By the time it was extinguished, an area about a mile-and-a-half (2.4km) wide along the River Thames was devastated, with 13,200 houses, 87 churches and the old St Paul’s Cathedral destroyed. The huge fire left some 100,000 people homeless but led to widespread changes in the city, many of which still resonate to this very… Continue reading Thomas Dagger – The Man who discovered The Great Fire of London
Category: News
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
How London bus drivers changed the health of the world
It can’t be easy being a bus driver. The incessant traffic, protests, rude and miserable people, the odd terrorist, heatwaves in the summer, freaky rain, wind or snow in the winter. I guess it is much like being a tour guide except we also have to put up with transport strikes! I think the behaviour… Continue reading How London bus drivers changed the health of the world
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!
The newly unearthed Roman Mausoleum in Southwark
Fast on the heals of the remains of some Roman docks being found by Upper Thames Street in London, last weeks another Roman find made the news in the U.K. What the archeologists involved call a “Completely unique” Roman mausoleum. Though the news sites have just mentioned them, it is something that I’ve known about… Continue reading The newly unearthed Roman Mausoleum in Southwark
The curse of Tamurlane (Timur the lame) and the disaster that struck Russia.
I’m sure like many others, I watched the events in Russia over the weekend. I had a 20+ year start on most peoples as I’ve despised Putin since almost the day he came to power due to his brutal obliteration of Chechnya. I remember back then being a bit disappointed not just on that but… Continue reading The curse of Tamurlane (Timur the lame) and the disaster that struck Russia.
A millennia of shocking Coronation moments.
It’s hard to move in London at the moment without walking head first into something or other that is Coronation related. Doing my tours around Westminster I’ve noticed the momentum building for weeks and I’ve happily taken a rare weekend off as I just know what a nightmare the whole place will be for all… Continue reading A millennia of shocking Coronation moments.
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
Runaway babies and attempted murder, another day as a London tour guide
I see a lot of people when I am out and about in London. Famous people, bad people, homeless people, kind people and lots of different and unusual situations which to others are almost once in a lifetime things for good and for bad and yet as anyone on my Facebook pages will know, seem… Continue reading Runaway babies and attempted murder, another day as a London tour guide
Celebrating the end of Boris Johnson – My Part In His Downfall
Well what a day last Thursday was. Bring a tour guide I am used to bumping into the great and the good as well as the odd generally scummy government minister. You never know what quite you have to contend with be it Marathons, protests, riots, strikes, marches, terrorists but for once the unexpected interruption… Continue reading Celebrating the end of Boris Johnson – My Part In His Downfall
Stephen Liddell 