London Birthdays this Week...

Some of London's landmarks are having landmark birthdays this week. Big knees-up at Kew, which is 250 years old. The Queen and Prince Philip are having a walkabout there today: it seems only fair as the park was kind enough to play host to the Queen for her big birthday in 2006. Later this week it is the turn of the Thames Barrier, which is observing the 25th anniversary of its official opening on Friday. A more modest celebration here: the barrier will discreetly close itself at 08.10am for a couple of hours. Although the Environment Agency did recently announce that the structure will be good for forty years more than originally anticipated, and should be able to defend London 'til 2070, so they have got something to smile about. Anyway, many happy returns, re-pottings, and reclosures London!
Image by mlazopoulou via the Londonist flickr pool.