Category: Life

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

The Devils Bridge in Spooky Lane, Hertfordshire

Not far from me out in the Hertfordshire countryside is a sunken Roman road, now sided by old trees with tentacle-like roots that top the high brick and flint walls as if they are climbing out of the road. Along the old holloway is a hidden bridge known by locals as the “Devil’s Bridge on… Continue reading The Devils Bridge in Spooky Lane, Hertfordshire

Melton Mowbray Pork Pies

A few weeks ago I had the opportunity to visit a quaint little market town in the East-Midlands known as Melton Mowbray. Nestling in rural Leicestership, Melton Mowbray is known as a ‘Rural Capital of Food’ and boasts a culinary heritage that few can match. As well as other produce, visitors can sample Melton Mowbray… Continue reading Melton Mowbray Pork Pies

Paying respects at the grave of Jane Austen

It’s impossible to be a fan of English literature without at least having read the odd work of Jane Austen if only to decide whether you prefer her stories to those of the Bronte sisters. I must admit that until I planned by trip to Winchester, I had pretty much forgotten that this wonderful author… Continue reading Paying respects at the grave of Jane Austen

Jeffery Hudson – Lord Minimus – The shortest man in England

Last week I went to visit a dear friend in the lovely market town of Oakham and had the opportunity to visit the outside of a house that once belonged to another very special person. The smallest man in the smallest county in England, Jeffery Hudson. However though he was physically tiny, he lived a… Continue reading Jeffery Hudson – Lord Minimus – The shortest man in England

Exploring the ruins of Old Wolvesey Castle (Old Bishops Palace)

It says a lot about Winchester that even after visiting so many places, we still have so much more to see. In fact we didn’t see everything worthwhile in Winchester so knowing time was against us, we decided to see something all together different. An old castle which was indeed at one time a palace.… Continue reading Exploring the ruins of Old Wolvesey Castle (Old Bishops Palace)

King Alfred The Great Statue in Winchester

You can’t come to Winchester and not think of Alfred The Great. Perhaps our greatest monarch in history and certainly the only one with the epithet ‘Great’. In so many ways he was ahead of his times and not only freed the lands from the Vikings but set England in particular on course to be… Continue reading King Alfred The Great Statue in Winchester