The new US Embassy building in London opened in January 2018. But why was a new building necessary - and was it really a bad deal for the US tax payer? Public access to the surrounding grounds has been possible since early summer 2018. We went for a first visit. The former US Embassy in [...]
Continuing the naval theme of the previous post on the Mary Rose, here is something far more recent! A time capsule from World War II and a reminder of the debt we owe to servicemen - as well as a great adventure for kids. Being in central London and with elevated views over the City [...]
King Henry VIII’s warship, the Mary Rose, sank in the Solent on the south coast of England during an engagement with the French Fleet in July 1545. The disaster was witnessed by many, including the King. It was 450 years before she was seen again - after the world’s largest underwater archaeological excavation brought her [...]
Discover the site of London's Roman Forum - and the secrets of the Victorian Leadenhall Market today! Designed and created by Sir Horace Jones in 1881, Leadenhall Market is one of the three markets he built for the City of London. It was built on the site of the Roman Basilica and Forum (some ruins [...]
In Covent Garden, is the world's best museum of public transportation. This is the London Transport Museum. We can be sure of this, because London holds a series of world firsts; the first underwater tunnel for mass-transit purposes in 1840, the earliest underground railway in 1863, the earliest electrified underground line in 1890 and the [...]
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 [...]
The Old Operating Theatre Say what? - this is it is the oldest surviving surgical theatre in Europe! We took a visit this weekend...still feeling grateful to live in the 21st century! The Old Operating Theatre was active between 1820 and 1862 - predating anaesthetics and antiseptics. This is pioneer land in surgical terms. The place [...]
It may not look much on the outside, but this is authentic, world first London! The building in the photograph houses the entrance to the first tunnel known to have been constructed successfully underneath a navigable river. It connects Rotherhithe with Wapping in London, is still in use and you can visit it. Descend the Victorian [...]
Back from a fascinating (and technically mind boggling!) visit to Bletchley Park near Milton Keynes. It's about an hour from London. Featured in the film 'The Imitation Game', this was where the enemy codes and ciphers (Enigma and then Lorenz) were broken during World War Two. See the early computing machines that did [...]
Don't miss seeing the Lord Mayor of the City of London fire up the Christmas lights for 2018 on Friday 16th November at 6 pm. This year, Christmas at Leadenhall market is done to live choral music. There will be plenty of music and entertainment from 5pm to 9pm. Leadenhall Market is a restored [...]
