Destination Spotlight

8 Fun Facts About London

London is full of rolling green parks, cherry red buses, royal palaces, and it’s the perfect multicultural large city with something for every student. Its history is fascinating, its architecture is breathtaking, and the expansive theater scene in London allows visitors to take in shows and performances of all kinds. There is so much to do, see, and learn in London Town!

Here are eight fun facts about one of the world’s top destinations, London:

• The London Eye opened in 2000, and 30 million people have ridden it since. It has 32 air-conditioned capsules, and each can hold 25 people, with a maximum of 800 riding at once. It doesn’t have a capsule 13, though, so there is a capsule number 33.

• Queen Elizabeth II has been in power for 66 years. There are strict rules for those meeting the queen, such as always arriving before and leaving after the queen, never touching her, and never turning your back on her.

• The London Underground is the world’s oldest underground rail system. The deepest station is Hampstead, which is nearly 200 feet below ground.
• Football is the most popular sport in London, with six of the 20 English Premier League football clubs in the city. London is also known for hosting big sporting events, becoming the first city to host the Olympics three times.
• Shakespeare’s Globe Theater was built in 1599, just south of the Thames. It burned down after a cannon misfired during a production of Henry VIII in 1613, before being rebuilt and then closed down in 1642. A replica theater, complete with a thatched roof, opened in 1997.

• Fish ‘n chips has been a staple meal in London since the 19th century; traditionally, it’s served wrapped in newspaper.
• The second Waterloo Bridge, which crosses the Thames and was completed in 1945, is also known as the Ladies Bridge because of the largely female wartime workforce.
• When you hear a Londoner say “thanks,” it might come out sounding like “fanks” thanks to th-fronting, a pronunciation you’ll hear in many English dialects.

Take the Tube, ride the Eye, take in a show, and do so much more when you take your students on our London Theatre tour!