COUNTRIES, TOWNS, CITIES
England
Alton Towers ….. the FIRST double loop rollercoaster in Europe was the Corkscrew and in its 28 years until its closure in 2008 it carried 43.5 million riders
Bolton ..... the FIRST town centre in the UK to be pedestrianised
Bradford ..... the world's FIRST international City of Film - 2009
Brownsea Island ..... Poole Harbour ..... where the Boy Scouts held their FIRST camp in 1908
Cheshire ..... Grafton Hall ..... FIRST manor house in the county of Cheshire, to be built of brick and stone ..... Dunham Massey Park ..... in 1876 the FIRST grey squirrels in the U.K. were introduced there by an American traveller
Dulwich College Picture Gallery ….. opened in 1814, it was the FIRST Art Gallery in Britain which was open to the public. The building was specially designed for the purpose by Sir Joan Soane and opened with approximately 510 paintings on show
Escalators ..... in 1911 the FIRST ones installed in Britain were between the district and Piccadilly lines at Earls Court Station on the London Underground
Garstang ….. near Preston, Lancashire - Britain's FIRST Fair Trade town
Huddersfield ..... Lilliput Lab ..... established in 1999 by Huddersfield University, it was the FIRST British laboratory capable of calibrating instruments to one 10,000th of a millimetre
Humberside ..... Ian McMillan became the FIRST poet-in-residence with a police force when he joined Humberside Police as a beat poet and over a period of time amassed a lively collection of poems and perspectives from the officers and their associates
Isle Of Sheppey ..... the world's FIRST aircraft factory was built there in 1909
Isle Of Wight ..... Seaside Piers ..... the FIRST British pier was built at Ryde in 1813 and the FIRST pleasure pier was built in Margate in 1853. Southend had the world's longest pleasure pier at 2158 metres and there are 55 seaside piers in Britain
Kassim Darwish School ….. in 1999 it was the FIRST Muslim grammar school for boys in England
Liverpool Overhead Railway ..... in 1893 the world's FIRST electric automatic signalling system was installed
London
Belgravia ..... 1875 ..... Britain's FIRST roller-skating rink opened
Boundary Street Estate ..... 1893 ..... Britain's FIRST council estate in Bethnal Green, was built to replace the squalid slum of Friars Mount, a warren of rat-like hovels
British Museum ..... 1753 ..... the world's FIRST national public museum was founded by an act of parliament and opened in 1759. In 2003 the exhibition Treasure marked the FIRST time that the museum had devoted a whole show to the discoveries of the ordinary man
Denman Street ..... 1901 ..... near Piccadilly Circus was where the world's FIRST multi-storey car park opened
Hampstead ..... in 1910 the Girl Guides held their FIRST camp there
Hindostanee Coffee House ..... near Portman Square .... opened in 1809 by Sake Dean Mahomet as Britain's FIRST dedicated curry house. The curry houses fully established themselves in the 1920s
Hounslow ..... London's FIRST airport opened there in 1919
Hyde Park ..... in 2002 the Star Trek Exhibition was staged there and was the FIRST exhibition held there since the Great Exhibition of 1851 (?)
Kew Gardens Hotel ..... 1959 ..... became the FIRST British hotel or restaurant to install a microwave oven
London University ..... 1878 ..... became the FIRST British university to allow women to take its degrees
Museum of Garden History is the FIRST museum of its kind and has attracted visitors from all over the world who want to know more about the evolution of gardens
Oval - The ..... FIRST ever cricket Test Match in England was played there
Parliament Square ..... 1868 ..... the world's FIRST traffic lights (gas lit) were installed and
pedestrian crossings were introduced in 1926 and the FIRST one was sited in one corner of Parliament Square
Shepherd's Bush ..... the world's FIRST purpose built Olympic Stadium was erected there in 1908. It contained the FIRST purpose-built Olympic swimming pool. The 70,000 seat stadium cost £60,000 and eventually became known as White City
St-Mary's-at-Lambeth the world's FIRST ever gardening museum was begun by John and Rosemary Nicholson after they had discovered the tomb of the John Tradescant family in the graveyard. The family were famous collectors of exotic and unusual plants during the 17th century
St Paul's Cathedral ..... the FIRST public building in Britain to be protected by a lightning conductor
Toynbee Hall ..... Whitechapel ..... founded in memory of Arnold Toynbee by Samuel Augustus Barnett, was the FIRST university settlement for university men to live in close contact with their East End neighbours
Victoria Park ..... in 1845 it was the FIRST British park to be created specifically with the health of the working classes in mind. In 1848 the Chartists rallied there as did the striking dockers in 1889
..... 1891..... the FIRST weightlifting world championship was held
..... 1897..... the world's FIRST collision between two motor vehicles occurred on Charing Cross Road
Manchester
..... the world's FIRST industrialised city. It was also the UK's FIRST municipality to have its own licensed aerodrome when they built a temporary airfield at Wythenshawe in 1929. On 1st January 1930 the permanent airport at Barton opened and the first scheduled service began on June 16th with Imperial Airways three times a week service on the Croydon-Birmingham-Manchester-Liverpool circuit. In June 1938 Ringway Airport opened and in 1954 was renamed Manchester Airport. In 1962 the airport became the first in Europe to allow passengers to pass totally under cover from terminal to aircraft. Manchester was also the FIRST city in Britain to declare itself "nuclear-free" during the Cold War
Adventures of Dreamieland - The ..... by WOW Creation Ltd, was the U.K's FIRST dark theme ride within a shopping centre when installed at the Trafford Centre near Manchester
Barbelow is a basement bar in Canal Street, which was the FIRST venue in the city to issue swipe cards so that guests could let themselves in
Belle Epoque Brasserie ..... the FIRST UK business to sign up for a new internet recruitment service – September 2000
Brindle Heath Road Cemetery – Charlestown, Pendleton ..... the FIRST place in Manchester, where Jewish people were buried
Castlefield ..... the world’s FIRST urban heritage park
Chorlton Mill ..... Cambridge Street ..... where Charles Mackintosh carried out his experiments with textiles and rubber and made the world’s FIRST raincoat
Circus Casino ..... the FIRST in the UK to introduce Las Vegas-style Progressive Casino Stud Poker. It meant that players could eventually take part in a national game of poker across 33 casinos with £1m in prize money - May 2002
Cromwell High ..... Dukinfield ..... the FIRST in Tameside and one of the FIRST in the country to become a co-location school, allowing children with special needs access to the same facilities as children in the mainstream education system - 2005
Kendal Milnes & Faulkner was the FIRST ever department store in Manchester
Lewis's department store in 1880 was one of the FIRST buildings in the North of England to be lit by electric. It also erected the FIRST moving staircase in the country
Manchester Ambulance Service was the FIRST in the UK to try out bullet-proof vests in the early 1990s
Manchester Museum of Science and Industry was the FIRST museum in England to appoint its own junior board of trustees - 1999. Practical activities for the 10 junior board members included testing resources, looking at the services provided by the museum and checking out text and labels. In 2004 it became the FIRST UK venue to host the exhibition of Blackfoot Indians - Nitsitapiisinni: Our Way Of Life
Manchester Metropolitan University was the FIRST university in the UK to have a female chancellor and female vice chancellor. In 1998 Alexandra Burslem was appointed vice chancellor and in March 2003 Dame Janet Smith was installed as chancellor. In September 2004 the university began the world's FIRST degree course which looked at the impact of war. The Post-graduate course - MA - in war, culture and history would also involve students in the making of a film or documentary about people's experiences of war
Metropolitan-Vickers Electrical Company ..... Trafford Park ..... the FIRST company in Britain to have a works committee representing the interests of its employees
Philips Park ..... opened in August 1846, it was one of the FIRST parks in the world to be paid for by public subscription
Piccadilly Railway Station ..... the FIRST in Britain to have airport-style moving walkways or travelators - 19th March 2002. Roger Jones was one of the FIRST members of the public to use one along with two Railtrack employees, Deborah Richards and Alan Goodyer
Royal Hotel ..... in April 1888 the Football League held its FIRST meeting there
Springwood Primary School ..... Barton Road, Swinton ….. in September 2001 it opened as Britain’s FIRST ‘designer’ school catering for 160 children with special needs
Stockport Market ..... in May 2003 it became the FIRST market in the UK to accept the euro when shoppers with leftover holiday money were encouraged to hand over their euros to buy goods from the stalls as part of the market's " We Welcome the Euro" promotion
Sunlight House ..... at one time it was the tallest office structure in Europe and the FIRST high-rise block in Manchester. It was built by Joe Sunlight, a Russian émigré, and was opened in 1932 by Dorothy Lamour and Douglas Fairbanks JNR
Trafford Centre ..... FIRST shopping centre in the UK to introduce its own credit card. The card can be used in any store within the centre and anywhere in the world
Trafford Park ..... the world’s FIRST industrial estate
University of Manchester….. founded in 1851 it was the FIRST ‘red brick’ University. No fewer than 20 former staff or students have won the Nobel prize and many of the major advances of the 20th century began there. In July 2002 honorary degrees were awarded to Roger Bannister, Clive Lloyd, Diane Modahl, Donald McKinnon and Mamphela Ramphele and it was the FIRST time that the University had joined with others in the city to grant degrees when they joined with Manchester Metropolitan University, UMIST and Salford University to commemorate the Commonwealth Games
Valley Estate ..... Swinton ..... one of the FIRST in the UK to have neighbourhood wardens. They gathered intelligence about vandalism, car crime and racial harassment and issued crime prevention advice and responded to minor incidents
Victoria Square ..... Ancoats ..... one of the FIRST municipal housing schemes when built for the workers of Ancoats by the Manchester Corporation under the Manchester Labourers’ Dwellings Scheme. Families signed the FIRST tenancy agreements and lived in the world’s FIRST industrial suburb ( Mid 1890s)
Yates's Wine Lodge ..... in 1884 the FIRST one was set up by Peter Yates in the Angel public house on Oldham High Street. During the Second World War the company became the FIRST company in Britain to import Australian wine
Milton Keynes ..... town in the UK where the FIRST peace pagoda or 'stupa' in the West was built. The building was funded and run by the Japanese order of Buddhists .....
Nottingham ..... in 1908 the FIRST public telephone kiosk was set up there. In 2005 Nottingham East Midlands Airport became the FIRST airport in the whole of Europe to offer a new integrated self-service check-in for passengers. It can also allocate seats on board and check in bags ..... Duke's Wood ..... Nottinghamshire, the location of Britain's FIRST commercial on-shore oilfield. It was discovered by D'Arcy Exploration ( a forerunner of BP) in 1939, and oil from the field contributed over 2 million barrels to Britain's war effort. At it's peak over 1,200 men and women were involved in it's development. BP continued to produce oil from Duke's Wood until 1965 with over 280,000 barrels being pumped by the "nodding donkeys"
Plymouth ..... in the 1970s it was the FIRST city in the UK to introduce minicab licensing ..... Plymouth University ..... in December 2002 the FIRST students completed a degree in surfing after graduating from a three-year course in Surf Science and Technology which began in 1999 and offered just 16 places
Portsmouth ..... the FIRST city in England to introduce a 20 mph zone in all its residential areas - June 2007
Rochdale ..... Rochdale Canal ….. opened in 1804 it was the FIRST navigable waterway from Lancashire to Yorkshire ..... Rochdale Society of Equitable Pioneers ..... launched the dividend back in 1844, the world's FIRST store loyalty card
Royal Bank of Scotland ….. in 1964 it opened the FIRST ladies-only bank in the UK. It closed on October 31st 1997
..... FIRST city to have an unconditional free municipal public library in the UK, FIRST town to levy a rate for library purposes, FIRST town to have a municipal works for the treatment of sewage, FIRST river inspector was appointed by Salford, it was the FIRST with coal gas to light streets and buildings and the FIRST town to establish a public swimming bath (1855), the FIRST in the field in the provision of a public sanatorium, had the FIRST play-streets in the world and The Schools' Museum Service was the FIRST successful attempt in the world to bring museums into active co-operation with the education system ..... Phil Elliott and Paul Yarwood became the FIRST of 18 police community support officers (PCSOs) in Salford in January 2003 and although they do not have powers of arrest they can issue on-the-spot fines for offences such as littering, dog fouling and public order offences. Their main role is to act as a link between the community and the police on six beats around the Eccles area. As well as issuing fixed penalties they also have the ability to confiscate alcohol from underage drinkers. In 2003 it was the FIRST city in Britain to offer to pick up and recycle waste for every resident who wanted to take part. Those taking part were supplied with special boxes and bags that would be collected every week
Richard Branson opened his FIRST 'vehicle department store' when Virgin Cars opened in May 2003, the FIRST site in the world
Salford Electrical Instruments made the FIRST magnetic tape recording machine to go on sale
A City's Pride ..... the FIRST exhibition showing Salford's entire collection of work by L S Lowry. It was the largest such public collection in the world and was displayed at The Lowry, Salford Quay's from March to September 2002
Salisbury ..... Wilton House ..... in 1776 it was the FIRST stately home to be opened to the public. In the first year 2500 people visited but instead of paying an entrance fee they tipped the housekeeper ..... Salisbury Cathedral Clock ..... set up in 1386 it was the FIRST public clock in England. The FIRST known public clock in the world was set up in Milan in 1353
Shropshire ..... Iron Bridge ..... the world's FIRST iron bridge when it was opened on New Years' Day 1781. It was constructed across the Severn Gorge in Shropshire and was hailed as one of the great symbols of the British-led Industrial Revolution. The bridge attracts tourists from all over the world and was designed so that its reflection in the river completed a full circle. Sir Neil Cossons was the FIRST director of the Ironbridge Gorge Museum Trust
Silverstone ..... where the FIRST Grand Prix was held
Sollershott Circus ….. a 6-way junction with a 55’ central island – 1910 – the FIRST roundabout in Britain. Designed by Richard Parker and Raymond Unwin
Southport …. Lord Street ..... FIRST boulevard in the world was built there and so inspired Prince Louis Napoleon in 1838 that it was a major influence when he directed the layout of the Parisian boulevards
Surrey ..... Electricity ..... the FIRST public supply in the UK was obtained from the River Wey at Godalming, Surrey, in 1881
Tamar Bridge ….. in 2001 it was the FIRST suspension bridge in the world to be widened and the FIRST to remain open to traffic during the strengthening and widening
University College at Buckingham ..... Britain's FIRST independent institution at university level
Warrington ..... Sankey Canal - The ..... at Newton-le-Willows, opened in November 1757, the FIRST canal to be dug in England
Widnes Corporation ..... introduced the FIRST closed top double-decker buses in 1909