On 3 October 1975 the six remaining hostages, held at the Spaghetti House Restaurant, Knightsbridge were released after 5 days. Robbers had originally intended stealing the £13,000 week’s takings. One of the staff had escaped, alerting the police
On 3 October 1929 the Dominion Theatre, Tottenham Court Road opened, it was a cinema within three years
In 1736 gravedigger Thomas Jenkins received 100 lashes for selling dead bodies from St Dunstan and All Saints, Stepney High Street
Underneath the MI6 building is the overflow pipe for the River Effra, it’s just big enough to launch a mini-submarine from the orifice
Nell Gywnn, orange seller and mistress to Charles II was born in the Coal Yard, now Stukeley Street off Drury Lane in 1650
After his victory over England Hitler had a plan to dismantle Nelson’s Column in Trafalgar Square and display it in Berlin
Only one house where Charles Dickens lived still stands 48 Doughty Street from 1837 to 1839 here he wrote Oliver Twist and The Pickwick Papers
The upper span of Tower Bridge was originally a walkway but it was closed in 1910 as it had become a haunt of prostitutes
One of the Scotland fans who invaded the pitch at Wembley in 1977 was Rod Stewart. In the commotion someone nicked his Cartier watch
In 1910 the London and North Western Railway offered its business passengers the on-board services of Miss Tarrant. (Typist)
In 2013 one ton of dust was removed from the attics at Kensington Palace, the first time since 1719 they had been cleaned
In the 1950s three members of the Attkins family were Highgate’s fishmonger, butcher and dentist – known as Fishkins, Porkins and Toothkins
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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