Category Archives: Cool Britannia

Posts predominantly related to the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland

The Leake Street Graffiti tunnel

Posted on April 12, 2021 by Stephen Liddell

One of the great things about London is that it has so many facets. History, big-business, entrepreneurs, literature and theatre, shopping and so much much more including modern culture and that includes street art. A few years ago I … Continue reading →

Posted in Cool Britannia, Life, London, Photography, Travel, Ye Olde England Tours | Tagged Art, Graffiti, Leake Street Tunnel, Street Art, Tunnels, walking tours | Leave a comment

The monument to Admiral Collingwood

Posted on February 24, 2021 by Stephen Liddell

Everyone knows of the famous Battle of Trafalgar and the great old HMS Victory which you can visit with Ye Olde England Tours when life gets back to normal. I think it is perhaps the best day out! Trafalgar Square is … Continue reading →

Posted in history, Northumberland and Durham | Tagged Admiral Collingwood, Battle of Trafalgar, Memorials, Nelson, Newcastle, River Tyne, Royal Navy, Tynemouth | Leave a comment

Colonel Blood – The man who stole the Crown Jewels and lived to tell the tale!

Posted on February 22, 2021 by Stephen Liddell

The Crown Jewels have long been in one of the most secure locations in the world. Without giving too much away they are stored being bomb proof glass in rooms with over 100 hidden cameras and hi-tech security measures and … Continue reading →

Posted in history, London | Tagged Colonel Blood, Crown Jewels, King Charles II, Thomas Blood, Tower of London | 1 Comment

The Legend of Mary Overie

Posted on February 15, 2021 by Stephen Liddell

Everyone knows of that famous old miser Ebenezer Scrooge in the the literature of Charles Dickens but right in the heart of one the most Dickensian feeling part of Central London there is a story that predates Ebenezer by 1,000 … Continue reading →

Posted in history, London, Travel, Ye Olde England Tours | Tagged Legends, London, Southwark, The Legend of Mary Overie | 6 Comments

Walking in a winter wonderland!

Posted on February 8, 2021 by Stephen Liddell

I don’t know about you but I love snow, especially when I don’t have to drive in it. The sad thing is that London doesn’t get a great deal of snow any more. It used to even in the 1980’s … Continue reading →

Posted in Life, London, Photography | Tagged Bushey Heath, Grims Dyke, Snow, Stanmore, The Rutts, walks, Weather | 4 Comments

Meeting James Bond in his London apartment!

Posted on January 13, 2021 by Stephen Liddell

On Thursday and Friday last week I did interviews for the Metro and Daily Telegraphs newspapers and so I had to spend a little time going through 2019 photos as the newspaper wants me to send some so as well as … Continue reading →

Posted in Life, London, Movies and Films, Ye Olde England Tours | Tagged 007, James Bond, James Bond Walking Tour of London, Ye Olde England Tours | 1 Comment

Remembering the Siege of Sidney Street 110 years today

Posted on January 4, 2021 by Stephen Liddell

Even if many don’t know the precise events, the Siege of Sidney Street is something that most Londoners have heard of due to its tragic events and dramatic ending, On the 3rd January 1911 two Latvian anarchists held out in … Continue reading →

Posted in history, London | Tagged Battle of Bethnal Green, East End, Police, Siege of Sidney Street, Winston Churchill | 3 Comments

My offering of Christmas goodies! Books and Video Tours

Posted on December 9, 2020 by Stephen Liddell

I must be the most useless blogger the world has ever seen at least when it comes to self-publicity. Here I am with a new book that came out at the end of August and I’ve never even mentioned it … Continue reading →

Posted in history, Life, London, Travel, writing, WW1, Ye Olde England Tours | Tagged 101 Most Horrible Tortures In History, Christmas, Lest We Forget, Secret Gardens of the City of London, Straight from the Horse's Mouth, Virtual Video Tour | Leave a comment

Getting up to mischief in some old woods

Posted on December 7, 2020 by Stephen Liddell

Some of you might remember back towards the beginning of the pandemic I wrote a lengthy series of posts on my new neighbour having gone exploring when everyone else was confined indoors. One of my posts was on Grim’s Dyke, … Continue reading →

Posted in history, Life, London, Travel | Tagged Gilbert and Sullivan, Grims Ditch, Grims Dyke, Grims Dyke Hotel, Harrow, Stanmore, W S Gilbert, walks, Woods | 1 Comment

The life and death of Doorkins Magnificat who put the Cat into Southwark Cathedral

Posted on November 25, 2020 by Stephen Liddell

The week between Christmas and New years is a strange one in the U.K. so many American and other tourists arrive and forget that they are in a foreign country and that having no national holidays since the summer, we … Continue reading →