Every year a Norway Spruce is erected here and decorated as part of the Christmas festivities. The tree is a gift of thanks from the Norwegians for Britain's support during the Second World War
Soho is home to Europe’s largest Chinatown, which developed in the 1970s. Earlier generations of London’s Chinese population had centred around the docks of Limehouse.
Westminster Abbey was built by Edward the Confessor and completed just before his death in 1065. Since William the Conqueror all the kings & queens of England have been crowned here.
From 1235 until 1835, the monarch’s personal zoo was kept at the Tower, and it included many exotic animals given as presents by other monarchs, including polar bears, leopards and elephants.
The bridge had to close within days of its opening in 2000 because of a slight wobble, which caused people to walk in step with each other, causing the wobble to become much worse!
The first national lottery was held in 1569, and the result was announced at the west door of (the old) St.Paul’s cathedral. It is unknown if the winner let it change him.
To mark the 50th birthday of the Royal Air Force in 1968, Flight Lt. Allan Pollock flew his Hawker jet under the walkway of Tower Bridge. This unauthorised stunt won him a court martial.
This WW2 cruiser, now a tourist attraction, took part in the sinking of the German battleship Scharnhorst and in the D-Day landings. Her guns are aimed at an M1 service station 12.5 miles away.
London Bridge was once crowded with buildings and prone to fires. It survived the 1666 Great Fire because an earlier fire had destroyed houses at the north end, creating a fire break!
The bank was located first in Mercers’ Hall and then in Grocers’ Hall but was moved to its permanent location on Threadneedle Street in the 1730s and was the largest financial institution in England
Do visit this bustling food market where top London chefs come to buy their ingredients. If you don’t find it here, where will you? Open from Thursday to Saturday, but come early to avoid the crowds! Read more.
This former power station was bought by the manufacturers of Oxo beef stock cubes in the 1920s. Can you spot how they managed to bypass advertising restrictions with their new tower?
The Mall took on its current form as a royal processional route around 1912. The palace approach was widened, and Admiralty Arch was built at one end and the Victoria Memorial at the other
Big Ben refers to the 13 ton bell in the clock tower of Westminster Palace. Opinion is divided as to whether it was named after the then Commissioner of Works, or a famous prize-fighter of the time.
The lion sculpture was once painted red and stood over the Red Lion Brewery on the South Bank in the 18th century. When the area was redeveloped in the 1950s the lion was saved and moved here.
A tour of the Houses of Parliament should be on everyone’s to-do list. It takes just over an hour and really gives you a witty insight into the British Government system, art, and history as well.
To go, or not to go. That is not the question, you should! We recommend seeing Macbeth and standing in the yard for a more authentic experience!
Harry Potter fan? don’t miss platform 9 ¾! Prepare for a bit of a search though: because of problems with too many tourists the half-disappeared trolley has been moved to a less central spot.
