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Brass in pocket

Possibly John Rivet was a 17th century example of nominative determinism, that is when your surname influences you to gravitate towards a chosen profession. It’s unclear if the young master Rivet ever wanted to be a Lumberjack, but he eventually became a metal worker. One thing is certain about him, he was a bit of… Continue reading Brass in pocket

What’s in a name?

To finish the quote in full, “That which we call a rose by any other name would smell as sweet”. (William Shakespear, Romeo & Juliet). It’s my belief that a name sets the tone of a thing or even a person. Take the example of rose, it is a rounded, lilting word which conjures up the fragrant… Continue reading What’s in a name?

At Sixes and Sevens

Not a phrase you hear much nowadays, but I can remember my Grandmother using it quite often, “Oh you’ll have me at sixes and sevens if you don’t get from under my feet!“ I’d never really queried its origin until recently. I was researching for a new walking tour, looking into the history of what… Continue reading At Sixes and Sevens

As Grave As The Grave

I’ve just finished reading John Bennett’s excellent book, Krayology, which examines the rise and fall of the notorious 1960s London Gangsters Ron and Reggie Kray. Well worth a read if that’s your sort of thing. So far I’ve limited my guided walking tours at A London Miscellany Tours to the confines of the City walls… Continue reading As Grave As The Grave

Ziggy played guitar….

It is a cold wet late afternoon in January 1972 and you’re legging it down Regent Street as fast as your platform shoes will allow, your wet flares (possibly even Loon pants) flapping around your ankles and your cheesecloth shirt is clinging to you. In an attempt to shelter from the precipitation you duck into… Continue reading Ziggy played guitar….

“Just a single please”

This is about a very bizarre one way journey that our London Ancestors could have taken during the Victorian period. By the early 1850s, London had a problem with overcrowding. No, not as you would assume with housing or population or traffic, those go without saying. Victorian London had too many corpses and not enough… Continue reading “Just a single please”

My Hero

“Oh yes she/he is one of my Heroines/Heros”. I made a list of mine the other day (Lockdown allows you to do these sorts of things). Mine sort of sit in the fantasy dinner party thing, people that you would like to sit around your table and hold sparkling conversation and make the evening go… Continue reading My Hero

Disgusted of Tunbridge Wells*

* I should probably clarify the title of this piece for those who aren’t aware of the phrase. It is a generic name used in the UK for a person with strongly conservative political views, who writes letters to the newspapers or the BBC in moral outrage. Disgusted is the pseudonym of the supposed letter writer, who is… Continue reading Disgusted of Tunbridge Wells*

Nelson and a bowl of porridge

Admiral Horatio Nelson sits atop his column 169 feet 3 inches (51.59 m) above the concourse of Trafalgar Square and has gazed down over it since 1843. The square predates the column by three years, built to commemorate the victory over the Spanish and the French at the Battle of Trafalgar in 1805. The Lions guarding the column… Continue reading Nelson and a bowl of porridge

Seeing Stars

Continuing on the pub theme, one of my favourites in the “Slightly Strange” category is the Seven Stars in Carey Street just behind the Royal Courts Of Justice. From the outside it looks old, and that’s because parts of it are. Its thought to originally date to 1602 the penultimate year of the reign of… Continue reading Seeing Stars