ROYAL ALBERT HALL BIRTHDAY : 31.03.1871/Her Majesty The Queen is Patron of RoyalAlbertHall

It's our birthday! On this day in 1871, Queen Victoria officially opened the Royal Albert Hall, built in honour of her beloved late husband, Prince Albert. We so wish we were spending this special day with you;While we didn't exactly envision celebrating this milestone anniversary on our own, we still wanted to mark the occasion one way or another - it's not every day that one turns 150

In 1871 we were at the forefront of ventilation technology, with systems designed and installed by Mr Wilson W Phipson Inst. CE at the cost of £5,000. Two 6ft diameter fans were powered by Easton & Amos Grasshopper 7-horse power direct steam engines, which pumped water up from a ground-well beneath the Hall.

                                                               SHIRLEY BASSEY

Photograph: Colin Fuller/Redferns

                                                               ROGER DALTREY -THE WHO

                                                                   NILE RODGERS    Photograph: Andy Paradise

                                                       Anushka Shankar  Photograph: Mark Allan/BBC

Thanks to The Guardian (c)