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Tootbus London
Tootbus London, formerly The Original Tour is a London bus tour operator using open-top bus, open-top double-decker buses. It also holds the franchise to run City Sightseeing's London tour. Based in Wandsworth, it is a subsidiary of RATP Dev. History The Original Tour was founded in by June 1951 by the London Transport Executive at the time of The Festival of Britain. In 1986 it was Privatisation of London bus services, privatised, being sold to London Coaches / Blue Triangle. In December 1997 it was sold to Arriva. In March 2001 the London Pride Sightseeing business was purchased. In September 2014, the business was sold to RATP Dev.RATP Dev acquires leading London sightseeing operator RATP Dev The business was rebranded to Tootbus London in J ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Optare Visionaire
The Optare Visionaire (introduced in 2006 as the East Lancs Visionaire, and branded the Darwen Visionaire between 2007 and 2008) is an open top double-decker bus body built by Optare. It is in terms of engineering an open top Olympus (itself a double-decker variant of the Esteem) in all but name. The Optare Visionaire was also built for tri-axle double-decker bus chassis. History The first orders were made in November 2006 by Arriva's The Original Tour for a £1.6 million order for ten, built on Volvo's B9TL Euro IV chassis. These all entered service and were the only order for the ''East Lancs'' Visionaire. Acquisition by Darwen After East Lancs went into administration in 2007, the business was bought by the Darwen Group, and the East Lancs Visionaire was renamed the Darwen Visionaire. During this time, an order was received for a number of Visionaires. [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Privatisation Of London Bus Services
The privatisation of London bus services was the process of the transfer of operation of buses in London from public bodies to private companies. For half a century, operation of London bus services for public transport was under the direct control of History of transport in London (1933–2003), a number of entities known as London Transport. The London Regional Transport Act 1984 resulted in London Regional Transport taking control of London's bus routes, with the operation divested in stand alone companies that were privatised in 1994/95. Since then, direct provision of bus services in London has been run by private companies, although Transport for London did operate its own company, East Thames Buses between 1999 and 2009. Unlike those in the rest of the United Kingdom, the bus services in London, although still ultimately privatised, were not Bus deregulation in the United Kingdom, deregulated to the same extent. In London, details of routes, fares and services levels wer ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Buckingham Palace
Buckingham Palace () is a royal official residence, residence in London, and the administrative headquarters of the monarch of the United Kingdom. Located in the City of Westminster, the palace is often at the centre of state occasions and royal hospitality. It has been a focal point for the British people at times of national rejoicing and mourning. Originally known as Buckingham House, the building at the core of today's palace was a large townhouse (Great Britain), townhouse built for the John Sheffield, 1st Duke of Buckingham and Normanby, Duke of Buckingham and Normanby in 1703 on a site that had been in private ownership for at least 150 years. It was acquired by George III in 1761 as a private residence for Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz, Queen Charlotte and became known as The Queen's House. During the 19th century it was enlarged by architects John Nash (architect), John Nash and Edward Blore, who constructed three wings around a central courtyard. Buckingham Pala ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Westminster Abbey
Westminster Abbey, formally titled the Collegiate Church of Saint Peter at Westminster, is an Anglican church in the City of Westminster, London, England. Since 1066, it has been the location of the coronations of 40 English and British monarchs and a burial site for 18 English, Scottish, and British monarchs. At least 16 royal weddings have taken place at the abbey since 1100. Although the origins of the church are obscure, an abbey housing Benedictine monks was on the site by the mid-10th century. The church got its first large building from the 1040s, commissioned by King Edward the Confessor, who is buried inside. Construction of the present church began in 1245 on the orders of Henry III. The monastery was dissolved in 1559, and the church was made a royal peculiar – a Church of England church, accountable directly to the sovereign – by Elizabeth I. The abbey, the Palace of Westminster and St Margaret's Church became a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1987 becaus ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Houses Of Parliament
The Palace of Westminster is the meeting place of the Parliament of the United Kingdom and is located in London, England. It is commonly called the Houses of Parliament after the House of Commons and the House of Lords, the two legislative chambers which occupy the building. The palace is one of the centres of political life in the United Kingdom; "Westminster" has become a metonym for the UK Parliament and the British Government, and the Westminster system of government commemorates the name of the palace. The Elizabeth Tower of the palace, nicknamed Big Ben, is a landmark of London and the United Kingdom in general. The palace has been a Grade I listed building since 1970 and part of a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1987. The building was originally constructed in the eleventh century as a royal palace and was the primary residence of the kings of England until 1512, when a fire destroyed the royal apartments. The monarch moved to the adjacent Palace of Whitehall, bu ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Big Ben
Big Ben is the nickname for the Great Bell of the Great Clock of Westminster, and, by extension, for the clock tower itself, which stands at the north end of the Palace of Westminster in London, England. Originally named the Clock Tower, it was renamed Elizabeth Tower in 2012 to mark the Diamond Jubilee of Queen Elizabeth II. The clock is a striking clock with five bells. It was designed by Sir Charles Barry and Augustus Pugin in the Perpendicular Gothic and Gothic Revival styles and was completed in 1859. It is elaborately decorated with stone carvings and features symbols related to the four countries of the United Kingdom and the Tudor dynasty. A Latin inscription celebrates Queen Victoria, under whose reign the palace was built. It stands tall, and the climb from ground level to the belfry is 334 steps. Its base is square, measuring on each side. The dials of the clock are in diameter. The clock uses its original mechanism and was the largest and most accurate fou ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
London Eye
The London Eye, originally the Millennium Wheel, is a cantilevered observation wheel on the South Bank of the River Thames in London. It is the world's tallest cantilevered observation wheel, and the most popular paid Tourist attractions in the United Kingdom, tourist attraction in the United Kingdom with over three million visitors annually. It has been featured numerous times in popular culture. The structure is tall and the wheel has a diameter of . When it opened to the public in 2000 it was the world's tallest Ferris wheel, until the Star of Nanchang in China surpassed it in 2006. Unlike taller wheels, the Eye is cantilevered and supported solely by an A-frame on one side. The Eye was the highest public viewing point in London until 2013, when it was surpassed by the The View from The Shard, View from The Shard observation deck. The London Eye adjoins the western end of Jubilee Gardens, Lambeth, Jubilee Gardens (previously the site of the former Dome of Discovery), on ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
St Paul's Cathedral
St Paul's Cathedral, formally the Cathedral Church of St Paul the Apostle, is an Anglican cathedral in London, England, the seat of the Bishop of London. The cathedral serves as the mother church of the Diocese of London in the Church of England. It is on Ludgate Hill at the highest point of the City of London. Its dedication in honour of Paul the Apostle dates back to the original church on this site, founded in AD 604. The high-domed present structure, which was completed in 1710, is a Listed Building, Grade I listed building that was designed in the English Baroque style by Sir Christopher Wren. The cathedral's reconstruction was part of a major rebuilding programme initiated in the aftermath of the Great Fire of London. The earlier Gothic cathedral (Old St Paul's Cathedral), largely destroyed in the Great Fire, was a central focus for medieval and early modern London, including Paul's walk and St Paul's Churchyard, being the site of St Paul's Cross. The cathedral is o ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Tower Of London
The Tower of London, officially His Majesty's Royal Palace and Fortress of the Tower of London, is a historic citadel and castle on the north bank of the River Thames in central London, England. It lies within the London Borough of Tower Hamlets, which is separated from the eastern edge of the square mile of the City of London by the open space known as Tower Hill. It was founded toward the end of 1066 as part of the Norman Conquest. The White Tower (Tower of London), White Tower, which gives the entire castle its name, was built by William the Conqueror in 1078 and was initially a resented symbol of oppression, inflicted upon London by the new Normans, Norman ruling class. The castle was also used as a prison from 1100 (Ranulf Flambard, Bishop of Durham) until 1952 (the Kray twins), although that was not its primary purpose. A grand palace early in its history, it served as a royal residence. As a whole, the Tower is a complex of several buildings set within two concentric ring ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Tower Bridge
Tower Bridge is a Listed building#Grade I, Grade I listed combined Bascule bridge, bascule, Suspension bridge, suspension, and, until 1960, Cantilever bridge, cantilever bridge in London, built between 1886 and 1894, designed by Horace Jones (architect), Horace Jones and engineered by John Wolfe Barry with the help of Henry Marc Brunel. It crosses the River Thames close to the Tower of London and is one of five London bridges owned and maintained by the City Bridge Foundation, a charitable trust founded in 1282. The bridge was constructed to connect the 39 per cent of London's population that lived east of London Bridge, equivalent to the populations of "Manchester on the one side, and Liverpool on the other", while allowing shipping to access the Pool of London between the Tower of London and London Bridge. The bridge was opened by Edward VII, Edward, Prince of Wales, and Alexandra of Denmark, Alexandra, Princess of Wales, on 30 June 1894. The bridge is in length including ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Buses Magazine
''Buses'' is a monthly magazine published in the United Kingdom that primarily focuses on the British bus and coach industry. Founded in 1949, the magazine was originally published by Ian Allan Publishing, however from March 2012 onwards, it has been published by Key Publishing after their takeover of the former. The current editor is James Day and is published on the third Thursday of each month. The magazine is accompanied by a yearbook published in August every year for the next year. Since 2014, the publisher operates annual show every August called 'Buses Festival' at the British Motor Museum in Gaydon, Warwickshire. Buses Festival is one of the largest shows for bus enthusiasts to see modern and classic vehicles on display and for traders to sell bus models, literature, photos and bus accessories. History ''Buses'' was published as ''Buses Illustrated'' by Ian Allan Publishing from 1949 until 1968. The magazine started publishing in its usual monthly cycle from Janua ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
London Pride Sightseeing
London Pride Sightseeing was an open top sightseeing bus operator in London. History In 1983, the state owned London Transport ceased operating their ''Round London Sightseeing Tour'' operation as the market was opened up to competition by the government. This had been run since March 1973. A number of companies established private tour bus companies in London. In 1984, Emmerheath Ltd., one such private operator, established the ''Grand Guided Tour of London'' as London Pride Sightseeing, with a white/pink/orange livery, a small operation with 10 buses and operating from one stop. In 1985 London Pride merged with Ensignbus, who had also started their own tour operation, with Emmerheath buses being repainted into Ensignbus standard blue/silver, with London Pride markings. Ensign had a competitive advantage with its ready supply of Fleetlines being disposed of early by London Transport into its sales business. As part of this, Ensign had developed expertise in half and full op ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
