A trip to London
General Information
A BRIEF HISTORY OF LONDON
London is in fact two cities - 'The City of London' usually just called 'The City', and 'Westminster', which
lies to its west. For all intents and purposes the West End (everything to the immediate West of the City)
is now the centre of London - the East End (home of Cockney culture) is traditionally a poor working
class and industrial area, currently undergoing something of a renaissance. There are slums within half a
mile of the biggest concentration of financial power in the world - largely due to an invisible barrier
between the City and the East End.
Londinium was founded by the Romans at a convenient crossing of the Thames, though it had been
convenient for the local inhabitants too. Tacitus describes a flourishing trading city existing in AD 67.
The area was marshy but there was a low hill, roughly where the Bank of England now stands and it was
here that the Romans chose to build a typical Roman city, primarily for military reasons. Their forum was
where Leadenhall market now stands.
They believed that Britain was a kind of El Dorado, and that they'd make their fortune here, as previous
legions had grown rich off the Amber that Germans didn't seem to value. The river was navigable a long
way inland, and tidal, which made it easy to get boats in and out.
There's a great amount of Roman archaeology about - the Museum of London leads digs whenever any
building is erected, and as that's often, we know a great deal about the Roman period.
England at that time was inhabited by a hodgepodge of tribes and small kingdoms, and the Romans had
little difficulty subduing them - despite some noble efforts at defence. The locals assimilated Roman
culture, and after a couple of hundred years were more Roman than the Romans. When the Romans
pulled out, pressured by frontier wars, the Saxons took over. They hated living in the old walled Roman
city and established their own city of long huts, roughly where Covent Garden is today. This duality still
persists - the 'City' is essentially Roman Londinium, and 'Westminster' is the Saxon add-on. When new
invaders swept the country the Saxons and their kin moved back into the safety of the old Roman City,
now quite deserted, and it was here that London originated.
By the time the Normans took over from the Saxons, the basis of the mercantile capital was already laid:
a charter of citizens’ rights and a confederation of tradesmen, providing a counterweight to the
aristocracy. London was a leading trading port of Western Europe - merchants from Italy, the
Netherlands, France and Germany lived around the river - which had only one crossing - the Old London
Bridge, until 1769. Food and wine came in, wool and leather went out. Due to the wool trade's centre in
East Anglia - near the old Boston - London was for a time England's second city. However the
establishment of merchant's guilds with the mayor at their head re-established London's place as capital.
They grew up as 'misteries' or trades during the medieval period, (the 'Mystery Plays, still performed, are
religious plays which were enacted by guildsmen).
These mediaeval guilds and livery companies exist today, and preserve fine buildings across the City - the
Weavers' company dates back to 1130, the saddlers' company goes back to 1272, Wax Chandlers'
Company to 1358, though the Launderers' guild was formed as late as 1960. Napoleon’s jibe that Britain
was a nation of shopkeepers is true: with a living to protect from invaders, and trading routes and
privileges to protect overseas, it was unsurprising that they made doughty fighters, as the French leaned to
their cost at Crecy and Agincourt.
In Tudor times - after years wasted in wars of succession (which explains Henry VIII's desperate and
bloody attempts to secure a male heir) the dissolution of the monasteries, and terrible religious
persecution (the country went from catholic to protestant, back to catholic and Henry VIII's need for a
divorce saw the final breach with Rome) led to poverty and mass unemployment. The Black Death and
other plagues decimated the population.
However by the late 16th century, the seeds of England's future as a world trading power were sown with
the formation of the Trading Companies - The East India Company, The Muscovy Company the Levant
Company, and the Turkey Company, which along with Britain's naval prowess, saw management
techniques still venerated by world corporations, conquer the world. England was also at the forefront of
the arts with a lively theatre and music scene (the latter eclipsed by one European nation after another, its
pre-eminence was not regained until after the First World War).
The Plague in 1665 and the fire in 1666 shook London out of its complacency (there are spectacular
accounts of both these in Defoe and Pepys' journals) but also lead to a wave of property development
(which is still going on), that saw the forerunners of Sir Richard Rogers (Wren, Hawksmoor and a whole
crew of architectural geniuses) dominating the city skylines.
This redevelopment went on into the 18th Century, seeing buildings like
The Bank of England and most of the Bridges across the Thames springing
up. Tower Bridge (often mistaken for London Bridge, most notably by an
American Millionaire, who transplanted the old London Bridge to Arizona,
only finding out on delivery he hadn't bought Tower Bridge) was opened
in 1894. The Victorians supervised the transformation of London into a
modern city, sewers and underground railways (1863) tunnelled beneath
the clay of the world's capital, while over ground railways (1836) and
omnibuses (1855) opened up across the city, and the port of London
enjoyed a final flowering. Despite the presence of the Royal Palaces,
Westminster Abbey (a place of pilgrimage) and the country's first printing
presses, Westminster really only came into its own in the 19th century, and
was granted the title of a City, with its own mayor in 1900
Until the 1850s it was the haunt of criminals who used the sanctuary laws to hide in the precincts of
Westminster Abbey - there are still roads such as 'Little Sanctuary' and 'Thieving Lane' which testify to its
past. The redesigning of the area under Barry put paid to this unsavoury aspect and saw an expansion
which coincided with the arrival of the railways, Victoria Station occupying the site of several private
railway stations which were amalgamated in 1899.
The West End was to Shaw's London what Southwark was to Shakespeare's - the pleasure district, with
hotels, theatres, restaurants and shops, while the City remained the financial heart of Europe, and the
banking and share trading capital of the world. Prostitution and Crime were the twin blights of this area
right up until the end of the war.
The two World Wars saw huge destruction, to both the populace and the city and some terrible rebuilding
followed, with little real conservation work - many of the city's worst buildings date from this time, when
the Greater London Council changed the face of the old city forever. It's said that the GLC did more
damage to London than the Luftwaffe.
London's architectural revival started with the completion of the Lloyd's building
by Sir Richard Rogers in 1979 - and despite some terrible blunders (the most of
them under Margaret Thatcher - the destruction of Battersea Power Station being
the most obvious) and some corporate vandalism mostly committed in the City,
by developers too close to the Corporation (Sir Peter Palumbo's destruction of
the old Mappin and Webb building to erect one of London's most hideous
monstrosities above Bank station, the destruction of Spitalfields market) London
is beginning to rival Paris in its Grand Projects. However, whether much of the
old London will remain as developers pry on the greed of local and city councils
remains in question.
PRACTICALITIES
Currency: Pounds Sterling - issued by the bank of Scotland or England only they are different sizes and
colours to help the partially sighted.
Notes: £100, £50, 20, £10, £5, Coins: £2, £1, £0.50p, £0.20p £0.10p, £0.5p, £0.2p, £0.1p
Cash points (ATMs) are widely available and provide the best rate for cash withdrawals - better than
bureaux de change. You can ask for 'Cash back' when making purchases at supermarkets, and there's
usually a cash point in a tube station. Visa and Access (MasterCard) widely accepted, other cards often
accepted. Banking hours officially 09:30-15:30, but most banks open usually til about 17:00. For cash
withdrawals on a visa card, you will need to produce your passport. Cheques accepted everywhere though a valid cheque card must be produced. Foreign cheques can be paid into British banks, but will be
subject to a fee.
Traffic: apart from one road only (Savoy Court, off the Strand) we drive on the left, which means you
should look right when crossing a road. This still catches many tourists out every year. Cars won't usually
stop automatically (though many will) if you wander into the road, motorbikes certainly won't. At a
crossing, they all have to stop if you set foot on the road. The main danger comes from, cycle &
motorbike couriers, who ride aggressively and fast, often on the nearside of slow-moving traffic - you
can't hear the cycles coming.
Safety: London is a very safe city, and you are able to go anywhere in the centre at any time - in some
districts a little more caution is advised - at the North End of Notting Hill, in Brixton and anywhere South
of Elephant and Castle you'd be better not to produce a large billfold in a narrow side street - but it's
completely safe otherwise. The ownership of guns and knives is virtually non-existent, lone women are
generally completely safe to walk alone. The atmosphere on the late tubes and in the centre on Friday and
Saturday nights can be a bit rowdy, due to drunkenness, but it's never dangerous.
Languages: English English everywhere. Welsh spoken only in Wales. Cockney Rhyming slang is NOT
common. Beware, American English differs from English English in several key points. This can cause
amusement when, for example, someone asks you if they can borrow your rubber, promising to return it
when they have finished. They are talking about an eraser.
Weather: England's weather remains the most frequent topic of conversation - it's not as bad as it's
painted (in fact it rains less in London than it does in Paris), it's just so unpredictable. We don't have
clearly defined seasons - like in central Europe - at any moment trouble can brew up in the Atlantic and
lead to cold or wet weather. Never buy tickets for an outdoor event in advance.
Manners: The ideal of the English gentleman is long dead, though common courtesy is well...common,
but Londoners are definitely not as friendly as New Yorkers (though much more so than Parisians). It is
assumed that unless you ask or make the first gesture, that you are OK and do not need any help - the
English guard their privacy closely, and only really engage when it is quite clear on both sides that this is
acceptable. This goes for generosity - it is assumed that one is too proud to accept it, so it won't be
proffered so as to spare your feelings. They also have a marked aversion to complaining.
The English sense of humour is very black and surrealistic and the nation's strong point, and consists of
hyperbole delivered deadpan. As one analyst said, the fat man doesn't just slip on the banana skin, he
explodes. The English are really stoics, who can laugh at anything, and there are no taboo topics for
general conversation - class rules are suspended for foreigners. Good natured banter, as long as it isn't
wounding, is the most common form of social exchange, apart from talking about the weather, a perennial
conversation-opener. The worst thing about the English in general is their total inability to hold their
liquor, and their frequent occasion to prove it.
Communications: The post and telephone services in the UK are superb, and a call from a coin box is
cheap and easy - not all are the famous red phone boxes, though they are making a comeback. You can
also use a credit card or a phone card (available in most newsagents or grocers) in most phone boxes.
Hotels make the usual surcharges. There are many shops offering cheap international calls (e.g. in
Queensway) and it's worth exploring these as they offer good rates.
Postal services are also quick and reliable - a first
class letter posted by 18:00, should arrive the next
morning within the UK - check the 'last posting times'
on the red post boxes. Some of the post boxes are
over 100 years old and may look quite tatty - they're
protected as monuments and are as good as shiny
new ones. Stamps can be bought individually at post
offices or in books of four or ten at newsagents, offlicences and groceries.
There are more public access internet terminals in London than anywhere we've been: look out for the
Easy Everything shops across London (Oxford Street, Tottenham Court Road, Charing Cross, Kensington
High Street) these huge rooms offer fast quick access, and you can stay on all night for £1 after a certain
hour. They tend to get crowded and there's often a small, but fast moving queue to get in. There are also
many cybercafés, though the competition from Easy Everything is causing problems.
Feeding times: Breakfast is usually at about 08:00 and is either continental (bread, cereal, coffee, juice)
or Full British, which in addition to the continental selection brings a coronary-inducing mixture of
bacon, fried or scrambled eggs, fried bread, sausages (which are mostly bread, and under EU law can't be
called sausages, so the euphemism 'banger' is often used), toast, marmalade (sour orange jam/jelly), with
strong, white tea. Sometimes black pudding (effectively blood sausage) or porridge (oatmeal, traditionally
with salt and water, though more likely with milk, cream and sugar) or kippers (smoked herrings, Scottish
style - delicious) are added.
If you still have room, coffee is served at about 11:00, possibly with a snack, and lunch is 13:00 - most
workers eat sandwiches, unless someone else is paying, when a long boozy lunch may stretch on till
15:00.
Tea (southern England) is at 16:00-17:00 and consists of fine sandwiches, scones with jam and cream,
and cakes, with a pot of weak tea. In the North of England tea is usually the main evening meal, served at
17:00-18:00.
Dinner is usually at about 20:00 - though it may be much later, in which case it's called supper, except on
Sundays when dinner is the main lunchtime meal. Lively Londoners can eat quite late, though it's often
difficult to find a restaurant that serves past 22:00 - 23:00.
If they've been out drinking most Londoners will go for a curry after the pubs shut at 23:00 - Indian
restaurants stay open till late, but check for drunks before you settle down.
Opening Hours Most shops open at about 09:30 and stay open throughout the day until 19:00, though
more traditional shops will still close at 17:30. Thursday night is usually later opening, and shops will
stay open til 21:00 or later. On Saturdays shops often close a little earlier, and many open again on
Sunday from about 11:00-17:00 in the major shopping areas.
Offices run 09:30 to 17:30 and the large number of commuters creates an unholy rush hour between 17:30
and 19:00, and 08:00 to 09:30. Government offices often shut at 16:00, and banks at 16:30, to deal with
paperwork.
Pubs open traditionally 11:00 to 15:00 and 17:00 to 23:00 and after that you can't buy alcohol except in a
club or restaurant. Alcohol can be brought in an 'off-licence' (liquor store) at those times too. It is illegal
to sell fish and chips on a Sunday.
However in the 'City' everything closes at 17:30, and even pubs and restaurants close at around 21:00 - it's
a ghost town at weekends
GOOD CHEAP EATS
For cheap eats the axis that runs along the south side of Leicester Square (Irving St and Panton Street) is a
magnet: old faithful like the Stockpot & the West End Kitchen serve cheap and cheerful food, very
similar to what a stereotypical English family would eat at home (Lancashire Hotpot, Shepherd's Pie, Fish
and Chips etc) and the competition between these neighbours drives the price down. There's also a
Chinese and an Indian buffet, and a branch of the Singaporean veggie chain, Woodlands. Wagamamma
have a new restaurant in the basement of an Irving St block. However, the area can be a bit busy, and you
can do better by venturing further afield.
Our 'Sandwich of the year' award goes to Harry Brown at 4 New Row WC2 (a semi-pedestrianised street
that runs between St Martin's Lane and Covent Garden) tube: Leicester Sq (100 yards). Their Bacon,
Avocado and Tomato toasted sandwich is the best we've had in London. The quality has been maintained
over 2 years and a name change.
Tai Excellent quality vegan and vegetarian food at 10 Greek St in Soho. The buffet is £6 (£5 at
lunchtimes) and the quality of the food is very high (it's the only vegan place we'd eat at) - all presided
over
by
a
taskmistress
of
a
Hong
Kong
owner.
Highly
recommended.
Food for Thought Good cheap veggie restaurant, a hundred yards from Neal's Yard and half the price.
Plate of Salad (a light meal) about £3 - decor very 70s. Good service, good food, low prices. 31 Neal St,
Covent Garden. An oasis in a place of high-price, low quality eateries.
Diwana Very interesting cheap and tasty southern Indian food, a world away from the curries of the north
that form the basic staple of the average British curry house. Excellent lunch buffet with dishes we'd
never seen before, canteen-style, cheap and very good service. In Drummond Street, NW1 a block north
of Euston station in a street dominated by South Indian culture, and amazing Asian sweet shops. Website
highly recommended.
Ecco No nonsense pizza, salad, panini, coffee house on Goodge St, a favourite of the local television and
advertising industry and often full of bicycle couriers. Pizzas are £3, and are freshly made before your
eyes. Very relaxed - a good supply of newspapers, sit outside in good weather. The only cavil we have is
with the cheap aluminium seats. They're expanding over London, and about to slightly change their name
die to a clash with another company. Called the Italian Coffee Company or Icco variously.
Wagamamma trendy canteen-style noodle house, haunt of students and anyone with an eye for a bargain,
full meal can be had for £10 (including drink). Fresh, healthy food, with attitude: Wigmore St (behind
Selfridges), Bond St, Streatham St (near British Museum), Lexington St (between Piccadilly and Oxford
Circuses), Camden Lock, Covent Garden (south of the Market) and Leicester Square (Irving St).
All Bar One & Slug and Lettuce Two chains that serve decent food. All Bar One is targeted at women
and has the obligatory sofas, their menu is reasonable - for about £7-8 a head you can eat quite well in all
branches - however some won't serve children. The Slug and Lettuce chain is another brand. Both are
friendly and offer good service and are seemingly everywhere across town, and the UK. Avoid on Friday
nights as get very busy and loud, and on Saturday nights after 2100. At other times they can be very userfriendly and though they don't have smoke-free zones the aircon is efficient.
Fish and Chips - Costs about £3 - add your own salt and vinegar. Less available in the city centre than it
should be. Please avoid cod or monkfish as they're being over fished.
More possibilities found in the Internet are the following:
When you're in Central London, you can get a two-course meal for about $10 at the following 10
restaurants
Soho
Tiffinbites 88 Wardour St., 020/7287-6155, www.tiffinbites.com. Opened last February by two former
buyers for Marks & Spencer's underwear department, Tiffinbites feels like an Indian version of Pret A
Manger. Their "tiffin boxes" are based on traditional Indian packed lunches and include three dishes: a
main (lamb rogan josh, chicken tikka masala), a vegetable, and rice ($7.40 to $9.30). An assortment of
appetizers, such as samosas (pastry triangles stuffed with meat or vegetables), go for $2.40 to $4.40. And
here's a sweet deal: Between 10:30 a.m. and 12:30 p.m., you can sample the latest recipes in return for
your written feedback. Tiffinbites also has two branches in the City (122 Cannon St. and 24 Moorfields;
closed weekends).
Soho Spice 124-126 Wardour St., 020/7434-0808, www.sohospice.co.uk. At two courses for $9.60, the
set menu at Soho Spice-daily from 11:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m.-is one of Central London's best buys. Choose
one of two appetizers (one vegetarian) and a main (vegetable, lamb, or chicken). All mains are served
with rice, nan bread, dal (spiced lentils), and a vegetable. The setting is ^ la Ikea, rendered in exotic
colours, and there is a downstairs bar open on the weekends where you can order veggie samosas, seekh
kebab (minced lamb on a skewer), and crisp spinach-and-onion bhaji (similar to fritters) for $4 each.
After 11 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays, the bar turns into a nightclub.
Govinda's 9-10 Soho St., 020/7437-4928; closed Sundays. At this "pure vegetarian restaurant" run by the
Hare Krishna organization next door, the dinner buffet ($6.40; 7 p.m. to 8 p.m.) is cheaper than the lunch
one ($8; noon to 7 p.m.). Either way, you get a lot for your money: steamed veggies, a mixed vegetable
dish that changes daily, brown or white rice, dal, beans, salad, a roll, and a pappadum (a cracker-like
bread made with lentil flour). E la carte items are also reasonably priced, from $1.45 to $7.20, but they
tend to be Western dishes such as pizza, quiche, and lasagna. The setting is akin to a local cafZ, with
spiritual artwork and Hare Krishna literature on the tables-happily, there's no active proselytizing.
Covent Garden
Mela 152-156 Shaftesbury Ave., 020/7836-8635, www.melarestaurant.co.uk. This usually expensive
restaurant has a set lunch menu from noon to 3 p.m. Dishes range from sandwiches to two-course meals
served with rice ($4.70 to $7.90). Mela also offers a three-course pre-theater menu ($17.50; 5:30 p.m. to 7
p.m.). From the contemporary pinewood-furnished dining room you can see the cooks busy at work
through the kitchen's glass windows.
Iky's Cafe Unit 4-5, Jubilee Market, Covent Garden Piazza, 1a Tavistock St., 020/7836-9279. If only
there were more places like Iky's in the overpriced Covent Garden shopping area. It's part of a mall-style
food court, where you order at the counter, pay, and carry your own meal to a table. The menu is split
between traditional Indian dishes and Anglo-American fast food (skip it). Appetizers start at $1.30 for a
meat or vegetable samosa and go to $4 for a large order of barbecued tandoori chicken; curry entries
range from $3.20 to $6.30. The best buys are the set lunch deals, which also include a drink, bread, and a
salad or vegetable for $4.80 to $7.20.
Earl's Court
Star Kebab House 178 Earl's Court Rd., 020/7370-4051. This carryout bills itself as a kebab house
(kebabs are $4 to $7.20, if you're interested), but it also serves a variety of Indian meals. All food here is
halal-prepared according to Muslim dietary law. Curry dishes with rice range from $5.20 for lentils to
$8.80 for meat and chicken, but the snacks are a better value (from $1.15 for a samosa to $4.80 for
chicken tikka). In the backpacker's haven that is Earl's Court, Star Kebab closes at 3 a.m. Sunday to
Wednesday, 4 a.m. Thursday, and 5 a.m. Friday and Saturday. Eat at the counter if it's raining; otherwise
get your food to go.
Masala 4 Hogarth Rd., 020/7370-4483. Masala hews to more traditional dishes cooked according to halal
standards, such as chicken tikka masala for $7.85 and mattar paneer (curried peas with homemade cheese)
for $5.75, and starters like aloo tikki (potato cakes) for $2.40 and nan bread for $1.45. The room is small
and unpretentious; you choose from a deli-counter display and the server brings the food to your table.
Prices are higher than at Star Kebab House, but the atmosphere is more soothing.
Bayswater/Marylebone
Salwa Restaurant 4 Crawford Pl., 020/7262-3356. It's more of a halal deli than a proper restaurant, but
the surroundings on the ground floor are clean and decent (alas, the seating area, with only a few tables, is
a bit cramped). There are more places to sit upstairs, but you have to brave a dingy, narrow staircase in
the back. Not recommended for a full sit-down meal, Salwa will do for a quick nosh. The curry dishes
start at about $9.60, or you can load up on a variety of samosas at $1.50 a pop.
YMCA Indian Student Hostel 41 Fitzroy Sq., 020/7387-0411, www.indianymca.org. This hostel for
expat students was founded in 1920 as a London satellite of the YMCA of India. The dining hall offers
cafeteria-style Indian food to residents and visitors alike. On weekdays, lunch is served ^ la carte, with
dishes costing less than $4. Dinners daily and weekend lunches are a buffet. Included in the $7.20 price is
a curry, rice, and chapati (unleavened whole-wheat bread). Pay at the front desk, then bring your receipt
to the dining hall and line up, tray in hand, for whatever the cook dishes out. Lunch, popular with nonIndian students from the nearby universities, is served from noon to 2 p.m. (12:30 p.m. to 1:30 p.m. on
weekends); an Indian crowd predominates at the dinner service, daily from 7 p.m. to 8 p.m.
South Kensington
Majli's 32 Gloucester Rd., 020/7584-3476. Cheap Indian restaurants are almost nonexistent in this
neighborhood of "bright young things." That said, Majli's has a two-course set-lunch menu ($11.15), and
you can pull off a bargain at dinner if you choose carefully from the vegetarian options. Appetizers cost
$4 to $4.80, and they can be combined with nan bread ($2.40 to $2.80), raita (spiced yogurt with
cucumber or other vegetables, $4), or one of the veggie side dishes ($5.60). The restaurant is small but
comfortable; on nice days there may be an outdoor table or two on the street.
Cuisines
French/Algerian Momo, on Heddon St, off Regent St, is the most fashionable, and we think, best.
Madonna and other stars hire out the whole restaurant for entertaining friends. Their cafe is excellent for
afternoon or early evening snacks and costs 1/4 of the price. Moro at 34 Exmouth Market, just south of
King's Cross is also getting good reviews. Also the Souk, between St Martin's Lane and Charing Cross
road, a few metres away from The Mousetrap
Sushi-bars: none but the most expensive rivals Kyoto or Vancouver in quality, but they can be a good
source of cheap food: Moshi Moshi in Liverpool St Station (& elsewhere) is our favourite, Gilu Gulu on
St Martin's Lane and Ikkyu on Newport St in Chinatown offer all-you-can eat for around £12, which is a
good deal. Ikkyu have a better branch on Tottenham Court Rd, just by Goodge St Station. There's also a
good concentration down Brewer Street in Soho (just north of Piccadilly Circus)
Chinese: much of the chinese cuisine in London is authentically chinese - ie: lowbrow, rather than Hong
Kong or San Francisco style, though of course, all markets are catered for. Chinatown is just South of
Soho, off Shaftsbury avenue. The more ethnic chinese there are in a place, usually the better the food is the worse the decor, the better the value for money. Having seen the kitchens of a few of these restaurants
there really is no difference between the different ends of the market in hygiene.
The best dim sum is to be had at the Royal China in Queensway - right next door to the tube - it's usually
full of Chinese businessmen entertaining clients or genteel chinese women eating chicken feet (we've
dated some of them) - booking is advised. They also have a branch on Baker Street. Mr Wu (branches all
over town, sometimes called Mr Au) Charing Cross Road, Irving St, Queensway does very cheap, basic,
chinese buffets. If you're in South East London the Penninsula restaurant on the ground floor of the
Holiday Inn next to the Millennium Dome site (North Greenwich Tube, then 5 mins walk) is very good,
and crowded with Chinese diners on Sundays for Dim Sum
Thai food in London can be expensive, but is usually good. Our two favourites are Esarn Kheaw,
(Southern Thai/Royal cuisine) 314 Uxbridge Road, Shepherd's Bush, and Thailand (Northern Thai/Lao
cuisine) 15 Lewisham Way, in New Cross, neither of them particularly posh areas.
Vietnamese there's a Viet enclave in Hackney/Shoreditch - just north of Liverpool Street (Shoreditch or
Old Street tubes are nearest) - it lies on Kingsland road just south of the Geffreye museum.
Unpreposessing surroundings but very good food - The Viet Hoa, Tay Hoa are OK but the best of the
bunch is the Song Que Cafe - virtually next door to the Geffreye Museum - we regularly eat there. A
much better bet than Brick Lane curries if you're in the area and want to eat ethnic - Shoreditch/Hoxton
area is brimming with restaurants brimming with media types so there's a lot of competition.
Indian (sub continental) - Britain's favourite food - official. Indian food in England is very good, if not
authentically Indian. (Actually it's mostly Bangladeshi, but if you can find Pakistani cuisine it's the best).
The best comes from up north, in places like Bradford, but there's little else there worthy of attention. In
particular the style of 'Balti' cooking, which was invented here, like Chop Suey was in San Francisco.
Basically it means tasty, fresh ingredients and seasoning, and should be cooked in a small wok, and
brought to your table in it. Served with bread, not rice. It's even been endorsed by no less an august body
than the British Medical Association, as an excellent source of minerals.
However, it's a craze and virtually every Indian Restaurant now does 'Balti'. We suggest you use Hardens
to find a good one near you. One tip is London's Indian YMCA, which serves authentic Indian food lunch for £3 and dinner for £4 - 41 Fitzroy Square W1. No alcohol allowed on the premises. Which brings
us to...
Two other points - the British like their curries hotter than the Americans or Europeans, (though much
less hot than the natives) so be careful, don't order a vindaloo unless you've had a medical check-up, and
finally, the Indian meal is the traditional British way to finish an evening's drinking. Eat your meal before
23:00 or else.
BRICK LANE (Whitechapel or Shoreditch tube, but Liverpool St is also close by) is curry city - called
'Banglatown' to its residents, the south end of this street (ie south of the Truman Brewery) is wall to wall
curry houses, each with touts on the street. Best place for (Pakistani) curry is actually the Tayaab on
Fieldgate Street which is behind the Mosque that's opposite the Whitechapel Art gallery (Whitechapel
Tube) expect queues, excellent food, very spicy, and huge portions. Last time I went there five of us ate
until we were stuffed for about £25. The 'Dry Meat' is stunning.
Persian/Afghani/Cypriot inhabit a strip called Green Lanes in Finsbury Park (Manor House tube, then
walk north with the park on your left. Persian and Afghani food up here is good, but there are some Turks
and Cypriots too (Check Hardens for which is the best). There's another turkish/cypriot enclave at the
very top of Kingsland road (vide supra) - the restaurants are OK but many of the cafes are not womenfriendly.
English Cuisine: surprise, surprise, there is no British cuisine - we've
imported and refined all the world's cuisines and made them our own.
That said some specialties deserve mention: School Puddings - the way
to tell a Public Schoolboy (read private if you're from USA or Europe)
is by their taste for nursery puddings - bread and butter pudding, sticky
toffee pudding, spotted dick (don't ask) suet pudding (contains animal
fat), jam roly poly, rice pudding and sago. They're great and we do
them better than we do French or Italian desserts. Pies just don't ask
what goes in them. Actually varieties like Guinness and Beef pie, and Steak and Kidney, if well made are
great - often they're not. Recently Cornish Pasty stalls have been set up in stations and other late night
haunts - and offer a much better than average quick food option: they're targeted at people with the
munchies and you can smell them several hundreds of yards off (this is a ploy in the same way
supermarkets pump baking bread smells into their air con units).
Generally, the English like their meat blackened and their vegetables boiled until they resemble lab
specimens - so be sure to specify your preference.
Vegetarian - easy to find in London (use the Harden's website) and even in carnivore dens the vegetables
aren't cooked with lumps of meat as they are in France. South Indian cuisine is vegetarian and there' a
whole row of restaurants on Drummond St by Euston Station that never have to use a cleaver. The various
branches of Cranks (eg Charing Cross, Goodge St) are usually a safe bet and Mildreds, Lexington St in
Soho (opposite Wagamamma) is for Veggie gourmets.
Belgian - becoming something of a cult, restaurants like Belgo have made Moules Frites a habit - but
maybe it's just their range of Strawberry and other flavoured beers (heartily recommended) their special
offers (lunchtime, early evening before 18:30) offer excellent value - otherwise they can work out
expensive. The decor is great. An experience. 50 Earlham St, Covent Garden, also in Chalk Farm,
Ladbroke Grove, Upper St, Islington
A to Z of London Monuments, Museums, Attractions, Places
Abbey Road
Big Ben
Buckingham Palace
Burlington Arcade
Camden Town
Churchill Statue
Cleopatra's Needle
Covent Garden
Downing Street
Embankment (see Cleopatra)
Green Park
Hampton Court Palace
Harrods
Hay’s Galleria
HMS Belfast
Horse Guards Parade
Hyde Park
Kensington Gardens
Kensington Palace
Kew Gardens
Leicester Square
London Eye
London Planetarium
London Transport
London Zoo
Madame Tussauds
Nelson Column (see Trafalgar)
Notting Hill
Oxford Street
Piccadilly Circus
Portobello Road
Queen’s Victoria Memorial
Red Telephone Boot
Regent’s Park
Ritz Hotel
River Thames
Roman Remains
Royal Academy
Royal Opera House
Shakespeare's Globe Theatre
Soho
Speakers Corner
St. James’ Palace
St James' Park
St James Square
St Katherines Dock
Saint Margaret
St Paul’s Cathedral
Tate Britain
Tate Modern
Ten Downing Street
The British Museum
The Cenotaph
The Changing of the Guard
The City
The Cutty Sark
The Docklands (Canary Wharf)
The Guards Museum
The Houses of Parliament – Westminster
Palace
The Imperial War Museum
The London Dungeon
The London Millennium Bridge
The Millenium Dome
The Monument
The Museum of London
The National Gallery
The National Maritime Museum
The National Portrait Gallery
The Natural History Museum
The Queen’s Chapel
The Rock Circus
The Royal Albert Hall
The Science Museum
The Sherlock Holmes Museum
The Thames Barrier
The Tower of London
The Transport Museum
The Tube
The Victoria and Albert Museum
The West End
Tower Bridge
Tower Bridge Exhibition
Trafalgar Square
Wellington Arch
Westminster Abbey
Westminster Cathedral
Whitehall (see Downing Street)
Abbey Road - For many years, a zebra crossing in St. John's Wood, London, England has held a
fascination among fans of popular music. Little did THE BEATLES know that on Friday the 8th of
August, 1969, they were not simply shooting another LP-cover; they were adding another tourist
attraction to London. Don't be surprised to see tourists from all over the world trotting across the road
with bare feet. It's a London tradition.
Big Ben
Many people think of The Clock Tower as Big Ben, but Big Ben is actually the name of the biggest bell
within The Clock Tower (320ft tall) of the Houses of Parliament. To give you an idea of the size of the
clocks on The Clock Tower, each face has a diameter of 23ft. The numerals are 2ft high, and the minute
hands are 14ft long. The bell, when built in 1858, was the heaviest bell ever made in Britain, and was
named after a Sir Benjamin Hall, who was the man who decided that it would be cast. There are
something like 400 steps within the tower, but it is not open to the public. Within the tower is a cell in
which political prisoners have at times been incarcerated. Every quarter hour, the clock plays the first line
of its famous music (taken from Handel’s Messiah). At the half hour it plays the first two lines. At a
quarter to the hour it plays three lines and at the hour the full chime is played.
This 316ft clock-tower was completed between 1858-59.Big Ben is named,
probably, after Sir Benjamin Hall, the First Commissioner of Works. Big Ben
was first broadcast on New Year's Eve in 1923. The light above the clock is lit
while the Commons is sitting. Big Ben weighs over 13 tons. The clock
mechanism, alone, weights about 5 tons. The figures on the clock face are
about 2 feet long, the minute spaces are 1 ft. square; and the copper minute
hands are14 ft. Long.
Buckingham Palace
It is the official home of the Queen. She and Prince Philip live there during the week. You can tell she is
there because her flag is flown in the middle of the building if she is in residence. Buckingham Palace is
the official London residence of the sovereign, and was first opened to the public in 1993. Buckingham
Palace is the official London residence of the British monarch since Queen Victoria ascended the throne
in 1837. It is placed at the end of the Mall, a wide avenue leading from Trafalgar Square, and faces the
Victoria Memorial, a statue of Queen Victoria. A statue of Nike, the ancient Greek goddess of victory,
stands in front of the palace in memory of Queen Victoria too. The royal Banner is set on the roof when
the monarch is in residence, and the famous Changing of the guard takes place in the palace forecourt
every day from, April to September and every other day from October to March. This is perhaps the most
popular happening which can be seen in Buckingham Palace. Certain rooms are open to
the public in August and September while the Queen is not in residence. Buckingham Palace was built by
the Duke of Buckingham and Normandy in 1703 and bought by George III in 1761, although St
James's Palace continued to be the official royal residence until the accession of Queen Victoria. The
building, in neo-classical style, was remodelled by John Nash in 1825. In 1856 a ballroom was added and
in 1913 Sir Aston Webb altered the East Front, which faces the Mall. Marble Arch was the entrance to the
palace until it was moved to the north-eastern corner of Hyde Park in 1851. The palace has about 600
rooms and is surrounded by 20 hectares of gardens. Some of the state apartments are open to the public in
July and August. The Queen's Gallery and the Royal Mews on the south side of the palace are both
permanently open to the public. In the queen's Gallery, annual exhibitions of paintings and works of art
from the Royal Collection are shown. In the Royal Mews state coaches and carriages are displayed:
among them is the Gold State Coach, which was used at every coronation since that of George IV in
1762. The stables, in which the Windsor Grey and Cleveland Bay carriage horses are kept, are also open
to the public.
Besides being the official London residence of The Queen, Buckingham Palace
is also the busy administrative headquarters of the monarchy and has probably
the most famous and easily recognisable façade of any building in the world.
The Palace is a working building and the centrepiece of Britain's constitutional
monarchy. It houses the offices of those who support the day-to-day activities
and duties of The Queen and The Duke of Edinburgh and their immediate family.
The Palace is also the venue for great Royal ceremonies, State Visits and
Investitures, all of which are organised by the Royal Household.
Although Buckingham Palace is furnished and decorated with priceless works of art that form part of the
Royal collection, one of the major art collections in the world today, it is not an art gallery and nor is it a
museum. Its State Rooms form the nucleus of the working Palace and are used regularly by The Queen
and members of the Royal family for official and State entertaining. Buckingham Palace is one of the
world's most familiar buildings and more than 50,000 people visit the Palace each year as guests to
banquets, lunches, dinners, receptions and the Royal Garden Parties. Visitors are allowed access by and
organised tour to some areas of the Palace.
Burlington Arcade
It is similarly famous for accessories - it has its own police force a beadle who still wears the Victorian uniform. At its top is
Saville Row, an area rather than a street. Huntsman, Anderson &
Sheppard, and Boateng (his brother is a cabinet minister) will kit
you out in a splendid suit, if you've got the money. Prince
Charles' tailor John Kent (8 Stafford Street) is surprisingly cheap
- if you want to spend £600 on looking superb in an English
tailored suit you won't beat them on price - and with Prince
Charles' recommendation... their premises in a cellar don't give
away their royal clientele. A hidden secret. Bond street continues
north from here with exclusive shops selling jewellery, clothes
and bags, but they largely reproduce what most capital cities have
already. Halfway along Bond St is the famous 'Park Bench' statue
of Churchill & Roosevelt.
Camden Town
The markets are popular on the weekends selling variety of fashion, lifestyle and bizarre goods. Stables
Market also has growing antique and furniture trade.
Camden's famous market, lock and nightlife. Our guide to the bohemian place to be and be seen. Camden
is more than a market
A myth held by the rest of London, is that Camden's only attraction is the large weekend market and that
otherwise it only attracts single-parent teenagers, students and the homeless. In reality, the rich, the poor,
the could be either and would be neither, are all co-existing in an area that stretches from the white
mansions of Regent's Park to the big estates on the way to Euston.
Furthermore, the market is the least enticement for locals, now that 100,000 bargain hunters descend upon
it each weekend. However for tourists and those that enjoy crowds there are some real fashion bargains to
be had, particularly with shoes, leather goods and generally bohemian gear.
It is true that nestled round the back of the High Street is London's largest doss-house which serves up
soup, clothes and beds for the homeless daily and yes Camden needs two unemployment offices to
manage the copious claims. But it also has Janglers Comedy Store - which is as professional, slick and
expensive as the West End sister, the famous Jazz Cafe on Parkway, the cosy French Cafe down
Delancey Street that has a stream of rich and famous dropped off and picked up at its entrance, and
Compendium, renowned as the best alternative bookshop in London.
Churchill Statue in Parliament Square
Sir Winston Churchill was the eldest son of the aristocrat Lord Randolph Churchill, born on 30th
November 1874. He is best known for his stubbornness yet courageous leadership as Prime Minister for
Great Britain when he led the British people from the brink of defeat during World War II. Following his
graduation from the Royal Military College in Sandhurst he was commissioned in the Forth Hussars in
February 1895. As a war correspondent he was captured during the Boer War. After his escape he
became a National Hero. Ten months later he was elected as a member of the Conservative Party. In 1904
he joined the Liberal Party where he became the president of the Board of Trade.
The 2nd World War brought out the best in Churchill. He was everywhere, bolstering the nation and
overseeing war plans. In December 1941 he managed to bring together the United States and the Soviet
Union along with Great Britain in a grand alliance against Germany. After Pearl Harbour, Churchill
dogmatically worked on President Roosevelt to focus on the defeat of Germany ahead of the war with
Japan. Despite the impending victory of the war, Churchill returned to England following the Yalta
conference of February 1945 to find that the Coalition Government had been voted out of power. He was
forced to resign as Prime Minister. He remained in parliament, however, and won a second term of office
as P.M. in 1951. During this four year term he took on the mantle of elder statesman receiving many
honours, including the title Sir Winston. In April 1955 he resigned as Prime Minister at the age of 80.
Throughout his life Churchill was plagued by depression, which he called ‘the black dog.’ In January
1965 he suffered a terrible stroke and died on the exact same day that his father, Lord Randolph, had
passed away 70 years earlier. He was 90 years of age.
Cleopatra's Needle – Embankment
First erected in Egypt, by Pharaoh Thotmes III around 1500BC, Cleopatra's Needle was given as a gift to
the British people in 1819, in recognition of Admiral Nelson's victory over the French fleet, at the Battle
of the Nile in 1798. "Cleopatra's Needles" is the name given to two Egyptian obelisks, formerly at
Alexandria. One of these obelisks now lies in New York, the other in London.
Anyone visiting London for the first time and walking along the Thames Embankment may be surprised
to come across an original Egyptian obelisk.
Not what you expect to see in downtown London! This obelisk is known as Cleopatra's Needle …though
it has very little to do with Cleopatra at all.
It was made in Egypt for the Pharaoh Thotmes III in 1460 BC, making it almost 3,500 years old. It is
known as Cleopatra's Needle as it was brought to London from Alexandria, the royal city of Cleopatra.
But how did it come to be beside the Thames? It seems Britain wanted something big and noticeable to
commemorate the British victory over Napoleon, sixty-three years earlier. The Needle arrived in England
after a horrendous journey by sea in 1878. The British public subscribed £15,000 to bring it over from
Alexandria in Egypt, and waited eagerly for the 'needle' to arrive. Cleopatra's Needle stands on the
Thames Embankment close to the Embankment underground station. Two large bronze Sphinxes lie on
either side of the Needle. These are Victorian versions of the traditional Egyptian original. The benches
on the Embankment also have winged sphinxes on either side as their supports. There are four plaques
mounted round the base of the Obelisk giving a brief history of the 'needle' and its journey to London.
Covent Garden
Touristy place to hang out. You don't go for the market (overpriced tat) but for the atmosphere and the
buskers. The old fruit 'n' veg market that appeared in old Hitchcock films has been converted to a piazza.
If you're a Hitch fan you'll want to go and see his house/museum in Leytonstone, and the new murals at
the tube station there - our favourite piece of
public art (but ONLY if you're a fan) Don't eat or
drink in Covent Garden, the quality is bad and the
prices sky high (but if you do we recommend the
'All Bar One' chain or the Garden branch of
Wagamama). Somerset House is nearby for a hit
of culture. The London Transport Museum Shop
in the corner of the Piazza is good for gifts. There
is a nice cluster of shops around the market
which makes it a major, if somewhat expensive,
shopping.
Market: every day 10:00-18:00, atmosphere: all the time. The area around Covent Garden is full of trendy
shops, though the market is a bit twee; many designers have their bases here. South of the Market is
outdoors/snowboard/skateboard territory; north of the market to the tube stop are designer labels, with
Paul Smith among others on Floral Street, just behind the station. Further North still and there's Neal
Street, oriental and then whole food and finally designer again at its northern limit, where it intersects
with Shaftsbury Avenue. Neal's Yard is alternative, full of whole food shops, bead shops, and with an
excellent dairy and herbalist, and the 7 Dials area has been good for clothes for 500 years - second hand
in Monmouth Street, and grungy in the centre behind the Donmar Warehouse theatre on Earlham Street.
Shops close late and there's always plenty going on, though with the honourable exception of
Wagamamma eating is expensive (Belgos on Earlham Street is also cheap for lunch and between 17:30
and 19:00.)
No. 10 Downing Street
With its famous black front door - the backdrop to many historical announcements, has been the official
residence of Britain’s Prime Minister since 1732. Occupied by Tony Blair at the moment...
Downing Street is named after Sir George Downing who built houses here in the 17th century. Sir
George, 1623-84, spent part of his youth in the American colonies; he was the second graduate from the
newly founded Harvard College, before returning to England to fight for the Parliamentarians in the Civil
War.
In 1680 he purchased a piece of land near Whitehall Palace and built a street of houses. Four of these
houses have survived, and in 1732 George II gave No.10 Downing Street to Sir Robert Walpole and since
that time the building has been the official residence of the Prime Minister.
As well at the Prime Minister's private apartment, No.10 Downing Street houses the Cabinet Room, the
State Dining Room, where official guests are entertained, and government offices. The black front door
of No.10 Downing Street, guarded by a single policeman, is one of the most famous sights in England.
Other buildings in Downing Street also have government functions. No.11 is the official residence of the
Chancellor of the Exchequer and No.12 houses the Whips' Office, where Party campaigns are organized.
Until recently Downing Street was open to the public but in 1989 Margaret Thatcher had iron gates
erected at the Whitehall end for security purposes.
Embankment (see Cleopatra)
Green Park
Lying between Buckingham Palace and Piccadilly, Green Park is a great place to sit and soak up the sun.
It has been a duelling ground and private park at various times in its history but was opened to the public
in 1826.
Greenwich
It lies on the south bank of the Thames, approximately five miles to the east of central London. Rich in
maritime history and with an outstanding architectural heritage, Greenwich's more traditional attractions
include many buildings designed by well-known English architects, including the Royal Naval College,
the National Maritime Museum and the Old Royal Observatory situated in Greenwich Park, built by Sir
Christopher Wren for King Charles II. At the Observatory, visitors can stand astride longitude zero with
one foot in the eastern and the other in the western hemisphere.
Hampton Court Palace
With over 500 years of royal history, Hampton Court Palace has something to offer visitors, from the
magnificent State Apartments to the domestic reality of the Tudor Kitchens. Costumed guides and audio
tours bring the palace to life and provide an insight into how life in the palace would have been in the
time of Henry VIII and William III. The Palace also has a programme of special events throughout the
year. Hampton Court Palace contains an important part of the largest private collection of art in the world,
the Royal Collection, the property of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II. This collection, which covers 500
years, is complete and Hampton Court contains much of the most important material from the 16th, 17th
and early 18th centuries. Hampton Court Palace has been divided into six routes or tours: The Maze at
Hampton Court, the royal palace on the Thames to the west of London, is probably the most famous
hedge maze in the world. It was planted as part of the gardens laid out for William of Orange between
1689 and 1695 by George London and Henry Wise. It was described with great wit in Jerome K. Jerome's
novel 'Three Men in a Boat.' Hampton Court Maze continues to attract hundreds of thousands of visitors
each year.
Harrods
Probably the best and certainly the most well known department store in the world, Harrods occupies a
whole city block. The stores motto is - omnia omnibus ubique - everything for everyone everywhere.
Don’t miss the food hall with its mouth-watering display of fresh produce. Harrods is the very epitome of
high class shopping in London. The Kensington department store caters for the more discerning customer
and offers a huge range of top quality goods from gourmet foods, leathers and Egyptian gifts, to men’s'
and women’s' clothing and accessories.
One of the world's most famous department stores
established in 1849 as a humble grocery store
employing two assistants. Today, it offers everything
from food to fashion, furniture to sportswear plus 20
in-store restaurants serving every kind of cuisine
imaginable from pizza to sushi. Services range from
piano tuning to fitting saddles. Must-see sights
include the Food Halls, the Egyptian Hall and the Pet
Department. At night the store is illuminated by
11,500 light bulbs.
Hay’s Galleria
The history: Built in the 1850's, Hay's Wharf took deliveries from ships from all over the world and the
area became known as the 'Larder of London'. The great Hay's Wharf complex has been restored to its
former glory and those who visit the Galleria today stand on the same spot where the tea clippers from
India and China edged their way into the dock 150 years ago.
Traditional craft and market stalls decorate the walkways, sharing the spectacular surroundings with the
permanent shops. Open every day, the stalls offer a variety of products from jewellery to paintings,
ceramics to designer children's wear.
A variety of special events are held regularly in the Galleria, including jazz & classical music concerts.
Take a leisurely stroll by the waterfront or simply sit and watch the world go by, basking in the unique
atmosphere. Surrounded by major attractions: HMS Belfast, Tower Bridge, London Dungeon, Tate
Modern, Vinopolis and, just across the river, the Tower of London, Hay's Galleria can be part of a great
day out.
HMS Belfast
In 1971 HMS Belfast was saved for the nation as a unique and historic reminder of Britain's naval
heritage in the first half of the twentieth century. Launched in 1938, HMS Belfast was the Royal Navy’s
biggest and most powerful warship during the Second World War, with a crew of over 950 officers and
men. Today she is a unique floating museum offering a fascinating glimpse of naval life. You can explore
her nine decks including the massive boiler and engine rooms, operate the anti-aircraft guns and
experience what life was like for those on board.
Horse Guards Parade
This famous ceremony consists of a colourful display of pageantry by the Foot
Guards of the Household division of the Army, the Queen's personal guard.
Takes place daily in the summer (alternate days in the winter period) Arrive early to
get a good view especially in the summer months. Horse Guards Parade is London's
largest single open space, built in 1745 to house the old palace guards.
Today, the guards are changed at the top of Horse Guards Parade every hour on the
striking of the clock, a ceremony which is well worth seeing. Horse Guards Parade
is also the setting for the Trooping of the Colour.
Hyde Park
Hyde Park has been a Royal Park since 1536 when Henry VIII acquired the land. The two most famous
features of the Park are the Serpentine, a lake much used for boating and swimming, and Rotten Row, the
world famous riding track and first public road to be lit at night in England. There are almost four miles
of horse rides as well as cycle and roller-blading routes. Hyde Park is also one of the best places in
London for jogging, combining easy access with world famous views. On Sundays at Speaker's Corner,
London's most vocal orators share their opinions with the world.
Kensington Gardens
It is one of London's Royal parks, and in it you can find a statue dedicated to Peter Pan, the boy who
never grew up. The author of Peter Pan, J.M. Barrie, lived near Kensington Gardens and used it as
inspiration in his books.
Kensington Palace
It has been a royal home for over 300 years and parts of the palace remain a private residence for
members of the Royal Family today. The magnificent State Apartments and the Royal Ceremonial Dress
Collection, which includes dresses worn by HM Queen Elizabeth II and Diana, Princess of Wales, are
open to the public. Kensington Palace was once the home of some of Britain's most famous kings and
queens and the setting for many great events in royal history. Parts of the palace remain a private
residence for members of the Royal Family; the State Apartments and Royal Ceremonial Dress Collection
are open to the public.
Kew Gardens
Kew Gardens is often referred to as the Royal Botanic Gardens.
Three hundred acres containing collections of over 40,000 varieties of plants. Also seven glasshouses and
two art galleries, Japanese and rock garden etc...
Leicester Square
If London has a heart it must be Leicester Square, traversed by 22 million
people a year. The tree-lined square in the centre provides much needed
shade in the summer. Major cinemas stand on three sides of the square
offering over 12 films at any one time and cheap restaurants, night clubs,
portrait artists and outdoor entertainers strive to catch the attention of the
passing public. Leicester Square's multiplex cinemas show all the latest
films. Take in an afternoon matinee.
Top London nightclubs such as the Hippodrome, Equinox and Maximus can be found in the area, as well
as numerous other venues nearby ready to show you a good time. Wild at night with young people ready
to drink the place dry and party till dawn. In the centre of the Square is a copy of the Shakespeare
memorial in Westminster Abbey.
London Eye
Standing proud in London’s Jubilee Gardens, on the South Bank of the
River Thames the British Airways’ London Eye, is a focal point of the
Nation’s celebration of the New Century. Experience a bird's Eye View
of the River Thames from the British Airways London Eye. At 135
meters high, the Eye is the capital's fourth-tallest structure. Continuous
commentary enhances the visitors' experience in the capsules, which can
accommodate up to 25 people in each of the 32 enclosed capsules. The
London Eye is the world's highest observation wheel with amazing
views of Britain's capital city. The Eye takes you on a 30 minute flight,
rising to 450 feet above the river Thames, in 32 high tech fully enclosed
capsules.
London Planetarium
The Planetarium is over forty years old and offers star shows in the great green dome and two interactive
zones. It is the only Planetarium in Europe which has Digistar 2 the world's most advanced star projector.
The shows last 30 minutes with commentary. You can enjoy interactive exhibits before watching the star
show.
Here, visitors can experience a star show that explores and reveals some of the mysteries of the planets
and solar system. The 'main attraction' is a 30 minute show but as there is a 40 minute gap between
performances visitors should plan their trip to avoid a long wait.
London Transport
Underground
London's underground is the oldest of the world. It
first opened in 1863. Three million passenger
journeys are made a day. 275 stations serve over 408
km of railway. For a day trip buy a Travelcard. The
Londoners call their underground the Tube. It can get
very busy, especially during the morning and evening
rush hours. Londoners stand on the right on the
escalators so passengers in a hurry can get past.
Buses
London buses manage the largest network of
urban transport. Over 6500 buses carry
passengers every weekday.
You pay before you board and show the driver
your ticket. There are ticket machines at every
bus stop. But you can also use a Travelcard.
London Zoo
See what's new at London Zoo. Indulge your senses and engage your mind and with so many exciting
animals for 2003, a day at London Zoo offers the ultimate back to nature experience and supports the
active conservation of many amazing species. Watch out for the Happy Families area opening in spring
2003, where you can see meerkats keeping an eye on their neighbours from rocky outcrops. Watch the
playful otters swimming gracefully underwater as they chase each other in and out of the pools and
waterfalls. Visit the tapirs and see them enjoying their new pool in their indoor enclosure or see the
endangered tamarins basking in the sunshine in their new outdoor enclosures.
Learn more about the many ongoing conservation programmes that the zoo is involved in. You can
experience conservation in action with a trip around B.U.G.S (biodiversity underpinning global survival)an innovative exhibition dedicated to conservation and explanation of biodiversity.
Get first hand experience of over 600 species of amazing animals including lions, tigers, primates,
giraffes and many many more. Watch the penguins and pelicans embarking in some fishy goings on at
feeding time. Younger visitors (or the young at heart!) can enjoy an encounter with farmyard favourites at
the touch paddock in the Children's Zoo. Experience our 'Animals in Action' display - 30 minutes of
flying, foraging and leaping action with animals showing their amazing natural skills and abilities. With
all this on offer, there is something for everyone.
Madame Tussauds started in the early 1800s as a collection of death masks of guillotined French
aristocrats - today Madame Tussauds presents models of well-known sports personalities, musicians and
film stars, statesmen from around the world. Started by Madame Tussaud in 1835, this famous waxworks
is one of London's most popular tourist attractions. The museum shares the same building as the London
Planetarium. Over two million visitors a year come to see the lifelike wax models of the famous and
infamous pop stars and royalty. The wax figures are placed in new themed areas, including 'The Garden
Party', 'Two Hundred Years of Madame Tussaud's', 'Hollywood Legends' and 'The Spirit of London'.
Notting Hill
Activities: shopping, city walks sightseeing, antiquing, dining, people-watching Trendy and fashionable
neighbourhood in London with a distinctive, small-village feels, made famous by a movie of the same
name.
Notting Hill, one of London's hippest areas, is more than antiques. The market sometimes seems like a
long garage sale, but there are bargains to be found there, plus food, drinks, funky people - a day-long
party with noise, colour, a good look at London's Bohemian, vibrant street life. That also means a mix of
cultures - a melting pot with rock and film stars sharing space with post-war immigrants from England's
former colonies.
Oxford Street
Oxford Street today is the most popular of the shopping streets in the capital. Many
department stores offer a wide range of products. On a wet day you can quickly hurry
from store to store and browse many happy hours out of the rain.
Piccadilly Circus For many years, Piccadilly Circus - at the junction of five busy streets - has been a
famous London Landmark. At its heart and backlit by colourful electric displays is a bronze fountain
topped by a figure of a winged archer. The statue is popularly called Eros, the pagan god of love, but it
was in fact designed in the 19th century as a symbol of Christian charity - a monument to Lord
Shaftesbury, a philanthropist. The famous statue of Eros in Piccadilly Circus is one of the symbols of
London. It was originally called the Shaftesbury Monument, having been erected as a memorial to the
philanthropist Lord Shaftesbury. The actual figure rises above a fountain, which is made in bronze, but
Eros is made out of aluminium, at that time a rare and novel material. Piccadilly takes it name from a 17th
century frilly collar called a picadil. A dressmaker grew rich making them and built a house in the
vicinity.
Portobello Road
Welcome to Portobello Road, the world's largest antiques market, with over 1500 dealers selling every
kind of antique and collectable. The market is open every Saturday, while the shops are open six days a
week. Market days start gradually from around 5.30am with trading between dealers from the UK and
overseas. Most stall holders have arrived by 8.00am and the market is in full swing for the rest of the day,
with collectors and visitors from all over the world. The shops and stalls of Portobello Road offer an
extraordinary variety of goods ranging in price from a few pounds to several thousands. Visitors come
from all over the world because they know that in Portobello Road they will find the most extensive
selection of antiques in Britain.
Queen’s Victoria memorial
The Queen Victoria Memorial by Thomas Brock was erected in 1911. The Queen is looking onto the
Mall surrounded by allegorical figures representing charity, truth and justice, among others.
Red Telephone Boot
The “Jubilee Kiosk” was installed round Britain to celebrate King George’s
V’s Jubilee in 1935.
Nowadays traditional red telephone booths are rather rare due to modern
communication technology.
Regent’s Park
John Nash, the famous architect, was commissioned by The Prince Regent to construct Regent's Park in a
grand style. The grand result includes an open air theatre, rose garden, a lake with islands, a heronry and
waterfowl collection and children's playgrounds. It also contains London Zoo and is the largest outdoor
grass area for sports in central London.
Ritz Hotel
The Ritz, London. Few other places can summon such an immediate atmosphere of unparalleled style,
sophistication and elegance. Opened in 1906, the Ritz today still retains the personal feel of a French
country house whilst offering all the glamour, excitement and graceful living that are synonymous with
this legendary, World famous hotel. Returned to private ownership in 1995, The Ritz has been totally and
lovingly refurbished to restore even the fabrics to their original Louis XVI style.
River Thames
It’s not one of the world’s longest rivers – it is a mere 346 kilometres in length (215 miles) – but it is one
of the most famous, and it is the longest and most important waterway in England. Roman writers
mention it as the Thames, and the name is probably a Celtic word which means ‘broad river’. Thames
doesn't rhyme with James- it is pronounced Tems.
Roman Remains There are still remains of the Roman city of Londinium: forum, basilica, amphitheatre
and public baths
Royal Academy
Schizophrenic exhibition space, displaying major international art that's home a couple of times a year to
the efforts of untalented wannabees (eg the 'Sensation' exhibition). The quality of the exhibitions
vacillates between the staid and the undeserved. Great building, off Piccadilly, opposite Fortnum’s. Ticket
prices vary. Sometimes opens 24 hours to cope with demand.
Widely advertised across London, the gallery is trying a difficult balancing act: on the one hand it's
created the infamous 'Sensation' exhibition, which was banned when it went on to New York (virgin
Mary made out of elephant dung, bisected sheep), and was more famous for being famous than the quality
of the work (we only felt one work in the whole exhibition to be worthy of international acclaim). On the
other hand it is an Academy, with members, and the inheritor of a long tradition, to have the letters RA
after your name still counts for something. It can assemble a collection of works from galleries round the
world, and display them in a new light, the result of it's academic pedigree.
Anyone can enter a painting to the summer selling exhibition, which is renowned for the eclectic and
often questionable nature of the exhibits. Open daily 10.00-18.00, to 22.00 on Friday.
Royal Opera House
The present theatre was built in 1858. During World War II it was used as a dance hall but after the war
the idea of public subsidy of the arts was accepted and the decision was made to establish the Royal
Opera House as the permanent year-round home of the opera and ballet companies now known as The
Royal Opera and The Royal Ballet. In 1999 the Royal Opera House reopened after a £214 million
redevelopment and expansion programme. The magnificent new building, which features the stunning
facade of the Floral Hall, links the Covent Garden piazza with Bow Street. Since it reopened the Royal
Opera House has been open to the public throughout the day (except when performances are in progress),
with its many restaurants and bars, and often hosting free lunchtime recitals.
Shakespeare's Globe Theatre
It has been recreated on the south bank of the River Thames in London. The theatre is only a short
distance from the site of the original Globe Theatre built in 1599 here many of Shakespeare's plays were
first produced. Shakespeare’s Globe was founded by the pioneering American actor and director Sam
Wanamaker and has become one of London’s most successful theatres and top visitor attractions. The
theatre is a faithful reconstruction of the 1599 open-air playhouse where Shakespeare wrote many of his
greatest plays. Resident storytellers introduce visitors to all aspects of the Globe, historical and
contemporary, including Sam Wanamaker’s epic struggle to recreate the theatre for which Shakespeare
wrote many of his works.
The first Globe was built in Southwark in 1599. The Globe was at the heart of Shakespeare's London, the
Elizabethan equivalent of Shaftesbury Avenue or Broadway and the main theatrical entertainment ('red
light') district of London. Unfortunately, the theatre was burnt down in 1613 when a prop cannon shot an
ember into the thatched roof during a performance of Henry VIII.
Now, nearly 400 years later, Shakespeare's Globe is a reconstruction of the original Southwark theatre.
The Shakespeare Globe Centre is an educational, cultural and entertainment centre which includes a
museum under the theatre, research facilities and an exhibition of Elizabethan London.
Shakespeare's Globe Trust is dedicated to the experience and international understanding of Shakespeare
in performance. Uniquely its work celebrates the fact that the greatest dramatic poet in the English
language lived and worked in London and that the cradle of English theatre was on Bankside by the River
Thames.
Soho
In the 20th century, as the local population began to fall, Soho became known for its cheap restaurants
and entertainment's, both legal and illegal. In the 1950's Soho was famous for its jazz, Ronnie Scott
opened his first jazz club in 1959 on Gerrard Street, before moving to Frith Street in 1965.
At the same time the sex industry, for which Soho had been renowned since the mid-19th century,
expanded during the 1960's and 1970's. However, in the 1980's and 1990's Soho began to improve.
Soho pubs revived as a boom in gay business injected life into its cafés, restaurants and shops, giving
vitality into the neighbourhood. Chinatown has also developed in a very vibrant part of Soho and is very
popular with tourists, especially at Chinese New Year.
Today, Soho's narrow streets are home to around 5,000 residents, a mix of local tenants, artists, media
workers, tailors, market traders, dealers, prostitutes and the homeless people, who shelter in Soho's
doorways and alleyways. Soho hasn't become a tourist trap like Covent Garden…
Speaker's Corner
Speaker's Corner in London's Hyde Park is one of the best places to let off steam in London . It is one of
the most famous locations symbolizing democratic rights in the world. Amongst those who have attended
meetings there, are the some of the most influential figures in world history like Karl Marx, Fredrick
Engels and Lenin.
St James’s Palace
Another one built by Henry VIII, who was great news for architects and
builders across the country but bad news for 5 of his 6 wives. Of the four
original courts only Colour Court remains. This was the principal in-town
residence of 300 years of monarchs from 1698 after Whitehall Palace burnt
down, and until 2003, Prince Charles. It itself was substantially burnt in
1809, and restored over the next five years. Royal Palaces have a habit of
burning down in this country - in the past 20 years there have been
significant fires at Hampton Court and Windsor castle - now thankfully both
fully restored. The Duke of Cumberland was almost murdered in St James'
after making gay advances on his footman (who he discovered in bed with
his wife) - another Royal tradition. When Prince Charles is in residence here
there are busbee'd guards outside - easier to access and photograph than
Buckingham Palace.
There's usually a changing of the guard here at 16:00 or thereabouts - and no crowds. The ceremony will
probably move to Clarence House when Charles moves in autumn 2003. The interior is not open to the
public. However you can sneak in to get a peek. It's in the 'Palace district' at the westerly end of Pall Mall
St James’s Park
Bordering The Mall as it heads towards Buckingham Palace, St James's Park has a truly regal air. From
the bridge over the lake there are two of London's best views, towards the Palace in one direction and
Whitehall to the south. The park is a great picnic spot on a royal itinerary. Rent a deckchair in summer
and listen to the bands on the bandstand.
St James’s Square
Leading from Piccadilly Circus to Hyde Park Corner, there is a
small enclave between Piccadilly and The Mall. At the heart of
this exclusive area is St James square laid out in the 1970s. In
this quiet and very flowery square is standing, right in the
middle, the impressive statue of Gulielmus III riding his horse.
Some houses around and near Saint James Square have seen a
succession of famous residents among which Prime Ministers,
Charles de Gaulle and General Eisenhower
St Katherine’s Dock
St Katharine's Dock, the capital's first Docklands redevelopment, has a splendid location just east of
Tower Bridge and Tower of London. Situated on the north bank of the Thames, St Katharine's once had
over 1,000 cottages, a brewery, hospital and the 12th century church of St Katharine. In 1828 all this was
removed to make way for a new docklands development, designed by Thomas Telford.
St Katharine's Dock, the most central of the capital's docks, flourished during the 19th and early-20th
centuries but by the mid-20th century the dock became too small to handle the new, larger, container
ships. In 1968 St Katharine's Dock closed when larger docks opened downstream. The capital's other
docks followed 15 years later.
In 1973 St Katharine's was transformed as one of London's most successful redevelopments, with
residential and commercial areas and entertainment facilities.
The old warehouse buildings now have shops, restaurants, cafés and pubs on their ground floors and
offices above. There is often live music here during summer lunchtimes. On the north side of the dock is
the London FOX (Futures and Options Exchange) trading in such commodities as oil, sugar and coffee. St
Katharine's Haven is a yacht marina with a lighthouse ship and has a group of russet-sailed, turn-of-thecentury barges.
Saint Margaret St Margaret's Church, Middle of the 14th Century church in the London borough of
Westminster, since 1614 the official church of the House of Commons. It stands near Westminster Abbey
and the Houses of Parliament.
The church was founded by the abbot of Westminster in the early or mid-12th century, but the original
structure was demolished in the 14th century. Between 1486 and 1523 it was rebuilt, and galleries were
added in 1641 and 1681.
St Paul's Cathedral
It is Sir Christopher Wren's masterpiece, built between 1675 and 1708 to replace
the previous cathedral destroyed in the Great Fire of London in 1666. The huge
and elegant dome dominates the skyline of the City and gives panoramic views
over London. Inside you can see the majestic interior and enjoy the unique
acoustics of the Whispering Gallery. The crypt contains tombs and memorials of
historic figures, including Lord Nelson and Lawrence of Arabia. St Paul's was
designed by Christopher Wren, renowned architect of the age, who chose to mix
many styles in planning the great cathedral, including classical and gothic
construction. Almost 300 years later, St. Paul's survived the Blitz in WW11 and
became a symbol of hope to devastated Londoners. The cathedral has also been
the venue for royal weddings including the marriage of Prince Charles and
Princess Diana.
Tate Britain
Tate Britain exhibits British art from 1500 to the present day. Tate holds the largest collection of British
art including major works of art by Blake, Constable, Epstein, Gainsborough, Gilbert and George,
Hatoum, Hirst, Hockney, Hodgkin, Hogarth, Moore, Rossetti, Sickert, Spencer, Stubbs and Turner etc..
Tate Britain has a programme of free guided tours, gallery talks, lectures and films, every day of the
week. There are also study days, courses and conferences designed for anyone who has an interest in the
history of modern or contemporary art.
Tate Modern
Tate Modern, opened in May 2000, is Britain's new national museum of modern art. Housed in the
former Bankside Power Station, Tate Modern is a spectacular setting for displaying the Tate's collection
of international modern art from 1900 to the present day, including major works by Bacon, Dalí, Picasso,
Matisse, Rothko and Warhol as well as recent work by artists such as Steve McQueen, Rebecca Horn and
Gillian Wearing. There is also an extensive range of special exhibitions and a programme of events
throughout the year.
The British Museum
The British Museum is the oldest, and one of the largest museums in the world. Where else can you see
some of the greatest treasures of all time under one roof? The British Museum holds in trust for the nation
and the world a collection of art and antiquities from ancient and living cultures. Housed in one of
Britain’s architectural landmarks, the collection is one of the finest in existence. The museum celebrates
its 250th anniversary this year and will see the re-opening of the King’s Library. Don’t forget to visit the
impressive library in its center.
The initial collection was bequeathed by Sir Hans Sloane, a Chelsea doctor in 1753. It became a magnet
for all the loot being amassed by the British Empire through the nineteenth century. In the 1880s the
natural history collections were transferred to South Kensington .Key Exhibits include the Rosetta Stone,
the Lindisfarne Gospels, Egyptian Hall, the Tomb of Payava, the Elgin Marbles & the Sutton Hoo
treasure (British Museum). The Magna Carta (British Library). The British Museum is one of the worlds
finest museums.
The Cenotaph
Commemorates British and Commonwealth servicemen and Women who lost their lives in War. Every
Year during November on a Sunday Closest to the 11th of the Month at 11am, The Queen and The Nation
remember their sacrifice for our freedom, with a service of remembrance and two minute silence. The
Cenotaph is located in Whitehall between Parliament and Horse Guards Parade. The inscription reads
"The Glorious Dead"
The Changing of the Guard
outside Buckingham Palace is one of the biggest tourist attractions in England today. It is the ceremony
which takes place outside the palace when the soldiers who have been mounting guard go off duty and are
replaced by the new “guard”. This royal ceremony takes place outside Buckingham Palace at 1130. In
May the Guard will change daily. There will be no Guard change on 31 May. The ceremony lasts 40
minutes and takes place inside the palace railings, which means you can watch it from outside. The
Queen's Guard, accompanied by a band, leaves Wellington Barracks at 1127 and march via Birdcage
Walk to the Palace.
During the summer, the Changing of the Guard takes
place at the front of the Palace and is a popular event for
visitors to the capital from 1st April to Early July and on
alternate days at other times.
Since 1660, Household Troops have guarded the
Sovereign and the Royal Palaces. The Queen's Guard
usually consists of Foot Guards in full-dress uniform of
red tunics and bearskins.
The Changing of the Guard takes place in the forecourt
of Buckingham Palace at 11.30 every day in summer,
every other day in winter, and lasts about 45 minutes.
The New Guard marches to the Palace from Wellington Barracks with a Guards band, the Old Guard
hands over in a ceremony during which the sentries are changed and then returns to barracks. The New
Guard then marches to St James's Palace leaving the detachment at Buckingham Palace.
The Cutty Sark
When launched in 1869, the Cutty Sark was at the pinnacle of sailing ship technology, with one important
mission: to bring back the season's first tea crop! Now dry-docked in maritime Greenwich, a world
heritage site, you can see how her beautiful streamlined shape helped her to become the fastest ship of her
type. Inside is a collection of carved ships, figureheads and displays telling the illustrious story of the
Cutty Sark.
The Docklands
From Tower Bridge to the Royal Docks and the Isle of Dogs is one of the oldest areas of London,
containing the wharfs, warehouses and ports along the River Thames. In the last half of the 1980s this
whole area was rejuvenated with very modern buildings and an extensive new light rail system,
Docklands Light Railway (DLR). The trains are fully automatic, with no drivers but a service agent on
board to assist passengers. Throughout the Docklands, there are restaurants, shops, apartment and town
house developments (with a distinct Canadian flavour) sometimes mingling with some of the oldest
streets in London
The centre of the Docklands is Canary Wharf - One Canada Square is Britain's tallest building.
The Guards Museum
The Guards Museum is located at Wellington Barracks on Birdcage
Road, situated beneath the parade ground. Wellington Barracks is
home to the five guards regiments of the British Army. The Guards
regiments are the Welsh, Scots and Irish Guards, the Coldstream
Guards and the Grenadier Guards. The Guards were formed after the
restoration of Charles I in 1660 and were assembled from Cromwell's
New Model Army and two regiments from the protectors of the exiled
King. The museum was first opened to the public in 1988 and displays
the history of these proud regiments. Among the informative displays
are examples of uniform, chronicling the evolving dress of the various
regiments.
There are also paintings drawing and sculpture, depicting the various battles that have involved the
regiments throughout history. The atmosphere is enhanced by examples of the marching music that the
guards display to. At 10:50 am every day throughout April through to August the Guards can be seen
entering formation outside the Museum in preparation for their march up to St. James Palace and
Buckingham Palace for the changing of the Guard. The Guards Museum also provides a fine gift shop
featuring memorabilia and a huge range of model soldiers for purchase.
The Houses of Parliament – Westminster Palace
They were rebuilt in 1834 after a fire destroyed the original buildings. There are over 1,000 rooms in it,
but it is apparently still very crowded at times! The Houses of Parliament, otherwise known as The Palace
of Westminster, stands on the site where Edward the Confessor had the original palace built in the first
half of the eleventh century. Parliament is the legislative assembly of Great Britain.
It has evolved into the nation's sovereign power, while the monarchy remains sovereign in name only.
Technically, it consists of the monarch, the House of Commons, and the House of Lords, but the term
usually refers only to Commons, a democratically elected body of 651 members. The House of Lords is
composed of peers and Anglican prelates. Since 1911 its powers have been negligible.
Edward the Confessor had the original palace built in the eleventh century. The British parliament is the
seat of the Government of the United Kingdom. The Palace of Westminster consists of the House of
Commons (elected) and the House of Lords (not elected- hereditary and nominated). Big Ben, one of
London’s famous landmarks is found at the Houses of Parliament. Big Ben is not the clock tower but the
thirteenth bell which strikes the hour. It is counterweighted with old pennies!
Parliamentary government in the United Kingdom is based on a two-chamber system. The House of
Lords (the upper House-not elected) and the House of Commons (the lower house-elected at least every 5
years) sit separately and are constituted on entirely different principles. The legislative process involves
both Houses - the Commons and the Lords. The main functions of Parliament are to: examine proposals
for new laws, provide, by voting for taxation, the means of carrying on the work of government,
scrutinise government policy and administration, including proposals for expenditure and to debate the
major issues of the day.
The Imperial War Museum
From Britain and Commonwealth forces to stories from
civilians, war heroes, and villains, step into the history of
modern war. The wars of the twentieth century have
affected each and every one of us in some way, and the
Imperial War Museum is here to tell all our stories,
covering all aspects of life in wartime.
The Museum is not only at its main London location but
also at its three further branches: the Cabinet War Rooms
in Whitehall, the historic ship HMS Belfast, moored in
London, and Duxford Airfield near Cambridge in
Cambridgeshire. The name says it all, though it's not just
about different ways of killing; recently they've become
softer, looking at the experience of war rather than its
prosecution. Some great exhibitions such as 'The Blitz'
and 'The Holocaust' are quite moving. Is located on the
site of St Mary's Bethlehem hospital - better known as
Bedlam. 10.00-18.00 daily
The London Dungeon
Buried beneath the London Bridge Station, deep in the heart of London, you will find the world's most
infamous museum of horror. The London Dungeon brings more than 2,000 years of gruesomely authentic
history vividly back to life ....and death. With over 40 exhibits the London Dungeon strives to display the
best examples of Britain's dark and gruesome past. Major exhibits include Jack the Ripper's London, The
Plague years, Judgment Day, The Great fire of London and of course The Torture Chamber. You will see
plague victims vomiting blood, witness the prosecution and subsequent execution of accused witches
during the burning times. The memory of brutal disembowelment will sear itself into your memory as you
watch the removal of the victims intestines inch by bloody inch. Be vigilant; maintain your composure
and you may survive to tell the tale. (Editor's Note: The Dungeon prides itself on the accuracy and
realism of the exhibits - we do not recommend this attraction for unaccompanied children and individuals
with an aversion to gore.)
The London Millennium footbridge It is located on the River Thames, between St. Paul’s Cathedral
on the north bank of the river, and the Borough of Southwark with the nearby Globe Theatre and Tate
Modern Art Museum on the South bank. The Millennium Bridge is the first pedestrian bridge across the
Thames in London in more than a century.
The Millennium Dome
As the world marked the year 2000, Greenwich moved centre-stage. The Millennium Dome was an
opportunity for us all to celebrate the year 2000. The Dome is now closed to visitors.
The Monument
Designed by Wren and completed in 1677, The Monument commemorates the Great Fire of London of
1666. The fire started in Pudding Lane. The column stands 202ft high, and is the tallest free standing
stone column in the world.
The Museum of London
London is a vibrant and evolving city. Discover its story at the Museum of London. London has survived
Viking invasions, a Great Fire and two world wars. It has been home to Roman settlers, great monarchs
and dangerous criminals. With half a million years’ worth of objects, stories and mysteries, the Museum
of London is the key to the capital. Visit the Museum of London and put a smile on your face.
The National Gallery
It houses one of the greatest collections of European painting in the world. There are over 2,300 paintings
from the period 1260 to 1900, including masterpieces by Van Eyck, Leonardo da Vinci, Holbein,
Rembrandt, Vermeer, Monet and Van Gogh.
One of the world's finest art collections, the National Gallery contains over 2,300 Western European
paintings, mostly dating from 1260 - 1900, including many masterpieces by the greatest artists.
Occupying all of the north side of Trafalgar Square, the National Gallery is around the corner from the
National Portrait Gallery.
The National Maritime Museum
Opened in 1937, after the buildings were vacated by the Royal Naval Asylum, a school for sailors'
orphans. The Museum is the largest and most important museum of its kind in the world. It houses 16
galleries within a dramatic architectural space, which tell the story of Britain and the sea and the
importance of the ocean in our lives today.
The National Portrait Gallery
The National Portrait Gallery was founded in 1856. Portraits of Over 1,000 British men and women are
on display from the Middle Ages until the present day. Henry VII to portraits of Queen Elizabeth II. Built
in the 19th century, the National Portrait Gallery's collection contains over 10,000 oil paintings,
watercolours, drawings, miniatures, sculptures, caricatures, silhouettes and photographs.
The Natural History Museum
Ever stared into the gaping jaws of a Tyrannosaurus rex, felt the devastating power of an earthquake or
come face to face with a giant, moving scorpion? You will when you enter the amazing world of The
Natural History Museum. One of the world’s finest and largest museums of natural history with hundreds
of exhibits, many interactive, ranging from the volcano experience to the dinosaurs exhibition. CreepyCrawlies exhibition, blue whale, earth’s treasury, dinosaurs etc. You can join highlight and themed
guided tours of the Museum, which start near the Life Galleries entrance. Free map/information leaflet on
admission The Central Hall, with its Victorian architecture and Dinosaur skeleton.
The Rock Circus
Have you ever dreamt of being a being a pop star (or at least living like one)? Then visit the new
Madame Tussaud's Rock Circus which tells the story of rock and pop music from the 1950s to the present
day, using audio-animatronic moving and static wax figures, lasers, authentic memorabilia, videos,
archive film and personal stereo. Go behind the scenes and encounter some of the biggest names in pop
and rock music today. It will take you approximately 90mins to see.
The Royal Albert Hall
The Royal Albert Hall was planned by Prince Albert, the husband of Queen Victoria, inspired by Roman
amphitheatres he had seen in Europe. Albert's original concept was for an ovoid auditorium for 30,000
people but money constraints meant that the hall was reduced to seat just over 5,000.
Designed by engineer, Francis Fowke, the hall was completed in 1871. The red brick and terracotta
building is topped by an iron and glass dome, and a frieze representing arts and science, runs around the
exterior. Originally to be called the Hall of Arts and Science Queen Victoria changed it to the Royal
Albert Hall in memory of Prince Albert.
This much-loved London landmark, the Albert Hall is used for a variety of events, from fashion and pop
concerts to wrestling. From mid-July to mid-September it is devoted solely to the Sir Henry Wood
Promenade Concerts or 'Proms', that are organized by the BBC and feature the BBC Philharmonic
Orchestra These concerts were originally held in the Queen's Hall, Langham Place, but moved to the
Albert Hall after the Queen's Hall was destroyed in the Blitz.
The 'Proms' have a varied programme including modern symphonic music and classics. Seats are
removed from in front of the stage, leaving an open space in which members of the audience either stand
or sit on the floor. The very English 'Last Night of the Proms' has become a national institution and
tickets sell out weeks in advance. Tickets for the 'Proms' can be bought on the day of the performance but
long queues build up.
The Science Museum
Situated in Exhibition Road, South Kensington, the Science Museum contains all the wonders of our
industrial and technological age. The Science Museum is one of three British museums which, with the
National Railway Museum, York and the National Museum of Photography, Film & Television, Bradford
which together are the National Museum of Science & Industry ( NMSI ). The Science Museum opened
in 1857, as the South Kensington Museum, on land purchased with the profits from the Great Exhibition
of 1851. At the Science Museum visitors can experience the major scientific advances of the past 300
years. There are over 40 galleries with the world's finest collections in science history technology and
medicine offer over thousands of interactive exhibits with many permanent displays. From working steam
engines to Apollo 10. A IMAX 3D film theatre is now open. The Science Museum holds the world's
largest and most significant collection illustrating the history and contemporary practice of science,
technology, medicine and industry. The Museum welcomes about 1.6 million visitors per year and is one
of the top ten tourist attractions in the UK. About 15% of the Museum's collections are on display.
The Sherlock Holmes Museum
Sherlock Holmes, the fictional detective created by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, 1868 - 1952, lived at 221b
Baker Street.
Although this small museum has the correct street number, it is actually located between 237 and 239
Baker Street On visiting this re-creation of the famous sleuth's lodging you are greeted by Holmes's
'maid' and shown around his rooms on the first floor. The candle-lit bedroom contains a make-up case for
Holmes' elaborate disguises and his famous violin can be seen in the corner. On the walls are pictures of
real-life Victorian criminals including the notorious Dr Crippen. A 'maid ' is also on hand in the study to
answer questions and to take photographs of visitors wishing to sit in Holmes' chair with the famous
deerstalker and calabash pipe. The other floors contain scenes from various Holmes stories.
Conan Doyle's fascination with crime not only helped him solve fictional mysteries but also real-life
crimes, and he also wrote well-regarded science fiction and romances. The shop sells copies of the stories
and items such as deerstalker hats.
His statue is outside Baker Street underground station.
The Thames Barrier
It is a unique structure, built to protect London against tidal surges. At a width of 520m and as high as a
five-storey building, the barrier is a triumph of modern engineering. The Information Centre describes the
construction and operation of the barrier, with video, displays, models and computer software to navigate
on.
The Tower of London
For over 900 years, The Tower of London has dominated the
capital. As a Royal Palace, fortress, prison, place of execution,
arsenal, Royal Mint and jewel house, it has witnessed many great
events in British history. Today is still one of the capital's most
prominent landmarks and a world famous visitor attraction.
Throughout its long history the Tower has served as a royal palace
and fortress, prison and place of execution, an arsenal, royal mint,
menagerie and jewel house.
Discover its long and eventful history, its buildings and collections including the Crown Jewels and Royal
Armouries.Founded by William the Conqueror in 1066-7 and enlarged and modified by successive
sovereigns, today the Tower of London is one of the world's most famous and spectacular fortresses.
Discover its 900-year history as a royal palace and fortress, prison and place of execution, mint, arsenal,
menagerie and jewel house. The Tower of London is one of the world's major tourist attractions; today,
over 2.5 million visitors a year come to discover its long and eventful history, its buildings, ceremonies
and traditions, and to get a glimpse of the world famous Crown Jewels.
The Tower of London was first built in 1078 by William the Conqueror
(1066-1087) and was completed by William II who was tragically killed by
Walter Tyrell in a hunting accident in the New Forest. During the Towers
history it has been a palace, prison, treasury, zoo and arsenal. The Crown
Jewels are housed in the tower. Also the Medieval Palace, the " Bloody"
Tower. Free tours by the Yeoman Warders. A new exhibition the 'Crowns
and Diamonds', showing the development of Royal Crowns in Britain is in
the Martin Tower. Visitors should allow 2-3 hours for your visit.
The Transport Museum
The award-winning London Transport Museum has been housed in Covent Garden's old Victorian Flower
Market since 1980. The collection records the history of London's public transport system from the first
buses of the 1820's to the present day.
The history of London's public transport reflects it's social history. At first the bus, tram and underground
routes followed the growth of the city and but later they promoted its development. The northern and
western suburbs did not start to grow until their underground connections were constructed.
As well as tracing the history of London's public transport, the museum also looks forward to the future.
The museum balances fun and education and is very popular with children and adults. Children are given
a 'Kidzones' card which they can stamp at points along the way, an incentive for them to complete the
tour.
There are plenty of interactive displays and children can clamber aboard an early tram and pretend to be a
bus conductor, or put themselves in the driver's seat of a London bus or Underground train. Also in the
museum is a collection of 20th century commercial art. Throughout their history London's bus and train
companies have been patrons of contemporary artists, and among the designs on display are works by the
innovative Art Deco artist E. McKnight Kauffer, and the celebrated 1930's artists Paul Nash and Graham
Sutherland.
The museum shop, also open to those not visiting the museum, has copies of some of the best posters in
the collection, together with a selection of books for the transport enthusiast. Many of the items display
the London Transport logo or the stylish London Underground font. Items such as mugs and stationery
feature well-known slogans like: 'Mind the Gap', 'Not in service' or 'Penalty for improper use £50'.
The Tube
London had the first ever underground railway: ’the Tube’. The first line was completed in 1863.
The earliest lines on the London Underground follow the direction of major streets and rarely pass under
buildings. This is because many Londoners feared that the tunnel would undermine the foundations of the
city's buildings. The trains in the London Underground were the first to be powered by electric engines.
During World Wars I and II, the London Underground subway stations were used as air-raid shelters.
The Victoria and Albert Museum has long been established as a leading advocate of contemporary art
and design. Born out of the Great Exhibition of 1851, the Museum has evolved into one of the World's
most comprehensive and diverse collections of the decorative arts. Queen Victoria laid the foundation
stone of the Museum on 17th May 1899. The V&A has a collection of more than 4 million objects. The
Victoria & Albert Museum in London is the world's largest museum of the decorative arts and has 146
galleries, including national collections of sculpture, furniture, fashion and photographs. It also houses the
National Art Library. The V&A also manages the Bethnal Green Museum of Childhood, the Wellington
Museum at Apsley House and the Theatre Museum in Covent Garden.
The West End
So many theatres and plays to choose from!
Tower Bridge
It took 8 years to build, completed in 1894. The high level walkways, joining the two towers, were
provided for use by pedestrians when the deck was raised. These walkways were however closed in 1910
due to the lack of use; pedestrians were prepared to wait until the deck was re-lowered. The deck is raised
on average 500 times a year. This reflects the reduction in river traffic since the bridge was built; the deck
was raised 655 times during the first month of opening. It is however estimated that 38,000 road vehicles
now use the bridge each day. Type: Movable, bascule Suspension Span Length: 200 feet (60 m) Total
Length: 880 feet (268 m)
Tower Bridge Exhibition
Over 100 years ago, the Victorians built a bridge that has become one of London's most famous
landmarks. High level walkways were built to allow people to cross the Thames whilst the Bridge was
lifted to let tall ships come through.
Today these walkways act as viewing galleries, giving visitors the most spectacular views across an everchanging London skyline. At Tower Bridge Exhibition you can enjoy these breathtaking views, learn
about the history of the bridge and how it was built from the interactive displays and videos. You can then
visit the Victorian steam engines that used to power the bridge.
Trafalgar Square
It is set in central London, is one of Britain's great tourist attractions. A visit to the capital would be
incomplete without going to this most famous of landmarks. The main hub of Central London, was built
in honour of Admiral Nelson after his victory in 1805 at the Battle of Trafalgar, off the coast of Spain.
John Nash designed the square in the 1830's. The centre piece is Nelson's Column, which supports a large
statue of Nelson on the top. Nelson, atop the column, looks minute from the ground but is actually 18ft
high. Four bronze lions by Edwin Landseer stand at the base of the column. Trafalgar Square is also
famous for its pigeons. The local authorities try to discourage people from feeding them, but the pigeons
are still very popular with Londoners and visitors alike.
Wellington Arch
The Waterloo campaign of 1815 was without exception the most famous of the Nineteenth century. It was
to culminate in the final overthrow of Napoleon Bonaparte by Wellington and the end of twenty five
years of warfare.
Westminster Abbey An architectural masterpiece of the 13th to 16th centuries, Westminster Abbey also
presents a unique pageant of British history – the shrine of St Edward the Confessor, the tombs of kings
and queens, and countless memorials to the famous and the great. It has been the setting for every
Coronation since 1066 and for numerous other royal occasions. Today it is still a church dedicated to
regular worship and to the celebration of great events in the life of the nation. Neither a cathedral nor a
parish church, Westminster Abbey is a “Royal Peculiar” under the jurisdiction of a Dean and Chapter,
subject only to the Sovereign.
Westminster Abbey, a work of architectural genius, a place of daily worship, deploying the resources of
high musical expertise, a burial place of kings, statesmen, poets, scientists, warriors and musicians, is the
result of a process of development across the centuries, which represents the response of a monastery and
later a post-Reformation church to the stimulus and challenge of its environment.
In the 1040s King Edward (later St Edward the Confessor), last of the Anglo-Saxon kings, established his
royal palace by the banks of the river Thames on land known as Thorney Island. Close by was a small
Benedictine monastery founded under the patronage of King Edgar and St Dunstan around 960 AD. This
monastery Edward chose to re-endow and greatly enlarge, building a large stone church in honour of St
Peter the Apostle. This church became known as the “west minster” to distinguish it from St Paul’s
Cathedral (the east minster) in the City of London. Unfortunately, when the new church was consecrated
on 28 December 1065 the King was too ill to attend and died a few days later. His mortal remains were
entombed in front of the High Altar.
The only traces of this Norman monastery are to be found in the round arches and massive supporting
columns of the Undercroft in the Cloisters. This now houses the Abbey Museum but was originally part
of the domestic quarters of the monks. Among the most significant ceremonies that occurred in the
Norman Abbey was the coronation of William the Conqueror on Christmas day 1066, and the
“translation” or moving of King Edward’s body to a new tomb a few years after his canonisation in 1161.
Edward’s Abbey survived for two centuries until the middle of the 13th century when King Henry III
decided to rebuild it in the new Gothic style of architecture. It was a great age for cathedrals: in France it
saw the construction of Amiens, Evreux and Chartres and in England Canterbury, Winchester and
Salisbury, to mention a few. Under the decree of the King of England, Westminster Abbey was designed
to be not only a great monastery and place of worship, but also a place for the coronation and burial of
monarchs.
Every monarch since William the Conqueror, with the exception of Edward V and Edward VIII who were
never crowned, has been crowned in the Abbey. It was natural that Henry III should wish to translate the
body of the saintly Edward the Confessor into a more magnificent tomb behind the High Altar. This
shrine survives and around it are buried a cluster of medieval kings and their consorts including Henry III,
Edward I and Eleanor of Castile, Edward III and Philippa of Hainault, Richard II and Anne of Bohemia
and Henry V. The Abbey contains some 600 monuments and wall tablets – the most important collection
of monumental sculpture anywhere in the country - and over three thousand people are buried here.
Notable among these is the Unknown Warrior, whose grave, close to the west door, has become a place of
pilgrimage.
A remarkable new addition to the Abbey was the glorious Lady Chapel built by King Henry VII, first of
the Tudor monarchs, which now bears his name. The chapel has a spectacular fan-vaulted roof and the
craftsmanship of Italian sculptor Torrigiano can be seen in Henry’s fine tomb. The banners of the Knights
of the Order of the Bath, which surround the walls, together with the Battle of Britain window by Hugh
Easton at the east end, give colour to this chapel.
Two centuries later a further addition was made to the Abbey when the western towers (left unfinished
from medieval times) were completed, to a design by Nicholas Hawksmoor. Little remains of the original
medieval stained glass, once one of the Abbey’s chief glories. The great west window and the rose
window in the north transept date from the early 18th century but the remainder of the glass dates from
the 19th century onwards.
History did not cease with the passing of the medieval
monastery in 1540. Queen Elizabeth I, buried in one of the
aisles of Henry VII’s chapel, refounded the Abbey in 1560 as a
Collegiate Church, a Royal Peculiar exempt from the
jurisdiction of bishops and with the Sovereign as its Visitor. In
place of the monastic community a collegiate body of a dean
and prebendaries, minor canons and a lay staff was established
and charged with the task of continuing the tradition of daily
worship (for which a musical foundation of choristers, singing
men and organist was provided) and with the education of forty
Scholars who formed the nucleus of what is now Westminster
School (one of the country’s leading independent schools). In
addition the Dean and Chapter were responsible for much of
the civil government of Westminster, a role which was only
fully relinquished in the early 20th century. Thus the Abbey
was reshaped and newly patterned to discharge a distinctive yet
worshipful role in a modern age.
Still today, a daily pattern of worship is offered to the Glory of God. Special services, representative of a
wide spread of interest and social concern, are held regularly. In 1965-66 the Abbey celebrated its 900th
anniversary, taking as its theme ‘One People’. Such a theme seemed to be fitting for a church which,
through a long history of involvement with the developing life of the British people, has become known
throughout the world.
Westminster Cathedral
Westminster Cathedral is one of the greatest secrets of
London; people heading down Victoria Street on the welltrodden route to more famous sites are astonished to come
across a piazza opening up the view to an extraordinary
façade of towers, balconies and domes.
The architecture of Westminster Cathedral certainly sets it
apart from other London landmarks, owing more to the
Byzantine style of the eastern Roman Empire than the
familiar Gothic of our native cathedrals.
Its uniqueness is, however, not merely in its external form.
Visitors find in Westminster Cathedral a very special place
of prayer, a refuge from the busy city, a space to find one's
own thoughts. This spiritual atmosphere, shaped through the
silence as well as through the music of its celebrated choir,
is the chief glory of the Cathedral, and the most
extraordinary treasure to be discovered by visitors.
The Cathedral site was originally known as Bulinga Fen and formed part of the marsh around
Westminster. It was reclaimed by the Benedictine monks who were the builders and owners of
Westminster Abbey, and subsequently used as a market and fairground. After the reformation the land
was used in turn as a maze, a pleasure garden and as a ring for bull-baiting but it remained largely waste
ground.
In the 17th century a part of the land was sold by the Abbey for the construction of a prison which was
demolished and replaced by an enlarged prison complex in 1834. The site was acquired by the Catholic
Church in 1884.
The Cathedral Church of Westminster, which is dedicated to the Most Precious Blood of Our Lord Jesus
Christ, was designed in the Early Christian Byzantine style by the Victorian architect John Francis
Bentley. The foundation stone was laid in 1895 and the fabric of the building was completed eight years
later.
The awesome interior of the Cathedral, although incomplete, contains fine marble-work and mosaics. The
fourteen Stations of the Cross, by the sculptor Eric Gill, are world renowned. If you enter the Cathedral at
a quiet moment in the day, don’t imagine that it is always like this. Westminster Cathedral must be one of
the busiest churches in the United Kingdom. Located in the heart of London, it is the mother-church of
England & Wales. People are drawn to this great edifice from all over London, all over the country and
the world. If you are trying to imagine ‘what goes on’ here, consider that there are seven masses each day,
many great services of worship on special occasions and unique gatherings of every description which fill
the Cathedral to the doors.
The architectural master-work of John Francis Bentley (1839-1902). Bentley was a Victorian church
architect of great accomplishments. However, the new cathedral at Westminster was his first commission
calling for a neo-Byzantine basilica plan, based on Mediterranean models of the early Christian centuries.
Since Christian belief took hold in the east, the first churches had an oriental character. When the
foundation stone of Hagia Sophia was laid on 23 February, 532 AD two earlier churches on the site had
already been destroyed. The first of these (burnt down by a mob in 404 AD) had been built by the
Emperor Constantine and was one of the earliest buildings erected for Christian worship.
It was to buildings such as Hagia Sophia, San Vitale in Ravenna
and St Mark’s, Venice, that Bentley turned for inspiration. In
1894, to prepare himself mentally and spiritually for the work of
designing the Cathedral, Bentley set out on a European tour of
many of the ‘primitive’ church buildings of Europe with St
Mark’s, Venice as the high point of his journey. In Rome, he
was received in private audience by Pope Leo XIII, who held his
hands in his own as they talked, finally bestowing a special
blessing on the architect and his great task of designing a worthy
cathedral in the heart of London. John Bentley returned after
four months abroad, with Westminster Cathedral clear in his
mind. We know this, because his detailed plans were soon put
into the hands of his client, Cardinal Herbert Vaughan. Although
the influence of the Byzantine prototypes are there for all to see,
Bentley had no time for slavish imitation and the London
cathedral is truly ‘an original’. Working closely with the
Cardinal, Bentley would soon be supervising the construction of
the enormous brick shell, with its domes and the finely detailed
and elaborate exterior. Interior decorations would also
commence, but it was always the intention that future
generations of Catholics would gradually complete the interior.
Whitehall (see Downing Street)
WORKBOOK
ENGLISH
LANGUAGE
DIARY
You have to complete a diary of your trip to London. You will have to hand it
over when you come back from the trip.
In this diary you can stick photographs, tickets, publicity … All those things you
can pick everywhere.
You should also use the tables we show you here, completing them with the
different information you will be getting through the trip.
And, of course, don’t forget to write about your experiences in this trip to
London.
Travelling is very exciting and gives you cultural knowledge;
What do you know about London? What flight have you taken?
Where are you staying? What places of interest are you going to visit? What
are the places for entertainment?
These charts have been added to this workbook as some different
ideas to complete your trip diary. You should use them in your diary.
BILBAO – LONDON
Trip out
date
city
Airport
name
time
Check-in time
departure
Arrival
LONDON - BILBAO
Trip back
departure
Arrival
date
city
Airport
name
time
Check-in time
YOUR HOTEL
Hotel Name:
Hotel Place:
Underground station:
Phone number:
Room number
Type of bedroom
You should complete this chart or one similar everyday with the places you visit.
Museums, galleries, churches, ...
Day
Your information
1-Name of museum/gallery/site
……………..
2- Place /area
……………..
3-Underground station
……………..
4- cost
…………..£
1-Name of museum/gallery/site
…………………€
……………..
2- Place /area
……………..
3-Underground station
……………..
4- Cost
…………..£
1-Name of museum/gallery/site
…………………€
……………..
2- Place /area
……………..
3-Underground station
……………..
4- Cost
…………..£
1-Name of museum/gallery/site
…………………€
……………..
2- Place /area
……………..
3-Underground station
……………..
4- Cost
…………..£
…………………€
Shopping areas in London.
What shopping areas have you visited, what did you buy? How much did you
spend?
DAY __________
Shopping
place
AREA
1- name of the
shop:
1-…………….
2- Underground
station
2……………...
3- Motivations
(reasons to go
there)
4-Things you
have bought
1-……………. 1-……………. 1-…………….
2……………...
2……………...
2……………...
3-…………….
3-……………. 3-……………. 3-…………….
4-…………….
4-……………. 4-……………. 4-…………….
5-…………….
5-……………. 5-……………. 5-…………….
5- Estimated
expense
Eating in London
Where have you had lunch and dinner? Have you tried the famous English tea? Do
you think it is more expensive than in Vitoria? Complete a chart similar to this one
for each day.
DAY ________ WHERE?
BREAKFAST
LUNCH
TEA
DINNER
SNACKS
WHAT?
HOW
MUCH?
PERSONAL
OPINION:
FOOD,
PLACE,…
LABORATOY
TECHNIQUES
Teacher: Oscar Erauzquin
You will visit the Science Museum. There, you will be able to visit an
exhibition exploring the first century of plastics.
Plasticity
100 years of making plastics
•
Location
First Floor of the Museum
Since Leo Baekeland invented Bakelite, the first truly man-made
material, in 1907, we have taken to plastics in a big way. They are in
our lives, our homes, our bodies. While scientists are worrying about
our plastic waste, others are still inventing plastics and imagining
where we could take them next.
100 years on... are plastics still fantastic?
The exhibition has four sections:
The Birth of Plastics - Baekeland’s invention and the rapid spread
of plastics as a useful material.
Plastic Dreams - the widespread use of plastics since their
introduction, and the properties and uses of key plastics including
polythene, polyurethane, polyester, nylon and acrylic.
Plastics Now - plastics today and the environmental implications of
their use.
Plastic Futures – cutting-edge prototype products and expert views
about new sources of plastics, and new ways to reduce waste and
use plastics more responsibly.
QUESTIONS
You will have to answer the following questions. The project must be handed over
in WORD and must be a piece of paper written in both sides. It must be written in
Spanish and you should also add photographs and information you get in the
Museum.
If the project is well done you will get 0,5p in the last mark of the final evaluation.
1.- What is bakelite? Uses and applications in the last century.
2.- What are polymers? Uses and applications of polyurethane and
nylon
3.- Are current plastics biodegradable?
4.- According to an environmental point of view, what is the future of
new plastics?
5.- What have you liked most about PLASTICITY?
SCIENCES FOR
THE
CONTEMPORARY
WORLD
Teacher: Oscar Erauzquin
You will visit the Science Museum. There, you will be able to visit an
exhibition exploring Energy. Explore how energy powers every aspect of
your life, where it comes from and how the planet is coping.
Energy - Fuelling the future
Location: Second Floor of the Museum
Energy is the Museum’s latest interactive gallery. It looks at our
present and future energy needs and uses.
The gallery is packed with thought provoking games and exhibits
which can be controlled in all sorts of novel ways. Explore how
energy powers every aspect of our lives. Play with touch sensitive
screens, giant spinning drums and dance-floor footpads to question
and discover how we will meet the planet’s growing energy
demands.
Where does energy come from? What does electricity actually feel
like? And what on Earth is a fossil fuel? Come and find out – you
might be surprised by how much you already know. You can even
join the debate by leaving your thoughts for others to see on the
Energy Ring, a huge interactive sculpture suspended in the air.
QUESTIONS
You will have to answer the following questions. The project must be handed over
in WORD and must be a piece of paper written in both sides. It must be written in
Spanish and you should also add photographs and information you get in the
Museum.
If the project is well done you will get 0,5p in the last mark of the final evaluation.
1.- How does energy appear in our everyday life?
2.- Do we have enough energy?
3.- What alternatives or choices do we have in view of the shortage of
energy obtained by traditional methods?
4.- Energy and environment. Are both compatible?
5.- What have you liked most about ENERGY-FUELLING THE
FUTURE?
Contemporary
History
Teachers: Guillermo De Luis
Luis Álvarez
HISTORY PROJECT: IMPERIAL WAR MUSEUM
WHAT DO YOU HAVE TO DO?
The project you have to do is very simple. Firstly, the ones who are going
to the trip should divide into two proportional groups.
Each group will have to do a different project. One group will write about
the II World War and the other one about the Holocaust.
THE HOLOCAUST EXHIBITION
II WORLD WAR
HOW DO YOU HAVE TO DO IT?
The main source of information you have to use is the Imperial war Museum. There,
you will take notes from the informative panels, will take photographs and will write
your own feelings. If you want to use other different kinds of sources such as
encyclopedias or the Internet you can but their importance should be minimal and must
be quoted in your project.
WHAT DO YOU HAVE TO HAND OVER?
The final project must be a five typewritten or handmade page (approximately) essay or
project which must contain the following parts:
COVER OR TITLE PAGE
The title and the name of the members of the group.
INDEX
You should write a sequence of the different sections of the project.
DEVELOPMENT
This is the most important part of the project. You should explain the theme you
have been told to write about. It wouldn’t be a bad idea to write a previous introduction.
Remember the project’s objective: you have to develop your project using the
information you can find in the Museum. So, we advise you to take notes, photographs,
feelings…
CONCLUSION
This section is divided into two different parts. On the one hand, the conclusion
of the project. On the other hand you should value the museum ( what you think about
it, what has attracted your attention, what is the thing you have or haven’t liked most
and why…)
We also want you to value this project which has been proposed by the History
Department. In case you are not satisfied with it, we ask you to tell us any proposal for
the following year.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
You should quote any different source of information you use in a proper way.
FINAL CONSIDERATIONS
The date when you have to hand this project will be fixed by the teacher in his class.
Luis’s pupils will hand the project in Spanish while Guillermo’s pupils will do it in
Basque and a significant part in English.
Both teachers are conscious of the fact that this project means a lot of work and
they will consider it for the final mark.
NOTES
NOTES
NOTES
BIOLOGY TEACHER: LUIS JIMÉNEZ
Biodioversity
ORANGE ZONE – COCOON Cocoon experience
Immerse yourself in the Cocoon experience,
a brand new journey through the Darwin Centre.
This interactive and visually stunning experience
will inspire your students to look at the variety of life
in a different way.
Find out how we store, care for and use our
20 million
entomology and botany specimens and
.
discover some of the stories behind the scenes
•
Who were the first collectors and how did their methods differ from
modern day scientists?
•
How do scientists organise, classify and name specimens?
•
Why is our collection so valuable for research and how do we share it
with the world?
•
What do molecular techniques tell us about our specimens and how is
this helping in the fight against malaria?
Discover the answers to these questions and more through a series of
interactive exhibits, which allow you to collect information to look at later online.
Human Biology
BLUE ZONE – HUMAN BIOLOGY GALLERY
Listen to what a baby experiences in the womb, test out your memory, and
learn all about cells and genetics.
You’re amazing – and the Human Biology gallery explains why, with all kinds
of facts and figures about our bodies. Learn how senses like hearing and smell
work, how our memories function, how blood does its job, and how the brain
and other organs work together.
Explore the central nervous system, and how the human brain and spinal
cord function through a complex network of neurones and receptors.
Relive your time in the womb with the giant baby model – complete with a
sound recording of what a foetus hears and a multitude of fascinating facts
and figures about a baby’s growth.
There’s more than meets the eye to how your senses work. The section on
perception includes a look at how the brain and the eye work together, and
why we fall for optical illusions.
NOTES
NOTES
NOTES
ECONOMICS
Teacher: Lara Huarte
THE CITY
You will have to answer the following answers. The project
must be written in Spanish and you should also add
photographs and information you get in the area.
1. One of your visits in London will be the business centre, one of the most
important business centres in the world.
a) What is the name of this business district ?
b) After visiting it, how would you explain it to someone who has never
been to one?
c) Inside this area you can find the Bank of England. What are the
functions of that Bank?
d) What is the official price of money in London? And in the Euro zone?
e) What is the LIBOR? (London Interbank Offered Rate)
f) Visit any bank and take information related to the themes seen in class.
1. There is a British newspaper which is very important in the world’s economy:
the FINANCIAL TIMES. Surely, you will have many opportunities to have a look
at it in a café or, even, buying one.
a)What Spanish woman has visited this newspaper recently? Why?
b) What is the name of the stock market index which is published by the
Financial Times?
c) Importance and characteristics of this stock market index.
d) Mention some companies which quote in this index.
3. Great Britain is a country that is part of the European Union but doesn’t belong
to the Euro zone. So, you have had to change Euros to get sterling pounds for the
trip.
a) What was the exchange rate the day you changed Euros for Pounds?
b) What was the exchange rate the day you changed Pounds for Euros? (If
you had some Pounds left)
c) Probably the exchange rates have changed in these few days. Why do
you think this has happened? What are the consequences of these
variations in Tourism?
d) What type of commissions or fees did the bank charge you for the
change?
4. After watching the different companies in London, which sector would you say it
is the one which dominates in London economy?
NOTES
NOTES
ANGLICAN
AND
CATHOLIC
CHURCHES
Religion
FOR ALL THE TEACHERS
Before you start with these worksheets, you should know something
about the Anglican Church:
The Anglican Church is an organisation with branches in 164 countries and a
total of about 75 million members worldwide. The national Churches have a
good deal of autonomy, but all recognise the spiritual leadership of the
Archbishop of Canterbury, and they talk to each other via a body called the
Anglican Consultative Council. Also, all Anglican bishops come together at the
Lambeth Conference, held every ten years.
There are many differences between individual Anglican churches, but we
hold four things in common:
•
•
•
•
The Bible as a basis of our faith;
The Nicene and Apostles' Creeds, basic statements of Christian belief;
Recognition of the sacraments of Baptism and Holy Communion, and
The historic episcopate; that is, the continuity of the line of bishops since
the time of Christ.
The Anglican Church was formed by Henry VIII so that he could annul his
marriage but, at the same time, leaders in the Church of England took the
opportunity to make a number of reforms which the central authorities of the
Roman Catholic Church opposed. Something like the Anglican Church would
probably have happened without Henry VIII’s political interference, but it might
have taken longer. King Henry's main concern was simply independence from
Rome.
If you visit an Anglican parish (they both use the term for a congregation) and
then a Roman Catholic parish, you would observe many similarities. In some
Anglican churches the liturgies are almost identical, as are the customary
vestments worn by the clergy and lay assisting ministers.
The differences are in the details, for the most part. These differences flow from
one central issue: who is in authority? The Roman Catholic Church has over the
centuries steadily increased the power and prestige of the Pope, the Bishop of
Rome.
What Does a Vicar Wear?
Label the clothes the Vicar is wearing. Ask for help
Things You Might Find in a
Church Building
What is it called? Write the names.
_____________
________________
______________
___________
________________
________________
_________________
How many sacraments does the Anglican Church recognize? Which are
they?
Roman Catholics believe that Mary remained a Virgin and did not give
birth to other children except for Jesus. What do Anglicans think about
the Virgin Mary?
What has been your impression about the people you have found in the
churches? Have they been nice to you? Have they been helpful?
Have you found any differences between a Catholic church and an
Anglican one? Write them here.
NOTES
Physical
Education
Teacher: Eduardo Ustarroz
Do you want to come and play sports?
You're in time !!!
Olympic sports
A LITTLE PRESENTATION (CHOOSE THE CORRECT WORD)
The Olympic sports comprise all the ______contested in the
_____________and ______________ Olympic Games. As of 2012, the
Summer Olympics include 26 sports with 38 disciplines and about 300
events, and the Winter Olympics include 7 sports with 15 disciplines and
about 80 events. The number and kinds of events may __________ slightly
from one Olympiad __________.
to another
sports
change
Summer
Winter
Classify these sports into two columns
Karate, Archery, Golf, Athletics, Badminton, Rugby, Basketball, Boxing,
Softball, Fencing, Field hockey, Football, Squash, Handball, Judo, Modern
pentathlon, Rowing, Sailing, Shooting, Table tennis, Taekwondo, Tennis,
Baseballl, Duathlon, Weightlifting
Olympic Games
These are not
Olympic Games
Do you know the top football teams in London?
Arsenal
Arsenal Stadium.
Avenell Road N5.
MORE INFO:
http://www.arsenal.
com/home
Chelsea
Stamford
Bridge.
Fulham Road
SW6.
MORE INFO:
http://www.ch
elseafc.com
Tottenham
Hotspur
West Ham
United
Boleyn
Ground.
Green Street
E13.
MORE INFO:
White Hart Lane.
High Road N17.
MORE INFO:
http://www.tottenh
amhotspur.com/ind
ex.html
http://www.wh
ufc.com/page/
Home
AND NOW… WHAT IS Wembley, THEN ???
Explain briefly
Wembley National Stadium Ltd.
www.wembleystadium.com
Venues and infrastructure
The London Underground will transport spectators to the Olympic venues.
Wembley Stadium, the most expensive stadium ever built at the time will be a venue for football.
The O2 will be a venue for gymnastics and basketball.
The All England Club at Wimbledon will be a venue for tennis.
Lord's Cricket Ground will be the venue for archery.
DID
YOU
KNOW…?
Baron de Coubertin
(Pierre Frédy)
(1 January 1863 – 2 September
1937) was a French pedagogue and
historian,
founder
of
the
International Olympic Committee,
and considered father of the modern
Olympic Games. Born into a French
aristocratic family, he became an
academic and studies a broad range
of topics, most notably education
and history.
The financing of the Olympic Games
The costs for staging the Games (£2 billion) are funded from the private sector by a
combination of sponsorship, merchandising, ticketing and broadcast rights. This budget
is raised and managed by the London 2012 Organizing Committee. According to
Games organizers, the funding for this budget broadly breaks down as:
• 63% from Central Government
• 23% from National Lottery
• 13% from the Mayor of London and the London Development Agency
Olympic Sports
The 2012 Summer Olympic program features 26 sports and a total of 38 disciplines. The
2012 Paralympic Games program has 20 sports and 21 disciplines. London's bid featured
28 sports, in line with other recent Summer Olympics, but the IOC voted to drop
baseball and softball from the 2012 Games two days after it selected London as the host
city. The IOC reinforced its decision to drop both sports during the Turin Games after
they lost votes for reconsideration. They will remain Olympic sports, despite being
scheduled for the last time at Beijing in 2008. Following the decision to drop the two
sports, the IOC held a vote on whether or not to replace them. The sports considered
were karate, squash, golf, roller sports, and rugby sevens. Karate and squash were the
two final nominees, but neither received enough votes to reach the required two-thirds
majority. The IOC has given the approval for the addition of golf and rugby sevens for
the 2016 games.
HOW MANY OLYMPIC GAMES HAVE BEEN PLAYED
IN LONDON?
1908 Summer Olympics
The 1908 Summer Olympics, officially the Games of
the IV Olympiad, were an international multi-sport
event which was held in 1908 in London, England.
These games were originally scheduled to be held in
Rome. At the time they were the fifth modern Olympic
games. However, the Athens Games of 1906 have since
been downgraded by the International Olympic
Committee and the 1908 Games are seen as the start of
the Fourth Olympiad, in keeping with the nowaccepted four-year cycle. The IOC president for this
games was Baron Pierre de Coubertin.
1944 Summer Olympics
The anticipated 1944 Summer Olympics, which were to
be officially known as the Games of the XIII
Olympiad, were cancelled due to World War II. They
were to have been held in London, United Kingdom,
which won the bid in a June 1939 IOC election over
Rome, Detroit, Lausanne, Athens, Budapest,
Helsinki and Montreal on the first ballot. Because of
the cancellation, London went on to host the 1948
Summer Olympics, awarded without election.
1948 Summer Olympics
The 1948 Summer Olympics, officially known as
the Games of the XIV Olympiad, were an international
multi-sport event which was held in London, United
Kingdom. After a 12 year hiatus because of World War
II, these were the first Summer Olympics since the 1936
Games in Berlin.
2012 Summer Olympics
This is the clear version of the official logo.
There are four official base colours, and another version
for the 2012 Summer Paralympics. Host city: London,
United Kingdom. Nations participating: 205
(estimated) and Athletes participating: 12,500
(estimated). Events 300 in 26 sports. Opening
ceremony: July 27. Closing ceremony: August 12 in the
Olympic Stadium.
The 1940 Games had been
scheduled for Tokyo, and then
Helsinki; the 1944 Games had
been provisionally planned for
London.
WRITE THE CORRECT NAME UNDER THE
PICTURE
OLIMPIC
SPORTS
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
Gymnastics - Artistic
Gymnastics - Rhythmic
Football
Athletics
Mountain Bike
Cycling - Track
7. Handball
8. Modern Pentathlon
9. Shooting
10. Judo
11. Rowing
12. Sailing
13. Volleyball
14. Triathlon
15. Tennis
16. Hockey
17. Taekwondo
18. Table Tennis
19. Water Polo
20. Equestrian - Eventing
21. Fencing
22. Cycling - Road
23. Archery
24. Badminton
25. Aquatics - Diving
26. Canoe Sprint
27. Basketball
28. Swimming
29. Synchronised
Swimming
30. Boxing
Departamento de Inglés – Colegio Santa María (Marianistas)
To finish with this project you should take as many
photographs as you can referred to the Olympic Games in
London and get as much information as possible about
them (leaflets and so on)
Departamento de Inglés – Colegio Santa María (Marianistas)
Departamento de Inglés – Colegio Santa María (Marianistas)
NOTES
Departamento de Inglés – Colegio Santa María (Marianistas)
Physical
Education
Teacher: Carlos López
You can write a project about the London Marathon or
the Olympic Games. If you want to get some positives
you should take as many photographs as you can
referred to the Olympic Games or the Marathon in
London and get as much information as possible about
them (leaflets and so on)
NOTES
NOTES
Information
and
Communication
Technologies
Teacher: Luis Mari Aberásturi
Your teacher has suggested that you should take
some photographs in London which could be used
to prepare a project on Sherlock Holmes.
In the following pages you can find some
information about the places where Arthur Conan
Doyle situated his character in London. Use them
as a guide.
The London of Sherlock Holmes
If you seek the city of Sherlock Holmes, the fog-bound London illuminated by
gaslight and dreams, you can still find it to a surprising degree. Holmes was an apt
guide to London, where the game's still afoot,'' and so is the touring.
In ''The Red-Headed League,'' Holmes remarks to Watson, ''It is a hobby of
mine to have an exact knowledge of London.'' So, using his tales, we can set out to
follow Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's clues on foot.
The Holmes pilgrim will be surprised by the mix of old and modern buildings
in Baker Street. This heavily trafficked artery between Regent's Park and Oxford
Street is filled with small businesses, sandwich shops and banks, and doesn't
always evoke hansom cabs clip-clopping along cobbled streets - especially in the
morning rush hour!
Many businesses along Baker Street have over the years tried to foster an
informal association with the detective, and Holmes's fictional address 221b Baker
Street. Some businesses such as the dry cleaners and a bank have even posted
'historical plaques' on their properties not far from the Baker Street Underground
station. Some people usually ask people, ''Don't you think it is odd you are standing
here, looking for the imaginary address of an imaginary person?''
Sherlock Holmes has assumed a reality few fictional characters have. The
Sherlock Holmes Museum has a full-time employee answering 40 to 100 letters
and requests a week addressed to him. His 221-B Baker Street vies with No. 10
Downing Street as the most famous address in London - but who could argue with
the claim that 221b Baker Street is in fact the most famous address in the world?
Things on Baker Street have changed in the last 10 years. G. K. Chesterton,
noting the astonishing popularity of Conan Doyle's creation, proposed 70 years
ago that London needed a statue of Holmes. Though it took decades, that idea
was finally realized in September 1999, when a nine-foot bronze statue by the
English sculptor John Doubleday was unveiled outside of the Marylebone exit of
the Baker Street station. The imposing and calm Holmes, holding his pipe, now
looms over his rightful place, providing the magnet his followers have always
sought.
The first stop for any visitor to London - Holmes fan or not - must be the
Sherlock Holmes Museum, an evocation of No. 221-B, even to the 17 steps to the
first-floor rooms that were reputably occupied between 1881-1904 by the Great
Detective and his faithful friend Doctor Watson. Everything in the three-story
museum is presented in an agreeably understated manner, without the hyperappeal of lasers and holograms found at so many new London attractions. Nothing
is displayed that is not mentioned in the stories, and the crowded and ornate
Victorian spell is so expertly cast that you feel Holmes and Watson may walk in at
any moment.
The Museum's souvenir shop is the largest shop in the world specialising
in Holmesian items such as walking sticks, deerstalker hats, pipes, chess sets and
hundreds of other items. It also has a great collection of "Mrs Hudson's" antiques
for sale.
While making one's way down Baker Street, it is worth turning off along
Paddington Street to see Sherlock Mews and also James Taylor & Co., shoemaker
to Sherlock Holmes. Back on Baker Street, No. 109 is one of the few three-story
red brick flats on the street dating from 1900, looking also as No. 221-B might have
in Conan Doyle's day. Baker Street would have been quiet and placid in that era.
As you near Oxford Street, you will come across the Wallace Collection in
Manchester Square, one of London's loveliest museums. The Wallace's quiet,
ornate galleries provide a welcome respite from the city's pace. It has many
paintings by the Vernets, a French family of painters, in Rooms 11 and 23. In ''The
Greek Interpreter,'' Holmes confesses to Watson that he is descended from the
Vernet family, and ''art in the blood is liable to take the strangest forms.''
Upon reaching Oxford Street, it's a short
walk east to Regent Street, which curves
splendidly to Piccadilly Circus. On the left, just
where it curves at the Quadrant, is the Cafe
Royal, a splendidly elegant French restaurant
since 1865 and the place where Holmes was
attacked in ''The Adventure of the Illustrious
Client.''
A little farther on, opposite the
Eros statue in Piccadilly Circus, was the
Criterion Bar, where Watson first heard
mention of Holmes, an eccentric fellow
studying at St. Bartholomew's Hospital
who needed a roommate. Past the
Circus on Regent are the stately clubs
of Pall Mall, one of which might have
been the Diogenes Club, Holmes's
brother Mycroft's club, where members
were forbidden to speak.
Turning east, continue to Charing Cross Road, the great avenue that just
before the young Sherlock arrived in London, was cut through from Oxford Street
to Trafalgar Square, sweeping aside some of the poorest slums. The Victorians
boldly transformed the London of Dickens into that of Conan Doyle, creating not
just Charing Cross Road, but rebuilding Regent Street, enlarging Piccadilly Circus,
laying out the great Shaftesbury Avenue, and most magnificently of all,
constructing the three-mile Embankment along the Thames.
In front of the Charing Cross Hotel, you can stand near the spot where
Holmes caught a spy, where Watson banked (and kept his box of notes) and
where, just across the street, they sent off urgent telegrams. It is here, not Baker
Street, where the most incidents in the Holmes saga are recorded.
Among the many bookstores of Charing Cross, Murder One is a must for
anyone who loves detective stories. It claims to stock every mystery story in print in
Britain, and specializes in Sherlock Holmes material from all over the world. South
of Murder One, along Cecil Court, where there are clusters of specialty book
shops, Nigel Williams has a good selection of first editions of Conan Doyle.
After Charing Cross Road becomes Tottenham
Court Road, a right onto Great Russell Street leads to
the British Museum, across from which is the Museum
Tavern. This place, the pub in Holmes's Christmas tale,
''The Adventure of the Blue Carbuncle,'' seems hardly
changed. The outside lamps are gas, inside is old
wooden panelling. When he came to London in the late
1870's, Holmes lived around the corner on Montague
Street, near where Conan Doyle himself lived when he
moved to London
Heading south on Shaftesbury and then on Neal Street brings you to Covent
Garden, where the Christmas goose in ''The Blue Carbuncle'' was procured. The
bustling wholesale flower, vegetable and fruit markets of Holmes's era have been
swept away, replaced by crowds enjoying performance art and singers putting on
free shows.
Nothing satisfied Holmes more after the
conclusion of a particularly baffling case
than to end the evening at the
renowned Simpson's-in-the-Strand.
Strolling south to the Strand, you'll pass
the recently renovated Royal Opera
House, often attended by Holmes in its
previous incarnation. See as well the
police court on Bow Street where
Holmes makes an astonishing
deduction to conclude ''The Man with a
Twisted Lip.''
SIMPSON'S, with its classic English menu and whitevested formal waiters, has been a part of the London scene
since 1828, one of the few places that allows you to feel that
you have entered Victorian society. All it takes is reservations
(and a tie for gentlemen) and there you are, being soberly
served as if you were Prime Minister Gladstone, who came
for the rolling steamers of roast beef or lamb ready to be cut
to one's specifications. Amid the gleaming crystal and old
dark Adam paneling, it's clear why Watson describes in 1902
the pleasures to be had sitting here at a table ''looking down
at the rushing stream of life on the Strand.''
Another favorite destination of Sherlockians is a small pub tucked in at the
turn of Northumberland Street, near Charing Cross Station. The Sherlock Holmes
Public House and Restaurant, near Old Scotland Yard and the Turkish baths
frequented by Holmes and Watson, is in what was the Northumberland Arms, the
hotel mentioned in the greatest of all mystery stories. It was there that Henry
Baskerville stayed when he arrived in England to claim his inheritance, and only his
finding a boot in the hallway started Holmes toward a solution to the deadly curse
of the Baskervilles.
The pub is often crowded and serves good ales and
classic pub grub. Exhibits line the walls detailing the
adventures of the great detective, including a mounted
head of the ghastly hound, an army service revolver of
the type Watson carried, and old Strand Magazine
drawings by the master illustrator Sidney Paget.
Upstairs, a 10-by-12-foot reproduction of the famous
sitting room of 221-B, created for the 1952 Festival of
Britain by the Abbey National Bank, is on display, too.
Behind glass is a wax figure of Holmes in the window by
which he foiled an assassination attempt in ''The Empty
House,'' and the violin, and the pipe rack and the
morphine needles of Holmes's most unfortunate habit.
A bit more refined menu is served upstairs in a crowded room with a clublike
atmosphere. You can savour the special Sherlock Holmes Ale.
Many London sites and restaurants with links
to Arthur Conan Doyle's Sherlock Holmes stories
are either in the Regent's Park area or easy walking
distance from Trafalgar Square.
The Baker Street Underground station is served
by many lines, including the Bakerloo, Metropolitan
and Circle. The platform for the Jubilee line is
adorned with murals illustrating the Holmes tales. As
you emerge from the Marylebone exit of the station,
you immediately come upon the new Sherlock
Holmes statue - if not Sherlock Holmes himself
handing out his personal business cards on behalf
of the Museum.
The Nos. 13 and 139 buses run between Baker
Street and Trafalgar Square.
NOTES
Departamento de Inglés – Colegio Santa María (Marianistas)
PAY
ATTENTION !!
YOU WILL FIND
NOW SOME QUIZES
ABOUT LONDON, ITS
MONUMENTS AND
HISTORY.
The answers to these questions
should appear in your English Diary
Departamento de Inglés – Colegio Santa María (Marianistas)
Departamento de Inglés – Colegio Santa María (Marianistas)
The British
Museum
Departamento de Inglés – Colegio Santa María (Marianistas)
Departamento de Inglés – Colegio Santa María (Marianistas)
The British Museum – Quiz
1. How much do we have to pay to visit the museum?
_______________
2. What’s the name of the street where the main entrance is?
_______________
3. How many steps are there on the front stairs?
_______________
4. How many floors are there?
_______________
5. In what year was the Museum opened to the public?
_______________
6. What’s the name of the current New Exhibition?
_______________
7. What is the big cylinder-shaped room in the Great Court?
_______________
8. What world famous stone is in Room 4, on your left as you get in?
_______________
9. What did archaeologists decipher thanks to the Stone?
_______________
10. Which French scientist is associated with the Stone?
_______________
11 What is the nickname of the mummy in Room 64, Upper floor?
_______________
12. Where do the Elgin Marbles come from?
_______________
13. What interesting collection can you find in Room 44, Upper floor?
_______________
14. Why mustn’t visitors touch the various exhibits?
__________________________________________________________________
Departamento de Inglés – Colegio Santa María (Marianistas)
Departamento de Inglés – Colegio Santa María (Marianistas)
15. What will you remember from the British Museum?
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
Departamento de Inglés – Colegio Santa María (Marianistas)
Departamento de Inglés – Colegio Santa María (Marianistas)
LONDON
QUIZ
Departamento de Inglés – Colegio Santa María (Marianistas)
Departamento de Inglés – Colegio Santa María (Marianistas)
While we are in London and after coming back home, you can try to answer
all these questions about London
London
Look at the 20 statements about London. Decide which are true and which are
false.
1. The Vikings built the first settlement on the River Thames and called it Londonion. _____
2. London Bridge is a famous landmark. It can open to let tall ships pass through. ______
3. The Great Fire of London was in 1666. _______
4. The architect Sir Christopher Wren designed St Paul’s Cathedral. ______
5. The Tower of London was started in the 11th century, during the reign of William I. _____
6. The guards of the Tower of London are called Gatekeepers. _______
7. The black birds that live in the Tower are called ravens. It is said that if the ravens
leave the Tower, the British monarchy will fall. ________
8. Arsenal, West Ham and Chelsea are all London football teams. ___________
9. A statue of Napoleon stands looking over the city in Trafalgar Square. ___________
10. Madame Tussaud’s is a museum where you can see wax statues of the world’s most
famous people. ___________
11. The London Eye is a planetarium where people can learn all about the universe. _____
12. The London Underground is nicknamed The Tunnel. ________
13. The British Prime Minister lives at 10 Downing Street. _________
14. Harrods and Selfridges are the two biggest department stores in London. _______
15. The official residence of Queen Elizabeth II is Buckingham Palace. _______
16. The clock tower next to the Houses of Parliament is called Big Ben. _______
17. The statue of Eros in Piccadilly Square stands on one leg and holds a bow and arrow.
________
18. The financial centre of London is called the City of London. ______
19. The River Thames flows into the English Channel. _______
20. Covent Garden is famous for its Royal Opera House. It used to be famous for its fruit
market, which is now a tourist shopping area. _______
Departamento de Inglés – Colegio Santa María (Marianistas)
Departamento de Inglés – Colegio Santa María (Marianistas)
Answer these questions
- What is the name of the big park in the western part of the city, where you can find
Speaker's Corner near Marble Arch?
- What is the subway called in London?
- In which church are the crowning ceremonies held traditionally?
- In London the world's biggest tennis-tournament on lawn is played. Where?
- Name the three big international airports, one of which you probably will arrive on, when
going to London?
- What is the name of the street leading from Trafalgar Square to Buckingham Palace?
- London was founded in Roman times already. What was its name then?
- Buckingham Palace is the seat of Great Britain's monarchs since 1837 - but it was built a
long time before - in 1703. By whom?
-What is the name of the enormous "store", shown
on the picture?
Departamento de Inglés – Colegio Santa María (Marianistas)
Departamento de Inglés – Colegio Santa María (Marianistas)
Choose the best answer for these questions
- Which architect designed St Paul's cathedral?
A Florence Nightingale
B Christopher Robin
C Francis Drake
D Christopher Wren
- The Great Fire of London took place in which year?
A 1066
B 1666
C 1777
D 1888
- London's main river is?
A the Severn
B the Wye
C the Thames
D the Trent
- Where are the Crown Jewels kept?
A Buckingham Palace
B the London Dungeon
C the Tower of London
D the Bank of England
- The Tower of London is said to be protected by which birds?
A Ravens
B Crows
C Pigeons
D Nightingales
- The Tower of London was built by which monarch?
A Charles I
B Edward I
C Richard the Lionheart
D William I
- The Tower of London dates from which century?
A 10th
B 11th
C 12th
D 13th
- The bridge and settlement at London was first built by which foreign civilization?
A The Phoenicians
B The Egyptians
C The Romans
D The Aztecs
Departamento de Inglés – Colegio Santa María (Marianistas)
Departamento de Inglés – Colegio Santa María (Marianistas)
- The Queen chief London residence is where?
A Buckingham Palace
B Kensington Palace
C St James' Palace
D Alexandra Palace
- The Great Fire of London started where?
A Pie Corner
B Pudding Lane
C Sugar Bakers Court
D Bread Street
- The tallest building in London is where?
A Raven road
B Canary Wharf
C Eagle Wharf
D Albatross Way
- The longest surviving London church is?
A St James the Less
B St Bartholmew-the-Great
C St Martin le Grand
D St Mary Aldermary
- Who said 'When a man is tired of London he is tired of life?'
A Ben Johnson
B Samuel Johnson
C Lyndon Baines Johnson
D Amy Johnson
- In London you can visit many parks. Which of the following are in London?
A Regent‘s Park
B Central Park
C Hyde Park
D Holland Park
- At ”Big Ben” you can see a time ...
A ...one hour behind our time in Vitoria-Gasteiz
B ...one hour before our time in Vitoria-Gasteiz.
C ...two hours before our time in Vitoria-Gasteiz.
D ...two hours behind our time in Vitoria-Gasteiz.
- Where in London can you see wax models of famous people?
A VIP museum
B Madame Tussaud‘s
C Tate Gallery
D Tower of London
Departamento de Inglés – Colegio Santa María (Marianistas)
Departamento de Inglés – Colegio Santa María (Marianistas)
- Where in London do you find Speakers‘ Corner?
A Hyde Park
B Trafalgar Square
C Regent‘s Park
D Greenwich
- What is a guard at the Tower of London called?
A Blackhead
B Steakeater
C Beefeater
D Blackguard
- How do you know that Queen Elisabeth is at her home in London?
A The Royal flag is flying over Buckingham Palace.
B The curtains in the front rooms are drawn back.
C The Royal Guardsmen stand at the gates.
D The Royal limousine stands in front of the palace gate.
- Which of the following museums can be found in London?
A National Gallery
B National Museum of Modern Art
C Tate Gallery
D Science Museum
- What is the ”City of London”?
A A traditional hotel located in the Covent Garden area.
B The part of town which lies within the original City limits of London.
C A term which refers to all boroughs of London.
D A famous multimedia show about London and its history
- What was Covent Garden before 1974?
A A private theatre.
B A beautiful hidden garden.
C A public market.
D A monastery.
- Fleet Street is often used to refer to the ...
A ... British Navy.
B ... Bank of England.
C .... British press.
D .... Parliament.
- What don’t you see at Trafalgar Square?
A The Albert Memorial
B A statue of Queen Victoria
C A column of Admiral Lord Nelson
D A column of Sir Francis Drake
Departamento de Inglés – Colegio Santa María (Marianistas)
Departamento de Inglés – Colegio Santa María (Marianistas)
- What does ”Speakers‘ Corner” mean?
A A place where people meet to make conversation.
B A place where everybody is allowed to hold public speeches about any topic.
C A place where you are taught how to hold speeches.
D A place where talking is not allowed why it is sarcastically called ‘speakers corner‘
- Piccadilly Circus is ...
A ... a focal point in London
B ... a famous circus in London
C ... a flea market in London
D ... a huge concert hall in London
- Anne Boleyn was not ...
A ... a famous prostitute killed by Jack the Ripper.
B ... the mistress of Lord Nelson.
C ... the mother of Elisabeth I.
D ... the founder of a permanent waxworks exhibition.
- ”OId Bailey” ...
A ... is the nickname of a fashionable drink of Irish descendence.
B ... is the nickname of the Central Criminal Court of London.
C ... is the nickname of the statue of John Balliol, the father of the Scottish King John.
D ... is the nickname of the Parliament Building.
- If a Londoner talks about the ”Proms” what does he mean?
A A special paved public walk in Greenwich
B A series of concerts of classical music: The Promenade Concerts
C A piece of publicity or advertising, esp. in the form of a short film or video
D A famous party for pupils who passed their A-level exams
- What is the ”Globe Theatre”?
A A colloquial expression for all the things that happen around the world.
B The London theatre of which Shakespeare was a joint owner.
C The famous cinema in Leicester Square.
D The London Planetarium.
- The Royal Albert Hall is used for:
A Classical concerts
B Boxing matches
C Comedy shows
D Rock concerts
- London is infamous for its poor weather.
Starting with the driest put the following cities in order of total annual rainfall:
A London, Paris, New York, Barbados
B Paris, London, Barbados, New York
C New York, Barbados, London, Paris
D Barbados, New York, Paris, London
Departamento de Inglés – Colegio Santa María (Marianistas)
Departamento de Inglés – Colegio Santa María (Marianistas)
- What is the most popular London attraction in terms of number of visitors?
A London Eye
B Tate Modern Gallery
C British Museum
D National Gallery
- Which four London landmarks have been recognised by UNESCO as World Heritage sites?
A The Bells of the Square Mile, Buckingham Palace, Palace of Westminster, Maritime Greenwich
B Buckingham Palace, The Tower of London, Palace of Westminster, Maritime Greenwich
C Palace of Westminster, The Tower of London, Maritime Greenwich, Kew Royal Botanic Gardens
D Battersea Power Station, The Bells of the Square Mile, Maritime Greenwich, Kew Royal Botanic
Gardens
- Britain is famous for its pubs. What percentage of Britain’s pubs is situated in London?
A 1 out of every 100
B 1 out of every 25
C 1 out of every 10
D 1 out of every 4
- Why will 2012 be a special year for London?
A It’s the city’s 2000th anniversary
B There will be an eclipse of the sun
C It is the year that the rights in the Magna Carta become obsolete
D The city will be hosting the Olympic Games
- Which former London resident has been voted the greatest Briton of all time?
A Charles Darwin (1809-1882), naturalist
B Diana Princess of Wales (1961-1997), prominent royal and philanthropist
C Sir Winston Churchill (1874-1965), statesman
D John Lennon (1940-1980), musician and songwriter
- What percentage of London is made up of green spaces?
A 2%
B 5%
C 20%
D 30%
- How much would it cost me to visit the Tate Modern Gallery, The British Museum, the Science
Museum, the Victoria and Albert Museum and the Imperial War Museum?
A £1
B £2.50
C £22.50
D Nothing. They are all free attractions
Departamento de Inglés – Colegio Santa María (Marianistas)
Departamento de Inglés – Colegio Santa María (Marianistas)
- Why must HM The Queen always stop at the boundaries of the City of London?
A She must seek the permission of the Lord Mayor to enter the City
B She is required to pay the congestion charge
C The cobbled streets may damage her coach
D She visits her favourite coffee shop
A few interesting figures about the language
The current population of the UK is __________
English is spoken by __________ people in the world, it is the world’s second
language after Chinese. Yet, there are only __________ native speakers or first
language speakers. Almost __________ of human beings speak English (one in
four). __________ of the documents on the Internet are in English. English is the
official language in __________ countries. More than __________ of business
transactions are carried out by non-native English speakers. More than _________
of the 269 million inhabitants in the US don’t speak fluent English. In 2050,
__________ of the US people will speak Spanish.
3 % / 25 % / 25 % / 95 % / 1.3 billion / 28 / 350 million / 59 million / two
thirds
Departamento de Inglés – Colegio Santa María (Marianistas)
Departamento de Inglés – Colegio Santa María (Marianistas)
Copy the following events in the right chronological order
43 AD
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500
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800
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1066
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1531
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1564
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1665
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1666
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1837
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1918
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1940
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1953
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1979
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1994
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1997
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2003
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Anglo-Saxons come to settle from Germany and Scandinavia.
Birth of William Shakespeare.
Britain and the US attack Iraq.
Elisabeth II ( Elisabeth the second) becomes Queen at the age of 27.
Henry VIII (Henry the eighth) breaks away from the Roman Catholic Church.
Queen Victoria starts her 60 years reign.
Start of the Roman conquest ( the occupation lasted for 400 years!)
Opening of the Channel Tunnel between Britain and the Continent.
The Great Fire of London destroys 80% of the capital.
The Great Plague kills 100,000 people
The Tories come into power with Margaret Thatcher.
The Vikings start to raid Britain.
Tony Blair leads his New Labour Party to victory.
William the Conqueror (a Norman) invades England and becomes king.
Winston Churchill becomes Prime Minister and Minister of Defence.
Women can vote.
Departamento de Inglés – Colegio Santa María (Marianistas)
Departamento de Inglés – Colegio Santa María (Marianistas)
Famous places in London – Which is which ?
London’s Most Famous Places
1. ____________________ commemorates the Great Fire of London of 1666.
2. ____________________ houses the Prime Minister's private apartment, the Cabinet
Room, the State Dining Room, where official guests are entertained, and government
offices.
3. ____________________ is actually the name of the biggest bell within The Clock Tower
of the Houses of Parliament.
4. ____________________ is Sir Christopher Wren's masterpiece, built between 1675 and
1708 to replace the previous cathedral destroyed in the Great Fire of London in 1666.
5. ____________________ is the most famous church in Great Britain. The kings and
queens of England are crowned there, and many rulers and famous men of Britain are buried
there.
6. ____________________ is the official home of the Queen.
7. ____________________ takes place in the forecourt of Buckingham Palace at 11.30
every day in summer, every other day in winter, and lasts about 45 minutes.
8. ____________________, otherwise known as The Palace of Westminster, is the siege of
Parliament, the legislative assembly of Great Britain.
9. ____________________, the main hub of Central London, was built in honour of
Admiral Nelson after his victory in 1805 at the Battle of Trafalgar, off the coast of Spain.
10. Throughout its long history ____________________ has served as a royal palace and
fortress, prison and place of execution, an arsenal, royal mint, menagerie and jewel house.
Big Ben / Buckingham Palace / No.10 Downing Street / St Paul's Cathedral / The
Changing of the Guard / The Houses of Parliament / The Monument / the Tower of London
/ Trafalgar Square / Westminster Abbey
Departamento de Inglés – Colegio Santa María (Marianistas)
Departamento de Inglés – Colegio Santa María (Marianistas)
Museums and Galleries
1. ____________________ houses one of the greatest collections of European
painting in the world.
2. ____________________ is one of the world’s finest and largest museums of
natural history with hundreds of exhibits and many interactive displays, ranging from
the volcano experience to the dinosaurs exhibition.
3. ____________________ is the oldest, and one of the largest museums in the
world. Don’t miss the mummies and the Rosetta stone!
4. ____________________ is where visitors can stand astride longitude zero with
one foot in the eastern and the other in the western hemisphere.
5. ____________________ presents wax models of well-known
personalities, musicians, film stars and statesmen from around the world.
sports
6. ____________________ Theatre has been rebuilt on the south bank of the River
Thames in London.
7. ____________________, opened in May 2000, is Britain's new national museum
of modern art.
8. Situated in Exhibition Road, South Kensington, ____________________
contains all the wonders of our industrial and technological age.
Greenwich Observatory / Madame Tussaud’s / Shakespeare's Globe / Tate Modern / The
British Museum / The National Gallery / The Natural History Museum / the Science
Museum.
Departamento de Inglés – Colegio Santa María (Marianistas)
Departamento de Inglés – Colegio Santa María (Marianistas)
Tourists Attractions
1. ____________________ is the famous London Landmark at the junction of five busy
streets.
2. ____________________ is the longest and most important waterway in England.
3. ____________________ is the world's highest observation wheel with amazing views of
Britain's capital city.
4.____________________ near Buckingham Palace is a great picnic spot for foreign
students on a royal itinerary.
5. ____________________ was the first ever underground railway in 1863.
6. ____________________’s deck is raised on average 500 times a year to let ships in and
out.
7. In ____________________ you’ll find London’s major cinemas on three sides of the
square offering over 12 films at any one time.
8. On Sundays at ____________________, in Hyde Park, London's most vocal orators share
their opinions with the world.
9. The ____________________ is a unique structure, built to protect London against tidal
surges.
10. The ____________________is the first pedestrian bridge built across the Thames in
London in more than a century.
Leicester Square / Millennium Bridge / Piccadilly Circus / River Thames / Speaker's
Corner / St James’s Park / Thames Barrier / The London Eye / The Tube / Tower Bridge
Departamento de Inglés – Colegio Santa María (Marianistas)
Departamento de Inglés – Colegio Santa María (Marianistas)
Shopping
1. ____________________ is a trendy and fashionable neighbourhood in London with a
distinctive, small-village feel, made famous by a movie of the same name.
2.__________________ is famous for its street entertainers and lively atmosphere.
3. _________________ is one of the longest shopping streets in London (2 Km).
4. _________________ is the very symbol of high class shopping in London.
5. _________________, the world's largest antiques market, with over 1500 dealers selling
every kind of antiques and collectables.
6. _________________’s markets in Northern London are popular on the weekends selling
variety of fashion, lifestyle, ethnic food and bizarre goods.
Camden Town / Covent Garden / Harrods / Notting Hill / Oxford Street /
Portobello Road
Departamento de Inglés – Colegio Santa María (Marianistas)
Departamento de Inglés – Colegio Santa María (Marianistas)
Harry Potter in
London
Departamento de Inglés – Colegio Santa María (Marianistas)
Departamento de Inglés – Colegio Santa María (Marianistas)
HARRY POTTER IN LONDON
J.K. Rowlings's Harry Potter books are some of the best selling children's books in history. The
books follow the adventures of an 11 year old boy, Harry who lives in a cupboard under the stairs in
a house with his aunt, uncle and spoilt cousin Dudley. Harry's own parents died when he was a baby,
not as he believed in a car crash but in a fight with a powerful evil wizard who also tried to kill
Harry. He is amazed to find out that his parents were also wizards and that he has inherited magical
powers of his own! He is transported from his ordinary life to Hogwarts, a boarding school for
wizards. There, he meets new friends, learns new skills (broomstick flying, for example!) and ends
up confronting the evil person who killed his parents.
Here are some of the Harry Potter sights within London
King’s Cross and Platform Nine and Three-Quarters
Those who well know the Harry Potter films probably
recognize this facade. But it’s not King’s Cross, it’s St.
Pancras! This large building is the work of Sir George
Gilbert Scott and was built during 1865 to 1877 in pure
Neo-Gothic style. The station itself occupies only a
small part of the building (and the platforms are
behind), the rest having been used in the past as the
“station hotel,” quite common in Europe. The “Midland
Grand Hotel” was left abandoned for years, but this has
at last been reconsidered and the building is now being
restored and refurnished as a five-star hotel and quite
luxurious apartments, as the “St Pancras Chambers,” its
original name. The interior was used in some films,
such as Batman Begins, when Batman summons bats to
hide the salvage of Rachel
King’s Cross Station is just beside St. Pancras.
King’s Cross is less beautiful, that’s why the film
shows St. Pancras instead, which could get the
viewer mistaken if he doesn’t know the place.
Departamento de Inglés – Colegio Santa María (Marianistas)
Departamento de Inglés – Colegio Santa María (Marianistas)
Here’s the footbridge leaning over the main King’s Cross
platforms (1 to 8) taken by Harry and Hagrid. In the movie,
we can see the platforms through the grids, but actually
they’re hidden behind fibreglass plates, for security, I suppose.
They seem to have been there for a long time and therefore
have been taken off for the film needs, then put back.
Here are the platforms 4 and 5 used for the movies. Furthermore,
the pillar has been enlarged, for it’s much less wide than the
trolleys used by Harry and the Weasleys.
The little building where are located the platforms 9, 10 and 11
has its own entrance, of course smaller than the main entrance.
When you use that entrance to get out, you discover on the right
a small arch beneath which is hanged a sign displaying
“Platform Nine and Three-Quarters,” itself leaning over a
trolley which seems to be stuck into the wall (it has been cut, of
course). Tourists like to pretend pushing the trolley through the
wall for a picture. Of course, the location of this trolley is
incorrect, and no one knows where to put it, since Rowling made
a mistake herself!
Other places from the books
The Leaky Cauldron is supposed to be located on Charing Cross
Road, between a big book shop and a record shop. This street is
known for its second-hand book shops.
Departamento de Inglés – Colegio Santa María (Marianistas)
Departamento de Inglés – Colegio Santa María (Marianistas)
Here’s the beautiful Leadenhall Market, in the City. It was used as a
set when Hagrid and Harry go to the Leaky Cauldron. This
London neighbourhood is quite far from the centre, and therefore of
Charing Cross Road. The shop located beside the Leaky Cauldron
was transformed into a bookshop for the movie, to fit the books,
more or less. There’s a crossroad in the middle of the market (in the
centre of the picture), where the four main streets cross each other;
it’s in the right-hand one we see Hagrid and Harry going towards
the Leaky Cauldron.
We stand outside the entrance to the Leaky Cauldron which was used in the
'Sorcerers Stone/Philosophers Stone'.
Here we are now in Borough Market, Southwark, not far
from Tower Bridge. This is a small reputed London
neighbourhood, where a market is held every day. And
the good thing is that it’s not full of tourists (much rather
the opposite). The entrance of this French florist (“Chez
Michèle”), located beneath the railway, was used in as
the entrance of the Leaky Cauldron, completely
different from the film one. As we can see, it was
heavily modified, as long with the right-hand shop,
transformed into a book shop to vaguely fit the books
descriptions. Again, this location is quite far from the
centre, and therefore from Charing Cross Road. It was
chosen rather for aesthetic matters. If the crew never
filmed on Charing Cross Road, it is probably for budget
and planning reasons (it’s an important and quite busy
street).
Oddly, Harry’s room is located above the right-hand
library (he can see the market through his window, with
the railway on the right). The set of the tavern strictly
speaking is almost the same as in the film; it’s above all
much brighter.
Departamento de Inglés – Colegio Santa María (Marianistas)
Departamento de Inglés – Colegio Santa María (Marianistas)
The London Zoo was used as a set for the beginning of the first film and is located in Regents Park,
north-centre of London
Gringott's Bank was filmed in Australia House in
London, although we cannot enter the building, we
can view through a window and see the section
which was used for Gringott's in the film.
Departamento de Inglés – Colegio Santa María (Marianistas)