London is one of the most popular cities in the world but despite its popularity do you really know London that well?
We at City Marquewould like to share with you some of London’s curiosities. The following are little known facts about London that will intrigue, surprise and even befuddle you.
It’s illegal to die in the Houses of Parliament
There are many weird British laws but this is one of the weirdest. In fact, it was recently voted as Britain’s most absurd legislation. Apparently, it is illegal to die inside the Houses of Parliament. It would be interesting to know what the penalty is for committing this crime since the guilty is already in the afterlife.
Covent Garden is a spelling mistake
One of the most popular tourist destinations in London has a typo in its name. Covent Garden is actually the “Convent Garden” for Westminster Abbey monastery and convent.
The London Eye has 32 capsules, which represent Greater London’s 32 boroughs
Greater London has 32 boroughs and are aptly represented in the number of ovoidal capsules in the London Eye. Each capsule weighs as much as 1,052,631 pound coins. One peculiar aspect of the London Eye is how the capsules are numbered. Although there are 32 capsules, they’re numbered 1 to 33. The number 13 has been omitted because of the prevailing superstition that it is a sign of bad luck.
One of the longest escalators in Western Europe is in Angel Tube Station, Islington
Angel Tube station in Islington has the third longest escalator in Western Europe, measuring 197 feet. The longest is located in Vastra Skogen, Stockholm, which is 220 feet long, and the second longest is in Kamppi station in Helsinki, which measures 210 feet.
London taxi drivers must pass a rigid exam before they can legally drive a cab
London taxi drivers are very proud of their profession because not everyone can become a cab driver in the city. Aspiring drivers must first pass an exam called ‘The Knowledge of London’, or more popularly known by its shortened name ‘The Knowledge’. In this exam, the examinee must show that he knows all of the roads and places of interest within London. It usually takes five years before a cab driver gets a licence, proving that it is one of the most rigorous examinations in the world.