LONDON

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 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 remodeled 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.

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. cf Map 

Kensington Gardens 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 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.

London Bridge. Discover the inner secrets of the World's most famous Bridge. No tour of London is complete without a trip to the world's most famous attraction - it's a must for every visitor's photo album.

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 minutes flight, rising to 450 feet above the river Thames, in 32 high tech fully enclosed capsules. 

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 aluminum, 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.

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.

River Thames is 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 Tamesis, and the name is probably a Celtic word which means ‘broad river’. Thames doesn't rhyme with James- it is pronounced Tems.

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 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.

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.

The Houses of Parliament 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 Londons 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 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.

Trafalgar Square, 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 center 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.