The Gallery of Practical Science opened in 1832 in London. Its aim was to inspire an enthusiasm for science, with plenty of working models of science and technology in action. Inventor Jacob Perkins was the driving force in forming a “Society for the Illustration and Encouragement of Practical Science” which ran the National Gallery of [more...]
For those who don’t know, a Tom and Jerry is a mixed drink, a variety of eggnog made with rum and a little brandy, usually served warm, popular at Christmas time. So why is it called a Tom and Jerry? It is a long story and has a long history. The drink was invented by [more...]
The terrorist attacks on London’s Underground are thought by many people to be a relatively recent tactic to create maximum casualties and damage while a train is going through a tunnel. However, this is not the case. The first attack on the Underground was in 1883. The campaign of home rule for Ireland resulted in [more...]
The news that Mohammed Al Fayed has sold the world famous department store of Harrods to the Qatari royal family brings an end to another chapter in the story of the store. The store occupies seven floors and has 330 departments which together cover over 90,000 square meters. With its renowned food hall, luxury goods [more...]
When Trafalgar Square was laid out, it was planned to have four major statues at the corners, two equestrian statues and two standing figures. An equestrian statue of George IV was soon installed. He was not particularly respected, but the original idea for the square was his, and as the plan progressed, the square was [more...]
One of the great generals of British history is Arthur Wellesley, the Duke of Wellington (1769–1852). Following military success in India, during the Napoleonic Wars he released Spain from French occupation and fought Napoleon at the Battle of Waterloo in 1815. After the wars, he became less successfully involved in politics as opposition leader, cabinet [more...]
The United Nations came into being on 24 October 1945 when the Charter of the United Nations was ratified by the five country members of the Security Council. It was not until the following year on 10 January 1946 that the General Assembly of the United Nations, representing 51 nations, met for the first time [more...]
The first road traffic signals were in operation in London in December 1868, several decades before the invention of the motor car. Traffic jams were not unusual in London’s bustling city streets with horse-drawn carts and drays, hansom cabs, omnibuses, and pedestrians clogging the city streets. A journey through London was also complicated by the [more...]
Scotland Yard is the name popularly given to the headquarters of the Metropolitan Police, the police force responsible for policing the majority of Greater London with the exception of the City of London, and London’s underground and railways. The force headquarters now occupies a building known as New Scotland Yard, in Broadway, SW1. This building [more...]
In the 1867, the Fenian movement in Ireland were seeking the establishment of an independent Irish Republic. To these ends the Irish Republican Brotherhood carried out a poorly organised rebellion in Ireland, supported by raids from America into Canada, and planned attacks in Britain. One of the Fenian supporters was Ricard O’Sullivan Burke, born in [more...]
As the Great Fire of London consumed the buildings, almshouses, schools and churches of the City of London in 1666, property owners watched their buildings and livelihoods go up in flames, each knowing that they had lost everything because fire insurance did not exist. Immediately after the fire, rebuilding and reconstruction of the City started. [more...]
As tourists clamber over the four lions at the base of Nelson’ Column in Trafalgar Square, London, few know that their creation was beset by delays and prevarication. When planning the design of Nelson’s Column, Nelson’s Testimonial Committee had included four lions at the corners of the plinth. It was intended that the lions were [more...]
Madame Tussaud’s in London, is world famous for its waxworks of politicians, movie stars, musicians, television celebrities, and sports stars. But what would you have seen in their exhibitions in the 19th century? Madame Marie Tussaud came to Britain from France in 1802 and travelled around the country with her exhibition of effigies of royalty [more...]
Execution Dock is in Wapping, London, and it is here that many criminals were executed for piracy and murder. Under the English legal system, the Admiralty Court dealt with all crimes committed on the high seas, and for at least 500 years, Execution Dock was where its capital sentences were carried out. So that it [more...]
In 1867, Regents Park, one of the ‘Lungs of London‘, contained a Zoo, a range of gardens, avenues for riding, and an ornamental lake with an area for boating. In very cold winters when the lake froze over it became a popular venue for skaters. The beginning of January 1867 was intensely cold throughout Britain [more...]
The ‘Lungs of London’ are said to be the many parks and squares in London, and it conveys the idea of their importance to the well-being of its inhabitants. It was first attributed to William Pitt (1708 – 1778) Earl of Chatham, by Lord Windham in a speech in the House of Commons on 30 [more...]
One could, of course, argue about which English novel has the most memorable opening and closing lines, but since the novel has sold more than 200 million copies and is the most printed original English book, it is safe to say that the greatest number of persons have had a chance to remember the lines: [more...]
Many will remember that the hero of Henry Fielding’s novel had a lively career that often ran afoul of the law. When the novel was published in 1749, Fielding was a magistrate in the Bow Street magistrates’ office in London, also the site of the Bow Street Court. At the time, pursuit of criminals was [more...]
In the Victorian period, competing railway companies built a number of railway stations in the City of London and in London. Since then all the stations have undergone substantial redevelopment, but many still remain their original architectural features including impressive roof spans. London Bridge – Opened in 1836, London Bridge was first station to be [more...]
The River Thames flows through London and there are two tunnels which you can walk through between the south and north banks. First, a little about the history of foot tunnels under the Thames. The first foot tunnel constructed under the Thames was the Thames Tunnel opened in 1843. Construction had started in 1825, but [more...]