You’ll soon find out during your stay at LUMA CONCEPT HOTEL LONDON, that London is an incredible and intriguing city, with a lot of stories to tell! Here are some unusual fun facts about England’s capital:
- The Tower of London keeps at least 6 ravens in the tower at all times. This is heed to an ancient superstition that if all the ravens leave the tower, the tower will fall. The ravens have their wings clipped to ensure they don’t fly far.
- For over a century, London was the densest city on the planet. In 1925, however, Tokyo took the title.
- The iconic St Paul’s Cathedral was originally designed to have a 60 ft pineapple on top of its dome. It’s true! Look it up!
- It’s illegal to die in Parliament.
- London has less rainfall than New York City, despite the reputation of England’s drizzly weather.
- Several iconic scenes from the film Aliens were actually filmed in a disused power plant in Acton, West London.
- Tug of war was an official game at the 1908 London Olympics.
- Before 1907, London buses used to be all sorts of different colours depending on their route. The iconic red London buses took over during the 1910s.
- The Communist manifesto was first drafted by Karl Marx in what is now the trendy B@1 bar on Great Windmill Street.
- Soho was named after a medieval battle cry.
- The Great Pyramid of Giza could fit inside the O2 Arena in Greenwich, which is the largest structure of its kind in the world.
- In 1868 the world’s first EVER traffic light was erected in front of the House of Commons. It shortly after blew up.
Hopefully, these fun facts have ignited your curiosity about London. Go out and get exploring this eccentric city for yourselves!