European Union Forums

[Laurentine]

This theme is devoted to the green and beautiful country of Great Britain, with its traditions and habits. The capital of England is London. The most famous sights are Big Ben, The houses of parliament, Tower Bridge, The London Eye, Trafalgar Square, the Tower of London, the British Museum, Tate Gallery of Modern Art, National Gallery, The Victoria & Albert Museum, Buckingham Palace.

[M.Helen]

The Tower Bridge , named after its two impressive towers, is one of London's best known landmarks. This Victorian Bridge is now more than 100 years old. Designed by Wolfe Barry and Horace Jones, and completed in 1894, the middle of the bridge can be raised to permit large vessels to pass the Tower Bridge. It used to be raised about 50 times a day, but nowadays it is only raised 4 to 5 times a week.

The bridge is 60 meter (197 ft) long and its towers rise to a height of 43 meter. From the top of the towers, you have a great view on the center of London. You can also visit the inside of the tower, where you can observe the original mechanism used to raise the bridge.
http://www.aviewoncities.com/london/towerbridge.htm

[Nathan]

The London Eye (also known as the Millennium Wheel), at a height of 135 metres (443 ft),[1] is the biggest Ferris wheel in Europe, and has become the most popular paid tourist attraction in the United Kingdom, visited by over three million people in one year.[2] At the time it was erected it was the tallest Ferris wheel in the world, until it was surpassed by the Star of Nanchang (160 m) in May 2006, and then the Singapore Flyer (165 m) on 11 February 2008. However, it is still described by its operators as "the world's tallest cantilevered observation wheel" (because the entire structure is supported by an A-frame on one side only).[3]

The London Eye is located at the western end of Jubilee Gardens, on the South Bank of the River Thames in London, England, 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.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/London_Eye

[Peach]

Stonehenge is surely Britain's greatest national icon, symbolizing mystery, power and endurance. Its original purpose is unclear to us, but some have speculated that it was a temple made for the worship of ancient earth deities. It has been called an astronomical observatory for marking significant events on the prehistoric calendar. Others claim that it was a sacred site for the burial of high-ranking citizens from the societies of long ago.

While we can't say with any degree of certainty what it was for, we can say that it wasn't constructed for any casual purpose. Only something very important to the ancients would have been worth the effort and investment that it took to construct Stonehenge.

[Big_Becka]

If you visit Stonehenge, you might like some of the other monuments in the area which are a little less busy, and just as impressive.

The area around Stonehenge is often known as Wessex. Thomas Hardy famously loved this area and based many of his books here.

Other ancient mystical monuments include the Uffington White Horse, the Cerne Giant, Avebury Circle, and Glastonbury Tor. There are spectacular natural sights such as Wookey Hole and Durdle Door, plenty of natural parks and the 'Jurassic Coast' (a UNESCO World Heritage Site). Along the south coast are ports and fishing towns like Weymouth, Abbotsbury and Poole.

Walking, cycling and windsurfing are popular activities, and you must visit a traditional pub for a Ploughman's Lunch and local Ales and Ciders.


Uffington White Horse - There are a number of horses (and other symbols) carved onto chalk hillsides in this area, but the Uffington Horse is the only one that is almost certainly prehistoric.


The Cerne Giant, Cerne Abbas - Like the Uffington Horse, this figure is carved into a chalk hillside. Noone knows who carved it or when (some people think it is prehistoric fertility symbol, others think it is much later). There is a local legend that if a woman sleeps on the giant overnight, she is sure to have a child. However, the giant is now fenced off to preserve him and his powers


Avebury Stone Circle - this is a larger stone circle than Stonehenge, and encircles the village of Avebury. The village is a centre for crop circles and paranormal activity, but is also very pretty.


Glastonbury Tor - The tor overlooks the town of Glastonbury, which is an established centre for alternative culture and both Christian and Pagan pilgrimages. The famous Glastonbury music festival takes place near here. The Tor itself is a hill overlooking the Somerset levels, with the 15th Century St Michael's Tower on top. Local legends say that there may once have been a stone circle on the Tor, and/or King Arthur may have had a fort here. There have also been sightings of fairies, elves and aliens here http://www.glastonburytor.org.uk/mysterytor.html


Durdle Door, Dorset Coast - This is not so mystical, but is a good example of a limestone arch. The 'Jurassic Coast' is so called because of all the fossils found in the limestone cliffs, so it is interesting if you like geography and archaeology.

[Laurentine]

Other ancient mystical monuments include the Uffington White Horse, the Cerne Giant, Avebury Circle, and Glastonbury Tor. There are spectacular natural sights such as Wookey Hole and Durdle Door, plenty of natural parks and the 'Jurassic Coast.' Walking, cycling and windsurfing are popular activities, and you must visit a traditional pub for a Ploughman's Lunch and local Ales and Ciders.

Hey Big_Becka thanks a lot for enlightenment I've never heard about the White Horse, The Cerne Giant, Avebury Stone Circle and Glastonbury Tor. That's amazing, so many interesting places you can visit in Britain! May be there are some other places that you are not aware of? Please post here . Thanks

[Big_Becka]

No problem! I've put in a bit more information. It's nice to share some local knowledge, and it's important that we pass on these legends I'm enjoying the posts on other cities and countries

Now, we're in Wessex, so you might like to visit the cities of Bath, Wells and Bristol.


Bath is an ancient spa town, with Roman baths built around Britain's only hot springs. The centre is full of beautiful Georgian buildings, but is also a busy student city, with bars and restaurants, shopping, theatres, museums and galleries. http://visitbath.co.uk


Wells is a cathedral city, a short distance from Bath. It's a much smaller city, but very beautiful and set at the foot of the Mendip Hills (popular for cycling). http://www.wellstourism.com/


Bristol is a large and lively city with lots to do: shopping centres, nightlife, a zoo, museums and theatres... interesting sights include the restored SS Great Britain and the Clifton Suspension Bridge. It's also the UK's Green Capital, and has been nominated the happiest place in the UK to live! http://visitbristol.co.uk

[Laurentine]

I like this Bridge , it's so high. And you, where do you live? Can you show some pictures of your town/village, I'm sure they are beautiful. By relating about these cities, you provoked curiosity and interest

[M.Helen]

The British Museum is a museum of human history and culture situated in London. Its collections, which number more than seven million objects,[3] are amongst the largest and most comprehensive in the world and originate from all continents, illustrating and documenting the story of human culture from its beginning to the present.

[Faw_Peter]

Tate Modern displays the Tate collection of international modern and contemporary art from 1900 to the present day.

Tate Modern is more than just an art gallery. The amazing space of the Turbine Hall - has housed a succession of installations which have caught the imagination of the public.

The arrival of Tate Modern has had a huge impact on the locality, and Tate has worked hard to forge good relations with the Bankside community.

[Big_Becka]

I like this Bridge , it's so high. And you, where do you live? Can you show some pictures of your town/village, I'm sure they are beautiful. By relating about these cities, you provoked curiosity and interest

Hehehe, that's quite a difficult question to answer! I've moved around the country quite a bit (which is still fairly unusual - different areas of the UK still have fairly distinct accents and cultures). I've lived in the West before, and I would like to move back Not all the places I've lived are so pretty - housing is very expensive, and some of these desirable areas are so expensive that young local people can't afford to stay! Honestly, some towns and villages in the south west are entirely retirement and holiday homes!

Anyway, here is a little about the last place I lived in the Midlands. The West Midlands are the area around Birmingham, and include Stratford-upon-Avon (where William Shakespeare was born).


Shakepeare's birth place

Birmingham is England's second largest city, and has undergone some renovation in recent years - it's a lively city, and there are always large events taking place at the NEC. Birmingham and Coventry are car-making cities, and some car manufacturers (e.g. Jaguar, Aston Martin and Land Rover) are still located in the area. There are also car and motorbike museums, and some of the best engineering and business universities.


Centenary Square and Birmingham's sky line.

Most people live outside the city if they can afford to. I was lodging just outside Coventry, in some very pretty typical English villages: a pretty church, about 7 or 8 pubs (!) and a small convenience store if you are lucky A lot of these villages will still have fetes or carnivals, which is quite nice: usually the old men will show off their vegetables, the schools and clubs might put on a show, there might be a maypole or a game of cricket, and the Womens' Institute sell jam and cakes. It can get quite competitive!


Harbury Church - you can see the village water pump (no longer used!) in the foreground


Some morris dancers

[alberty2k]

Hello friends
Britain was the king of the king once upon, it ruled the world for some centuries.

he Britain of my dreams – I’d start by freeing Simon Mann from his African hellhole of a prison and staging a coup-d’etat. A manifesto will follow based upon Christian values, hard work, common sense and decency. Public investment will be channelled into where it is needed and public servants and government officials made responsible for their actions. (ie no more domes). Education will be based on learning not social engineering. Those who are feckless, lazy and criminal will not be rewarded; rather they will be exposed and made to feel very uncomfortable. Swift abandonment of political correctness, multiculturalism, anti-discrimination l and un-warranted big brother surveillance laws

The country of my dreams-Britain see the pictures of the tourist places click here.......

---------------------------
Albert

[Benn]

I have never been in the UK .. but so beautiful you have talked about it and many great pictures of beautiful places you put on the forum that incite me and awake a great interest towards this country. So my next tourist destination will be UK.

[Big_Becka]

Benn - I am pleased to hear we have inspired you

Albert - I agree with much of what you say, except for two things:

1) Christian values?! Are you insane?! The reason we have our anti-discrimination laws is to counteract the negative opinions of old-fashioned Christian types. I have had the misfortune to work in a middle-class Christian male environment for far too long. Surely it is better to base our society on common sense, tolerance and modern enlightened reason? (Or should atheist intellectuals be ostracised, misfits locked in mental institutions, and educated women be condemned to living in almshouses as parish spinsters? )

Alternatively, we could be historically correct and base our society on good Pagan values. Since Christianity is a foreign idea that was imposed on the British

2) Multiculturalism cannot be abandoned. It is a consequence of the Empire, and of our centuries of history as a trading nation. I have friends whose familes' came fom the colonies in the 1950s, but are now fully anglicised. On the other hand, I have friends who are almost certainly descendents of the saxon hordes (!) but love indian and african culture and find solace in buddhism. And, of course, there are shades in between. Then there are the descendents of people who immigrated from Eire and mainland Europe over the years I cannot imagine there are many people who can be defined as fully British Even the Royal Family are German!

Perhaps the insular Asian and Caribbean communities of some of our cities (e.g. Bradford) are not a good thing, but the prejudice and bigotry in our society have cemented these communities shut. For example, educated immigrants often cannot work to their full potential in the UK not because their qualifications are not recognised. Others will be held back because they are seen as a risk, or do not comply to "Corporate Fit" criteria. I know experienced immigrant professionals working on factory assembly lines, while the government complains that there are shortages of these professionals!

[Lorry]

If you like green countryside,you should visit England, there is much to choose from. The 'West Country' - Somerset, Dorset, Devon and Cornwall counties - is full of beautiful small villages, old cottages with roofs, ancient churches and gentle green hills. I always dreamed to visit this place with the most beautiful landscapes.

[samuel5028]

Thank you for sharing.Dating back to the 12th century, Edinburgh Castle is a beautiful architectural masterpiece offering stunning views of Scotland. Don't forget to visit the award-winning Skye Toy Museum in Scotland. Places like Vikingar, The Scottish Crannog Centre, Inveraray Jail, Lochcarron Estate are worth visiting during Tours to British Tourist Attractions.

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