Ιανουάριος 2017 – Let's communicate in English

London sights

Buckingham Palace

Although it was built in 1703, Buckingham Palace only became the official royal residence when Queen Victoria decided to make it her home in 1837. Nowadays when Queen Elizabeth is in the Royal Standard flag flies at full mast. Among its suitably ornate rooms are the State Rooms where dignitaries and other royals are received, and the Chinese Dining Room, all furnished with classic paintings, ornate chandeliers and candelabras.

The Tower of London

Throughout its infamous history the Tower of London has been a fortress, prison, castle, zoo and in more recent times a tourist attraction and live music venue. Construction began towards the end of the 11th century, and the White Tower is what remains of this period, making it nearly 2000 years old. This was where Anne Boleyn, second wife of Henry VIII was beheaded, and where the Kray twins were detained after their arrest in 1952.

London Bridge

London Bridge, which lies over the river Thames between the City of London and Southwark, is located between Cannon Street Railway Bridge and Tower Bridge. On the south side of the bridge there are Southwark Cathedral and London Bridge station; on the north side there are the Monument to the Great Fire of London and Monument tube station.

Nelson?s Column

The centrepiece of Trafalgar Square, Nelson?s Column pays homage to Admiral Nelson, most famous for his role in the Battle of Trafalgar (this was the battle fought on Cape Trafalgar in Spain, against the Spanish and French armies, the latter led by Napoleon). Britain were victorious, although Nelson was killed in the fighting. Work began on the monument in 1840, and it was completed three years later. The base is covered with reliefs based on armaments captured from the French army, and a statue of Nelson himself stands proudly at the top of the column. According to a book published in 2007 by Ebury Press, Adolf Hitler planned to hijack the monument and transport it to Berlin if he succeeded in conquering Britain. He didn?t of course, and Nelson?s Column is still one of London?s most famous landmarks, usually surrounded by throngs of tourists at any time of the year. At over 50 metres tall, this was once one of London?s tallest constructions, hard to believe now that the Gherkin and the Shard have sprung up.

The British Museum

Built in 1753, the British Museum is the oldest museum in the world as well as the capital’s most popular attraction. The museum originated as a collection of Sir Han’s Soane’s ‘curiosities’, which included books, dried plants and stuffed animals, and grew to be the huge medley of items we know today. Within the museum one of the oldest exhibits is a stone chopping tool found in Tanzania, thought to be 2 million years old.

St. Paul?s Cathedral

Construction on St. Paul’s began in 1087, however the Great Fire of 1666 razed it to the ground. Sir Christopher Wren was in charge of designing the new cathedral, and once it was finished it was the tallest building in London until 1962, at a then impressive 111 metres. Although dwarfed by skyscrapers today, cliimbing the 270 steps it takes to get to the top still offers amazing views.

London’s Big Ben

The Clock Tower of the Palace of Westminster – officially named Saint Stephen’s Tower – is commonly known as the Big Ben. The tower is one of London’s most famous landmarks.

The clock inside the tower was the world’s largest when it was installed in the middle of the nineteenth century. The name Big Ben actually refers to the clock’s hour bell, the largest of the clock’s five bells. The other four are used as quarter bells. There were two bells cast as the clock tower’s hour bell. A first, sixteen ton weighing bell was cast by John Warner and Sons in 1856. Since the Clock Tower was not yet completed, the bell was hung temporarily in the Palace Yard. The bell soon cracked so it was recast in 1858 in the Whitechapel Bell Foundry as a 13.5 ton bell. Unfortunately soon after this bell was placed in the belfry in July 1859, it cracked as well. This time, instead of yet again recasting the bell, the crack was repaired and a lighter hammer was used to prevent any more cracks.

The hour bell was probably named after Benjamin Hall, the First Commissioner of Works. Some sources however claim the bell was named after Benjamin Caunt, a British heavyweight boxing champion.

People in the UK

21st century Britain has a very diverse population. The UK has always welcomed immigrants and in the past fifty years numbers have dramatically increased, initially from former British Empire countries and more recently from EU partners. Britain has also welcomed many refugees.

The biggest changes have been in cities, where shops and restaurants sell food from many different cultures. Pupils in some London schools have more than 50 different home languages.

Smaller towns and villages may retain a more traditional British culture. It is illegal to discriminate against people in the UK because of their race, gender, sexuality or disability. The UK is a very tolerant society and most people live happily side by side.