"Jodrell Bank is the largest of the seven astronomical observatories in London, and is the oldest that has been in continual use by astronomers. Here Halley's Comet, the rings of the Moon, and the Squinting Astronomer Nebula were first observed. It is located atop a handsome, thin building in High Holborn, near the Houses of Parliament. The observatory is only used during the winter months, when temperature inversions keep the London air pure and cloudless. For the rest of the year the telescope is strapped to the roof under a tarpaulin, seats are put in, and it functions as an IMAX cinema, mosque, ice rink, and nudist picture gallery. A new computerized booking system was installed in 2003 after an unfortunate quadruple booking led to nude, bearded skaters having rainforest scenes projected onto them. Guided tours cost 7p a person (children 4p, astronomers get in free on production of a valid AstroCard), and are conducted by two cheery Cockney twins, Neville and Terry, whose patter consists largely of making fun of other planets. Bookings should be made in advance, since bookings made after the tour has taken place still crash the computer system, and we get those blue, shivering imams back."@en . "Jodrell Bank"@en . . "Jodrell Bank is the largest of the seven astronomical observatories in London, and is the oldest that has been in continual use by astronomers. Here Halley's Comet, the rings of the Moon, and the Squinting Astronomer Nebula were first observed."@en . .