BRITISH CULTURE – Learn English and Have Fun

Famous British Landmarks

Tower Bridge crosses the Thames from the Tower of London in the north to Shad Thames on the South Bank. You can walk or drive across it, but for the best views, visit the exhibition to access the high level walkways. It?s also worth being on the riverbank when the bridge opens to allow tall-masted ships to pass through ? opening times are published on the Tower Bridge website.

One of the world?s most famous fortresses, the Tower of London has seen service as a royal palace, prison, armoury and even a zoo. Today, it?s a World Heritage Site, where you?ll be dazzled by the Crown Jewels and hear tales from the Tower on tours given by the Yeoman Warders.

Buckingham Palace is the official residence of the Queen. Every August and September the Queen opens her home to visitors, giving you the chance to tour the lavish State Rooms and garden, and see some great treasures from the Royal Collection along the way. And don?t forget to catch the spectacular Changing the Guard ceremony – daily from May to July, and on alternative days for the rest of the year.

One of Britain?s most recognisable buildings, the Houses of Parliament sit on the River Thames grandly overlooking the water. You can book tickets to take a guided tour and discover the history – not to mention the grandeur – of these iconic buildings. Be sure to get a photo outside the famous bell tower, better known as Big Ben.

One of Britain?s most ancient landmarks, Hadrian?s Wall was built by the Romans as a defensive fortification against the northern tribes. Today it?s one of the most popular historic attractions in Northern England, particularly among walkers, who can walk its length on the Hadrian?s Wall Path.

The historic city of Oxford is home to England’s oldest university whose buildings help create the famous skyline of ‘dreaming spires’. Stroll through ancient college quads, go punting on the river and take a tour of the Ashmolean Museum, the first purpose built museum in England, opened in 1683.

Tower Bridge

A few words about Roald Dahl

Roald Dahl was born on 13th September, 1916 in Llandaff, South Wales. Dahl’s parents were Norwegian. His father died while Roald was still a child.

Dahl attended Llandaff Cathedral School for just two years. Then from the ages of nine to thirteen he attended St. Peter’s Preparatory School in Weston?super?Mare, England. He did not enjoy the school because many of the teachers were cruel and often caned the students. Dahl was good at cricket and swimming, but he performed poorly in class. One of his main hobbies was reading, and some of his favourite novelists were the adventure writers Rudyard Kipling and H. Rider Haggard.

When Dahl was thirteen his family moved to Kent in England, and he was sent to Repton Public School. Sadly, Repton was even harsher than his old school. The headmaster enjoyed beating children and the older students used the younger ones as servants. However, there was one good thing about the school. Every few months, the chocolate company, Cadburys, sent boxes of chocolates to Repton for the students to test. This happy memory gave Dahl the idea for his most famous novel, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.

After school, Dahl decided that he wanted to travel. He got a job with the Shell Oil Company and two years later was sent to East Africa. In his autobiography, Going Solo, he recounts some of the exciting adventures there, including the time a black mamba entered his friend’s house and a snake catcher had to be called in.

In 1939, World War 11 started. Dahl joined the RAF (Royal Air Force) and learned to fly warplanes. Unfortunately, on his first flight into enemy territory he ran out of fuel and crashed in the Libyan desert. He fractured his skull but managed to crawl out of the burning plane.

Dahl started writing in the 1940s while based in the USA. His first story was a newspaper account of his air crash. In 1945 he moved back home but in the early fifties returned to America, where he met his first wife, the actress Patricia Neal. They had five children together but got divorced in 1983. Dahl remarried soon after. The last years of his life were very happy and he wrote some of his best books during this period: The BFG, The Witches and Matilda. Roald Dahl died on 23rd November 1990 in Oxford, England.

GLOBE THEATRE

The Globe Theatre was an Elizabethan theatre, built about 1598, in London’s Bankside district. It was one of four major theatres in the area, the others being the Swan, the Rose, and the Hope.

Several of Shakespeare’s plays were first staged there.

The Globe burned to the ground in 1613, apparently set on fire by a cannon shot during a performance of Henry VIII that ignited the thatched roof of the gallery. It was rebuilt immediately. It, like all other theatres, was closed down by the Puritans in 1642, and it was destroyed in 1644 to make room for tenements. At the instigation of Sam Wanamaker, a new Globe theatre was built according to an Elizabethan plan. It opened in 1997.

The new theatre is a short distance from the original site, and was the first thatched-roof building permitted in London since the London Fire of 1666. The original plan was modified by the addition of sprinklers on the roof, to protect against fire.

As in the original, both the stage and the audience are outdoors. Plays are put on during the summer, and in the winter the theatre is used for educational purposes, and tours are available.

Prior to the opening of the new theatre in 1997 there had been a West End theatre in Shaftesbury Avenue bearing that name. It was renamed Gielgud Theatre in 1995 (see John Gielgud).

For more information visit the official Globe Theatre website