As churches across the U.K. prepare to celebrate Harvest Festival, something I’m sure many cultures do in their own way across the world. London, the real London, not the one tourists visit in the West End, will be celebrating in their own unique way with the Pearly Kings and Queens that will attract crowds of… Continue reading Henry Croft – The original London Pearly King and the 2023 Pearly King and Queen Harvest Festival
Month: August 2023
Nosing around the Ukranian Cathedral in London
There is a lady on the tube seat opposite me who has a laugh that sounds like a heavy wooden chair being scraped on a wooden floor. Every time a new person gets on the train they are alarmed by her laugh! She’s busy chatting away to her boyfriend who is very somber and serious.… Continue reading Nosing around the Ukranian Cathedral in London
A map of the tribes of the Iron Age British Isles
A few days ago I came across this great map of the Iron Age British Isles (well most of them) at the time of Julius Caesar. You can see the Orcades in the top right and the Cantiaci in the bottom right both still give their names to the Orkneys and the county of Kent…… Continue reading A map of the tribes of the Iron Age British Isles
The Executioners Axe at the Tower of London
Despite being a guide of 10 years standing, I never used to go in the Tower of London very much. I don’t like crowds and I always felt having guide in an attraction was a bit surplus to requirements or something ‘anyone’ by that I suppose any guide could do. Thus spring and summer however… Continue reading The Executioners Axe at the Tower of London
The return of the Bartholomew Fair
West Smithfield is one of my very favourite parts of London and I’ve written about it countless times despite it being an area little larger than a football field. As the western worlds oldest hospital, St Bartholomew’s and its neighbouring and magnificent neighbour St Bartholomew The Great Church both prepare for their 900th birthday party… Continue reading The return of the Bartholomew Fair
Re-creating a David Bowie photo from a vague memory.
Back in August 1965 and a chap called Davy Jones hadn’t yet quite made the big time. You might know who Davy Jones was but you’ve likely heard of who he became, David Bowie. The photo below was a promotional show that was taken for his then record label which was a subsidiary of the… Continue reading Re-creating a David Bowie photo from a vague memory.
Postcards from Edwardian London
When was the last time you received a Postcard? When did you last write one, perhaps some younger readers never had. In the 1980’s when I was growing up, Postcards were all the rage. It didn’t matter even if the traveller was only away for a week and even if they had just gone 100… Continue reading Postcards from Edwardian London
It’s getting hot in London, so let’s plant lots of trees!
Spending all day in London, it’s always been clear to me that it doesn’t just have its own heat-island climate (https://stephenliddell.co.uk/2018/01/27/busting-the-myth-of-london-being-a-rainy-city/) In fact London has multiple different microclimates and I encounter several every day. Some places it is always much warmer than others. Some places seem perpetually cooler and windier and it rains more at… Continue reading It’s getting hot in London, so let’s plant lots of trees!
Visiting the spot where Oliver Twist asks for more
Having gone through something of the history of the Southwark Mint and its somewhat trepidatious old workhouse, I wondered if I might find anything of the spot today. There are still several old workhouse buildings around but I knew that this one had long since vanished. What started off this whole escapade was this old… Continue reading Visiting the spot where Oliver Twist asks for more
St. Saviour’s Union Workhouse at Mint Street
Following on from the previous post on the dismal history of the Mint Street area in Southwark, I thought I’d investigate more to see how just this one example was the inspiration for a very famous Charles Dickens moment. Maybe even find a way to jazz up my original Ye Olde England Tours Charles Dickens… Continue reading St. Saviour’s Union Workhouse at Mint Street
Stephen Liddell 