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?
Tag: History
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
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….
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*
Burye, Berry, Bury
Next time you’re in the City, walk past the Gherkin along Bury Street and at the end of Holland House and you will see the relief of a ship. This dates to when the offices were owned by Wm. H. Müller who were a Dutch shipping company and commissioned the building in 1916. In itself… Continue reading Burye, Berry, Bury
What’s it all about then?
When I first started this site as a portal for A London Miscellany Tours and began to write about some of the history of London, like everyone I had no idea of how the Global Pandemic would affect my unusual walking tours of London. With tours curtailed for much of 2020 and things looking bleak… Continue reading What’s it all about then?
Who?
Stephen Geary? ……………………………. Anyone? No, I must admit it wasn’t a name that I was familiar with, but Mr Geary definitely left his mark on both the advancement of mankind and also London, although probably more so for the latter. Over 160 years after his death, Geary is tucked away right at the back of… Continue reading Who?
The Wheel Turns Full Circle
The London Eye has dominated the skyline of Lambeth for over twenty years. This 135 metres (443 ft) tall wheel has a diameter of 120 metres (394 ft). When it opened to the public in 2000 it was the world’s tallest Ferris wheel until it was surpassed by the 160-metre (525 ft) Star of Nanchang in 2006, and has subsequently been… Continue reading The Wheel Turns Full Circle
Amongst these dark Satanic Mills
Do you ever get a feeling about a location? It doesn’t have to be something outwardly disturbing, just a vague notion that something historic at some time in the past might have happened on this spot. I know that sound a bit vague, but there is a certain piece of central London that has always… Continue reading Amongst these dark Satanic Mills
The Beavers Of Oxford Street
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
A LONDON MISCELLANY 