London trivia

London Trivia: James Earl Ray arrested

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On 8 June 1968, James Earl Ray was arrested at Heathrow, travelling under an assumed name and false passport, on charges of conspiracy and murder in connection with the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr. He was later jailed for 99 years.

On 8 June 1925, Noel Coward’s comedy Hay Fever opened, making theatrical history as there were then three Coward plays running concurrently in the West End

At Westminster Abbey traces of skin from a 14th century thief who attempted to steal the church’s valuables are still nailed to a door

Westminster Abbey was built on what was a remote island called Thorney Island situated in the middle of some marshland to the west of London

Dirty Dicks PH comes from dandy Richard Bentley whose house was on the site, on their wedding eve his bride died after which he lived in squalor

Pains Fireworks, still making fireworks, founded in the 15th century in the East End, sold the light gunpowder used in the Gunpowder Plot of 1605

Little St Pauls Cathedral is a sculpture on the side of Vauxhall Bridge and only visible from the River Thames

Henry VIII’s Wine Cellar a 40,000 cu. ft. cavern weighing 800 ton was moved more than 40ft to preserve it during the rebuilding of Whitehall

Tottenham Hotspurs deliberately set Jimmy Greaves’s 1961 transfer fee from AC Milan at £99,999 to avoid putting him under the pressure of being the first £100,000 player

The longest gap between stations is 3.89 miles from Chesham to Chalfont and Latimer; the shortest Covent Garden to Leicester Square 0.25 miles

The Mercers Livery Company is the oldest of London’s Guilds with ordinances dating back to 1347 and are No. 1 in the list of precedence

Estimated distances Bow Bells could be heard from City in olden days (definition of true Cockney) – 6 miles to east, 5 north, 3 south, 4 west

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10 thoughts on “London Trivia: James Earl Ray arrested”

  1. I didn’t know about the skin on the door of the abbey! I remember Greavsie transferring to Italy, back when I was a Spurs fan and could name the whole team!

    Cheers, Pete.

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  2. James Earl Ray(March 10, 1928 – April 23, 1998)alton quincy il to St louis/Ewing Mo. JER admit he drove Mustang to Main St in Memphis Tn rent room bessie boarding (3;00) 4-4-1968.J E R claims Raoul in Jim Grill they both walk up to JER room5 then Raoul told him to buy binoculars.So JER left room leave Raoul in it then JER went to buy binoculars. JER drove back MPD cars all around so He left in a hurry.(& JER claim Raoul jump Mustang put white sheet over his head?)jer claim he bought birmingham Ala (makeModel?)1#gun(Raoul)take back 2#Remington?JER left Memphis -to Atlanta – to detroit- to canada – to London’s Heathrow Airport on June 8, 1968?JER on loose Apr67 to June 1968?Did JER Ray, recanted his stories?John visit JER W Memphis Ar 4-3-68?JERRy talk to JER in person and phone thru out time JER escape Pen Mo?John and Jerry Ray told stories later Wrote books profit from brother demise?Raoul is that JER used claim He was framed?Didn’t JER makeup his own names?Do you believe Ray Stories?

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