Hi prospective students of English coming to central London to study at ICE. Make sure that you know the difference between London Bridge and Tower Bridge, the latter being a bascule bridge that opens for big ships and is a tourist attraction. London Bridge’s claim to fame is that it is one of the world’s oldest being built first over 2000 years ago. There are legions of stories and songs about London Bridge, which was the only bridge over the Thames in London up until 1740. One story tells of how baby Anne Hewett, the daughter of clothworker, William, fell off the bridge in 1536 and was rescued by a young apprentice Edward Osborn. When Anne grew up her father, now a wealthy man insisted that Edward be her husband. Edward later became Lord Mayor of London.
In the 1960’s London Bridge had to be replaced and American Robert Mc Culloch in Arizona, USA bought the old bridge for $2,460,000 apparently thinking it was Tower Bridge. If he was disappointed, Robert didn’t show it and rebuilt the old bridge at Lake Havasu City on the Colorada River.
