"sight of the world's first traffic light, installed at the crossroads of Bridge, Great George, and Parliament Streets outside the Houses of Parliament. The gas-lit, 20 ft. high column, opened in December 1868 and was designed by the railway engineer J.P. Knight after a railroad semaphore signal, whereby multi-colored arms come down to regulate traffic. 19th century London was transformed by the coming of the railways. A new network of metropolitan railways allowed for the development of suburbs in neighboring counties from which middle-class and wealthy people could commute to the centre. While this spurred the massive outward growth of"
"The quasi-official emblem of the Houses of Parliament is a crowned portcullis. The portcullis was originally the badge of various English noble families from the 14th century. It went on to be adopted by the kings of the Tudor dynasty in the 16th century, under whom the Palace of Westminster became the regular meeting place of Parliament. The crown was added to make the badge a specifically royal symbol. The portcullis probably first came to be associated with the Palace of Westminster through its use as decoration in the rebuilding of the Palace after the fire of 1512. However, at"
"was no longer in a position to offer opposition. Parliament voted to fund a pedestal for the statue, carved from Cornish granite, but transportation delays meant that it was not until 26 October 1860 that the statue was placed on its pedestal and unveiled to the public. It was completely undecorated at first but a bronze shield was placed on the front end of the pedestal shortly after the installation. ""The Times"" (probably its pro-Marochetti reporter Henry Reeve) declared that with the installation of the statue ""a great reproach had been removed from London"", which now finally had a great"
"day off. A wooden model of the obelisk had previously been placed outside the Houses of Parliament, but the location had been rejected, so the London needle was finally erected on the Victoria Embankment on 12 September 1878. On erection of the obelisk in 1878, a time capsule was concealed in the front part of the pedestal containing: a set of 12 photographs of the best-looking English women of the day, a box of hairpins, a box of cigars, several tobacco pipes, a set of imperial weights, a baby's bottle, some children's toys, a shilling razor, a hydraulic jack and"
"the time it was only one of many symbols. The widespread use of the portcullis throughout the Palace dates from the 19th century, when Charles Barry and Augustus Pugin used it extensively as a decorative feature in their designs for the new Palace built following the disastrous 1834 fire. The crowned portcullis came to be accepted during the 20th century as the emblem of both houses of parliament. This was simply a result of custom and usage rather than a specific decision. The emblem now appears on official stationery, publications and papers, and is stamped on various items in use"
"Act of Parliament clock An Act of Parliament clock is a type of large clock originally hung in inns and taverns in the United Kingdom, beginning in the mid-18th century. Such clocks were plain in design, the faces were around two to five feet in diameter, and they were hung on the wall. They are also commonly called tavern clocks. The term ""Act of Parliament clock"" came about long after these clocks were already in existence. In 1797, a tax against clocks of five shillings was introduced in the Kingdom of Great Britain by the Prime Minister William Pitt. The"
"II listed building in 1970. Statue of George Canning, Parliament Square The statue of George Canning in Parliament Square, Westminster, London, is an 1832 work by Sir Richard Westmacott. The bronze sculpture depicts the British Prime Minister larger than life size, swathed in a long robe and a cloak, holding a scroll in his left hand, similar to a classical statue of an orator from Ancient Roman, although his legs are covered with modern trousers and he has laced shoes on his feet. The statue stands on a granite plinth which bears the inscription ""GEORGE CANNING"". The statue was first"
"since 1912. Both the Wellington Arch and Marble Arch (originally sited in front of Buckingham Palace) were planned in 1825 by George IV to commemorate Britain's victories in the Napoleonic Wars. The Wellington Arch was also conceived as an outer gateway to Constitution Hill and therefore a grand entrance into central London from the west. The presence of a turnpike gate at this point had led, in the 18th century, to a strong perception that this was the beginning of London (reflected in the nickname for Apsley House as ""No 1, London"") and the arch was intended to reflect the"
"Parliamentary War Memorial The Parliamentary War Memorial, also known as the Recording Angel Memorial, is a stone sculpture in Westminster Hall, unveiled in 1922, which commemorates the members of both Houses of Parliament of the United Kingdom who died in the First World War. It names 22 members of the House of Commons, 20 members of the House of Lords, and 9 senior members of staff, together with another 94 sons of members and officers of the House of Commons, who lost their lives in the war. (Sons of peers and of officers of the House of Lords are commemorated"
"Palace of Westminster. Following a report published in 1841 by a commission new standard yard and pound were manufactured using the best available secondary sources. Unlike the previous standard, the new pound standard was a pound avoirdupois. They were accepted by an Act of Parliament as the standards for length and weight in 1855. Following the debacle over the different gallons that had been adopted by the United States and the United Kingdom thirty years earlier, one of the copies of the standard yard was offered to and accepted by the United States Government. The 1835 Weights and Measures Act"
"the blocks allowed horse-drawn carts to pass along the road. The first pedestrian crossing signal was erected in Bridge Street, Westminster, London, in December 1868. It was the idea of John Peake Knight, a railway engineer, who thought that it would provide a means to safely allow pedestrians to cross this busy thoroughfare. The signal consisted of a semaphore arm (manufactured by Saxby and Farmer, who were railway signaling makers), which was raised and lowered manually by a police constable who would rotate a handle on the side of the pole. The semaphore arms were augmented by gas illuminated lights"
"and the church to the south (with Westminster Abbey). Buildings looking upon the square include the churches Westminster Abbey and St Margaret's, Westminster, the Middlesex Guildhall which is the seat of the Supreme Court of the United Kingdom, Government Offices Great George Street serving HM Treasury and HM Revenue and Customs, and Portcullis House. Roads that branch off the Parliament Square are St Margaret Street (towards Millbank), Broad Sanctuary (towards Victoria Street), Great George Street (towards Birdcage Walk), Parliament Street (leading into Whitehall), and Bridge Street (leading onto Westminster Bridge). Parliament Square was laid out in 1868 in order to"
"tax was very unpopular among clockmakers and was repealed after nine months. The large clocks in inns were later popularly (though incorrectly) said to have been developed as a response to this tax. Act of Parliament clock An Act of Parliament clock is a type of large clock originally hung in inns and taverns in the United Kingdom, beginning in the mid-18th century. Such clocks were plain in design, the faces were around two to five feet in diameter, and they were hung on the wall. They are also commonly called tavern clocks. The term ""Act of Parliament clock"" came"
"Statue of Margaret Thatcher (Palace of Westminster) The statue of Margaret Thatcher inside the Houses of Parliament, London, is a bronze sculpture of Margaret Thatcher, the first female Prime Minister of the United Kingdom. It was ordered in 2003 following a change in rules to allow the depiction of living Prime Ministers in Parliament under certain conditions. It was unveiled by the Speaker of the House of Commons, Michael Martin, on 21 February 2007. The statue is high, and made in bronze. The design of the statue is intended to show Margaret Thatcher during her final term as Prime Minister"
"of the United Kingdom, between 1987–1990. It stands directly opposite the statue of Sir Winston Churchill and the doors to the Commons Chamber. It shows her with her arm outstretched and posed as if addressing the House. It cost around £80,000, and weighs . Historical rules prevented the erection of a statue in the Houses of Parliament of any living parliamentarian. However, in 2002 these rules were changed to allow for a statue or bust to be displayed of a former Prime Minister once five years have passed after their death, or when three Parliaments have elapsed after their resignation"
"the statue's site was prepared for it. The statue was placed in the original proposed spot opposite the House of Lords, which required the demolition of No. 5 Old Palace Yard. It was unveiled by King George VI, on 22 October 1947 and was attended by Queen Elizabeth, Queen Mary, and Princesses Elizabeth and Margaret. In 1968, the symbol of the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament was drawn on the side of the plinth, provoking the question of its removal to be raised by Dudley Smith MP in the House of the Commons. Statue of George V, Westminster The statue of"
"form the Kingdom of Great Britain, and having no ceremonial role to play in the proceedings of the new Parliament of Great Britain in London, the Honours were locked away in Edinburgh Castle. There they remained all but forgotten in a chest until 1818, when a group of people including Sir Walter Scott set out to find them. Since 1819 they have been on display in the Crown Room of Edinburgh Castle from where they are removed only for state occasions. The first was when presented to King George IV, at the Palace of Holyroodhouse in 1822, during his visit"
"Statue of George Canning, Parliament Square The statue of George Canning in Parliament Square, Westminster, London, is an 1832 work by Sir Richard Westmacott. The bronze sculpture depicts the British Prime Minister larger than life size, swathed in a long robe and a cloak, holding a scroll in his left hand, similar to a classical statue of an orator from Ancient Roman, although his legs are covered with modern trousers and he has laced shoes on his feet. The statue stands on a granite plinth which bears the inscription ""GEORGE CANNING"". The statue was first erected near St Margaret's, Westminster,"
"the National Assembly during the opening ceremony. Before then, the assembly used a glass, gold, iron and coal sculpture known as the ""Tlws"" as its mace. The Tlws was presented to the assembly by the Queen at the official opening of the First Assembly in 1999 and currently resides in the Siambr Hywel debating chamber in the Tŷ Hywel building adjoining the Senedd. Ireland left the United Kingdom in 1922 and returned several maces to London. A mace made in 1765 for the Irish House of Commons was purchased by the Bank of Ireland in 1937 from the descendants of"
"increased progressively; upon its completion in 1858, it was the tallest secular building in the world. At the base of the tower is the Sovereign's Entrance, used by the monarch whenever entering the Palace to open Parliament or for other state occasions. The high archway is richly decorated with sculptures, including statues of Saints George, Andrew and Patrick, as well as of Queen Victoria herself. The main body of Victoria Tower houses the three million documents of the Parliamentary Archives in of steel shelves spread over 12 floors; these include the master copies of all Acts of Parliament since 1497,"
"Wellington Monument, London The Wellington Monument is a statue of Achilles erected as a memorial to Arthur Wellesley, the first duke of Wellington, and his victories in the Peninsular War and the latter stages of the Napoleonic Wars. It is sited at the south-western end of Park Lane in London, and was inaugurated on 18 June 1822. Its total height, including the sculpture, base and the mound on which it stands, is 36 ft. The monument's colossal high statue of Achilles is by the sculptor Richard Westmacott, produced from melted-down captured enemy cannon. Based on the poses of the Borghese"
"of Parliament, opened in 2001, is named ""Portcullis House"". During the 20th century, use of the portcullis as a symbol of Parliament spread beyond Britain and to the other Commonwealth realms; for instance, the coat of arms of Canberra features a portcullis in its crest, consciously preserving a connection between the British Parliament at Westminster and the Australian Parliament to which Canberra is home. A portcullis was previously found on the British one penny coin and on the pre-decimal thrupenny bit; this has since been replaced by a section of the Royal Arms of the United Kingdom. The badge of"
"having been collected during celebrations on Her Majesty's Jubilee day of 21 June 1887. The Jubilee Committee then approached the council with the idea for the clock tower, which was readily accepted. As fundraising did not reach enough to provide the clock itself, Sir Henry Edwards donated one, while the gas company agreed to keep the clock illuminated for free in perpetuity. Weymouth Corporation provided the stone base. The clock tower was unveiled on 31 October 1888. Erected on Weymouth's esplanade, it was originally set in front of the esplanade and jutted out onto the sands of Weymouth Beach. In"
"he possessed. If ever a man deserved a statue Mr Wright does and if ever the working men want a statue to anyone they want one to him."" A decision was finally made in favour of a statue, and Francis Williamson was given the commission. It was sculpted from marble and sited in Colmore Row (in what afterwards became Victoria Square), in front of the Council House. It was unveiled by John Bright MP on 15 June 1883. The ""Birmingham Daily Mail"" reported that the pose was admirable, with Wright standing in a bold upright attitude, as was his wont"
"hour that would fade into footage of the Houses of Parliament in London. They called the ident as the ""Bat's Wings"" was introduced on 2 December 1953. A new media needed a new way to brand itself, and this was it. It was a model made of piano wire, brass and flashing lights, created by Abram Games. it featured a spinning globe in the centre and two spinning eyes, each going in different directions. It also features two lightning bolts to either side which lit up with lightning flashes in time to the harp music. The model was filmed, rather"
"Burning of Parliament The Palace of Westminster, the medieval royal palace used as the home of the British parliament, was largely destroyed by fire on 16 October 1834. The blaze was caused by the burning of small wooden tally sticks which had been used as part of the accounting procedures of the Exchequer until 1826. The sticks were disposed of carelessly in the two furnaces under the House of Lords, which caused a chimney fire in the two flues that ran under the floor of the Lords' chamber and up through the walls. The resulting fire spread rapidly throughout the"
"the area supporting the main structure, to provide a burial place for significant figures, intended as a ""Scottish Valhalla"". A minute of the Royal Association in 1826 stated that the building was: The foundation stone, which weighs 6 tons, was laid on 27 August 1822, during the visit of George IV to Scotland. The Duke of Hamilton (the most senior non-royal Scottish noble and the Grand Master of Scotland) led a procession of masonic lodges, royal commissioners and other dignitaries from Parliament Square to the top of Calton Hill. The procession was escorted by the Scots Greys and the 3rd"
"mid 1850s after much lobbying. In the 1850s civic monuments began to be erected in the park. The first in 1857 was the Thornton Obelisk. It is also irreverently known as 'Thornton's Scent Bottle'constructed on the park's western side entrance facing Bathurst Street (intersection with Elizabeth St.). This is actually a sewerage ventilator, made to appear like Cleopatra's Needle, an Egyptian Obelisk now displayed in London (ibid). In the 1850s with the coming of responsible government, Hyde Park became a venue for Sunday oratory on political and civic topics, and later election meetings. It was also used for processions and"
"On 16 February 1909, King Edward officially opened Parliament for the coming year. As a part of the festivities there was a procession to the Houses of Parliament led by the King. To gain attention and to promote the suffrage cause, Matters decided to hire a dirigible air balloon (similar to a modern-day blimp in appearance) and intended to shower the King and the Houses of Parliament with WFL pamphlets. However, due to adverse wind conditions and the rudimentary motor powering the balloon, she never made it to the Palace of Westminster. Instead, Matters, beginning at Hendon airfields, hugged the"
"Statue of Oliver Cromwell, Westminster A statue of Oliver Cromwell stands outside the House of Commons of the United Kingdom in Westminster, London. Oliver Cromwell was Lord Protector of the Commonwealth of England, Scotland and Ireland between 1653 and 1658. The statue was designed by Hamo Thornycroft and erected in 1899. It has divided opinion, both before its erection and since, due to Cromwell's opposition to the British monarchy and his role in the conquest of Ireland. Cromwell stands accused by some of war crimes, religious persecution and ethnic cleansing on a dramatic scale against Catholics in Ireland. The statue"
"Wellington Arch Wellington Arch, also known as Constitution Arch or (originally) the Green Park Arch, is a triumphal arch forming a centrepiece of Hyde Park Corner in central London between corners of Hyde Park and Green Park — it sits on a large traffic island having crossings for pedestrian access. Built nearby between 1826 and 1830 to a design by Decimus Burton, it was moved to the site in 1882–1883. It once supported an equestrian statue of the 1st Duke of Wellington. Its designers planned a sculpted dark ""quadriga"", an ancient four-horse chariot — which has been mounted on it"
"it outside the west entrance of Westminster Abbey, looking down the newly created Victoria Street. ""Punch"" mocked the ongoing search for a location in an August 1857 issue, calling ""Richard I"" ""the Wandering Statue of London"". The anonymous writer asked whether ""no-one [will] find standing-room for this fugitive king? Is there no spot, no royal mews, no academic stable where his over-driven steed can be taken in to bait?"" Marochetti proposed to install it in Old Palace Yard outside the south window of Westminster Hall. His idea was considered by the Fine Arts Commission for the Palace of Westminster and"
"attorney with a keen interest in heraldry, Charles Aken Fairbridge (1824-1893), was accordingly asked to design arms for the Colony. The foundation stone of the colonial parliament was laid on 12 May 1875. According to the ""Cape Argus"" newspaper, ""among the conspicuous features of the spectacle was the new colonial flag, hoisted aloft above the corner stone, with the heraldic shielding, surroundings and mottoes blazoned on the Union Jack and the Royal Standard floating in the breeze from the loftiest flagstaff in the centre"". Queen Victoria formally granted the arms by Royal Warrant a year later, on 29 May 1876."