Brunel Museum (Rotherhithe, London Borough of Southwark)

On Thursday afternoon (June 4), the EIL students joined Professor Berry for a visit to the Brunel Museum at Rotherhithe on the bank of the Thames River.  In the original shaft of the tunnel (under the Thames River) that Marc and Isambard (Kingdom) Brunel designed and built, our guide (Gill Howard) gave an excellent historical timeline for this great nineteenth century engineering feat including discussions of the personal toll its construction took on the laborers.  Completed in 1834, this was the world's first underwater tunnel.  Isambard Kingdom Brunel and his father, Marc Brunel, were considered by many to be the greatest engineers of Victorian England.

A Midnight's Summer Dream at the Globe Theatre

On Wednesday evening, June 3, the EIL students accompanied by Profs. Berry and Dickerson went to see a performance of  A Midnight Summer's Dream at the Globe Theatre on the banks of the Thames River.  The magical forest ruled by Oberon was bubbling (literally) with the antics of Puck and his fairy friends.  A few photos after the performance are provided along with a group photo of all the EIL students on the bank of the Thames (with a view of St. Paul's Cathedral in the distance).

Tower Bridge

On Monday afternoon, June 1, the EIL students joined by Professors Berry and Dickerson, visited London's Tower Bridge.  This infamous bridge is a Grade I listed combined bascule, suspension, and, until 1960, cantilever bridge in London, built between 1886 and 1894, designed by Horace Jones and engineered by John Wolfe Barry with the help of Henry Marc Brunel.  The students experienced the two high-level walkways with breath-taking panoramic views of east and west London from 42 meters above the River Thames. They were also able to explore the Victorian engine rooms that once powered the mighty bridge lifts for over 80 years. This is a new venue for the Engineering in London program.

    

Matin Service at Westminster Abbey

Sixteen EIL students joined Professor Berry in attending the 10:00 am Matins service at Westminster Abbey (Church of England) on Sunday, May 31 (Trinity Sunday).  In addition to the angelic voices of the choir and spiritual readings and prayers given by worship leaders, the students were able to see the tombs of both Sir Issac Newton, Robert Stephenson, Thomas Telford, and James Prescott Joule as they made their way through the halls of the Abbey. After the service, the group enjoyed tea and cakes at the Abbey's Cellarium Cafe.

British Science Museum (South Kensington)

On Saturday morning, May 30, the EIL students visited the British Science Museum in South Kensington.  They were able to see several Boulton and Watt Steam Engines and Babbage's Difference Engine (Models 1 and 2).  Professors Berry and Dickerson awarded trivia winners with candy afterwards.  The group photo (with EIL banner) is taken in front of the 1903 Mill Engine manufactured by Burnley Ironworks Co. This sophisticated 700-horsepower engine was installed in the Harle Syke Mill, near Burnley, Lancashire in 1903.  It powered hundreds of looms in the mill, via belts driven by the huge 20-tonne flywheel.  The mill was dismantled in 1970 and moved to the museum in 1979. 

Royal Institution (Faraday Laboratory)

On Friday evening, May 29, the EIL Students along with Profs. Berry and Dickerson visited the Royal Institution (Michael Faraday Museum) near Green Park. After visiting Faraday's Laboratory, having dinner at some of the local restaurants, the students attended a (Friday) Discourse lecture entitled "Photodynamic Therapy: Physicists and physicians unite to heal with light" by Professor Stephen G. Bown (Cambridge University, UK). The students were introduced to Photodynamic Therapy (or PDT) that offers a revolutionary new treatment option for a range of diseases, particularly cancers. Prof. Bown's lecture was given in the Royal institution's lecture hall, where Michael Faraday started the Christmas lectures in 1825. The RI today is known for its science education programs, a continuation of the tradition of scientific lectures as enlightened entertainment. The Friday Night Discourses were formal affairs with the audience in evening dress and the speaker by tradition had to start and stop his address as the auditorium clock struck consecutive hours. J. J. Thomson announced the discovery of the electron in his 1897 lecture in this room. The Christmas Lecture program, begun by Michael Faraday and continuing through today, is the oldest continuous science education program for young people.

City Tour and the London Eye

On Wednesday, May 27, the EIL students were joined by IES Abroad London's Customised Programmes & Projects Manager Lewis Liming  and Profs. Berry and Dickerson on a 2.5-hour walking tour of the City of London.  Under the direction of our tour guides (Owen Joseph and Tom Maddison), students were given a good orientation and history of the City with chances to take photos near Borough Market, Westminster Abbey, Household Calvary Museum, St. Paul's Cathedral, The Globe Theatre, and the Millennium Bridge over the Thames River.  The tour also included a bus ride on one of London's iconic double-decker buses from Covent Garden in the West End to St. Paul's Cathedral. The tour ended on the Millennium Bridge Square giving the students the opportunity to have lunch at Borough Market before the group's scheduled entry to the London Eye, on the south bank of the Thames River.  The London Eye is Europe's tallest cantilevered observation wheel, and is the most popular paid tourist attraction in the United Kingdom with over 3 million visitors annually.