27 Astonishing Things You Didn't Know About London
20. The Houses Of Parliament Were Built On An Island
Yes, that's right, the most famous landmark in all of London sits on an island. Specifically, Thorney Island. This "charming" spot was originally formed by a loop of the Thames and the Tyburn River, before the level of the land rose and the area was built over. Although Thorney Island has long since disappeared, the name lives on in Thorney Street, just off Horseferry Road at the back of the MI5 building. Back in the eighth century, documents described the island as a loco terribili (terrible place). The island's modern name is no less off putting, coming from the thorns that covered it.
Mike has lived in the UK, Japan and the USA. Currently, he is based in Iowa with his wife and 2 young children. After working for many years as a writer and editor for a large corporation, he is now a freelancer. He has been fortunate enough to contribute to many books on Doctor Who over the last 20 years and is now concentrating on original sci-fi & fantasy short stories, with recent sales including Flame Tree, Uffda, and The Martian Wave. Also, look for his contribution on Blake's 7 to "You and Who Else", a charity anthology to be released later this year.
You can find him on Tumblr at https://www.tumblr.com/blog/culttvmike
