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The Affair Of The Brown Dog

Like most of us I’m having to find things to fill my time during this Coronavirus lockdown, and so as A London Miscellany Tours is currently mothballed, I’m taking the opportunity to spend my time researching. During this time I was reminded of last summer when I visited Battersea Park, the first time in probably… Continue reading The Affair Of The Brown Dog

Greek Street, Then and Now

I’ve always found Greek Street in Soho to be a bit of an oasis, if a slightly shabby one, when compared to some of it’s more garish neighbours. With the relative tranquillity at its northern end of Soho Square it’s always struck me as a street that’s a bit more laid back, perhaps not as… Continue reading Greek Street, Then and Now

Thence, after eating a lobster for my dinner……….

The line above comes from Samuel Pepy’s diary of February 5th 1667. Having read through his diary he doesn’t come across as much of a “Foodie”, but that’s not to say he didn’t eat and drink well, and this is the topic of this entry. I’ve set out a list below giving some of my… Continue reading Thence, after eating a lobster for my dinner……….

The Monster Of London

There have been many violent and disturbing crimes committed in the Capital over the centuries, some single incidents, and others of a more serial nature. The latter attract much more attention, sometimes with the culprits achieving cult status. Obviously Jack the Ripper is usually the first to come to mind, along with latter-day perpetrators, John… Continue reading The Monster Of London

“We never know the worth of water till the well is dry.”-Thomas Fuller (1608-1661)

Turning on the tap and getting fresh water has to be one of the top things we take for granted, possibly up there with breathing. Although this is a relatively new “Given”, with water sources in London still dubious until the mid 20th Century, our London ancestors would have been more concerned with finding a… Continue reading “We never know the worth of water till the well is dry.”-Thomas Fuller (1608-1661)

Tottenham Court Road 5.45 am

This was written last year before Covid engulfed us all…….. As I’ve got older I seem to have shaken the habit of staying within the warmth and comfort of my bed in the mornings. Today, up at 4.45 am as excited as a schoolkid going on an outing. The reason, a fact-finding trip, coupled with… Continue reading Tottenham Court Road 5.45 am

Name Theory

English as a language is a pretty difficult one to master, even if you were born in the UK! There is always something that’ll try and trip you up, some words sound the same but are spelt differently like, awe, oar, or, ore. Ok, with a bit of thought you can probably deduce which one… Continue reading Name Theory

Searching For Old King Lud

Ok, let us start with the supposition of Geoffrey of Monmouth the 12th century chronicler of the British Isles. King Lud was a pre-Roman King of the Britains. He founded the city of London and when he died he was buried close to the site of where the main western entrance to the city was… Continue reading Searching For Old King Lud

Patrick Hamilton

If I’m being honest, I’d never heard of Fitzrovia until about twenty years ago. Then one afternoon, I caught the back end of a play on Radio 4 called Twenty Thousand Streets Under The Sky. Not a lot on the Dial-Up Internet back then, only the authors’ name, Patrick Hamilton. I called in at my… Continue reading Patrick Hamilton