Ten facts about London that you probably didn't know.
Thursday, 18 of February of 2016
If you live in London or you are an eventual tourist, you must read this article as you will find some interesting curiosities that will surprise you!
1- The subway station Angel has the third longest escalator in the world. It has 60 meters long with a height of 27.5 m. You better take it easy!
2- The London Underground, also known as simply the underground or the tube, is the oldest underground network in the world! The Metropolitan Line was the first underground train built, back in 1863. Its history has rapidly changed over the years. Along with its route, we find abandoned, renamed, relocated or even merged stations. Another curious fact is that citizens back in the days were against it because they said that noise could upset the devil. How things have changed .. we couldn't leave without it now!
3- In London more than 300 languages are spoken in the same second - it is the only city in the world where these number of languages are spoken all at once! Especially in the last decade, London has adopted many other languages that coexist next to the language of Shakespeare. The city is constantly changing, full of multiculturalism!
The boroughs of the city have been transformed as a small token of the country of origin with citizens of Turkey, France, India, Pakistan, Portugal, Spain, Italy, China and many more. So don’t worry if you visit the city and you don’t speak English very well, you will surely find someone in your country that will help you!
4- In 1955, a flock of starlings (a type of bird) relied on the minute hand of the Big Ben clock and delayed it five minutes!
5- The famous luxury stores Harrods sold pure cocaine to the public until 1916, when it was forbidden to sold it. But also, the undoubtedly and greatest curiosity of Harrods is in the basement. There we find the monument in memory of Princess Diana and Dodi Al Fayed, son of the owner. The couple died in a Paris car crash while fleeing from the harassment of the press.
6- London hides many things! Including more than 15 rivers that pass beneath the London streets, often crossing London from north to south through tunnels. The biggest is the Fleet River; you can see it and hear for a crack in Ray Street, Clerkenwell.
7- They have unearthed the bones of the following animals in London: a hippopotamus in Trafalgar Square, a mammoth at King's cross and a crocodile in the area of Islington. London has an amazing history of thousands of years in its streets!
8- The Soho neighborhood was not as we know it nowadays; it was a famous hunting ground where the royal class enjoyed the evenings.
9- In 1911 the first escalator was installed in the Earl's Court station. People thought that was very insecure and did not use it, so eventually, they hired a disabled person (without a leg) that went up and down all day on the stairs so that people saw it was safe and would be encouraged to use. And it worked!
10- Station in King's Cross, which is the starting point for the Expresso Hogwarts in the Harry Potter books, has installed a metal plate that says Platform 9¾ and a luggage cart that looks through the wall (in reference to these books). This signal pauses crowds of tourists who want to photograph it! If you are a Harry Potter fan you can’t miss this!
London is a great city full of life and curiosities that will never leave us indifferent! Take the time to explore and discover the small and meaningful things!