DAVID BOWIE – A LONDON DAY – At the Fitrzrovia Chapel

I read about this exhibition a few months ago, primarily as I was trying to find any excuse to visit the Fitzrovia Chapel. Having previously tried to visit earlier in the week, I managed to find time on Sunday after multiple drenchings on a walking tour and various other ordeals that one only seems to… Continue reading DAVID BOWIE – A LONDON DAY – At the Fitrzrovia Chapel

Where Little Dorrit slept – A secret spot of Dickensian London

Most peoples experiences of London are packed tube trains, busy shops, bright lights and crowds of people. Mine always seem to be very different and I often feel like I am living in a Charles Dickens story. Walking around quiet lanes or alleys, church bells ringing as random people shout out greetings as I run various errands.… Continue reading Where Little Dorrit slept – A secret spot of Dickensian London

Standing under the shoulders of giants

A few days ago I was fortunate to be invited on a private behind the scenes tour of the Guildhall in the City of London. Imagine that, me on a tour! It’s one of a handful of buildings I’ve always wanted to look around that I’ve never properly been in. I did once get a… Continue reading Standing under the shoulders of giants

RIP Yours Sincerely

About 8 years ago I wrote a blog post entitled https://stephenliddell.co.uk/2015/06/13/yours-sincerely-the-story-of-valedictions/ Even though it was partly hinted at all those years ago, a new study into workplace emails suggests that starting with ‘Dear’ will also soon become thing of the past. Phrases such as ‘Yours sincerely’ will die out in the next ten years as… Continue reading RIP Yours Sincerely

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

The Holy Thorn Reliquary

If you go in the big long gallery on the right of the ground floor of the British Museum, most people will flock to the legendary Rosetta Stone which these days rather politically correctly is a duplicate of the original. I was there recently and it is a marvellous object though the crowd of Spanish… Continue reading The Holy Thorn Reliquary

St Mary le Strand – The finest 18th century church in London

St Mary le Strand is a justly celebrated architectural gem and a widely recognised landmark building. It has a grand and dignified worship space which makes it a sanctuary and place of peace in the heart of the district.  After the Great Fire and the subsequent rebuilding of St Paul’s Cathedral, the City Commissioners proposed a… Continue reading St Mary le Strand – The finest 18th century church in London

Standing by Ziggy Stardust and the Spidermen from Mars

Well that’s weird isn’t it? I got for years and years without doing a music related post and here are two in successive posts. It wasn’t at all planned this way but on Sunday morning I was out early in London and was happening by a very famous music related location. It was the very… Continue reading Standing by Ziggy Stardust and the Spidermen from Mars

Babylon Film Review

I’d been waiting to see Babylon for several months. Not that I knew that much about it but the advertising I had seen onscreen made me think this could be for me. Additionally, Burlington Arcade in London where I visit several times a week with my tours has been decorated in a Babylon theme for… Continue reading Babylon Film Review

Having a drink with Wham!

Anyone who remembers the mid 1980’s will know of the bang Wham! I have a not particularly but still rather unique memory of this as the duo lived locally to myself and in fact the mother of one was a teacher at my Primary School so to the excitement of many we were often treated… Continue reading Having a drink with Wham!