London – Page 41 – A LONDON MISCELLANY

Stop

One Word Sunday “Now I stop my ears with wax, hold fastthe memory of the song you once whispered in my ear.Its echoes tangle like briars in my thick hair.“

It’s a chilly mid morning in November 1883 and you have just sat down at the table to enjoy a morning coffee in your flat at number ten Greek Street, Soho. The table is next to the first floor window and looks out onto the busy street. Engrossed in the periodical you’re reading you are… Continue reading Argyll Robertson Pupils

Cobblers! No it’s a true story

This year saw the 356th anniversary of the Great Fire of London. The whole event is shrouded in misinformation, untruths and supposition. What the fire did is pretty well documented, but how it affected the lives of those that lived through it is more difficult to come by. I recently came across a story of… Continue reading Cobblers! No it’s a true story

Face

One Word Sunday The Seven ages of man monologue in William Shakespeare’s play ‘All the World’s a Stage’ depicts the Seven stages of mankind, and is the inspiration for this 22-foot high cast aluminium Sculpture by Richard Kindersley, located near Blackfriars underground station.The Post office commissioned the sculpture in 1980 for its Baynard House building. The… Continue reading Face

After the Lord Mayor’s show

The saying goes “After the Lord Mayor’s show comes the S**t cart“, in more polite circles this can be changed to “Dust cart or even Donkey cart”. It is used to emphasise something that is disappointing or mundane after a major, exciting or triumphal event. The saying can be traced back to the 16th century,… Continue reading After the Lord Mayor’s show

Taken At The Flood

The Dominion Theatre stands on Tottenham Court Road. Construction of the theatre began in March 1928 with a design by W and TR Milburn with a budget of £460,000. The theatre hosted the premier of Charlie Chaplin’s slapstick comedy “City Lights” in 1931, with the star in attendance. There is a rather sad and macabre… Continue reading Taken At The Flood

Light

One Word Sunday Copy of the Eleanor Cross, Charing Cross Station

The Yorkshire Stingo

At the Lisson Grove end of Marylebone Road you will find Westminster Magistrates Court. What to my mind is a rather drab building has been enlivened by the addition of an art installation by artist and blacksmith Bex Simons. The artwork references Marylebone life and in particular the former building that sat on the site… Continue reading The Yorkshire Stingo

……..AND THE BONUS BALL IS

The National 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

‘ello Darlin’ show us…..

Good manners prohibit me from finishing the title, but what I’m striving for is the full repertoire of inuendo and verbal abuse that some men find acceptable behaviour to openly shout at a passing female, yes you know who you are, scaffolders. Having never had it happen to me (!) I can only imagine that… Continue reading ‘ello Darlin’ show us…..