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| London is one of the world's most fascinating cities, with visitors from every corner of the globe drawn to its wealth of cultural and leisure attractions.It is also one of the Europe's leading commercial centres where movers and shakers come to do business and clinch deals. The city groans under the weight of foreign banks, a throbbing stock exchange, a buoyant economy, five airports and the very highest quality telecommunications. |
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One of London's most unusual and exciting exhibitions is situated inside the towers and engine rooms of the bridge.
 | Animatronic characters from the bridge's past guide visitors through a series of audio-visual presentations, which tell the story of this world famous London landmark.You will discover why the bridge was needed, how a design was chosen and how the bridge is raised. One of London's most famous landmarks, the bridge was constructed in the 1890s.Tower bridge features a road which can be raised to allow tall ships to pass through to the Pool of London and an elevated walkway affording permanent access. |
The main attraction of The Tower Bridge Experience has to be the spectacular views over London from the high-level Walkways, 140ft above the River Thames. From this unique viewpoint, visitors can see some of London's most well-known buildings, such as the Tower of London, St Paul's Cathedral and Canary Wharf.
There are also multi-lingual touch-screen computers on both the East and West Walkways, giving visitors more detailed information about the sites in the surrounding area. To add to visitors' enjoyment, there is also a photographic exhibition on the East Walkway, spanning over 100 years of the bridge's history. |
King George III bought Buckingham House in 1761 for his wife Queen Charlotte to use as a comfortable family home close to St James's Palace.
| Buckingham House became known as the Queen's House, and 14 of George III's 15 children were born there. In 1762 work began on remodelling the house to the King's requirements.George IV, on his accession in 1820, decided to reconstruct the house. Queen Victoria was the first sovereign to take up residence in July 1837.The present Forecourt of the Palace, where Changing the Guard takes place, was formed in 1911, |  |
as part of the Victoria Memorial scheme. The gates and railings were also completed in 1911.
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One of the best known Streets in London is Downing Street,named after its builder, Sir George Downing,
 |  | who was a Cromwellian civil servant. No. 10 with its famous black front door, the backdrop to many historical announcements made by renowned personalities; has been the official residence of Britains Prime Minister since 1732, when King George 11 presented the property to Sir Robert Walpole, Britains first Prime Minister.Board Games, Enameling, Jewellery, Wooden Toys, Goldsmiths, Doll Houses, Silversmiths, Glassware, Hobo Dolls, Calligraphy, |
Lace-ware, Mohair Sweaters, Cardigans and Coats, Soft Toys and Dolls, Luxury Bathrobes, Wood Turning, Karum game boards and lots more.
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The neo-Gothic building includes the House of Commons and the House of Lords, not to mention the infamous Big Ben.
| Edward the Confessor had the original palace built in the eleventh century. 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. |  | |
All visitors, both UK citizens and overseas visitors can visit the Strangers galleries in both houses to see Parliament at work. Entry is at St. Stephen's Gate, where you can join a queue for the public galleries, known as Strangers Galleries. Debates in the commons take place on Mon. Tues. and Thurs. from 2-30 pm; Wed. & Fri. from 9-30 am.
The busiest a to visit the House is during Question Time. To attend Question Time you must book a ticket through your MP or your embassy. Question Time is on Mon.- Thurs. From 2-30pm - 3-30pm. Prime Minister's Question Time is on Wed. from 3pm - 3-30pm. The House of Lords sit on Mon. - Wed. From 2-30; On Thurs. From 3pm; If a sitting takes place on Friday it commences at 11am. Both houses close at Christmas, Easter and from August to mid October. |
Henry VIII acquired Hyde Park in 1536.The park covers 630 acres,
|  | and includes some of London's most well-known tourist spots. At Speaker's Corner, you can hear a wide variety of people from Britain and abroad exercising their right to free speech.The home of Princess Diana - Kensington Palace- stands at the West side of the park. The Serpentine Lake is found in the park. |
The home of Princess Diana - Kensington Palace- stands at the West side of the park. The Serpentine Lake is found in the park.
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For a closer look at Lord's visit the ground for a match or take a Lord's Tour, or book a net or coaching session at the MCC Indoor School.
Regent's Park, arguably the most elegant of the central London parks, lies between Marylebone and Euston Road to the south and St. John's Wood to the north.
|  | Regent's Park is surrounded on three sides by graceful crescents of Georgian town-houses, many of which now house ambassadorial residences. To the north, within the parkland, lies London Zoo (also known as Regent's Park Zoo) and St. John's Wood. Regent's Canal forms the northern boundary and canal boat trips can be taken from here to Maida Vale. The park was designed by the famous architect, John Nash, who was a friend of the Prince Regent (later George IV) and |
he designed the area as a private residential estate set in parkland to raise revenue for the Prince Regent's coffers. Entrance to the park is now free. |
Visit Madame Tussaud's and rub shoulders with the rich and famous from every aspect of life - royalty, politics, movies, pop, rock and many more.
| Madame Tussaud's in London was the first wax museum established here and now extends to include the London Planetarium. Madame Tussaud's is located in central London on Marylebone, just a minute's walk from Baker Street tube station (Circle, Hammersmith & City, Bakerloo and Metropolitan lines). Madame Tussaud's is an extremely popular "must visit" attraction in London and you can save a lot of time by buying your ticket ahead - |  | |
either by e-mail from this site through our travel department or at Reception at your hotel. Without a ticket, queuing time will normally be at least 2 hours. |
Following the success of the Great Exhibition of 1851, the Hall was conceived by Albert, the Prince Consort, as the centrepiece of the proposed development of a range of national institutions - cultural, scientific and academic - that for the first time would be located on a single site.
|  | Externally the Italianite facade of the Hall, of red brick and teracotta, is graced by the famous 800ft mosaic frieze. The auditorium is both massive and graceful (its length is 219ft and its width 185ft) and is crowned by a dome (weighing 400 tonnes) that, when raised, was the largest in the world. The Royal Albert Hall, which is located close to South Kensington tube (Circle, District and Piccadilly lines) is now a prime |
London venue for concerts and musical events of all kinds from the BBC's Promenade Concerts to pop concerts but can also be privately hired, as it was for Andrew Lloyd Webber's 50th birthday extravaganza. |
Most famous of all London's street markets and shown extensively in the film
| "Notting Hill", the antiques market occupies the Notting Hill end of Portobello Road. It has been established as an antiques market since the 18th century although the style and emphasis of the market has changed over the years. Saturday is the main day for the market when some 1500 dealers trade all manner of antiques and collectibles from about 5:30am till about 4:30pm. |  | |
Thousands of people come down the market each Saturday to purchase antiques from glassware to pewter, to eat and drink in the numerous restaurants, coffee shops and pubs or simply to browse and watch the world go by. |
Kensington Palace most famously in recent times was the home of Princess Diana and it was outside the gates that the vast carpet of flowers was laid following her tragic accident. The Palace sits on the Kensington Gore side of the Gardens, which merge, at one end, with Hyde Park.
|  | However, Kensington Gardens has it's own character and history. The Gardens were formed from land taken from Hyde Park after William and Mary moved into Nottingham House, now Kensington Palace, in 1689. The original gardens were modest in size but were extended in the early 18th century to a design by Charles Bridgeman, which still gives the gardens their main structure today. This has been added to in Victorian times, most notably the Italian Gardens (recently refurbished) and the Albert Memorial. |
Further features have been added in the 20th century adding to the reputation of the Gardens as a genteel environment associated with children and passive recreation. |
The home of Britain's government - the Houses of Parliament, Downing Street, the Cabinet War Rooms, from where Winston Churchill ran the country during the Second World War (now open to the public), and major ministries such as the Foreign & Commonwealth Office, Ministry of Defence, Department of Trade and Industry and many more are all here. Westminster
| which, as the City of Westminster is the size of a moderate city in its own right, is also well known for two major churches - the Roman Catholic Westminster Cathedral and Westminster Abbey. The latter was originally founded by King Edward I and was consecrated a few days after his death on 28th December 1065. His tomb, along with the tombs of many monarchs, nobles and notables - Charles Dickens is one - are to be found here. |  | |
Every monarch since William the Conqueror, in 1066, has been crowned here, with the exceptions only of Edward V and Edward VIII. The present building replaced the much smaller Norman abbey and was mainly built at the direction of Henry III in the 13th Century.Westminster Abbey is still a church and it's a good idea to check on any services taking place so that you can arrange your visit for a different time. |
Situated on the northern edge of Regent's Park, London Zoo is a 36-acre conservation centre which houses more than 650 species. London Zoo's animal collection includes invertebrates, reptiles, fish, birds, and small and large mammals such as lions, tigers, gorillas, elephants, giraffes, rhinos and bears.
|  | The Zoo comprises a number of buildings which have been the subject of great controversy in their time - the Snowdon Aviary and the Elephant House amongst them. Great progress has been made in the last few years in adapting the buildings to provide the most natural possible habitats. Web of Life is a new exhibition about the variety of life on Earth. Housed in the Millennium Conservation Centre at London Zoo, the exhibition brings together interactive activities and animal displays. |
This ground-breaking exhibition will introduce you to the amazing range of animals found in the earth's major habitats. Using a unique combination of 65 live animal exhibits, interactive displays and on-show breeding facilities, the exhibition will challenge your perceptions of life on earth and how we can conserve it. |
Arguably the most famous, and undoubtedly the most expensive department store in London, a trip behind the world famous façade is a "must-do" part of any visit to London, even if only to gape at the price tags !
| Harrods is actually in Brompton Road, which leads off Knightsbridge, itself a fairly short street of some of the most expensive and exclusive shopping in London that begins with Harvey Nichols, another delightful and expensive department store at the junction with Sloane Street, and continues with another world famous store - the Scotch House - and follows on down Knightsbridge and Brompton Road to Harrods with smaller shops for exclusive shoes, clothes and jewellery as well as hair salons. Previously, an area of very exclusive shops, recent years have seen the opening of branches of chain stores such as Next, Kookai, Boss and many more. |  | |
For relief on the long walk around all this floorspace, you will find several coffee shops opposite Harrods and some delightful restaurants in Walton Place, behind the store. |
Perched on a ridge of high ground stands a beautiful white villa, overlooking a lake and acres of lush parkland that will be instantly recognisable to fans of the film "Notting Hill",.Kenwood House, which is sited on the north side of Hampstead Heath, is a fine neoclassical mansion remodelled by Robert Adam between 1764-73 for its then owner, William Murray, the 1st Earl of Mansfield. In the 20th Century, the house was purchased by Lord Iveagh, the Guiness magnate.
|  | It has fabulous landscaped gardens and in the summer open air concerts, often with fireworks, are held in the bowl by the lake from Late June until September.
The house contains the most important private collection of paintings ever given to the nation, the Iveagh Bequest. This collection includes a very important selection of paintings by Rembrandt, Turner, Reynolds, Gainsborough and others. |
Remaining very much as it was remodelled in the 18th century, Kenwood's associations have presented a remarkable irony throughout history. Looking every inch the impressive home of a wealthy London gentleman, Kenwood has never belonged to an Englishman. Owned by Scotsmen for over two centuries, and finally bought by an Irishman in the 20th century, with most of the rebuilding work completed by one of the most renowned Scottish architects of all time. |
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