The London Eye is a giant Ferris wheel on the South Bank of the River Thames in London. It is also known as the Millennium Wheel. The official name was originally published as the British Airways London Eye, then the Merlin Entertainments London Eye, then the EDF Energy London Eye. Since mid-January 2015 it has been known in branding as the Coca-Cola London Eye, following an agreement signed in September 2014.

The structure was designed by the architectural team of David Marks and Julia Barfield, husband and wife. They submitted their idea for a large observation wheel as part of a competition to design a landmark for the new millennium.

The London Eye is located at the western end of Jubilee Gardens, between Westminster Bridge and Hungerford Bridge. The site is adjacent to that of the former Dome of Discovery, which was built for the Festival of Britain in 1951.

The London Eye was formally opened by the Prime Minister, Tony Blair, on 31 December 1999, although it was not opened to the public until March 2000 because of technical problems. Since its opening, the Eye, operated by Merlin Entertainments, has become a major landmark and tourist attraction.

It is not surprising that the line of tourists to the "London eye" never ends: almost everyone in the capital of great Britain wishes to rise to a great height in a comfortable booth.

Bridge History

Plans for the Tower Bridge were devised around 1876 when the east of London
became extremely crowded and a bridge across the Thames in that area of the
city seemed a necessity. It would take another eight years - and lots of
discussions about the design - before construction of the bridge started.
The bridge, designed by city architect Horace Jones in collaboration with John
Wolfe Barry, would eventually be completed in 1894. Five contractors and nearly
450 workers were involved in the construction of the 265 meter long bridge. It
took 11,000 tons of steel to build the framework. At the time many people
disliked its Victorian Gothic design, but over time the bridge became one of
London's most famous symbols.

Mechanics

The proximity of the harbor and its location in the direction of the sea
required for the bridge to allow the passage of large vessels. Hence the
decision to create a moveable bridge which can be opened to accommodate boat
traffic. The mechanism to open the bridge is hidden in the two towers. Until
1976, when the mechanism became electrified, steam power was used to pump water
into hydraulic accumulators which powered the engines.
Each deck is more than 30 meters wide and can be opened to an angle of 83
degrees. When opened the bridge has a clearance of almost 45 meters. It used to
open almost fifty times a day but nowadays it is only raised about one thousand
times a year. Bridge lifts are pre-scheduled (for cruise ships, etc) so
visitors can check the
bridge's website to find out
when it will rise and lower.

Visiting the Bridge

Taking photographs of the Tower bridge is a favorite London tourist
activity, but you can also go inside the bridge, where you'll have a
magnificent view over London from the walkway between the two bridge towers.

Inside the bridge is the Tower bridge Exhibition, a display area that encompasses
the walkway and the two famous towers where you can observe the Victorian
engine room. Visitors can learn about the history of the bridge via photos,
films, and other media.

In 2014 glass floors were installed in the walkways, giving visitors another,
unusual view from the bridge. The 11 meter (36 ft) long glass floors, more than
40 meters above the river, allow you to observe the traffic over the Tower
Bridge from above. It is particularly fascinating to see the bridge open and
close below your feet.

Westminster Abbey, formally titled the Collegiate Church of St Peter at Westminster, is a large, mainly Gothicchurch in the City of Westminster, London, located just to the west of the Palace of Westminster. It is one of the most notable religious buildings in the United Kingdom and has been the traditional place of coronationand burial site for Englishand, later, Britishmonarchs. The abbey is a Royal Peculiarand between 1540 and 1556 had the status of a cathedral; the building is no longer anabbeyor cathedral however, having instead the status since 1560 of a "Royal Peculiar" – a church responsible directly to the Sovereign.

According to a tradition first reported by Sulcard in about 1080, a church was founded at the site (then known as Thorn Ey (Thorn Island)) in the 7th century, at the time of Mellitus (d. 624), a Bishop of London. Construction of the present church began in 1245, on the orders o fHenry III.

Since 1066, when Harold Godwinsonand William the Conquerorwere crowned, the coronations of English and British monarchs have been held here. Since 1100, there have been at least 16 royal weddings at the abbey. Two were of reigning monarchs (Henry IandRichard II), although before 1919 there had been none for some 500 years.

The first reports of the abbey are based on a late tradition claiming that a young fisherman called Aldrich on theRiver Thamessaw a vision ofSaint Peternear the site. This seems to be quoted to justify the gifts of salmon from Thames fishermen that the Abbey received in later years. In the present era, the Fishmonger's Companystill gives a salmon every year. The proven origins are that in the 960s or early 970s, Saint Dunstan, assisted byKing Edgar, installed a community of Benedictine monks here.

official London residence of the British monarch (currently Queen Elizabeth II). Located across the street from pall Mall and green Park with white marble and gilded monument to Queen Victoria. When the monarch is in the Palace, above the roof of the Palace, flying the Royal standard. Originally Buckingham Palace was known as Buckingham house was built for the Duke of Buckingham (1703). It was purchased by king George III in 1762 as a future private residence of the monarch (the official residence of the St James's Palace ceased to hold it, and the size and finish). Over the next 75 years, the architects John Nesi Edward Blore (author Alupka Palace), based on Buckingham house, built three similar buildings. All together form a square in plan, in the centre of which is a large courtyard.