Today in 1988 the grave of Boadicea / Boudica, the warrior queen of the Iceni tribe who fought the Romans in Britain was located by archaeologists (possibly). Following her victories in Anglesey and the sacking of the Roman Garrison at Colchester, she turned her attention to the fort and small collection of buildings that made… Continue reading Nice story, but….
Category: Uncategorized
STAAAAAANDAAAAART!
I threatened last week to start posting reminiscences of childhood in Metroland. Well here’s the first one and goes back to the late 60s when I was around ten years old. For a ten year old back then there were three types of gainful employment, one poor, one middling and the third the pinnacle. The… Continue reading STAAAAAANDAAAAART!
A Good Book
Thought I’d share a picture that hangs in my hallway which I received as a birthday present some years ago. It was taken by photographer Jack Ambridge at Farringdon Underground Station, which is one of my favourites due to it’s wrought iron columns, mellow brickwork and slightly dishevelled appearance. Although a busy station it seems… Continue reading A Good Book
The Winter Garden of Oxford Street
Feeling a little peckish as you wander along Oxford Street (when the shops re-open) ?Forgo the delights of the numerous fast food outlets, and even give a pub lunch a miss. As you saunter east towards the junction of Tottenham Court Road, pass the tailors Hawes & Curtis and then take the next open door… Continue reading The Winter Garden of Oxford Street
Here Be Dragons
The City of London, the mile square area that roughly constitutes the Roman settlement of Londinium in the 1st century AD and is commonly referred to as “The City” is guarded by a fearsome creature. The City’s coat of arms depicts two of these, for they are the London Dragons. The use of them as… Continue reading Here Be Dragons
A Suburban Boy
Born into 1960s “Metroland” as I was, its not difficult to see why the love of Art Deco and the 1930s has stayed with me. By the time I was conscious of my surroundings a lot of the housing estates, shops and public buildings had only just krept into middle age. There were symbols and… Continue reading A Suburban Boy
What’s in a name? (part 2)
Just a quick adjunct from the post of the same name posted a couple of days ago. Remember Nicholas”If-Jesus-Christ-had-not-died-for-thee-thou-hadst-been-damned” Barebon? You may recall that he switched his interests to property developing following the Great Fire of 1666. One such development was the Villiers Estate that today sits next to Charing Cross railway station. The land… Continue reading What’s in a name? (part 2)
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
A LONDON MISCELLANY 