Tag Archives: London

When the Plague came to London

Posted on December 10, 2018 by Stephen Liddell

This time of year in Britain at least is known as the Flu season. Our highly changeably though at this time of year predominantly chilly and wet weather combined with some particularly overcrowded cities means that we are perhaps uniquely … Continue reading →

Posted in history, London, Ye Olde England Tours | Tagged Bad Cold, Diary, Flu, Life, London, Pepys, Samuel Pepys, The Black Death, The Plague | 5 Comments

Introducing The Tulip – Londons slightly erotic looking skyscraper

Posted on November 26, 2018 by Stephen Liddell

It says something about how much development is occurring in London and also for the longevity of my blog that my 2014 post entitled Looking Up At London is now thoroughly out of date. I’ve written other blogs about the … Continue reading →

Posted in Architecture, Cool Britannia, Life, London, News | Tagged Architecture, Construction, London, Skyscapers, The Scalpel, The Tulip, Towers | Leave a comment

The famous farting lamp of London

Posted on November 19, 2018 by Stephen Liddell

Last week I wrote on The Great Stink of 1868. By chance todays post is on a related subject. Many people will be aware that in the Victorian age, much of London was lit with gas lamps and in deed … Continue reading →

Posted in history, Life, London, Science and Engineering | Tagged Carting Lane, Joseph Webb, London, Sewage lamp, Sewers, The Savoy, Webb Patent Sewer Gas Lamp | 10 Comments

The Great Stink of 1858

Posted on November 12, 2018 by Stephen Liddell

If like me, you suffered through the blazing London summer of 2018 with seemingly wall to wall sunshine heat and humidity from Easter to the end of September, squashed on your commute in airless tube trains and wondering how you’d … Continue reading →

Posted in history, Life, London | Tagged 1858, Greenwich, London, River Thames, Sewers, Sir Joseph Bazalgette, The Great Stink | 3 Comments

The Ratcliffe Highway Murders

Posted on October 29, 2018 by Stephen Liddell

It’s Halloween and I’ve done a number of related posts on the origins of Halloween, hauntings, the modern day Enfield Poltergeist and of course the infamous Jack The Ripper. Real life figures such as the Victorian poisoner Mary Cotton and figures … Continue reading →

Posted in history, Life, London, Popular Culture | Tagged halloween, Limehouse, London, Murder, Police, Ratcliffe Highway Murders, Shadwell, St George In The East Church, Wapping | 12 Comments

The ticking timebomb shipwreck that could damage half of London

Posted on October 15, 2018 by Stephen Liddell

Every now and then a newly made discovery of a long-lost shipwreck makes the news with everything from RMS Titanic to the lost ship of Captain Cook and everything in between. There are a few shipwrecks however that are well … Continue reading →

Posted in history, Life, London, WW2 | Tagged Bombs, Life, London, River Thames, S.S. Richard Montgomery, Shipwreck, war | 5 Comments

Ratcliffe Cross Stairs – Where fires raged, explorers set sail and pirates hung

Posted on October 10, 2018 by Stephen Liddell

Last week whilst scouting out a new walking tour of just a small part of East London, one of the places I most wanted to visit is the slipway which was once known as Ratcliffe Cross Stairs. The village of … Continue reading →