“I love walking in London”, said Mrs Dalloway. “Really, it’s better than walking in the country”.
Virginia Woolf (1882-1914), Mrs Dalloway
All posts by Gibson Square
London Trivia: Sex Pistols first gig
On 6 November 1975, the Sex Pistols gave their first public concert at a London art school but not surprisingly after only playing for ten minutes they were told to pack up and go home.
On 6 November 1963 British European Airways opened an air terminal on Cromwell Road, unfortunately it was some distance from the nearest Underground station.
It is illegal in London to have sex on a parked motorcycle, beat a carpet in a public park, or impersonate a Chelsea pensioner
The Ritz hotel in Piccadilly was built on a site previously occupied by The Old White Horse Cellar, one of the most famous coaching inns in London
The remains of a Roman teenage girl were unearthed during the construction of The Gherkin, she was reburied near where she was found
Lenin, during his time in London, enjoyed taking trips on the top decks of buses as a means of observing the proletariat
The Lanesborough Hotel had 3 original Reynolds and boasts the largest collection of 18th century paintings in the world outside any gallery
The Fox and Anchor-Smithfield and Market Porter-Borough are licensed to serve alcohol from 7am to fit in with the hours worked by market porters
Tennis legend Fred Perry is commemorated by to plaques in Ealing. His ashes are buried near his statute at Wimbledon
Just outside Temple Tube station is an original pre-Beck map in a glass case. (In other words its lines are bendy rather than straight.)
The only London-based gin distillery left today is Beefeater Gin, which is based on Kennington in the former Haywards pickle factory
The River Thames is two hundred and fifteen miles long, has 47 locks and carries some 300,000 tonnes of sediment a year
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: Blue Badge Blues
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.
Blue Badge Blues (02.10.09)
A multiple-choice question starts this post today.
Which council is so poor it cannot afford to give unrestricted free parking for the disabled?
Is it:
(a) Corby (struggling to survive without its steelworks)
(b) Doncaster (having lost much of the engineering)
(c) Merthyr Tydfil (now coal mining has ceased)
(d) Westminster (one of the wealthiest places on earth).
The answer is to be found at the bottom of this post.
You see I was reading the information booklet about using a disabled Blue Badge for parking restrictions.
Most councils waive their parking charges for the first 2 hours as a concession to the disabled. The cost in lost revenue must be minute when compared to their total revenue. But for some authorities it would appear that the financial burden is too great.
Statistics show that Westminster Council now collects more income from parked cars than from ratepayers, so they are hardly likely to reduce this income stream. They do, magnanimously, provide a number of bays for Blue Badge holders, and provide a leaflet showing where these bays are located.
The answer is: The London Boroughs of Kensington and Chelsea, the City of Westminster, the City of London and part of Camden, just hang your heads in shame.
Test Your Knowledge: November 2022
This month’s quiz titled London around the world… and beyond. As before the correct answer will turn green when it’s clicked upon and expanded to give more information. The incorrect answers will turn red giving the correct explanation.
1. 1 As a former colonial power, the name of our capital has been foisted on settlements around the world, but how many?
19
WRONG There are a total of 18 Londons in the United States, two in Alabama, and two in Ohio, you can also find London in: Arizona, Arkansas, California, Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Texas, West Virginia and Wisconsin. Canada has a London in the province of Ontario, the second largest London in the world (after, of course, ours). The main settlement on Christmas Island (AKA Kiritimati) in Kiribati (an island nation in the Pacific Ocean) is called London. There are five Londons in the African continent: one in Equatorial Guinea, three in South Africa and one in Nigeria. South Africa also has a city called East London. There is also a London Island in Chile, a London in Belize and, slightly closer to home, a London in Finland. In total 29.
29
CORRECT There are a total of 18 Londons in the United States, two in Alabama, and two in Ohio, you can also find London in: Arizona, Arkansas, California, Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Texas, West Virginia and Wisconsin. Canada has a London in the province of Ontario, the second largest London in the world (after, of course, ours). The main settlement on Christmas Island (AKA Kiritimati) in Kiribati (an island nation in the Pacific Ocean) is called London. There are five Londons in the African continent: one in Equatorial Guinea, three in South Africa and one in Nigeria. South Africa also has a city called East London. There is also a London Island in Chile, a London in Belize and, slightly closer to home, a London in Finland. In total 29.
39
WRONG There are a total of 18 Londons in the United States, two in Alabama, and two in Ohio, you can also find London in: Arizona, Arkansas, California, Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Texas, West Virginia and Wisconsin. Canada has a London in the province of Ontario, the second largest London in the world (after, of course, ours). The main settlement on Christmas Island (AKA Kiritimati) in Kiribati (an island nation in the Pacific Ocean) is called London. There are five Londons in the African continent: one in Equatorial Guinea, three in South Africa and one in Nigeria. South Africa also has a city called East London. There is also a London Island in Chile, a London in Belize and, slightly closer to home, a London in Finland. In total 29.
2. In which American state can you find much of the previous London Bridge, which was shipped over to the States in the late 1960s?
Arkansas
WRONG What Londoners may not know is that they needn’t travel 5,400 miles to Arizona to keep an eye on their erstwhile icon. Thanks to a 2r hour webcam, you can watch cars whizz over the bridge (not many red double-deckers, alas) while boats navigate through its arches — from the comfort of your London home.
Arizona
CORRECT What Londoners may not know is that they needn’t travel 5,400 miles to Arizona to keep an eye on their erstwhile icon. Thanks to a 2r hour webcam, you can watch cars whizz over the bridge (not many red double-deckers, alas) while boats navigate through its arches — from the comfort of your London home.
Alabama
WRONG What Londoners may not know is that they needn’t travel 5,400 miles to Arizona to keep an eye on their erstwhile icon. Thanks to a 2r hour webcam, you can watch cars whizz over the bridge (not many red double-deckers, alas) while boats navigate through its arches — from the comfort of your London home.
3. The Battle of Porto Bello in 1739 is commemorated in Notting Hill’s Portobello Road. But in which present-day country did the battle take place?
Panama
CORRECT The capture of Puerto Bello was part of a campaign known as ‘The War of Jenkins’ Ear’, fought against Spain in the West Indian colonies. When merchant sea captain Robert Jenkins had his ear cut off by a Spanish officer at Havana in 1731 it led to calls in Parliament for war with Spain. Captain Edward Vernon claimed he could take the Spanish town of Porto Bello on the north side of the Isthmus of Darien between Columbia and Panama – with only six ships of the line, this he duly achieved on 22 November 1739.
Portugal
WRONG The capture of Puerto Bello was part of a campaign known as ‘The War of Jenkins’ Ear’, fought against Spain in the West Indian colonies. When merchant sea captain Robert Jenkins had his ear cut off by a Spanish officer at Havana in 1731 it led to calls in Parliament for war with Spain. Captain Edward Vernon claimed he could take the Spanish town of Porto Bello on the north side of the Isthmus of Darien between Columbia and Panama – with only six ships of the line, this he duly achieved on 22 November 1739.
Paraguay
WRONG The capture of Puerto Bello was part of a campaign known as ‘The War of Jenkins’ Ear’, fought against Spain in the West Indian colonies. When merchant sea captain Robert Jenkins had his ear cut off by a Spanish officer at Havana in 1731 it led to calls in Parliament for war with Spain. Captain Edward Vernon claimed he could take the Spanish town of Porto Bello on the north side of the Isthmus of Darien between Columbia and Panama – with only six ships of the line, this he duly achieved on 22 November 1739.
4. Severndroog Castle is a famous folly on Shooter’s Hill and takes its name from an island fortress in which country?
India
CORRECT Its name is taken from an island fortress in India captured by Commodore Sir William James in 1755. While commonly referred to as a castle due to its turrets, it was built as a folly, as can be discerned by its small size and because it has never functioned as a castle.
Indonesia
WRONG Its name is taken from an island fortress in India captured by Commodore Sir William James in 1755. While commonly referred to as a castle due to its turrets, it was built as a folly, as can be discerned by its small size and because it has never functioned as a castle.
Iraq
WRONG Its name is taken from an island fortress in India captured by Commodore Sir William James in 1755. While commonly referred to as a castle due to its turrets, it was built as a folly, as can be discerned by its small size and because it has never functioned as a castle.
5. In which American state would you find the Thames River, which flows 15 miles from Norwich to New London?
Connecticut
CORRECT The Thames River a short river in Connecticut flows for 15 miles from Norwich to New London.
California
WRONG The Thames River a short river in Connecticut flows for 15 miles from Norwich to New London.
Colorado
WRONG The Thames River a short river in Connecticut flows for 15 miles from Norwich to New London.
6. The Memorial to Paddy the Wanderer, in Wellington, New Zealand is a drinking fountain for dogs. It’s built from stones salvaged from which London landmark?
Old Euston Station
WRONG Paddy The Wanderer was an Airedale Terrier who wandered the streets during the Great Depression. He was the beloved pet of a 13-year-old and took to wandering the wharf after his young owner died of pneumonia. Paddy soon became a familiar face as dockers, sailors and taxi drivers kept him well-fed and even turn took turns paying for his annual dog license. When he died of old age in 1939, hundreds of people mourned the loss of their local celebrity as a funeral procession of black taxi cabs accompanied his body across town. In 1945, enough donations were raised to erect a memorial fountain for humans and dogs alike in his honour, using material from old Waterloo Bridge.
Old Waterloo Bridge
CORRECT Paddy The Wanderer was an Airedale Terrier who wandered the streets during the Great Depression. He was the beloved pet of a 13-year-old and took to wandering the wharf after his young owner died of pneumonia. Paddy soon became a familiar face as dockers, sailors and taxi drivers kept him well-fed and even turn took turns paying for his annual dog license. When he died of old age in 1939, hundreds of people mourned the loss of their local celebrity as a funeral procession of black taxi cabs accompanied his body across town. In 1945, enough donations were raised to erect a memorial fountain for humans and dogs alike in his honour, using material from old Waterloo Bridge.
Old Wembley Stadium
WRONG Paddy The Wanderer was an Airedale Terrier who wandered the streets during the Great Depression. He was the beloved pet of a 13-year-old and took to wandering the wharf after his young owner died of pneumonia. Paddy soon became a familiar face as dockers, sailors and taxi drivers kept him well-fed and even turn took turns paying for his annual dog license. When he died of old age in 1939, hundreds of people mourned the loss of their local celebrity as a funeral procession of black taxi cabs accompanied his body across town. In 1945, enough donations were raised to erect a memorial fountain for humans and dogs alike in his honour, using material from old Waterloo Bridge.
7. St. Paul’s Chapel in present-day Manhattan is a direct architectural copy of which famous London church?
St. Paul’s Cathedral
WRONG St. Paul’s Chapel is Manhattan’s oldest public building still in use and is considered the closest replica to St. Martin’s in the Fields, it was designed in 1764 by Thomas McBean, a student of James Gibbs who created St. Martin’s in the Fields, it has the combination that is the signature feature of many New England churches, a monumental portico and an elegant steeple.
St. Clement Danes
WRONG St. Paul’s Chapel is Manhattan’s oldest public building still in use and is considered the closest replica to St. Martin’s in the Fields, it was designed in 1764 by Thomas McBean, a student of James Gibbs who created St. Martin’s in the Fields, it has the combination that is the signature feature of many New England churches, a monumental portico and an elegant steeple.
St. Martin’s in the Fields
CORRECT St. Paul’s Chapel is Manhattan’s oldest public building still in use and is considered the closest replica to St. Martin’s in the Fields, it was designed in 1764 by Thomas McBean, a student of James Gibbs who created St. Martin’s in the Fields, it has the combination that is the signature feature of many New England churches, a monumental portico and an elegant steeple.
8. What was the first biscuit consumed on the moon?
Garibaldi
WRONG Although all these biscuits were invented in Peek Freans’ Bermondsey factory (some dispute this), the bourbon stands as being the very first biscuit to be consumed on the moon by Edwin Aldrin in 1969. The Bourbon biscuit is the 5th most popular biscuit in the United Kingdom selling £80 million, certainly not crumbs.
Custard cream
WRONG Although all these biscuits were invented in Peek Freans’ Bermondsey factory (some dispute this), the bourbon stands as being the very first biscuit to be consumed on the moon by Edwin Aldrin in 1969. The Bourbon biscuit is the 5th most popular biscuit in the United Kingdom selling £80 million, certainly not crumbs.
Bourbon
CORRECT Although all these biscuits were invented in Peek Freans’ Bermondsey factory (some dispute this), the bourbon stands as being the very first biscuit to be consumed on the moon by Edwin Aldrin in 1969. The Bourbon biscuit is the 5th most popular biscuit in the United Kingdom selling £80 million, certainly not crumbs.
9. The prelate of the Vatican wears coloured vestments each signifying the wearer’s position in the church or marking the religious point in the calendar. Which colour was invented in London?
Purple
CORRECT Purple once a rare dye due to its cost, is worn by bishops symbolizing penance, humility and sorrow for Jesus’ suffering. An economical purple was accidentally made by 18-year-old William Perkin at his East End home.
Red
WRONG Purple once a rare dye due to its cost, is worn by bishops symbolizing penance, humility and sorrow for Jesus’ suffering. An economical purple was accidentally made by 18-year-old William Perkin at his East End home.
Green
WRONG Purple once a rare dye due to its cost, is worn by bishops symbolizing penance, humility and sorrow for Jesus’ suffering. An economical purple was accidentally made by 18-year-old William Perkin at his East End home.
10. At Westminster College in Fulton, Missouri can be found a memorial dedicated to Winston Churchill. What forms its centrepiece?
Crosby Hall
WRONG Destroyed on 13th December 1940 by German bombs, St. Mary Aldermanbury’s 7,000 stones were, in the 1960s, relocated on the other side of the Atlantic. The stones had been jumbled and it took a day to locate the first two stones, and a decade to build. Crosby Hall was relocated to Chelsea from The City, while Temple Bar went from Fleet Street to Cheshunt returning to Paternoster Square near St. Paul’s.
St. Mary Aldermanbury
CORRECT Destroyed on 13th December 1940 by German bombs, St. Mary Aldermanbury’s 7,000 stones were, in the 1960s, relocated on the other side of the Atlantic. The stones had been jumbled and it took a day to locate the first two stones, and a decade to build. Crosby Hall was relocated to Chelsea from The City, while Temple Bar went from Fleet Street to Cheshunt returning to Paternoster Square near St. Paul’s.
Temple Bar
WRONG Destroyed on 13th December 1940 by German bombs, St. Mary Aldermanbury’s 7,000 stones were, in the 1960s, relocated on the other side of the Atlantic. The stones had been jumbled and it took a day to locate the first two stones, and a decade to build. Crosby Hall was relocated to Chelsea from The City, while Temple Bar went from Fleet Street to Cheshunt returning to Paternoster Square near St. Paul’s.
Khan’s critics
Sadiq Khan has recently announced that there have been 230,000 racist tweets directed at him. Two questions arise from that disclosure: why would nearly a quarter of a million think the mayor deserves a tweet about his ethnicity when there’s plenty to criticise on his ability to run London? And is he employing staff, at our expense, to supply him with statistics about nasty things said about London’s most useless leader?
