History
Southwark Stories: Forgotten Prostitutes & Outcast Dead
Strapped by its horn to a cast iron gate on Redcross Way, a pink ‘My Little Pony’ peeks out sheepishly from behind a sea of ribbons. Just a couple of metres to the right, hangi
AVENUES & ALLEYWAYS: Me old china
London has racked up quite a number of ‘firsts’ over the years – ice rinks, machine guns, television, to name just three – so few will be shocked to learn that the city lay
The Truth About Keats… Romantic or Cockney?
Were you to stumble across a portrait of John Keats you’d encounter the face of a vibrant, classical 19th Century English gentleman. Further investigation would reveal him as a y
Judy Garland: From London to Stonewall, and Back Again
Despite all her hopes, London wasn’t able to save her. But little spectres of those hopes, as well as her glittering triumphs, still linger over the locations which bore witness
The Life and Times of George Formby, Britain’s First Pop Star
The current popularity of the ukulele with everyone from retired Home Counties housewives to uber-cool East London hipsters makes it surprising that the name George Formby remains
Chocolate: A Story Both Bitter & Sweet
The sacrifice would be rejuvenated and joyful after drinking this mixture of blood and chocolate, and dance to his death...
United Coffeedom: The History of London’s Coffee Houses
These early cafes were breeding grounds for gossip, education and argument, where men would misuse laws and, in some instances, practice a curiously cavalier form of medicine...
Uncover London: How Very A-Mewsing
Once upon a time, back in Georgian and Victorian days, the London mews behind fancy houses in grand neighbourhoods provided stalls for horses, servants quarters, and storage for ca
Magic, Might, and Mockery: A Brief History of Conical Hats
Tall conical hats have been fashionably worn as symbols of power and magic. Elsewhere and at a different time, these hats have been used as a method of humiliation for disgraced cr
