THIS month, Tower Bridge is offering engineering enthusiasts the opportunity to enjoy a behind-the-scenes tour that will take in areas of the bridge that are not normally open to the public.

This includes the bridge control room, the immense bascule chambers below the level of the river bed and the machinery room that houses the hydraulic machinery that powers the lifting of the bridge.

The Recorder has a family ticket (two adults, two children) to give away for one of these special tours. And one lucky visitor on each tour will have a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to raise the bridge on a date to be arranged, with one name drawn from all Engineering Tour guests.

The tours, which are for a maximum of 12 people, will initially be led by one of Tower Bridge’s experienced tour guides who will take guests on an in-depth exploration of the bridge. This includes the audio visual Tower Bridge Exhibition, which explains the structure’s history and construction.

The final part of the tour will be conducted by one of the bridge’s senior technical officers who will take guests to areas that are normally off-limits to the public.

Since Tower Bridge opened in 1894 it has become one of the world’s most recognised and best-loved icons and is unquestionably synonymous with London. When it was completed it was the largest and most sophisticated bascule bridge ever built and remains an impressive example of visionary Victorian engineering.

Tours run daily from Monday, January 17 to Sunday, January 23 at 4.30pm and last for an hour and a half. The cost is �30 per person and includes a guidebook. Tickets can be booked online at www.towerbridge.org.uk or by calling 020 7407 9191. Individual tickets can be purchased for these tours, so for this special one-week period there is no need to be part of an organised group with a minimum number.

Tower Bridge is open every day. Standard admission prices for adults are �7, children aged five to 15 �3, under 5s free and concessions �5. Joint tickets for Tower Bridge and the restored Monument nearby are available at �8, �5.50 and �3.50, respectively. Opening times are 9.30am-6pm (last admission is at 5pm). More details at www.towerbridge.org.uk.

For your chance to win a family ticket for an exclusive tour of Tower Bridge, send your answer to the question below, with your name, address and telephone number to Tower Bridge Competition, c/o Maxine Leckerman, Recorder Newspapers, Media House, 539 High Road, Ilford, Essex IG1 1UD. The closing date for entries is Wednesday, January 12.

Q: What year did Tower Bridge open?