Page 64 - Exercise 1A

Page 64 - Exercise 1A

Heroes and Heroins

All countries have their own national heroes and heroines. You see statues of these people in towns and cities. Streets, squares, parks and buildings are often named after them, too. Here are some examples from the UK.

The most famous monument in London is Nelson’s Column in Trafalgar Square. The statue on top of the column is of Admiral Horatio Nelson. He defeated the French navy at the Battle of Trafalgar in 1805. Nelson himself died in the battle. Near the Houses of Parliament is the statue of Britain’s first national heroine - Boadicea, or Boudicca. She was the queen of a British tribe and she led a rebellion against the Romans. Sometimes places are named after heroes or heroines. Liverpool Airport is called John Lennon Airport. He came from Liverpool and started the most famous pop group in the world - the Beatles. He was shot in New York in 1980. Brunel University in Bristol is named after the engineer, Isambard Kingdom Brunel. He built a railway from London to Bristol, as well as tunnels, bridges and ships.

In Margate, Kent, you can visit the Turner named after the painter, J M W Turner. He painted of his pictures in Margate.

A lot of buildings in London and other cities have blue plaques on them. These show that a famous person lived or worked there. You can see plaques for scientists, artists, poets, politicians, actors and lots of other people. This plaque shows us that the writer, Charles Dickens, was born in this house in Portsmouth.

Many places are named after famous local people, too.

The town hall in the city of Lancaster. for example, is called Ashton Hall after Lord Ashton. He was a very rich businessman, and he owned some large factories in the city. This statue is in the middle of the square in front of Lancaster town hall. Its a statue of Queen Victoria. There are more statues of Queen Victoria in the UK than of anybody else. She was queen for nearly 64 years (1837-1901), when Britain was the richest country in the world. Many places are named after her, too. London and Manchester both have a Victoria Station. And many towns and cities have a street, road, square or park named after her.