Last week in a rather cool and stormy London, I arrived early for an appointment as I often do. This time I was attending a function at Mansion House so I decided to visit the neighbouring old Church, St Stephen Walbrook. I’m sure you’ll agree St Stephen is a fine name for a church, particularly… Continue reading St Stephen Walbrook Church – Prototype for that famous dome
Tag: The Blitz
A London street transformed to look like WW2 in The Blitz
A few weeks ago I was giving a Churchill Walking Tour to a family of 8 in London. It was a cold wintery Sunday morning and the streets were largely quiet until towards the end of the tour we came across a filming unit down a side-street near Parliament. There were a few doorways surrounded… Continue reading A London street transformed to look like WW2 in The Blitz
150 years of disasters at Liverpool Street Station
It is nearly 150 years old and the third busiest railway station in the U.K. and only behind London Waterloo and London Victoria Station with around 64 million passengers every year acting as a London gateway and exit to travellers from Cambridgeshire, Essex, Greater London, Hertfordshire, Norfolk and Suffolk. But over the last century it’s… Continue reading 150 years of disasters at Liverpool Street Station
Micky Davies – the little man with the heart of a giant
Michael (Mickey) Victor Davies (sometimes mentioned as Davis) was born in Stepney in East London on the 22nd April, 1910. Sadly as a result of some sort of spinal defect, he only grew to the height of 4 feet 6 inches tall and became affectionately known as “Mickey the Midget”. Despite his small statue Mickey became an… Continue reading Micky Davies – the little man with the heart of a giant
VE Day Remembered in Photos – This Is Your Victory!
The 8th May 1945 was V.E. Day or Victory in Europe Day over the Axis Powers of Germany and Italy and for much of the world, an end to WW2. Many Western European nations have an annual WW2 national holiday based on Victory or Liberation Day. The U.K. never has as ironically Churchill did not… Continue reading VE Day Remembered in Photos – This Is Your Victory!
War-Time Panic And The British Pet Massacre Of 1939.
There are many things that Britons have been labelled. Napoleon said we were a nation of shopkeepers, he likely meant it as an insult. We’re also famously a nation of gardeners and compared to most others, animal lovers. Perhaps it is that other trait of supporting the underdog as there aren’t many things that are… Continue reading War-Time Panic And The British Pet Massacre Of 1939.
Remembering a local disaster – The 75th anniversary of the Sandringham Road V1 attack, Watford.
To commemorate the 75th year anniversary of the 37 people killed in Sandringham Road by a German bomb during World War Two, Watford Borough Council is hosting a service of remembrance at North Watford Cemetery for those who died in worst loss of life in Watford during the Blitz. On Sunday 30 July 1944, a… Continue reading Remembering a local disaster – The 75th anniversary of the Sandringham Road V1 attack, Watford.
The London fences made from stretchers
Famously many of the iron and steel railings in the U.K. were removed and melted down to help the war effort in WW2. Whether a large city park or a private residence, chances are if there was a traditional style railing or gate then it would have been melted down and recycled into things like… Continue reading The London fences made from stretchers
ORP Blyskawica, Cowes and an unexpected surprise for the Luftwaffe
I’ve had the good fortune to be in Portsmouth twice in the last 3 days. It’s one of my favourite UK cities and I’m always very happy when I get to give a tour here. There is more than can be seen here in a week, let alone a day but there is something about… Continue reading ORP Blyskawica, Cowes and an unexpected surprise for the Luftwaffe
Great Fires Of London & those who fought them
I’ve been crisscrossing the country so far this week so have got a little behind on my blog posts so please consider this an emergency posting! I mentioned a few weeks ago that I was going to create a few Youtube videos on two channels broadly related to my blogs and tours and writing and… Continue reading Great Fires Of London & those who fought them
Stephen Liddell 