On 18 August 1668 Samuel Pepys wrote: “ . . . turned into St. Dunstan’s Church . . . stood by a pretty, modest maid, whom I did labour to take by the hand and the body; but she would not, but got further and further from me; and, at last, I could perceive her to take pins out of her pocket to prick me if I should touch her again – which seeing I did forbear, and was glad I did spy her design. And then I fell to gaze upon another pretty maid . . .

On 18 August 1274 arriving in London, a full two years since his accession, King Edward I received an enthusiastic welcome

On formal occasions judges attending at the Old Bailey carry nosegays of aromatic herbs their scent were once thought to ward off typhus

Under Clapham Common are three wartime shelters which were a temporary home for Jamaicans arriving via the Windrush in 1948

Queen Elizabeth I and Mary Queen of Scots never met but are entombed within yards of each other (one without her head on her shoulders)

In 1940 from Room 36 at Brown’s Hotel the Dutch government in exile declared war on Japan as it wasn’t broadcast Japan was hardly terrified

Bob Dylan’s cue card video for Sub.Home.Blues – you’d think it was New York City, right? But actually shot at the back of the Savoy in London

The American Bar at the Savoy – where the barman used to be called Joe – hence “set ’em up Joe” in Sinatra’s One For My Baby

The German Gymnasium by St. Pancras station was built in 1864 by the German Gymnasium Society for use of visiting German businessmen

The woman recording the Tube announcements was asked for different pronunciations of Marylebone – including (no word of a lie) “Mary-Lob-On”

18th-century artist Hogarth was an Inspector of Wet Nurses in Chiswick near his home which is open to the public

The only Celtic name in London not a river is Penge from penn ced ‘the woods end’, originally a woodland swine pasture by Battersea manor

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.