Some of London’s 35 bridges are pedestrian-only and some are for trains, but the vast majority date from the 1800s. The iconic Tower Bridge (1894) is one of the newer constructions and the only one which is capable of opening up for tall ships via its bascule mechanism, of which it is now the oldest existing example.
The oldest surviving London bridge is the stone-arched Richmond Bridge (1777), which replaced a ferry service. Like Tower Bridge it is Grade I Listed. Although it was carefully widened and repaired in 1940, it was not completely rebuilt in the 1800s like many others have been.
However, the very first recorded bridge was, naturally, London Bridge, rebuilt three times with the current version dating from 1973. The Romans built the original around 50AD. It is the bridge with the most eventful history and the extraordinary distinction of having had houses and shops actually erected on the bridge itself. They were eventually removed for fire hazard reasons after 550 years in 1761.
The newest London bridge is the Millennium Bridge (2000) for pedestrians, which had to be closed for two years only a week after opening, for repairs to cure a noticeable swaying. For this it gained the nickname ‘the Wibbly-Wobbly Bridge’!
Map of 20 of London’s 35 bridges: Mattgirling at Wikimedia Commons / CC BY-SA 3.0
(Top images: Tower Bridge – Stephen Craven, Richmond Bridge – Christopher Hall, Millennium Bridge – Peter Trimming, London Bridge – Philip Halling, all at geograph.org.uk / CC BY-SA 2.0)
The first episode of the science fiction TV show ‘Doctor Who’ was aired on the BBC on 23rd November 1963. That this was the day after the assassination of President Kennedy and the show had a tiny budget for its strange, experimental concept did little to help viewing figures and the show was almost cancelled after four episodes.
Nevertheless, an alien Time Lord’s travels through time and space in a police phone box with a huge interior existing in a different dimension drew in more interest as the series progressed.
The show’s longevity was helped by the Doctor reincarnating/regenerating every few years, so that multiple actors have claimed the lead role and expanded the fanbase. Their personalities vary but they all seek to protect civilisations and correct injustices by their wits, assisted by one or two select humans.
Doctor Who Day is therefore on 23rd November each year. In milestone anniversary years, such as the 25th, special editions of the show have appeared in which all actors who have played the Doctor take part and the origin of the Doctor’s exploits is explained or referenced in some way. Fans also gather together for ‘Whovian’ conventions in which Doctor actors may participate.
(Top images LtoR: the Tardis – Steve Collis at Wikimedia Commons / CC BY-SA 2.0, three Doctors – Gareth Milner at Flickr.com / CC BY 2.0)