Westminster is one of London’s two cities, an ancient settlement dating back to Saxon times. At the heart of Westminster is a green space that takes its name from the Houses of Parliament nearby: Parliament Square. It’s an open area of about 0.7 hectares, mostly covered with grass with a line of trees on the […]
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By the start of the 19th Century, the docklands in London had expanded rapidly, necessitating a new crossing of the Thames to connect the southern Rotherhithe docks to the northern Wapping docks. After several failed attempts to tunnel under the river, a remarkable engineer named Marc Isambard Brunel emerged with a groundbreaking invention. Marc Brunel’s
29 May 1854 On 29 May 1854, London Paddington station opened its doors to the public. Designed by the renowned engineer Isambard Kingdom Brunel, the station was a marvel of engineering and design. It was the largest and most advanced railway station in the world at the time, and featured a large train shed with
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Enzo Plazzotta, an Italian-born sculptor, left an indelible mark on the art world with his expressive and dynamic compositions. Plazzotta’s sculptures, which often depicted human and animal figures in motion, showcased his unique ability to capture movement and emotion. A Journey from Italy to London: Born in Mestre, near Venice in Italy, in 1921, Plazzotta’s
Ah, the pineapple – that sweet and spiky fruit that graces everything from our pizzas to our pina coladas. But have you ever wondered how the pineapple came to London? Well, let me take you on a journey through time and space to uncover the fascinating story of this tropical treat. Pineapples are native to
The City Of London Waste Transfer Station Tucked discreetly away on Walbrook Wharf down on the Thames path near Cannon Street railway bridge is the facility that handles all of the City of London’s non-recyclable waste. Since Roman times there have been many wharves along the river handling the import of all types of commodities –
A Royal Institution The Royal Hospital Chelsea is an institution with over 330 years of continuous history and its origins can be traced back to the restoration of the Monarchy in 1660. That period also witnessed the foundation of the first English standing regular army. And the new position of Paymaster-General of His Majesty’s Forces went
Thomas Johnson, First, Went Bananas Thomas Johnson (between 1595 and 1600 – 1644) was an herbalist, botanist and a prominent member of the Apothecaries’ Company in the City of London. Johnson’s life was exceedingly active, combining his practice as an apothecary with further botanical excursions, drawing and describing the specimens collected, editing previously published herbals,
A Historic Event With A Few Twists And Turns With less than three weeks to go before what is often referred to as ‘the spectacle Britain hasn’t seen in 70 years’, we are finally getting the last missing details of the much-anticipated event. Now we know that Prince Harry is coming, but alone, that the
A Relic of a Powerful and Controversial Business: The East India Company The East India Arms, in Fenchurch Street in the City of London, is a lovely local pub that serves workers in the area as well as the occasional tourist. However most of those socialising there will not know that its name is a