more about LONDON

1. . more about LONDON

2. We are going to visit some old and modern buildings in London and also some interesting places which are not very popular among tourists but for all that not less rich in charm and curiosities. Let’s start with a little bit of history. .

3. Discovering Londinium The Roman conquest of Britain started in 43 A.D, by Emperor Claudius. In 55 B.C. Julius Caesar had already tried to conquer Britannia.

4. In the 47 A.D Romans bridged the river Thames, built a port and a wall making of Londinium the capital city of northern province of Roman Empire.

5. -the most famous Roman remains are in the City :the temple of Mithras. -under the Guildhall there are amphitheatre ruins. -the ruins of a Roman wall are outside Tower Hill station. -on the Thames banks it’s possible to find Roman pottery.

6. Guildhall

7. Statue of Trajan in front of a section of the Roman wall, Tower Hill

8. At Syon Park, west London, archeologists found a Roman agricultural village. • -

9. In the 11th century, Westminster, a village nearby, became the capital of England.At first Westminster and London were separated, but slowly they grew into one city.

10. Saint Mary Le Bow London life revolved around street markets, pubs, pie shops, and near the churches. It is said a true Londoner, a Cockney, is born within the sound of the Bow Bells.

11. The church was built by William the Conqueror In 1091 a terrible storm blew off the roof In 1666 the Great Fire destroyed the church In 1683 Sir Christopher Wren rebuilt the church In 1941 it was destroyed again by German Bombers during the second World War. the inside

12. Bow Bells The church has the most famous bells in the world. They rang at 9 p.m. every day. In the past they signalled a curfew and the end of the working day for apprentices.

13. In the past many important events took place in front the church. Now St. Mary-Le-Bow is a sanctuary. It offers its parishioners continuity and shelter. Visitors can listen to concerts and carols at Christmas.

14. In 1700 London had 600,000 inhabitants and was the largest city in Europe. In the 18th and 19th centuries, it was the capital of the British Empire, the heart of the Industrial Revolution and the centre of world trade. In the 20th century people from all over the world were attracted to London, making it a cosmopolitan, multicultural city.

15. Secret London

16. The largest collection of antique silver in the world is at Chancery Lane, three floors under the city.

17. You can find the household valuables of rich Londoners, dating back of 18° century: • Egg cups • Tooth pick boxes • Armchairs • The biggest silver objects

19. THE NEASDEN TEMPLE In northwest London there is the biggest Indian temple outside India called Neasden Temple with his domes and pinnacles. The temple was built using 2000 tonnes Carrara’s marble and 3000 tonnes of Bulgarian limestone. Inside the temple there are statues of gods in their gold shrines, dressed in silk.

20. POSTMAN’S PARK. • London has many famous parks but in the heart of the City there is a quiet space not so famous: Postman’s Park. This park were built to remember the heroic-self-sacrifice. In this park there is, under a canopy, a tablet where some people are remembered for their dead, for example Sara Smith, she died for injuries received when she tried to turn off the flames on her friend’s dress.

21. Eltham Palace Eltham Palace is a less well-known royal palace, in the south of London. It has a design of 1930. Inside you can see a medieval Great Hall, near you can see Art Deco interiors. The original place was given to King Edward I in the 1300, when it was still a country village. Then it became important, because here deer-hunting jousting tournament was practiced. Henry VIII lived here with nursery.

22. Eltham was a royal palace where there was the Parliament and European monarchs were entertained. The entrance home has got a glass dome, lavish furnishings and murals on the walls. Inside there is a gold-plated bathroom and pet lemur.

23. . HENRY VIII’S WINE CELLAR

24. Below UK’s Ministry of Defence there is clandestine wine cellar. In this building there are a lot of wooden rooms. It was built by Cardinal Wolsey in 1514. He was a very rich and powerful man. He imported champagne from France. When Wolsey became less important, Henry VIII took also the wine cellar. In 1940s the building was destroyed but the cellar wine were saved. Today it lies perfectly preserved with its Tudor vaulted roof, pillars and brickwork.

25. FOOT TUNNELS IN LONDON

26. GREENWICH

27. It is a tunnel that runs 15 meters under the Thames. The tunnel is very old. It was opened in 1902 and it connects in 370 meters Cutty Sark Gardens to Island Gardens. It is public and it is open 24 hour a day it is part of National Cycle Route 1. There is a glazed dome at each end with a lift.

28. WOOLWICH

29. It is less known but it is longer than Greenwich foot tunnel. Both entrance buildings are listed buildings of historic interest. In one of this building there is now a leisure centre.

30. London Graffiti 20/08/2014

31. In the centre of London you can see some eye catching graffiti, they are paintings on walls and houses.

32. In the 20th century the most important mural movement was born in The USA and Mexico, with artists such as Diego Rivera. • It was a political expression. • In the 1970 this tradition reached London. Murals were painted by individual artists, or done by groups like the Greenwich Mural Workshop. DIEGO RIVERA

33. FOUR OF THE BEST

34. This mural is in Brixton, a district in the south London. It is called “Nuclear Dawn”, it was produced as a poster of the CND (Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament). • It depicts a giant skeleton striding across London dropping atomic bombs and in the background there’s a cloud with children’s faces screaming. You can also see the politicians cowering under the House of Parliament.

35. The Battle of Cable Street It is in Shadwell, east London. It depicts a fighting between police and protestors trying to stop a fascist march in 1936.

36. Ode to the West Wind It just off Oxford Street. It shows Percy Bysshe Shelley, one of the most important English romantic poets, reading a book beneath a tree which has been split by the wind.

37. Big Splash It is in Brixton. It shows the River Effra full of life. It is now mainly underground.

38. BUT NOW The murals of London are pieces of social history. Today only some murals has survived, they are changing the urban landscape, others have been knocked down or are faded. A group of people created the London Mural Preservation Society.

39. Buskers

40. Busking is a very old performance by artists. Since Roman times people with special skills, have sang or played an instrument in the street to receive food or money.

41. It's very difficult to be a busker because you have to take an exam, but if you pass the exam it is very easy to become famous. In London buskers were considered a public nuisance but now they are an official form of entertainment.

42. The "Right Spot " is an event organized by London's Colourful Mayor Boris Johnson and it consists of a "London Busking Undergorund Competition". The winners receive one-year underground busking licence, a course at the Accademy of the Contemporany Music and an opportunity to play live gigs.

44. Side by side…with the stars!!

45. You see a lot of Hollywood stars, but they don’t move … What is it? Madame Tussaud wax museum in London, it’s the flagship of 13 Madam Tussaud wax museum in the world.

47. How are made the models? • The techniques model-makers use today are very similar to Madame Tussaud’s. They use callipers to take precise measurements of the celebrity. • Clay face models are made around a skeleton of wire. • The hair’s models are real hair. • Expert spend up to 10 hours modelling each pair of eyes. • The make up is made from make up artist.

48. Madame Tussaud Madame Tussaud was a model maker during the French Revolution, she would create the death mask of infamous and she made the death mask of Marie Antoniette too when she was beheaded. She came to London working in travelling bazaars, and just before her death she chose a building.

49. Saint James’s Park Hyde Park Greenwich Park PARKS Regent’s park Kensington Gardens Richmond Park Green Park

50. In London there are eight royal parks. They aren’t only green areas, but also spaces of historical interest. • The most famous park is Hyde Park in the heart of London. Henry VIII bought the park in 1536 and Charles I opened it to the public in 1637.