On 28 March 1979 as Leader of the Opposition, Margaret Thatcher brought a vote of no confidence in James Callaghan and his Labour government. It proved to be an important step towards her becoming Britain’s first female Prime Minister. The Labour Government lost by one vote (311 votes to 310), which was announced at 10:19 pm. The result forced a general election which was won by the Conservatives.

On 28 March 1858 the original Chelsea toll and suspension bridge designed by Thomas Page was opened

Don’t walk down a London street carrying a plank of wood or even cross the pavement to a waiting car its an offence carrying a £500 fine

The Savoy Hotel has a remnant of Victoriana. A gaslight designed to burn off methane from the sewage system, provide light and remove smells

The statue of William Huskisson in Pimlico Gardens depicts the first person ever to be killed by a train he stands rather informally on his plinth, one sandalled foot over the edge

In 1796 a Commons Committee spent days debating a plan to dig a channel across the Isle of Dogs to save sailing time around the peninsular

The South Bank Lion on Westminster Bridge is made of Coade Stone which resists weather erosion, the formula was lost with its inventor’s death

Londoners are known for their reluctance to talk to strangers but love social networking and send more Tweets than any other world city

On 28 March 1925, the Oxford boat sank during the University Boat Race, it would be repeated again in 1956

The custom on escalators of standing on the right started with a diagonal end to early ones and a sign saying ‘Step off: right foot first’

The pillars in the basement of St. Pancras Station are spaced exactly 3 beer barrels apart designed as Bass beer arrives from Midlands

Queen Victoria’s Memorial outside Buckingham Palace is called The Wedding Cake by cabbies as it still retains its whiteness after 100 years

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.