The people, places and events that have shaped our history and culture
This year, Britain’s Remembrance Sunday coincides with the Centenary of the Armistice, marking the end of World War I. Events will take place throughout the country on Sunday 11th November. In London, commemorations will concentrate on Whitehall and at the Cenotaph monument. As is traditional we will remember the fallen in all conflicts. [...]
If you’re in London during December you might want to participate in one of the Christmas services taking place in Westminster Abbey. Dates have recently been announced. Services, which are free and require no booking, commence on 2nd December, then the 16th and throughout the Christmas period. This is a unique experience [...]
The district of Chelsea in the south west of London is part of the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea (royal owing to Kensington Palace). One particular street in Chelsea was almost an American enclave for artists and writers in the late Victorian period . These included John Singer Sargent (between 1885 and 1925), James [...]
Number 44 Berkeley Square is what Nikolaus Pevsner, the architectural critic, described as London’s finest terraced house. Since then, the building has housed a famous casino and nightclub. The house was the original location of John Aspinall’s ‘Clermont Club’ (est. 1962) and (at the same time) Mark Birley's ‘Annabels’ - the famous basement nightclub named [...]
In the north east corner of Grosvenor Square is a little-known and unique piece of American history. Here is the home of the 1st American Minister to Great Britain! You may not immediately know who that was? He was later to become the 2nd President of the United States. It is John Adams. He fulfilled [...]