Question: What is the smallest piece of public art within the City of London? To answer that question let me take you back to the 1860s and the redevelopment of Eastcheap, the street that runs east from the Monument towards the Tower of London. The block adjoining Philpot Lane was demolished and the architect Robert Lewis… Continue reading The Philpot Lane Mice
Tag: History
Den of Thieves
The title of this piece wasn’t hard to come up with, however I wasn’t sure what the source was. It actually comes from the Bible. Well in this, the Den of Thieves is known as a Patter-Free Lumber. There were many of these dotted around London, one of them was located at 23 New Boswell… Continue reading Den of Thieves
Flood Warning!
It’s been decidedly wet over the last few days and being outside for most of them has left me feeling rather damp on my return home. So to continue this moist motif I came across a nice little bit of London Folklore which pre-dates the Thames Barrier by a hundred years. Its connected to the… Continue reading Flood Warning!
Puggy Booth
Now there’s a name to go by. A tough Georgian bare knuckle pugilist, or a renown Victorian cricketer known for stubbornly occupying his crease perhaps? Well the answer is neither and in fact the name goes to an artist of great repute. The name was not one given at birth and in fact was not… Continue reading Puggy Booth
A baby, but no bath water
Whilst rooting about in A Survey Of The Cities Of London and Westminster written by John Strype in the 1720s for some information, I came across a story by accident that is too good not to tell. The story is set near to the Tower of London and centres around the Churchyard of All Hallows-by-the-Tower,… Continue reading A baby, but no bath water
When nature calls
The Victorians seem to have laid claim to the invention of modern Sanitary Fixtures. It is a widely-held belief that Thomas Crapper designed the first flush toilet in the 1860s, but it was actually 300 years earlier during the 16th century. The credit for inventing the flush toilet goes to Sir John Harrington, godson of… Continue reading When nature calls
Two favourite things and one I detest.
Channeling the spirit of Maria from the sound of music, I’d like to share a couple of favourites things with you. I’m very partial to the odd oyster, mainly as nature intended, but cooked in their shells with a little Pernod are very nice. Also on a hot summers day I do enjoy a glass… Continue reading Two favourite things and one I detest.
Fame
One Word Sunday A battered old phone box in Heddon Street, London. For the full story have a look at this FAME
The Cricket bringer of good luck
Six Word Saturday
“It’s The Real Thing”
I have to admit to being a bit of a binge watcher when it comes to box sets. Breaking Bad, Sons of Anarchy, The Soprano’s and House have all been polished off in quick time. Mad Men was the most recent and the final shot (Spoiler Alert) was the iconic 1971 “Hilltop” ad, which featured… Continue reading “It’s The Real Thing”
A LONDON MISCELLANY 