Ever wondered why Central London is one of those cities that doesn’t have a tram service? Well, it used to. The first generation of horse drawn trams started in March 1861 between Marble Arch and Notting Hill Gate, and was soon followed by a route along Victoria...

I like a building with character and a story to tell. Conway Hall at the end of Red Lion Square near Holborn is a great example of both. First, it’s rather interesting history. It was built to be the home of an ethical society (renamed the Conway Hall Ethical Society...

I love old Victorian London shops. They conjure up a timeless past, where Ladies were still treated with respect and being a Gentleman was still something to aspire to. And none reflects that age and is more quintessentially English, than James Smith & Son...

A lovely reminder of how we Londoner’s used to drink our water before the modern day practice of simply turning on the tap and water miraculously coming out! Built in 1826, this beautifully preserved water pump featuring a handle and not one but two water spouts, can...

This rather striking silhouette with St Pauls’ Cathedral in the background, is the National Firefighters Memorial. Located just north of the Millenium Bridge it was originally intended for those brave men and women who turned out night after night during the blitz of...

I think its safe to say that Red Lion Square Gardens doesn’t figure on the list of most visited squares in London. That honour normally goes to the more glamorous squares around Mayfair and Westminster. Which is a shame really, as this square just off Holborn, is a...

You’ll find that every area in London has its favourite boozer. It comes from the days when London was a series of villages so that ‘the local’ was an important meeting place. Here in Islington, probably the coolest borough in the capital, The Old Red Lion was a firm...

Courtesy of Wikipedia. The site of the Scaffold on Tower Hill London where many notables were executed. Author Bryan MacKinnonEveryone knows the cry ‘off with his head’ but how many people visiting the Tower of London fail to spot the Tower’s most notorious execution...

Next time you pour yourself a glass of water from the kitchen tap, spare a thought for London’s early pioneers who grappled with the difficult question of how to supply clean water to a growing city. Meet Sir Hugh Myddelton, honoured here by this statue in the cool...