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St. James's Palace

St. James's Palace

Built in the 1530s, St. James's Palace was the main residence of the royal family for around 300 years. Queen Mary I died here, and King Charles I spent his last night in the palace before being executed the next day.The Palace is actually a sprawling complex of buildings, which include royal apartments, a chapel, dining halls and reception rooms.• Did you know?St. James's Palace is home to the oldest and most valuable stamp collection in the world, which is owned by the Queen.• Look out for……the Palace's imposing red-brick gatehouse. Most of the Palace was damaged by a fire in 1809, but the gatehouse still stands from the original building.

Royal Albert Hall

Royal Albert Hall

This grand oval concert hall, which opened in 1871, is dedicated to the memory of Queen Victoria's husband,Prince Albert.The hall is most famous for hosting classical music concerts, but it has been used for all sorts of other events too - including ballroom dancing, car shows, circuses and even, in 1991, London's first ever sumo wrestling tournament.• Did you know?The Royal Albert Hall was built using the profits from a science and arts exhibition that took place in nearby Hyde Park in 1851.• Look out for…....the long stone frieze around the outside of the hall. It shows dozens ot artists, scientists and engineers hard at work.

https://www.nationalgeographic.co.uk/history-and-civilisation/2021/03/albert-hall The Royal Albert Hall has hosted cultural luminaries from Einstein to Hendrix. This is its story.Rock band alt-J perform at the Royal Albert Hall in October 2019. The iconic venue celebrates 150 years of hosting performances from rock groups to...National Geographic

London Zoo

London Zoo

London Zoo has changed a lot since it opened in 1828. Back then it was just a place to look at animals. Today, the zoo is more concerned with conservation programmes to protect endangered species around the world.But there are still plenty of amazing animals to see here - including tigers, lions, gorillas, and Komodo dragons.• Did you know?There are over 7,000 animals at London Zoo, from around 700 different species.• Look out for…..feeding time at the penguin pool. This is at 2pm every day. Zoo keepers will also tell you more about how they look after the penguins and other animals at London Zoo.

30 St. Mary Axe

30 St. Mary Axe

The official name of this distinctive glass building is 30 St. Mary Axe, but its often known as 'the Gherkin' because of its unusual shape.It is 180m (590ft) high, with 40 floors of offices, and London's highest restaurant at the top (which is only for people who work in the building). The outside is covered in 7,429 panes of glass - enough to cover five football fields.• Did you know?When 30 St. Mary Axe was built, the grave of a teenage Roman girl was discovered buried in the ground beneath. It's still there now.• Look out for…...the glass on the outside. Even though the building is curved, every pane of glass is flat, except for one - the piece at the very top.

Shakespeare's Globe

Shakespeare's Globe

Shakespeare's Globe is an almost perfect reconstruction of a playhouse that stood very close to here over 300 years ago.Finished in 1987, the Globe was built as close as possible to the original style, with oak timbers, wooden pegs instead of nails, and the first thatched roof in central London since the 17th century (when they were banned in case of fires).• Did you know?William Shakespeare was one of the owners of the original Globe. Several of his famous plays were first performed on its small wooden stage.• Look out for…...the exhibition in the building next door, where you can find out more about the Globe's fascinating history.