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.
Previously Posted: Taking the waters
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.
Taking the waters (17.08.12)
One little published event in the Olympics was the 10km Open Waters Swimming in which competitors swam around a pond. We were 4th in the women’s (just missing the bronze by less than a second) and 5th in the men’s.
The event was held on The Serpentine in Hyde Park, the same waters where on Christmas Day a group of intrepid swimmers break the ice and ignore any broken bottles, submerged shopping trolleys or contracting leptospirosis appear on television in this annual event.
Swimming in open water has been practised for many years and one of London’s most famous is Hampstead Heath’s three bathing ponds which have welcomed swimmers for over 150 years.
In the truly British tradition of prudery mixed with a degree of eccentricity, the ponds are segregated.
In the male-only pond with its secluded sylvan fenced enclosure nudity is de rigueur amongst the regulars – the serious swimmers, chess players and weight-lifters for whom this is a sort of club. Out on the springboards and in the water, costumes are required. There are no longer any high boards – a sign of these cautious times.
As the Ladies Pond is the highest up the hill and benefits from being nearest to the natural springs in Kenwood it has by far the cleanest water. It’s hidden by an expanse of sprawling foliage to hide the ladies’ modesty.
There is also another pond designated for mixed bathing.
The ponds were originally dug as reservoirs by the Hampstead Water Company in the 17th and 18th centuries from the original malarial marsh which was then drained, before falling into disuse during Victorian times.
In 2004 the City of London Corporation tried to close the ponds on the grounds that they posed a health risk to swimmers amid local protest those plans were abandoned.
Now the ponds may close soon to enable 10ft high dams to be constructed. The City of London claims thousands of lives are at risk should the existing dams burst after heavy rainfall.
London in Quotations: Joseph Fort Newton
London is like a dream come true. As I ramble through it I am haunted by the curious feeling of something half-forgotten, but still dimly remembered, like a reminiscence of some previous state of existence. It is at once familiar and strange.
Joseph Fort Newton (1876-1950), Preaching in London: A Diary of Anglo-American Friendship
London Trivia: Granada cinema given listing status
On 7 September 1931, the Granada Cinema on Tooting Broadway opened, it was the first cinema to be given Grade I listing due to its marble interior, hall of mirrors and sumptuous decor. Fred Astaire once performed there.
On 7 September 1978 Bulgarian writer Georgi Markov was stabbed by poison umbrella on Waterloo Bridge, he dies 4 days later
In 1999 a man tested his right as a Freeman of the City of London to drive two sheep named Clover and Little Man, across London Bridge
79 Pall Mall is the only building in the street not owned by the Crown. Charles II gave Nell Gwynn the freehold after she refused its lease
From the lower office windows of 16 Farringdon Lane can be seen the original medieval medicinal drinking water of ‘Clerks Well’ from which Clerkenwell takes its name
The future Mary II is said to have wept for a day and a half when she was told that she would have to marry William of Orange in 1677
Lambeth Bridge’s statutes symbolise human virtue: for men ironworking building working honour; for women agriculture housework cooking power
The oldest baths building in London which still serves the needs of a functioning swimming pool is the entrance block of Forest Hill Baths
Britain’s earliest supplier of rackets balls in the 19th century Mr Maling of Woolwich learnt his craft as an inmate at King’s Bench Prison
In 1989 a version of the famous FX-4 London taxi went on sale in Japan badged as the ‘Big Ben Novelty Car’, no records exist as to the number of buyers
During World War I a giant postal sorting office was located in Regent’s Park handling 2 billion letters in the world’s largest wooden structure
London has a population density ten times higher than anywhere else in Britain with its residents speaking over 300 languages
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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