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2492 - Gloucester, England, United Kingdom

Steve from Gloucester sent a souvenir card on a recent trip to London. A couple of London's famous attractions - the red double decker busses and Big Ben. 

Double deckers busses have a long history in London. The first was a horse-drawn double decker omnibuses. Double deckers are favoured in the United Kingdom because of the shorter length and larger seating capacity. They are also safer to operate through the narrow streets and tight corners common in the UK. Most of the busses are between 9.5-11.1 meters long. The red double decker buses in London have become a national symbol of England. Starting in 2007, a hybrid power double decker entered service. Many more were purchased and used in 2008. In 2015, five all-electric double deckers were added to the fleet. 

Big Ben was completed in 1859 and became the largest and most accurate four-faced striking and chiming clock in the world. The tower is 96 meters tall. The official name of the tower Big Ben is on was called Clock Tower, but the name was changed to Elizabeth Tower in 2012 to mark the diamond jubilee of Elizabeth II.. The largest bell in the tower weighs 13.5 tonnes. It is a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1987. 

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