Wandering around London and indeed many other British coastal cities you might from time to time come across rather strange looking bollards to stop people driving on pavements or generally just closing off areas to make them for pedestrians only. Plenty though by all means not all are actually old Royal Navy cannons with a… Continue reading The London street bollards that are old cannons
Month: November 2022
Wife Swapping and Selling at Smithfield Meat Market
If you’ve ever been to a disco or club with the intent of meeting that special someone you may have heard of it as ‘going to the meat market’. In yesteryear, men were unable to obtain a divorce without invoking a special Act of Parliament, a protracted and expensive business and ladies had even less… Continue reading Wife Swapping and Selling at Smithfield Meat Market
The Henry VIII Gatehouse at St Bartholomew’s Hospital
For such a dominating historical figure, there are pretty few statues of King Henry VIII left with us and indeed there is only one in the whole of London. If you’ve never seen it then you’ve likely never been on one of my tours and you definitely haven’t been to Smithfield. It is thought likely… Continue reading The Henry VIII Gatehouse at St Bartholomew’s Hospital
The Great Hall of St Bartholomew’s Hospital
St Bartholomew’s Hospital has led the provision of healthcare in London for almost 900 years. Founded in 1123 by a man named Rahere to provide care for the poor of the City of London, there is no other hospital in the country which matches its record of continuous service on the same site. We had… Continue reading The Great Hall of St Bartholomew’s Hospital
The wonderful staircase of St Bartholomew’s hospital
A hospital staircase might not be the first place that comes into your head when you think about great works of art, least of all in a National Health Service hospital where famously all money goes into patient care rather than particularly beautified buildings and landscapes. What happens though when the hospital is celebrating its… Continue reading The wonderful staircase of St Bartholomew’s hospital
Saving Simpson’s Tavern -London’s oldest Chophouse fights back against billionaire overseas landlord Rodney Sacks
Hidden away in one of my absolute favourite parts of the City of London is Simpson’s Tavern. it’s the sort of place I love and my tourists do too. I’m never sure why people go on those rather lame open deck bus tours in London. You’d never go round any other 2,000 year old city… Continue reading Saving Simpson’s Tavern -London’s oldest Chophouse fights back against billionaire overseas landlord Rodney Sacks
Football to the beautiful game from the deadly one
Not quite Halloween related, heaven knows I have written enough of them over the last 10 years but something still a little bit gory to get our fangs into. I’m a great one for unfortunate deaths in times gone by, it inspired me to write 101 Most Horrible Tortures In History. For some reason this… Continue reading Football to the beautiful game from the deadly one
The stained glass windows of 2 Temple Place
Hidden away from the main road along the Embankment in London is the beautiful 2 Temple Place. For many years it was known as Astor House as it was built for William Waldorf Astor, who owned the famous hotel in New York. However William feared for the safety of his family in the violence of… Continue reading The stained glass windows of 2 Temple Place
Stephen Liddell 