Essential History | The people, places and events that have shaped our history and culture
The people, places and events that have shaped our history and culture
Historical locations, people and buildings in London
That’s what Margaret Thatcher called the City of London Guildhall - in comparison to the United Kingdom's national parliament; itself often called the mother of all parliaments. Near Gresham Street in the City of London (the City), the Guildhall has been the centre of municipal government in the City since medieval times. In fact, it [...]
We took a trip on the historic ‘Mail Rail’; London's underground post office railway that runs west to east through the centre of London. The carriages fit two people in each one – bit of a squeeze for my brother and me, but great fun! It’s an immersive experience that takes you back nearly 100 [...]
Stroll around a seventeenth apothecary’s garden, followed by afternoon tea at the café. The Chelsea Physic Garden is a micro climate tucked away in Chelsea. It is the oldest in England (after Oxford) and is open to the public (closed Nov-Jan). If you’re near the King’s Road, take a cab for the 5 minute journey [...]
The European Tour A short walk from Victoria Railway Station is the smart, cosmopolitan Orange Square in Pimlico. This is the former neighbourhood of the eight year old Mozart in London. In the square there is a small statue of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart commemorating this. In 1764, this was an open area with sheep and donkeys [...]
A centrepiece of remembrance The Cenotaph in Whitehall is truly special. It, more than any other monument, has been embraced by the people of the United Kingdom as their monument. This article covers how the Cenotaph in Whitehall came about - and why it is so special. The 11 November 1918 was Armistice Day; when [...]