U3A members were treated to an interesting and informative History of the Eiffel Tower by John Hopwood at the October general meeting.
The speaker’s illustrated presentation explained how the Paris landmark was constructed over two years, from 1887 to 1889, at the time the tallest structure in the world at just over 300 metres high.
At a cost of just under 7.8 million French francs, not everybody welcomed it, some eminent artists warning it would be a “monstrosity” ruining the Paris skyline.
Built as the centrepiece of the Exposition Universelle as a celebration of the French Revolution, it was originally intended to be pulled down after 20 years, but survived to become one of the biggest tourist attractions in the world.
As a grand finale to John’s presentation, the audience at the Parador hotel were treated to a 3-minute video with music of the spectacular Millennium New Year’s Eve fireworks display.
U3A Vice-President Claude Grealy presented John with a gift of wine as a thank-you for his excellent talk.
