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| Sunday, 26 June 2005 |
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Junior Observer |  |
| News Business Features Editorial
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Where the Battle of Trafalgar is commemorated
The original name conceived for the place was King William the Fourth's Square, but Trafalgar Square was suggested by George Ledwell Taylor. It was the site for the king's mews (stables with living quarters) since the time of Edward I. During the 1820s, Prince Regent asked landscape artist John Nash to redevelop the area. Nash cleared areas of the square as part of the Charing Cross Improvement Scheme. It was completed around 1845 by the architect Sir Charles Barry. Nash's neo-classical design was adhered to in the project, although he didn't live to see its completion. A new project to redevelop the square commenced in 2003. The Square is a large central area surrounded by roadways on three sides and stairs leading to the National Gallery on the other. In the centre is Nelson's Column surrounded by fountains and huge bronze lions sculptured by Sir Edwin Landseer. The metal that was used in the column was said to have been recycled from the cannon of the French fleet. It is topped by a statue of Lord Nelson, the admiral who commanded the British fleet at Trafalgar. The column is 185 feet high while the statue is 17 feet high. There are four plinths (slabs as base of columns) around the square. Three hold the statues of George IV, Henry Havelock and Sir Charles James Napier. The Fourth Plinth Project, to decide whose statue should be built on top, got under way in 1999 and has become an ongoing controversy, without a decision still being arrived at. The buildings which are adjacent to the square are the National Gallery, St. Martin's-in-the-Fields Church, the Mall, Admiralty Arch, Whitehall, the Strand, South Africa House and Canada House. The area is especially famous for the pigeons or rock doves that hover above. Over 35,000 were said to be present during their peak season. Although feeding these pigeons was one of the major attractions for visitors to the site at one time, this is now banned as the bird droppings had become an eyesore as well as a health hazard. The Trafalgar Square has been the venue for the city's Christmas festivities since 1947. The celebrations won't be complete without the Norwegian spruce tree gifted by Oslo every year as a token of gratitude for Britain's support to the country during World War II. This tree is erected in the centre of the Square, and is the focal point of the celebrations. The Square was the place where the message that the Second World War had ended was broken to the masses by the then Premier Winston Churchill on May 8, 1945. So, it has become the site for the anniversary celebrations of the Victory in Europe (VE) Day. On April 8 this year, the BBC organised a concert at the site as part of the 60th VE Day celebrations. The Square has also been the site for many political demonstrations and riots. ########### National emblem of Singapore
Statues of the creature can be found on many fountains throughout the country. However, the tallest one is on Sentosa Island in the south. Another large statue was erected at the mouth of the Singapore river in 1972. After the construction of the Esplanade Bridge in 2002, it was moved further out and now sits on the quay around the One Fullerton building. The eight-metre high statue is especially attractive in the evenings when it is illuminated and spouts water from its mouth. Do you know how this mythical creature came into local folklore? Singapore was originally known as Temasek. The legendary Sang Nila Utama is said to have seen a lion in the area while out hunting. This gave rise to the name Singapura (the lion city), which evolved into the country's modern name. Some attribute the legend to a sighting of a lion during the discovery of ancient Singapore. These legends are what is represented by the lion head. The fish body
reminds Singaporeans of their ancestors' lives as Orang Laut (sea people),
and the country's humble origins as a small fishing village.The idea to
use the beast as an emblem and tourist icon was conceived by Singapore's
tourism board in 1972. It was the brain child of the Shaw Brothers at the
suggestion of the then Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew. |
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| Politics | Produced by Lake House |
The Trafalgar Square in Central London, UK was built to commemorate the
Battle of Trafalgar (in 1805), where the British Naval forces scored
victory in the Napoleonic wars. 
Some of you may be into myths and legends and may enjoy reading stories
from ancient mythology. Such children will know that creatures whose
bodies resemble two different animals exist in mythology. The Merlion
(mermaid and lion), which is the national emblem of Singapore, is such a
mythological creature. The merlion has the head of a lion and the body of
a fish. 
