Come share in London’s history…
London Bridge bridge may be falling down – but not this one
Image courtesy of WikipediaI can’t tell you how many times as a taxi tour guide, I've been asked by visitors to take them to see the famous London Bridge. Everyone knows the nursery rhyme about London Bridge falling down! Needless to say, they are very disappointed...
St Dunstan-in-the-East – a moment caught in time
By Elisa.rolle - Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=57562559There’s something about this bombed-out church that confounds the senses. Sitting at one of the benches in its preserved garden in the heart of the city, you get a...
Guildhall Art Gallery – where gladiators fought to the death
Artist impression. Guidhall Art GalleyWe all know about Roman gladiators, probably watched the movie Gladiator and can picture the great Colosseum in Rome where bloody gladiatorial duels were fought and wild animals slaughtered. But did you know that this...
London’s first coffee shop – and it ain’t Starbucks!
Fancy a stop for a coffee? Maybe a croissant? These days we’re almost spoilt for choice as it seems every other premises is a coffee shop. Some might bemoan this change in taste from traditional English tea to coffee. But just off Cornhill, down a narrow alley called...
The Bank of England – giving it away!
Do you like money? No, I mean really like money? Because if you are fascinated by the history of finance then this hidden away museum, tucked down a side street alongside the Bank of England, could be just for you. The Bank of England was founded in the late 17th...
The Cornhill Devils
There’s nothing like a good old-fashioned spat between neighbours to bring out the worst in people. Stand on Cornhill facing number 54-55, look up, and you’ll spot the extreme measures taken by the architect of this building against the church next door. They are...
The Lloyds Building – so where’s the secret?
The futuristic Lloyds of London Insurance building a secret? Clearly not. Although not exactly small – 14 floors, 76 meters high and occupying 40,000 square meters - unless you’re a London cabbie or happen to work there, you’ll be hard pushed to find it. That’s...
Mitre Square – the grisliest secret of all?
Image courtesy of WikipediaStop at Mitre Square and sit down on one of the benches set amongst a small sculptured garden. Take a moment to take in your surroundings. On three sides, sleek modern office blocks rise confidently into the sky while on Mitre Street, sits a...
Aldgate Pump – the pump of death
Amongst the explosion of new modern buildings surging skywards in the City you can still find relics from the past dotted around that remind us of the city’s extraordinary and sometimes tragic history. One example is the ‘Aldgate pump’ found on the pavement at the...