Big Ben, Houses of Parliament, Westminster
(N 51º 30’01” W 0º 07’27”) Card 150x150mm with recycled envelope and biodegradable cello. Detailed caption on the reverse of the card. Card is blank for your own message.
Big Ben, Houses of Parliament, Westminster (N 51º 30’01” W 0º 07’27”)
Big Ben is probably the best known landmark in London. The name ‘Big Ben’ refers to the bell hung inside the tower, and weighs a massive 12.25 tonnes (13.5 tons), and was named “Big Ben” after Sir Benjamin Hall, the Chief Commissioner of Works, when it was cast in 1856. The clock tower itself, called St, Stephen’s is part of the Palace of Westminster adjacent to Westminster Bridge. The four dials of the clock are 25 metres (23 feet) square, the minute hand is 4.3 metres (14 feet) long and the figures are 0.6 metres (2 feet) high. A light shines above the clock face when parliament is in session. During the Second World War in 1941, the Commons Chamber was hit by a bomb but the clock tower was not affected and Big Ben continued to keep time. Interestingly, there are cells in the tower which can be used to imprison Members of Parliament should they breach parliamentary privilege, though the last time the cells were used was in 1880.
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