Whenever I walk the streets of London I try to make the effort to look up once in a while. Sometimes you can be too focussed on what’s in front of you. Take a moment to look above the horizon and you might be surprised at what you find. Many interesting and bizarre ornaments and… Continue reading The Beavers Of Oxford Street
Tag: History
……..AND THE BONUS BALL IS
The Nation Lottery started in the UK on the 19th November 1994, however, this was not the first nationwide lottery to be run in Britain. “The Lottery” by William Hogarth 1721 showing the two lottery wheels. The first state lottery was the idea of Master of the Royal Mint, Thomas Neale in order to raise… Continue reading ……..AND THE BONUS BALL IS
A Cock And Pye Story
To make a Peacock Pye. Pick it, and leave the Feathers on the Neck, cut the Neck off close to the Body, skin the Neck close to the Head, and cut it off; put a Stick tight into the Skin up to the Head, dry it in an Oven; cut off the Legs, and keep… Continue reading A Cock And Pye Story
A Little Bit of The Pharaohs In Piccadilly
Egyptian House at 170-173 Piccadilly is one of those functional early 20th century buildings that in the next hundred or so years people may well begin to love. It’s a bit of a hybrid, echoes of Georgian and Victorian architecture muddled up with just a glimpse of what was ahead in terms of Art Noveau… Continue reading A Little Bit of The Pharaohs In Piccadilly
You Dirty Boy!
If I asked you to name a famous Miser, I’m sure most of you would plump for Mr Ebeneezer Scrooge, the literary creation of Charles Dickens. It is well known the Dickens created many of his characters from an assemblage of real life people, taking traits and idiosyncrasies from several to created his fully formed… Continue reading You Dirty Boy!
Invite injury and death into your home this Christmas
Probably every family in the UK that celebrates Christmas will have one such story of disaster, calamity or injury that is trotted out over the festive table to the mirth and hilarity of all those seated around it. Like the time Dad cut his finger off carving the turkey or how mum fell off a… Continue reading Invite injury and death into your home this Christmas
A Christmas tale of woe
Whenever I’m wandering around during the festive period, I like to play a little game. If I pass some sort of iconic building or structure I’ll stop and try to imagine what it or the surrounding area would look have looked like during past Christmas’. These nearly always take the form of a Victorian yuletide… Continue reading A Christmas tale of woe
Ham Yard, an apt setting
Philanthropy at Christmas comes in many forms whether it is sending money to an appeal, donating to a food bank or possibly even volunteering to serve Christmas dinner to those who find themselves homeless. I’m afraid I can only own up to one of these and its not the last one. I came across a… Continue reading Ham Yard, an apt setting
This is where it all began
In many ways it’s an unpromising but not unpleasing building at 101 Union Street, Southwark. Unpromising in the respect of that it’s not the original that I was searching for. On maps of the 1840s it shows a pub on the corner, the Three Jolly Gardeners and the building I’m looking for next to it.… Continue reading This is where it all began
Better than a curate’s egg
Don’t know about you, but my go to in the pub snack department is the good old pork scratchin’, nothing better with a pint. I’ve had a dalliance now and again with Bombay Mix, those little pretzels and even the classic cheese biscuits, but if there’s a crunchy, greasy, salty and sometimes hairy mouthful of… Continue reading Better than a curate’s egg
A LONDON MISCELLANY 