reasons to visit London but its
not. You will be swallowed by a huge wave of tourist as soon as you will get out of the tube.
If you want to find a calm place with known-shops and shops more traditional (like worn
clothing), go to Camden in the north of London : Topman, Urban Outfitters, Topshop All
these brands are surrounded by a big market where you will find all sorts of fresh food.
5 Surprise ! British Food is actually quite good !
Maybe not the whole food.. We wont talk about jellied eels, marmite, scotch eggs or even
the unmissable spotted dick ! British food has the unfortunate stereotype of being, well, not
so good.
However, after spending years in London, we are able to give you some tips which will
brighten up this dark culinary landscape. Thanks to the massive arriving of foreign cultures
(especially indian culture) in 90s, London has become one of the best foodie destinations in
the world and they have many Michelin-starred chefs.
We made for you an exhaustive list of the best meals you have to taste during your stay in
London:
* Tonkotsu ramen at Bone Daddies, 11
* Chicken thighs steeped in fresh turmeric with lime juice then seared in the tandoor at
Amaya, 19
* Pulled-pork sandwich at Ropewalk, 8
* Hamburger Smokey Robinson at Patty & Bun, 8.50
* Lobster roll at Burger & Lobster, 20
To be honest all these restaurant could have been a top 5 reasons to visit London such they
are good
We hope that all these little reasons will motivate you totravel in London We are

working day and night since 2013 in order to allow our guests to maximize their travelling
experience. Our website provides you a broad selection of holiday rentals at your disposal.
Get budget friendly with our line of holiday rentals hand-picked individually by each of our
specialists, or opt for one of our luxury apartments instead to give yourself a serious treat.

INTRODUCTION
 London is the capital and most populous city of England and the United Kingdom. Standing on
the River Thames in the south east of the island of Great Britain, London has been a major settlement for
two millennia. It was founded by the Romans, who named it Londinium.] London's ancient core, the City of
London, largely retains its 1.12-square-mile (2.9 km2) medieval boundaries. Since at least the 19th
century, "London" has also referred to the metropolis around this core, historically split
between Middlesex, Essex, Surrey, Kent, and Hertfordshire, which today largely makes up Greater
London, governed by the Mayor of London and the London Assembly.
London is a leading global city in the arts, commerce, education, entertainment, fashion, finance,
healthcare, media, professional services, research and development, tourism, and transportation. It is
crowned as the world's largest financial centre and has the fifth- or sixth-largest metropolitan area GDP in
the world. London is a world cultural capital. It is the world's most-visited city as measured by international
arrivals and has the world's largest city airport system measured by passenger traffic. London is the
world's leading investment destination hosting more international retailers and ultra high-net-worth
individuals than any other city. London's universities form the largest concentration of higher education
institutes in Europe In 2012, London became the first city to have hosted the modern Summer Olympic
Games three times.
London has a diverse range of people and cultures, and more than 300 languages are spoken in
the region. Its estimated mid-2015 municipal population (corresponding to Greater London) was
8,673,713,] the largest of any city in the European Union, and accounting for 12.5% of the UK
population London's urban area is the second most populous in the EU, after Paris, with 9,787,426
inhabitants at the 2011 census. The city's metropolitan area is the most populous in the EU with
13,879,757 inhabitants, while the Greater London Authority states the population of the city-
region (covering a large part of the south east) as 22.7 million The city-region therefore has a similar land
area and population to that of the New York metropolitan area. London was the world's most populous
city from around 1831 to 1925.
London contains four World Heritage Sites: the Tower of London; Kew Gardens; the site
comprising the Palace of Westminster, Westminster Abbey, and St Margaret's Church; and the historic
settlement of Greenwich (in which the Royal Observatory, Greenwich marks the Prime Meridian,
0 longitude, and GMT). Other famous landmarks include Buckingham Palace, the London Eye, Piccadilly
Circus, St Paul's Cathedral, Tower Bridge, Trafalgar Square, and The Shard. London is home to
numerous museums, galleries, libraries, sporting events, and other cultural institutions, including
the British Museum, National Gallery, Natural History Museum, Tate Modern, British Library, and West
End theatres. The London Underground is the oldest underground railway network in the world.
 Colegiul National Tudor Arghezi

Lucrare pentru obtinerea atestatului la limba engleza

London touristic objectives

Coordinating Teacher: Student:

Dumitrescu Liliana Margineanu Elena Denisa

May 2017