A lovely Google Doodle today to celebrate the 160th anniversary of the opening of the Great Exhibition in Hyde Park, on 1st May 1851:
The original has a nifty magnification feature, and some nice animations – the fountain works, for example. I assume it will appear in the doodles gallery at some point. It seems particularly apt, as the Crystal Palace later became a focal point for South London May Day workers’ events, as Neil Transpontine discusses in his excellent pamphlet, May Day in South London: a history (Past Tense, 2011). So happy May Day, and cheers to the good folk at Google for marking the day. Yesterday Crystal Palace FC secured their survival in the Championship as well – which didn’t look at all likely for most of the season – so there’s plenty for us to celebrate round here this weekend.