On 14 October 1969 the new 50-pence coin sparked confusion when it came into circulation replacing the 10/- note. Some complained that it was too easily confused with the 10p coin or half crown. One Londoner told the Evening News he accidentally left a 50p coin in a saucer full of 10ps as a tip for a waiter. “Fortunately the waiter was dead honest and told me. But I suspect there’ll be a lot of cases where that doesn’t happen”.

On 14 October 1644 William Penn, founder of the colony of Pennsylvania, was born in The Liberty of the Tower of London

During the 1860s, London’s most notorious prison, Newgate, became a kind of theatre, visitors could tour the prison being briefly locked in a windowless cell was one of the highlights

On Blackfriars Bridge the side facing out to sea is decorated with marine birds, the inland side is adorned with freshwater birds

On 14 October 1877 Cleopatra’s Needle, en route from Egypt to London, almost sank during a storm in The Bay of Biscay, six died

The City of London has never been under the authority of the monarch. The Queen may only enter the Square Mile of the City if she is given permission by the Lord Mayor

The bronze statue of Peter Pan was erected in Kensington Gardens in 1912. It marks the spot where J M Barrie first met Jack Llewellyn Davies, the boy who was the inspiration for Peter

By 1870 there were 20,000 public houses and beer shops in London, today according to the Campaign for Real Ale at least 10 are closing every week

The Oval held a particular attraction for the United States billionaire philanthropist, J. Paul Getty II, who built a replica of the ground at his estate at Wormsley Park in Buckinghamshire

London Heathrow Airport is the world’s busiest airports by international passenger traffic, and the third for total traffic

Over 800 members of staff are based at Buckingham Palace, some of the more unusual jobs include fendersmith, clockmaker and flagman

South Kensington is still sometimes referred to as ‘Little Paris’ the area is not only known for its Francophile bookshops but also its French doctors and dentists

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.