The Crown Jewels

The Crown Jewels are shown in the Jewel House. They are well looked after. Once they were stolen by a man called Colonel Blood. But he was caught just as he was leaving the Tower. Thomas Blood didn't have to go to prison. The king gave him a pension instead. It was in 1671.

(from Speak Out, abridged

ST PAUL'S CATHEDRAL

St Paul's Cathedral is one of the most famous buildings in the world, and it is also one of the greatest survivors!

There was once a Roman temple on the site, dedicated to the goddess Diana. Since then there have been four different Christian buildings. The first Christian church was built by the Saxon King, Ethelbert of Kent. Being made of wood it didn't stand a chance and was eventually burnt down. It was rebuilt in stone but that didn't work either as it was destroyed in a Viking invasion. When the Saxons used wood again on the third church, it was doomed to be destroyed by fire again!

When old St Paul's was built in the time of William the Conqueror, stone from Northern France was used and it was much taller and wider than it is today. During the reign of King Henry VIII, financial problems meant there wasn't enough money for the cathedral's upkeep. Parts of it were destroyed and a market place was set up inside selling, bread, meat, fish and beer!

The first public lottery was held at St Paul's by the West Door. But instead of the profits going to the cathedral they went to the country's harbours. Elizabeth I granted money to the cathedral for repairs and an architect was appointed. Inigo Jones cleared out the shops and market place ready for repairs. However it fell in to decay again when soldiers used it as barracks during the Civil War.

Christopher Wren, the cathedral's final architect, was asked to restore it. Before he could make much progress, parts of it were destroyed by the Great Fire of London, which started in a baker's shop in Pudding Lane and raged for five days, destroying many of the buildings in the City.

Christopher Wren started once more with a magnificent vision of St Paul's and the rest of the City. All this in spite of the fact that he was more of a scientist and hadn't actually built or designed anything until he was 30 years old. He laid the foundation stone for the cathedral in 1675. 35 years later he set the final stone in place. When he died he was buried in his own magnificent building.

The clock tower on the West Side houses the bell known as Great Paul. At three metres in diameter, it is the heaviest swinging bell in the country. Of course there is the famous dome and the cross on top is 365 feet from the ground. It is the second largest cathedral dome in the world. Only St Paul's in Rome is bigger.

Why not pay St Paul's a visit? One feature you will find interesting is the Whispering Gallery, where you can whisper at one wall, and then hear what you whispered on the opposite wall 107 feet away!

(from BBC English)

LONDON'S EAST END

Samuel Johnson said two centuries ago, "He who is tired of London, is tied of life."

London has everything you could possibly want out of life ... if you plan it well.

Which means exploring further than the square kilometre that most tourists see.

London is one of Europe's largest capitals, and the further you get away from Buckingham Palace, the better. Remember, not all of London's history revolves around the Royal family soap operas. The priceless jewels of London are the people, not those trinkets locked in the Tower.

One of London's most interesting and undiscovered areas is the East End. In the 1880s, Jack the Ripper stalked these tiny backstreets — at the same time William Booth, "the East End Saint" set up the Salvation Army. America's Libery Bell was made in the still-existing 16th-century bell foundry. It's also where London's "East End Mafia" operated in the 1960s.

The East End is a slice of "real" London and represents our culture as it is, today.

I'm a born-and-bred Londoner and yet still get a thrill every time I see Big Ben.

Wonderful though it is, it's no comparison to sitting in a pub in the East End, listening to someone tell you incredible stories which will inform your heart.

(from London's East End by J. Payne)

MADAM TUSSAUD'S

Madam Tussaud's is the most popular and talked about wax museum in the world. There are wax models of the famous and infamous, both living and dead, from every walk of life.

Elvis Presley, the Beatles, the Rolling Stones, Marilyn Monro, Michael Jackson, Alfred Hitchcock, Charlie Chaplin, the British Royal family, Bill Clinton, Jack the Ripper ... There is no other place where you can see all the celebrities at once, even if they are only wax figures.

So if you want to rub shoulders with kings and queens or the latest pop stars, or probably with notorious criminals, this is the place to go.

The museum is situated in Marylebone Road, not far from the street which is famous as the home of the first great detective in fiction, Conan Doyle's Sherlock Holmes.

There's usually a long queue in front of the museum. No wonder! Many tourists would consider their trip to London worthless if they didn't visit the famous Madam Tussaud's.

There are several halls at Madam Tussaud's. Highlights include the Grand Hall, the Chamber of Horrors and "The Spirit of London" exhibition.

The wax figures are standing and sitting, and sometimes even moving and talking.

They are extremely realistic and when they look at you, their eyes sparkling, you often feel uncomfortable in their company. Computer controlled figures (they are called audioanimatronics) are especially popular with the visitors.

New models are being produced all the time while the old ones are quietly removed from display.

Over the years hundreds of celebrities have made their way to Madame Tussaud's studio. Most people agree to be portrayed, but some refuse. Mother Teresa was one of the few who declined, saying her work was important, not her person.