Wembley Stadium… A little trivia
Located in north-west London, Wembley is the UK’s national stadium.
The first Wembley Stadium was opened in 1923 and, with its domed, twin towers, was a true icon.
Many famous events took place at the old Wembley, including its use as a venue in the first, post-war Olympic Games (in 1948), England’s World Cup victory in 1966 and, in 1985, the staging of the spectacular ‘Live Aid‘ concert.
Sadly, the old stadium was demolished in 2003, but a spectacular new venue was built on the same site, and opened in 2007.
Here are some facts and figures about the new Wembley Stadium:
It boasts….
* 47 retail units
* 30 escalators
* 8 restaurants
* 688 food and drink service points
* 98 kitchens
* 34 bars
* 90,000 seats (with NO obstructed views)
* The two giant screens overlooking the pitch are the same size as 600 domestic T.V sets
*The colossal arch is 133 metres tall, with a span of 315 metres, and can viewed from points all over London.
*The stadium’s roof covers 11 acres, 4 of which are retractable.
*And… most importantly, Wembley Stadium contains 2,618 toilets; more lavatories than any other building in the world!
Cabbie’s Curios: Old St Paul’s
This post is the first in a new series, in which I shall be sharing quick snippets of London trivia. I’ll begin with one of London’s most iconic and beloved landmarks; St Paul’s Cathedral.
St Paul’s as it stands today was completed by the genius, Sir Christopher Wren, in 1710. However, it is not the first cathedral to stand on this site. Prior to the current St Paul’s, there were four previous places of worship on this site.
The previous St Paul’s Cathedral was destroyed during the Great Fire of 1666. Opened in 1314, it was an immense, wooden structure… even bigger than the one which we know and love today!
‘Old’ St Paul’s Cathedral
To give you an idea of its size, Sir Christopher Wren’s design is 365 feet tall (one foot for each day of the year). The old St Paul’s on the other hand, was 500 feet tall!
The St Paul’s of old was also longer and wider. The front of the previous cathedral is marked today by a statue of Queen Anne, which stands beside St Paul’s Churchyard taxi rank.
This statue of Queen Anne pinpoints the front of the previous, wooden St Paul’s Cathedral
Queen Anne was on the throne at the time of the completion of the new St Paul’s Cathedral. She was a tragic figure, mother to 18 children (yes, 18); all of whom died. Bearing this in mind, it is perhaps unsurprising that she developed a fondness for alcohol, thus gaining the nickname, ‘Brandy Nan.’
* * *
A chat with the ‘American Resident’
I had great fun recently doing an interview for Michelle Garrett, creator of the website, ‘The American Resident.’
Michelle is from the States, but has lived in the UK for over 20 years. Her blog is all about life as an expat.
The interview can be read here:
www.theamericanresident.com/category/the-interviews/
Be sure to have a look around the rest of the site- especially the ‘food’ section, where Michelle has listed some great recipes!
View from the Mirror 