London’s spiry turrets rise. / Think of its crimes, its cares, its pain, / Then shield me in the woods again.
James Thomson (1914-1953)
All posts by Gibson Square
London Trivia: Dismembered hand discovered
On 21 September 1875, Henry Wainwright a shopkeeper of Tredegar Square was charged with the murder of his mistress. Her body was discovered when a youth carrying some parcels for him discovered a hand falling out.
On 21 September 1991 in round 4 of the WBO title fight at White Hart Lane, Michael Watson sustained brain damage from an upper cut delivered by Chris Eubank
In 1736 gravedigger Thomas Jenkins received 100 lashes for selling dead bodies from St Dunstan & All Saints, Stepney High Street
There are still 1,600 operating gas lamps in London examples are found in the charming Goodwin’s Court, Covent Garden
During the Great Fire of London in 1666, charred leaves of burning books were blown as far as Acton, an astonishing 20 miles distant
In 1938 it was found the Woolsack in House of Lords actually contained horsehair rather than wool – it was duly rectified
First crafted in 1951, James Bond’s aftershave was Floris No. 89 – so-named because Floris’s shop is at 89 Jermyn Street, Mayfair
As a bet, Lord Lyttleton slept in the attic of 50 Berkeley Square in 1872, with his shotgun, he apparently fired his gun at several apparitions throughout the night
London has more functioning public baths and indoor pools that date from prior to 1939 than any city in the world – 18 public; and 5 private
The Victoria Line that runs between Brixton and Walthamstow Central, and is coloured light blue on the Tube map, is one of only two lines on the Underground that is completely underground
On Albert Bridge, a sign asks soldiers to break step as synchronised marching caused too much vibration! Wags change the sign to ‘break wind’
Gas street lights widely used in 1850 each with a luminousity of a 25 watt bulb, but by the 1930s only half of London’s streets had electric
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.
Previously Posted: Armadillo swallows London Stone
For those new to CabbieBlog or readers who are slightly forgetful, on Saturdays I’m republishing posts, many going back over a decade. Some will still be very relevant while others have become dated over time. Just think of this post as your weekend paper supplement.
Armadillo swallows London Stone (21.08.12)
When learning The Knowledge some days remain etched in your memory forever. One such day for me was when I went to find a ‘point’ – London Stone – note it is not a definite article, even though it patently is.
I searched Cannon Street looking to find a clue to the elusive stone, up the sides of buildings, perched high up on a roof, inside the station, until I tracked down my quarry.
There behind a hideous grill attached to a scruffy 1960s office was one of London’s oldest landmarks, known to have been in the City since 1198.
It is an unprepossessing piece of Clipston limestone or oolite. With its round-shouldered top and twin grooves, measuring about 18 inches across, if found in a field, one would ignore it. Legend says that this small stone is linked to the destiny of our capital city, hence it is a Grade II listing.
Minerva the company that is developing the site now wishes to move this rare artefact. The name of the company is taken from the Roman goddess of wisdom, but in this instance, concerning a rare Roman piece of history not a lot of wisdom is being demonstrated, it’s just convenient for Minerva as they want to move the artefact a few doors down the street to the Walbrook Building.
The Walbrook Building, one of the City’s newer office blocks designed by Foster and Partners, looks like a metal armadillo, a very modern building but with few heritage nods at ground level. Two of the metal struts planted firmly into Cannon Street incorporate small black plaques that once marked former ward boundaries. They look a bit incongruous, to be frank, but at least they’re still on site rather than scrapped and dumped elsewhere.
The plan is to relocate London Stone to the front elevation of the Walbrook Building and a special display case will be built to contain the legendary. One of the existing grey panels will be replaced by a laminated glass wall, and the stone placed inside on an etched mild steel plinth. And the grille will come too, given a less prominent position beneath, plus the metal plaque that currently sits on top of them all.
The Stone has had a chequered history. It was referenced in Shakespeare’s Henry VI Part 2, but by the 18th Century, it was known more as a traffic hazard. The Stone was moved back and forth across Cannon Street and eventually ended up in St. Swithin’s Church until the building was bombed in World War II. Since the early 1960s, the Stone has been housed at street level in an office building, opposite Cannon Street Station, so it certainly has led a life of travel.
Old enough to remember the original Olympics in Rome, should this piece of stone be now relocated behind glass, as if it was a museum exhibit, in one of the most modern buildings of London, divorced from the everyday fabric of the city?
London in Quotations: Henry James
It is difficult to speak adequately or justly of London. It is not a pleasant place; it is not agreeable, or cheerful, or easy, or exempt from reproach. It is only magnificent.
Henry James (1843-1916), The Notebooks of Henry James
London Trivia: Chia Chia and Ching Ching arrive
On 14 September 1974, Chia Chia and Ching Ching, two giant pandas which had been presented to Prime Minister Edward Heath during his visit to China, arrived in London destined for London Zoo.
On 14 September 1680 Roger Crab, hermit of Bethnal Green, and inspiration for Lewis Carroll’s Mad Hatter, was buried at St Dunstan’s
In the early 1900s police used the ‘Bischoffsheim’ hand ambulance, basically a long handcart, to move awkward prisoners to the station
Westminster Cathedral (the Catholic one on Victoria Street, not the Abbey) contains 12 million bricks – two million more than the Empire State Building
St. Thomas’s, a medieval foundation, had to move to make way for a railway line; its new site was beside the Thames, where the air was now pure
“The dreadful truth is that when people come to see their MP they have run out of better ideas” – Boris Johnson, Mayor of London
The chimes of Big Ben broadcast by the BBC every evening since 1923 are live, transmitted via a microphone hidden behind the famous clock
The Penderel’s Oak PH, High Holborn is named after yeoman farmer, Richard Penderel, who helped King Charles I escape by hiding him in a wood
Before 1914 corner pavilions were common in British clubs. Fulham FC’s ‘The Cottage’ which opened in 1905 is the sole survivor
Victoria Line the world’s first full-scale automatic railway enables a driver to close doors travel to next station at the push of a button
The Swiss Re: or Gerkin Tower’s upper windows can only be cleaned by steeplejacks absailing by ropes from a trapdoor in the roof
A Cockney is defined as being born within the sound of the bells of St Mary-le-Bow Church, Cheapside in The City of London not East London
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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