On 23 May 1969, the BBC commissioned an initial series of 6 episodes of Monty Python’s Flying Circus. Its members unusually had complete creative control, allowing them to experiment wildly, disregarding the conventional rules of television comedy. Two of its trademark images are a large foot taken from a 16th-century Italian painting squashing the title and everything around it, and a naked man playing the piano.
On 23 May 1701 the Scottish pirate Captain Kidd was executed at Wapping despite having been promised a Royal Pardon if he gave himself up
In 1415 following the Battle of Agincourt the Duke of Orleans, prisoner in the Tower of London, sent his wife the first ever valentine card
Baker Street is named after Sir Edward Baker of Dorset who was responsible for building a number of streets and squares in 18th century London
Approximately 50 passengers a year kill themselves on the Underground, the worst-affected station is King’s Cross St. Pancras
St. Stephen’s Chapel in the old Palace of Westminster was the chamber of the House of Commons from late 18th century to 1834
At 58,000 sq ft Bermondsey Street’s White Cube Gallery is Europe’s largest commercial art space displaying Damien Hirst, Antony Gormley etc
The Apple Store on Regent Street near Oxford Circus, makes more profit per square foot than any shop in the world
The first purpose-built ‘model baths’ were on Old Castle Street opening in 1847, a year late after the foundations sank into an old cesspool
The Underground’s deepest station is Hampstead which runs down to 58.5 metres. In Central London, it’s the DLR at Bank at 41.4 metres below
Coming 4th on the global list for the number of billionaires London generates 20 per cent of the UK’s gross domestic product
In the 19th century Windsor Castle could be seen from the Windsor Castle public house on Campden Hill Road, hence its name
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.
CabbieBlog 
Having been in the LAS, I knew about people jumping under trains, and did more than my fair share of those jobs.
Some of them are actually pushed, by ‘secret killers’. A few survivors told me that someone pushed them, and they had no intention of jumping. Hopefully extensive CCTV coverage now should stop that.
I have been in The Windsor Castle in Campden Hill Road a few times, both on ambulance jobs, and for a drink, but had no idea about that trivia fact.
Best wishes, Pete.
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I’m not surprised Kings Cross was the epicentre of suicides, it was pretty bad in the 60s when I used it to get to work.
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I did them at Paddington, Oxford Circus, Baker Street, Edgware Road, and some other stations. Kings Cross was outside my operating area as a rule.
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