I spotted the following clock tower as the train I was on pulled into Clapham Junction. The clock tower is part of the Debenhams departmental store in Clapham.
These photos show the sundials on St Margaret's Church, Westminster Abbey. The dials were designed by Christopher St John Hume Daniel. It was overcast when I took the photos so the sundials haven't cast any shadows.
Westminster Abbey was founded in the 600s! It has been used for the coronations of the British monarch since 1066 and has seen fourteen royal weddings. The next royal wedding will be on 29 April 2011 between Prince William and Catherine Middleton.
The Abbey has also seen the burial of seventeen monarchs and many many famous people. The clock makers George Graham and Thomas Tompion (considered the father of English Clock making) are also buried here in the centre part of the nave.
The Duke of Edinburgh unveiled a memorial stone here on 24th March 2006 to John Harrison, inventor of the marine chronometer. The inscription on the stone is:
I couldn't resist posting a photo of my favourite Christmas present, a tin of Walkers chocolate mints in the shape of the Westminster Clock Tower (Big Ben).
The Great Clock of Westminster and Clock Tower or more commonly known as 'Big Ben' (which is actually the name of the bell in the clock) started ticking on 31 May 1859.
Horse Guards is another popular tourist attraction in London. It is a listed building on Whitehall, in Westminster. The building is guarded by troopers of the Household Cavalry. Trooping the Colour is performed here every year on the 2nd Saturday in June.
The clock tower was built in the 18th century by William Kent and John Vardy. When the original clock failed in 1768 it was replaced by a Thwaites & Reed high quality (superlative) clock which was the most accurate clock in London until Big Ben was built. This clock was Thwaites & Reed's earliest recorded commission.
On the clock face at 2 o'clock there is a black mark, which indicates the time that King Charles I was executed in January 1649.
Trafalgar Square is one of the main tourist attractions in London. At the centre of the square is Nelson's Column - a monument to commemorate the Battle of Trafalgar (1805). The monument is surrounded by four lions and fountains.
I was given the clock below as a present from friends (after admiring it hanging in their kitchen). The hand painted clock comes from Edirne in Turkey. Edirne was the capital city of the Ottoman Empire from 1365 to 1457, after-which Constantinople (now Istanbul) became the capital.
