On 11 June 1763 the world’s most famous lover arrived in London. Thirty-eight year-old Giacomo Girolamo Casanova from Venice came to rekindle his friendship with Mrs. Cornelys. Unfortunately an assignation with a Livonian Baron’s mistress 9 months later caused him to leave abruptly on 11 March 1764. His subsequent autobiography Story of My Life is regarded as one of the most authentic sources of the customs and norms of European social life during the 18th century.
On 11 June 1819 a Mr. Mortimer sent a girl to collect two of his other children from school popping into a grocer’s in Rathbone Place she returned to find this children gone along with the woman caring for them
Marc Isambard Brunel came up with his idea on how to dig the Thames Tunnel whilst in debtors’ prison watching a shipworm bore through wood
18th century writer Samuel Johnson’s cat Hodge has a statue in Gough Square. Next to Hodge are oysters, his favourite food
Nell Gywnn, orange seller and mistress to Charles II was born in the Coal Yard, now Stukeley Street off Drury Lane in 1650
In June 1815 Major Henry Percy interrupted a ball at 16 St James Sq. to announce that 3 days earlier we had defeated the French at Waterloo
Starring Hugh Jackman, Ian McShane and Scarlett Johansson Woody Allen’s romantic comedy Scoop wasn’t given a London cinema release
In Regency times Bond Street was more popular with male shoppers such as royal fashion adviser Beau Brummell
The colour scheme at Boston Manor Tube station was inspired by local team Brentford FC’s nickname – ‘The Bees’
The longest journey without change is on the Central line from West Ruislip to Epping, and is a total of 34.1 miles
Hoare’s Bank, Fleet Street first operated from the Golden Bottle in Cheapside in 1672. Customers have included Samuel Pepys and John Dryden
Byward Street near the Tower of London takes its name from the word ‘byword’, meaning password, which was used at the Tower each evening
Trivial Matter: London in 140 characters is taken from the daily Twitter feed @cabbieblog.
A guide to the symbols used here and source material can be found on the Trivial Matter page.
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