If the parks be “the lungs of London” we wonder what Greenwich Fair is – a periodical breaking out, we suppose — a sort of spring rash.
Charles Dickens (1812-1870), Greenwich Fair
London Trivia: Economy of scale
On 9 November 1783 the first public hanging outside Newgate Prison took place when 10 criminals were hanged with the ‘new drop’ system, devised by Edward Dennis, the hangman, he was no saint either. He had been imprisoned in Newgate in 1780 and sentenced to death for taking part in the Holborn riots. He was later reprieved so he could hang his fellow rioters.
On 9 November 1947 a telerecording was used for the first time when the Remembrance Service from the Cenotaph was filmed by the BBC and recorded for transmission that evening
In 1415 following the Battle of Agincourt the Duke of Orleans, prisoner in the Tower of London, sent his wife the first ever valentine card
Blackfriars Bridge has several pulpits along its flank homage to Blackfriars Monastery which stood here until it was dissolved by Henry VIII
Domestic servants with visible smallpox scars were preferred to those unmarked, proof that they would not bring smallpox into the household
Theobalds Road was once a track that led to the Stuart kings’ hunting grounds at Theobalds Park in Hertfordshire
The dinner party attended by Julia Roberts and Hugh Grant in the film Notting Hill was held at 91 Lansdowne Road, Notting Hill
Tradition has it that Pimlico is named after Ben Pimlico, a 17th Century Hoxton brewer who supplied London with a popular Nut Brown ale
The world’s oldest cricket ball dates from 1820, was swatted over a 3 day period during William Ward’s record innings of 278 at Lord’s its present home
On Tower Hill is an entrance to the 1870 Tower Subway. You could ride under the river in a carriage pulled by cable
Arsenal were founded as Dial Square in 1886 by workers at the Royal Arsenal in Woolwich, but were renamed Royal Arsenal shortly afterwards
The world’s first weather forecast was issued from Greenwich Royal Observatory in 1848 by James Glaisher
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: The King’s Cross Lighthouse
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.
The King’s Cross Lighthouse (16.10.12)
It has been degenerating since Edison Lighthouse appeared in the charts during the 70s and has lay empty for years, but recently scaffolding has appeared surrounding the building. Could this be the start of the regeneration that this forlorn building has needed for the best part of a quarter of a century?
Sandwiched between two converging roads – Pentonville Road and Gray’s Inn Road – opposite King’s Cross railway station perched on top of a narrow building, sometimes referred to as the flatiron building (it shares a similar footprint to the iconic Manhattan block), stands an architectural folly some people think of as a windmill or lighthouse.
It has looked much as it does today since 1884 but its date of building and original purpose are unknown.
Now apparently owned by the splendidly named – The Peninsular and Oriental Steam Navigation Company (or just P&O) it has been left to rot in this area of huge regeneration.
There are many explanations for this strange Grade II listed building, which was erected in 1875, but no one seems to be absolutely sure. It has been semi-derelict for many years and always seems to be on the point of being regenerated, or falling down, but never quite getting there.
Used as the location for Harry Palmer’s office in the 1967 film Billion Dollar Brain, some say it was a clock tower, Victorian helter-skelter, or even a camera obscura.
Another explanation, although it has to be said that no other examples have been found, is that when oysters were the cheap and popular fast food of the day, Netten’s Oyster House was marked with a lighthouse – a kind of the Mcdonald’s golden arches’ of their day.
An architectural practice called Richard Griffiths has been charged with redeveloping the area, so it’s already spawned a suitably gentrification-friendly, nom-de-plume, ‘The Regent’s Quarter.’
Let us hope this eccentric and loved building gets the refurbishment that it deserves.
Monthly Musings
October 2025
📣 Podcast
The wait is over! London author Christopher Winn has finished editing my rambling talk about being a cabbie when we met in Romford’s Golden Lion pub. TimeTable London uploads a new podcast fortnightly featuring guests a lot more interesting and knowledgeable than this humble scribe. Here’s my contribution.
🔪 Taking it easy
I’ve been banging on for months about my procedure to correct an inguinal hernia. October was spent convalescing, so this month’s Musings are rather truncated.
📖 The Trembling Lady
At least these past few weeks have not been wasted. Finally, I’ve finished the next Shelter Sleuths Investigation and am now on the line editing.
👀 1984
As they had it out on display, last month I picked up George Orwell’s dystopian masterpiece in Waterstones. They clearly thought it was prescient. Since then, the Government has announced the imposition of ID cards. It seems the bookseller was right.
📺 Riot Women
It comes to most of us, but midlife invisibility is much worse for women, along with family responsibilities, being taken for granted, at the same time as undergoing hormonal changes. Sally Wainwright’s brilliant depiction of a group forming a ‘girl’ rock band, endeavouring to get noticed, is brilliant. Even this uncomprehending man could understand the problems and the humour.
📅 October’s posts and pages
Most read post – Buying a black cab as a private car
Most read page – The Knowledge
📈 Last month’s statistics
3,415 views (+131.5%)
1,214 visitors (+66.8%)
42 likes (+27.3%)
52 comments (+108.0%)
15 posts (-16.7%)
London in Quotations: Virginia Woolf
The streets of London have their map, but our passions are uncharted. What are you going to meet if you turn this corner?
Virginia Woolf (1882-1941), Jacob’s Room
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