London’s Tower Bridge: A Magnificent Victorian Structure
Tower Bridge is a suspension bridge built in the late 1800s, to give people better access to the East End. Often confused with London Bridge (half a mile away), the urban (denied) legend is that an American (who bought a bridge to put in Arizona) bought the wrong one!
The bridge was originally built to allow ships to pass underneath, while letting walkers and cars pass overhead. It took almost 8 years to build and almost 500 workers.
Even today the bridge still opens for ships to pass. And visitors can watch all the action through the famed thick glass floors. Braille booklets are available for blind people to also enjoy all the action.
England’s Own Version of the Film ‘Speed!
In 1952, a double-decker bus began to slide, as the bridge accidentally opened.
Driver Albert Gunter saved everyone’s lives by making a split-second decision to accelerate to clear the opening gap (a bit like in the film Speed when the road wasn’t built). There were no serious injuries and to reward his bravery, he was awarded the princely sum of £10!
