The entrance to this small park was once the entrance to a school playground that separated Dame Alice Owen’s Girls’ School and Owen’s Boys’ School and is now known as Owen’s Fields in Clerkenwell, London EC1. The girl’s school was built in 1890 and was a substantial building with underground cellars. At the outbreak of… Continue reading Owen’s Fields
Tag: History
A Little Bit of The Pharaohs In Piccadilly
Egyptian House 170-173 Piccadilly is one of those functional early 20th century buildings that in the next hundred or so years people will 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 and Art… Continue reading A Little Bit of The Pharaohs In Piccadilly
The Strange Tale of Mr Fribourg and Mr Treyer …….. and Mr Fribourg and Mr Pontet
Friborg and Treyer were fashionable snuff sellers in the 18th century. Based at 34 Haymarket their clientele included King George IV, the actor David Garrick and all-round dandy Beau Brummell. The Fribourg’s had originally come to England from Switzerland, and the claim is, that the firm was started in 1720 by P. Fribourg, although the… Continue reading The Strange Tale of Mr Fribourg and Mr Treyer …….. and Mr Fribourg and Mr Pontet
It’s Virtually The Same
Not being able to wander London’s streets during Lockdown is a bit of a problem for a tour guide, and obviously the lack of customers is also a disadvantage. So, my time is spent online, researching, writing and generally indulging in all thing London (Geek). When I come to plan A London Miscellany tour, the… Continue reading It’s Virtually The Same
Greek Street, Then and Now
I’ve always found Greek Street in Soho to be a bit of an oasis, if a slightly shabby one, when compared to some of it’s more garish neighbours. With the relative tranquillity at its northern end of Soho Square it’s always struck me as a street that’s a bit more laid back, perhaps not as… Continue reading Greek Street, Then and Now
The Monster Of London
There have been many violent and disturbing crimes committed in the Capital over the centuries, some single incidents, and others of a more serial nature. The latter attract much more attention, sometimes with the culprits achieving cult status. Obviously Jack the Ripper is usually the first to come to mind, along with latter-day perpetrators, John… Continue reading The Monster Of London
“We never know the worth of water till the well is dry.”-Thomas Fuller (1608-1661)
Turning on the tap and getting fresh water has to be one of the top things we take for granted, possibly up there with breathing. Although this is a relatively new “Given”, with water sources in London still dubious until the mid 20th Century, our London ancestors would have been more concerned with finding a… Continue reading “We never know the worth of water till the well is dry.”-Thomas Fuller (1608-1661)
Searching For Old King Lud
Ok, let us start with the supposition of Geoffrey of Monmouth the 12th century chronicler of the British Isles. King Lud was a pre-Roman King of the Britains. He founded the city of London and when he died he was buried close to the site of where the main western entrance to the city was… Continue reading Searching For Old King Lud
A LONDON MISCELLANY 