The Tower Bridge
by tini58de
Tower Bridge is one of the world’s most famous bridges. 150,000 vehicles cross it every day. Over 900 times a year the roadway parts and lifts to let tall ships, cruise liners and other large craft pass through.
Tower Bridge was completed in 1894, after 8 years of construction.
Tower Bridge has a fascinating history, which is explored in full in The Tower Bridge Experience. Here are a few interesting facts you may not have known:
1910 - the high-level walkways, which were designed so that the public could still cross the bridge when it was raised, were closed down due to lack of use. Most people preferred to wait at the bottom and watch the bascules rise up!
1912 - during an emergency, Frank McClean had to fly between the bascules and the high-level walkways in his Short biplane, to avoid an accident.
1952 - a London bus had to leap from one bascule to the other when the bridge began to rise with the bus still on it.
1977 - Tower Bridge was painted red, white and blue to celebrate the Queen's Silver Jubilee. (Before that, it was painted a chocolate brown colour).
1982 - Tower Bridge opened to the public for the first time since 1910, with a permanent exhibition inside called The Tower Bridge Experience.
For more information have a look at the Tower Bridge official website.
The Selfridges Mural
by Elodie_Caroline
Me and my husband Chris went to London for the day in the summer of 2000. On the way back to Marylebone, in the late afternoon, we saw this really wonderful mural stretching the whole length of 'Selfridges'; the largest shop in Oxford Street. I thought that this mural was very beautiful. It had been painted and placed there to hide the renovations of the shop; what a clever way to his the renovations, and what a wonderful surprise for art lovers like me! I am so glad that we went there on the off-chance that summer.
The mural is depicting actors, actresses and other stars like Elton John, he must have been standing in for the 'Queen' I reckon?
Hmm, one part of the mural looks like it could have been rather interesting doesn't it? Er, kind of in the old lust department, must have been depicting the undies dept in Selfridge's eh? hehehe.
RIVER THAMES
by Helga67
The River Thames winds along London for 220 m (135 miles). It serves as a drainage channel and provides London with two-thirds of its drinking water.
Make a boat tour and see some attractions (London Eye, London Bridge) and historical and modern buildings along the banks.
Ice cream vans
by Spincat
You've probably eaten ice cream everywhere from the Baltic to Brazil, but have you ever seen an English ice cream van?
I have heard ice cream vans are to be found in USA, and would be interested to hear from you if they are popular in your country. I have heard than in Australia and Turkey there are ice cream boats plying their trade along the coasts.
I would have said Ice Cream Vans were dying out, just as Rag and Bone carts - horse drawn vehicles collecting scrap - have finally disappeared from our streets ( the last rag and bone cart that I saw regularly toured Lee, in South East London, early 1980s) and milk floats are on the way out.
However, my part of South East London is ice-cream-van-central. The slightly odd thing is that despite there being five or six of them in a neighbouring street, all kept in tip-top condition, they never go out in warm weather, though I have seen them on the move in a blizzard, dead of winter ... make of that what you will!
There are still proper ice cream vans round here though: the sound of the bell (one plays the theme from the Godfather, with a music-box note to it) brings the kids running out into the street. Most of them sell soft whipped ice-cream, '99s' : soft ice-cream with a chocolate bar called a 'Flake' in it, and lollies (frozen sticks of ice with varying degrees of colouring, flavouring and additives).
Incidentally, the research team that discovered a method of doubling the amount of air in ice cream - and thus invented soft ice cream - was one of which the young Margaret Thatcher was a member! Not a recommendation.
Automatic Public Conveniences
by kris-t
are located at:
Aldermanbury - Between Gresham Street and Love Lane
Aldgate High St - Near to the Bus Depot
Charterhouse St - near the junction with Holborn Circus
Harrow Place - Near the junction with Middlesex Street
Long Lane - Near the junction with Aldersgate Street
Monument Pavilion (Disabled Only) - Near the junction of Monument Street with Pudding Lane
Monument Street - near the junction with Lower Thames Street
New Change - On the path at rear of Festival Gardens
New Change (Disabled Only) - On path at rear of Festival Gardens
St Paul’s Walk - On river side walkway near White Lion Hill
Tower Place - Tower Place Development opposite Tower of London
Watermark Place - River end of All Hallows Lane
These facilities are available 24 hours a day. A charge of 20p is made for use of these conveniences, with the exception of the unit at Tower Place which is 50p.
Sign in with Facebook
Street Scene (1)
Swanèt
A path in the park - Apr 2010
Cyberdog entrance
