As the Analytics Conference Chairman, each week I will provide you with insight into what to expect at the event in London in terms of sessions, speakers, the location, evening activities and much more. For my first entry I would like to share with you some interesting facts about our capital city London and in particular, Westminster, where SAS' analytics conference will take place.

Did you know,  London is made up of two ancient cities which are joined together making up the area known as Greater London?

(1) The City of London, known simply as 'the City' which is the business and financial heart of the United Kingdom, also known as the Square Mile. It was the original Roman settlement known as ancient Londinium, making it the oldest part of London. It was already 1,000 years old when the Tower of London was built.

More facts about the City of London

• It takes approx 90 seconds to open Tower Bridge, which opens about 1,000 times a year.
• The London Underground, was built in 1863, which is known as the ‘Tube’, and was the first metro system in the world.
• The Angel Tube Station, has Western Europe’s longest escalator with 318 steps.
• Each week, the 409 escalators on the London underground cover an astonishing distance, the equivalent of several trips around the world.
• London has more than 800 bookshops and over 380 public libraries including British Library which holds the Magna Carta.
• East London is the most popular film location in the city, playing host to everything from Oliver! to A Clockwork Orange and Full Metal Jacket. The naval buildings of Greenwich stood in for Washington in Patriot Games.
• In 1926, John Logie Baird demonstrated how television would work in what is now Bar Italia in Frith Street, Soho.

(2) The City of Westminster, where many sites commonly associated with London are located, including Buckingham Palace, the Houses of Parliament, and 10 Downing Street. The City of Westminster contains over 11,000 listed buildings of special architectural and historic interest and 78% of the borough is included within a designated conservation area.

More facts about the City of Westminster

• It is estimated that more than 95 per cent of visitors to London visit Westminster, representing approximately 28.5 million people per year.
• The Houses of Parliament also known as the Palace of Westminster, has over 1,100 rooms, 100 staircases and 3 miles (5 km) of corridors, as well as 19 bars and restaurants.
• Big Ben is not actually the name of the clock or the tower, but the 13-ton bell inside the clock.
• The well-known landmark, Marble Arch was originally built as the entrance to Buckingham Palace, but was never used.
• The Palace of Westminster was sited by the river so it could not be totally surrounded by a mob.
• Only one British Prime Minister out of 51 who have held the office since 1751, has ever been assassinated - Spencer Perceval was shot at the House of Commons in 1812.

With just under seven weeks to go before we all meet up in London for what will be the premier Analytics event of the year, I'll leave you with one of my favourite quotes of London:

"When a man is tired of London, he is tired of life; for there is in London all that life can afford" - Samuel Johnson.

Look out for my next blog entry where I will lift the lid on British etiquette in time for your visit to London.