History

The Suffragettes of London

Sep 17, 2020 By John Rabon Leave a Comment

It’s said that well-behaved women rarely make history. In this day in age, it seems as true as ever that any progress made is done by passionate activists, and the suffragettes were no different. Now, before we move any deeper into this subject, we must make an important distinction between suffragettes and suffragists. Suffragists, for the most part, where dedicated to … [Read more...] about The Suffragettes of London

Blue Skies – The Fascinating History of London Air Pollution

Jul 27, 2020 By John Rabon Leave a Comment

Like most cities, London has had its share of air quality problems over the centuries. Most people would think that air pollution in this part of the UK would be only a couple hundred years old, but London’s history with keeping the air clean goes back much further than that. Arguably the first-ever clean air legislation was the direct result of King Edward I banned the … [Read more...] about Blue Skies – The Fascinating History of London Air Pollution

How London Became the United Kingdom’s Capital

Jul 16, 2020 By John Rabon Leave a Comment

Long one of the greatest cities in the world; London is the official capital of the United Kingdom, but this was not always the case. In times before there was even a country named England, there was no formal capital as the island of Great Britain was populated by settlements of Celts, Picts, and Gaels without the commonality of a nation. This began to change with the coming … [Read more...] about How London Became the United Kingdom’s Capital

London’s Piazza: A History of Covent Garden – From Market to Tourist Mecca

Jul 9, 2020 By Laura Porter 2 Comments

Covent Garden is popular with both locals and visitors but it wasn't always the way. The area was home to aristocracy before it became a centre of commerce. And while it is a cool hangout today, there was a time when you wouldn't want to stop here day or night. The elegant piazza and market with street cobbles and the arched market buildings hint at the rich heritage. From … [Read more...] about London’s Piazza: A History of Covent Garden – From Market to Tourist Mecca

Out of Austerity: The Festival of Britain 1951 – A History and Examination

Jul 2, 2020 By Laura Porter Leave a Comment

The 1951 Festival of Britain was a post-war state-sponsored exhibition. At the time, rationing continued and austerity gripped the nation. London was shabby, rundown and gloomy so this bright and playful spectacular was a 'tonic for the nation' to promote the feeling of recovery. The city was scarred with bombsites and buildings hadn't been painted for ten years so the Festival … [Read more...] about Out of Austerity: The Festival of Britain 1951 – A History and Examination

All Roads Lead to Nelson: The History of London’s Roads

Jun 26, 2020 By John Rabon 1 Comment

Prior to the arrival of the Romans, there were no real roads in London or the United Kingdom; in fact, there wasn’t even a London. The Romans founded the city in 43 AD, and as was usual for their expansion of the Empire, they brought roads with them. Being the center of Roman Britain, roads began in London and stretched out to the remainder of Great Britain, facilitating the … [Read more...] about All Roads Lead to Nelson: The History of London’s Roads

City of London Postman’s Park – London’s Special Memorial to Everyday Heroes

Jun 25, 2020 By Laura Porter 1 Comment

The City of London has over 150 open spaces from city gardens to pocket parks. Many are former graveyards, and Postman's Park fits that category. It is a shady garden with plenty of benches to stop with your takeaway lunch and enjoy the calm away from the City streets. It's also a pleasant cut-through from King Edward Street to St Martin' s-le-Grand, close to the Museum of … [Read more...] about City of London Postman’s Park – London’s Special Memorial to Everyday Heroes

London History: The East End Match Girls’ Strike of 1888

Jun 18, 2020 By Laura Porter Leave a Comment

In nineteenth-century London, labour was cheap and expendable. The Industrial Revolution brought millions of people from the country to the cities as agricultural mechanisation took away their jobs. With so many wanting (and needing) a job, there was little incentive for industrialists to treat their workforce well. At this time, London's East End was notorious as a place of … [Read more...] about London History: The East End Match Girls’ Strike of 1888

Another London Mapping Wonder: Taking a Close Look at MacDonald Gill’s 1914 London Wonderground Map

Jun 11, 2020 By Laura Porter Leave a Comment

Do you remember the days when we stood waiting for a train before we had mobile phones to distract us? Some read the paper and some simply stared into space daydreaming and avoiding eye contact with any strangers. Back in the early twentieth century, Frank Pick from the London Underground had the idea to commission a detailed illustrative map for passengers on platforms to … [Read more...] about Another London Mapping Wonder: Taking a Close Look at MacDonald Gill’s 1914 London Wonderground Map

A London Mapping Wonder: A Guide to the London Theatreland Map of 1915

Jun 4, 2020 By Laura Porter Leave a Comment

Back in 2015, I redecorated my dining room to include a feature wall section with a London Theatreland map from 1915. (This is the wallpaper – as an aside, I got the self-adhesive version so it was really easy to hang.) One hundred years after the map was published for London Underground, I got to admire it in large-scale at home. For a less permanent version, you can get … [Read more...] about A London Mapping Wonder: A Guide to the London Theatreland Map of 1915

London’s Social History: The History of Public Housing in London

Jun 2, 2020 By John Rabon 1 Comment

Also referred to Social Housing or Council Housing, public housing has long been an issue of greater interest in the United Kingdom and especially in the capital city of London. Prior to the Victorian era, the government had never thought to provide housing to lower-income citizens. Prior to this, the need for housing fell on the Church or private entities. Since the 10th … [Read more...] about London’s Social History: The History of Public Housing in London

War Comes to London – The City’s History of Armed Conflict

May 19, 2020 By John Rabon Leave a Comment

When people think of London and war, they usually think of the Blitz, the German bombing campaign during World War II. However, as a capital city, London has known much more fighting, stretching back centuries since the founding of the city. While there is evidence of settlement in the London from as early as the Bronze Age, a lack of written history precludes us from knowing … [Read more...] about War Comes to London – The City’s History of Armed Conflict

STRAWBERRY HILL HOUSE: London’s Gothic Revival Masterpiece

May 7, 2020 By Laura Porter Leave a Comment

Created by Horace Walpole as his summer retreat riverside villa, Strawberry Hill House is Britain’s finest example of Georgian Gothic Revival architecture. After a £10 million repair and restoration programme, twenty rooms now appear as Walpole left them when he died at the end of the eighteenth century. Throughout his 50 years at Strawberry Hill, between 1747 and 1797, Horace … [Read more...] about STRAWBERRY HILL HOUSE: London’s Gothic Revival Masterpiece

Ten Feel-Good Random Facts About London

Apr 23, 2020 By John Rabon 2 Comments

At a time like this, it can be pretty depressing to be stuck inside while sickness seems to grow around us. Since this kind of situation can have a negative effect on mood, it helps to stimulate ourselves with some positive facts. Kindness to others, great moments in London’s history, hilarious anecdotes, and even the little things we don’t notice can help us feel better when … [Read more...] about Ten Feel-Good Random Facts About London

London’s Pandemic History – From the Black Death to the Spanish Flu

Apr 21, 2020 By John Rabon Leave a Comment

The ravages of disease are nothing new to London. Even as the city deals with the threat of COVID-19, it has been able to learn from the pandemics of the past going back to Anglo-Saxon times. Black Death ravaged Greater London as it did most of Europe for centuries, and smallpox, flu, and cholera have all plagued the city at one point or another. The first recorded plague in … [Read more...] about London’s Pandemic History – From the Black Death to the Spanish Flu

HIDDEN LONDON: The Lost Tunnels of Euston Station

Apr 16, 2020 By Laura Porter Leave a Comment

London Transport Museum’s ‘Hidden London’ tours are great to know about as you get access to tunnels and stations on the London transport network that are not usually open to the public. In Londontopia magazine issue #1 I reported back about the hidden tunnels at Charing Cross station. So it was a treat to join another tour, this time at Euston station. This one was a treat … [Read more...] about HIDDEN LONDON: The Lost Tunnels of Euston Station

THE ALBERT MEMORIAL: A Close-up Look at Victoria’s Tribute to Her Prince

Apr 9, 2020 By Laura Porter Leave a Comment

When Queen Victoria's husband died unexpectedly, it was not just the monarch that mourned as the nation too was consumed with grief along with a certain amount of guilt at not having appreciated Prince Albert and everything he had done. A grand and complex memorial was built to place Albert in the centre of arts and sciences of the 1860s. PRINCE ALBERT Prince Albert of … [Read more...] about THE ALBERT MEMORIAL: A Close-up Look at Victoria’s Tribute to Her Prince

Dark Age London: London After the Romans

Feb 20, 2020 By John Rabon Leave a Comment

While human settlements had existed in the area around London since before written history, it was really the Romans that created the city as we know it today. The Romans founded the city, which they named as Londinium, in 43 AD and remained here until the Roman Army completely withdrew from around 409 AD to help defend the Empire from invaders. What few units were left … [Read more...] about Dark Age London: London After the Romans

GREAT LONDONERS: Samuel Pepys – The Scribe of London

Jan 14, 2020 By John Rabon Leave a Comment

Samuel Pepys is one of the greatest writers in British literary history—and all because he kept a diary. Today, Pepys’ Diary is considered to be the greatest personal account of life and events in 17th Century England. It is a work revered both by literary and historical scholars as a first-hand account of such important moments as the Great Fire of London, the Second Dutch … [Read more...] about GREAT LONDONERS: Samuel Pepys – The Scribe of London

LONDON ICONS: Fortnum & Mason – The Grocers to the Queen

Jan 6, 2020 By jackie 3 Comments

When I think of iconic British Brands, particularly London based brands a few come to mind, but my first will always be Fortnum & Mason. They specialize in gourmet foods and are responsible for creating some of Britain’s most iconic foods, such as the Scotch Egg. A trip to their flagship store in London must-see for the foodie in your life. Fortnum & Mason is named … [Read more...] about LONDON ICONS: Fortnum & Mason – The Grocers to the Queen

The Temple of Mithras: London’s New Roman Museum in the New Bloomberg London HQ

Jan 2, 2020 By jonathan 2 Comments

New museums open in London every year - it’s a consequence of being such a history-rich city. Last year, London got a new museum dedicated to its Roman History. The new London Mithraeum is a triumph of heritage preservation and multimedia presentation and shows that as London grows and digs into its distant past, there are still wonderful discoveries to be made and shared with … [Read more...] about The Temple of Mithras: London’s New Roman Museum in the New Bloomberg London HQ

Tudor London: Top 10 Tudor Buildings in London

Dec 17, 2019 By John Rabon 2 Comments

Tudor architecture came about as the final building design style of the medieval period. While the style’s name is attached to the dynasty that began with King Henry VI and ended with Queen Elizabeth, Tudor architecture doesn’t have quite as long a period covering the years from 1500 to 1560 and Elizabethan Style beginning thereafter. There are many hallmarks of Tudor … [Read more...] about Tudor London: Top 10 Tudor Buildings in London

Terror on the Tube: A History of Disasters on the London Underground

Dec 10, 2019 By John Rabon 1 Comment

First off, we should point out that despite the horrific title of this article, the Tube is an incredibly safe mode of transportation when you’re in London. However, no safety record is perfect, and the Tube has on rare occasions been the target of terror groups. In fact, the London Underground sees over one billion passengers per year and averages an accident per 300 million … [Read more...] about Terror on the Tube: A History of Disasters on the London Underground

London History: A Guide to Metroland – The Suburban Expansion of London Brought On By The Tube

Dec 5, 2019 By John Rabon Leave a Comment

Also known as Metro-land, this suburban area north-west of London was a major project by the railway to transform unused land into a series of residential communities. Metroland wasn’t the first time a rail company was instrumental in growing London. In truth, the continued influx of people from the countryside to London in the 19th Century had caused the city’s metropolitan … [Read more...] about London History: A Guide to Metroland – The Suburban Expansion of London Brought On By The Tube

Exhibition Report: George IV – Art and Spectacle at The Queen’s Gallery

Nov 18, 2019 By Laura Porter 1 Comment

A new exhibition at the Queen's Gallery, Buckingham Palace, looks at a king who collected and commissioned many of the finest works of art in the Royal Collection. George IV: Art and Spectacle makes it clear he was a patron of the arts and while he didn't hold back on the spending, he did have good taste. This is the official state portrait of George IV by Sir Thomas Lawrence, … [Read more...] about Exhibition Report: George IV – Art and Spectacle at The Queen’s Gallery