Along the Thames River

1. Along the Thames River

2. The route of the excursion • Tower bridge • Tower of London • London bridge • St Paul Cathedral • The Globe • Cleopatra’s Needle • London Eye • The Houses of Parliament • Big Ben • Westminster Abbey • Westmisnter bridge

4. Why “the Thames”? London has an estimated population of 7.5 million (as of 2005) and a metropolitan area population of between 12 and 14 million. The Thames is130 kilometres long. The English people call it “The Father of London”

6. Tower Bridge

7. Tower Bridge It was opened in 1894 and it’s a masterpiece of Victorian engineering and architecture.

9. «Halt! Who goes there?» «TheKeys.» «Whose Keys?» «Queen Elizabeth’s Keys.» «God preserve Queen Elizabeth.» «Amen!» These words can be heard every night just before 10 o'clock. They mean that the Tower of London has been locked up the night. The Ceremony of the Keys is at least 700 years old! The Ceremony of the Keys

10. Tower of London

11. It is the oldest and the most important building, surrounded by other towers, which all have different names. The most striking of them is the White Tower with the four corner towers, none of which is like the others. The Bloody Tower were used as prison. In the Green Tower only most notorious victims found their death.

12. What is the Tower? Throughout its 900-year history the Tower has been many things: a palace, a fortress, a prison, a place of execution, and even a zoo. Today, the Tower is best known as a historical museum and more than 2 million people visit it each year. About 150 people an eight ravens live in the Tower. And of course the hole place is crawling with ghosts. The walls of the Tower are 5 meters thick.

13. There are now twenty towers placed at intervals round the two defensive curtain walls, which were added by Henry III and his son Edward I in 1078; • The biggest draw in the Tower are the Crown Jewels, which contain thousands of priceless jewels, including the legendary Koh-I-noor diamond; • The tower is manned by the Yeomen Warders (known as Beefeaters), who act as tour guides, provide discreet security, and are something of a tourist attraction. Every evening, the warders participate in the Ceremony of the Keys, as the Tower is secured for the night. • In deference to an ancient legend, a number of ravens are fed at the Tower at government expense; so long as the ravens remain at the Tower (which is ensured by trimming the flight feathers of the ravens), Britain is safe from invasion. Legend also says that should the ravens leave the Tower of London, the White Tower will crumble and the Monarch will fall, thus, the ravens are the palladium of the realm. The names of the eight ravens currently in the tower are Gwylum, Thor, Hugine, Munin, Branwen, Bran, Gundulf, and Baldrick. In 2006, ahead of the H5N1 avian flu scare, the ravens were moved indoors.

14. Beefeaters

16. There are two letters,Е. R., on the front of Beefeaters' tunics. They stand for the Queen's name Elizabeth Regina. The uniform is as it used to be in Tudor times.‘ Their everyday uniform is black and red, but on state occasions they wear а ceremonial dress: fine red state uniforms with the golden and black stripes and the wide lace-collar, which were in fashion in the 16th century.

17. When was the Tower founded? Who founded it? What is the symbol of the Tower? What legend about Tower ravens do you know? Who guards the Tower? What famous prisoners were there? For many centuries it served as… ( continue) Keys: 1. In XIth century 2. William the Conqueror 3. Ravens 4. If they leave the Tower the kingdom will fall. 5. Yeomen warders or Beefeaters 6. Queen Anne Boleyn, Guy Fawkes and Princess Elizabeth 7. fortress, palace, state prison, royal treasury “Beefeaters' secrets”

18. London Bridge 1616

19. In 1014 the bridge was pulled down to prevent the Danes from attacking London London Bridge is falling down London’s burning Fetch the ending Fire, Fire Pour on water In 1960 a very rich American bought the old London Bridge. He wanted to show it to people for money

20. The Plague In 1665 London was a busy, rich and crowded city. More than 400.000 people lived. But the narrow streets were very dirty. Rubbish was thrown into the streets. The smell in some places was unbearable. London was a very busy port and lots of ships came there daily. One day together with some goods, the Great Plague arrived in London. People fell ill, one after another, and in ten days died. Whole families died. In a few months nearly 100.000 died, about 1/3 of the population. It was the winter cold that saved the city and the people. By December many who had gone away from London returned. Houses and theatres, shops and inns opened. London was itself again.

22. The Great Fire in 1666

23. Another great disaster came to London in 1666 • A young and careless baker left a bundle of wood near a very hot oven. • In a few hours big flames were seen all along the narrow streets. • Booksellers carried valuable books into the cellers of St.Pauls Cathedral. There, they thought, they would be perfectly safe. But within a few hours the books were buried. • The fire destroyed the water-wheel, so there was no more water to put out the fire, and soon 3 000 houses were in flames.The next day the wind changed, but nearly half the City was ruined. • But the fire really came as a blessing in disguise. It swept away the dirty crowded houses and the Plague. • Under the genius of Sir Christopher Wren, a new St.Paul's and partly a new London with wider streets and healthier stone houses, arose from the ashes of the old City.

26. St. Paul’s Cathedral was built after the Great Fire of 1666 by Sir Christopher Wren, a brilliant mathematician and engineer, who designed many famous buildings in London.

27. St Paul Cathedral It took Sir Christopher Wren thirty-five years to finish St. Paul’s. When Wren died he was buried in his own magnificent building. Si monumentum requires circumspice. (If you seek my monument, then look around you.)

28. The cathedral is hundred and ten metres ,515 ft long and 180 ft wide. Its famous dome is the largest church dome in the world after St.Peter's in Rome. • You can climb the 627 steps up to the dome.

29. Whispering Gallery Inside the dome is the Whispering Gallery. If you Whisper close to the wall on one side of the dome, you can be heard on the other side.

30. Inside there is a wonderful mixture of architectural work, paintings, mosaics and statues which are monuments to generals and admirals who are buried there and among them Admiral Nelson and Wellington.

31. The Globe

32. Shakespaire …people say that the reason was his love of poetry and theatre. But there is another story which says that he had to run away from law because he killed some deer belonging to a rich man. In London Shakespeare began to act and to write plays and soon ' became an important member of a well-known acting company. Most of his plays were performed in the new Globe Theatre built on the bank of the River Thames. In 1613 he stopped writing and went to live in Stratford where he died in 1616. Four hundred years later his plays are still acted — not only in England but in the whole world.

34. Cleopatra’s Needle

35. It’s a sixty-foot(18,3 m) Egyptian obelisk that was presented to Britain in 1819 It dates from 1475 BC, which makes it London’s oldest monument

36. London Eye The London is the tallest observation heel in the world. You go up for 30 minutes, flying high over London. From the top of the wheel you can see all over London. You see Buckingham Palace with all is gardens, you go right over Big Ben and the Houses of Parliament and see Nelson’s Column and other famous London landmarks.

38. Airways London Eye, a 450 foot high (137m) observation wheel that offers spectacular views over London.

39. The Houses of Parliament

43. Big Ben

44. The Clock Tower is 318 feet high. The man in charge of building was Sir Benjamin Hall. The man was very tall and the workers and his friends called him Big Ben. So they called the bell Big Ben too

45. Westminster Abbey

47. It is the work of many hands and differentages. • The oldest part of the building dates from the 8th century. It was a monastery the West Minster. • Since the time of William the Conqueror Westminster Abbey has been the crowning place of the kings and queens of England. The Abbey is sometimes compared with amausoleum, because there are tombs and memorials of almost all English monarchs, many statesmen, famous scientists, writers and musicians. • There is also the Grave of the Unknown Warrior, a symbol of nation's grief.