A while ago I posted a piece about a London guidebook that was published in 1937. In Quantity, not quality I shared an itinerary that was in the guidebook for the visitor to London that has a day to take in the sights. The amount of places and distance travelled were quite staggering and I… Continue reading Shoe Leather
Tag: History
Stairway to Heaven
I’ve always wondered at the design of the escalator system on many of London’s underground stations. It is such a simple idea, but the machinery involved is quite complex. The only design limitation came when they were retro fitted to existing stations with limited space. It was in 1892 that the first working escalator materialised,… Continue reading Stairway to Heaven
Doh!
I had a Homer Simpson realisation today. A few weeks ago I wrote about my surprise at finding Bull Inn Court on the north side of the Strand, because I never walk on that side of the street. During my perusal of the court I discovered another alley about 30 yards back down the Strand… Continue reading Doh!
The Ladies’ Bridge
To my mind Waterloo Bridge is one of the most overlooked bridges on the Thames. It’s design has been criticised, but I think it’s sleek arches are rather pleasing. The current bridge is the second incarnation, the first opened in 1817, but by the end of the 19th century it was showing signs of subsidence… Continue reading The Ladies’ Bridge
When street signs were much nicer
Six word Saturday
ABC of City of London Wards
This is the third post about the wards that make up the the City of London. These links will take you to the post about Aldersgate, Aldgate The City of London is divided into 25 wards. These wards are a survival of the medieval governmental system that allowed very small areas to exist as self-governing units within the wider… Continue reading ABC of City of London Wards
A quick 18 holes by London Bridge
The term “Skyscraper” is a very subjective term, today the Burj Khalifa in Dubai is the world’s tallest at a height of 828 meters, which in old money is 2,717 feet. London’s current giant is the Shard at 310 meters, 1016 feet. But travel back to 1925 London and the building taking all the attention… Continue reading A quick 18 holes by London Bridge
The Staff Of Life
I’ve recently written a piece about George Orwell’s favourite pub in Soho, and hadn’t any plans to introduce him into anything else for the foreseeable future. So I settled down to write a piece on the Aerated Bread Company, or as they were known in their heyday, A.B.C., however Mr Orwell manages to make an… Continue reading The Staff Of Life
The oldest original statue in London
Six Word Saturday Hurrying along Fleet Street, you might notice the statue that adorns the archway in St Dunstan’s in the West church. You might even notice that it depicts Queen Elizabeth I, but what you might not know is that it is London’s oldest statue and the only one remaining that was carved in Queen… Continue reading The oldest original statue in London
The Hurdy Gurdy Man
Sometimes without realising you get into a rut, do the same things the same way and miss out on new opportunities. For instance, I always exit Charing Cross station turn right and walk along the Strand on the right hand side of the road. This recently highlighted the downside of sticking with what you know.… Continue reading The Hurdy Gurdy Man
A LONDON MISCELLANY 