Blog

One of the latest visitor attractions in the City of London is also one of the best – the London Mithraeum. It provides a fascinating glimpse of what life was like during the time of the Roman occupation and shows us just how much the first centuries of London’s existence helped to shape the reputation…
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Mr. Pepys is back in his rightful place in Seething Lane. The great diarist Samuel Pepys will soon be restored to the place where he belongs – the garden at the rear of the PLA building in Seething Lane. He was taken away when the restoration work transformed this majestic one-time headquarters into the luxurious…
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Smithfield – still a working meat market There’s a fascinating LONDON FOOTSTEPS walk coming up on Monday, 26th June 2017 – MURDER, MEAT AND MEDICINE. Are you interested in coming along and hearing about the part that Smithfield has played in the history London? Riots, murders, executions, even links with Monty Python. Henry VIII and…
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As the new office blocks currently going up re-shape the City skyline, it is worth reflecting on those who in past centuries have, in their own way, been a part of London’s remarkable 2000-year rise to prominence. Only a fraction of them appear in history books but that doesn’t mean we should forget them. Many…
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Although the City of London remains the main focus of interest for many of the City guides, exploring the East End reveals many extraordinary stories that can be developed into fascinating walks. Bethnal Green, Wapping, Whitechapel, Shoreditch, Hackney – all are rich in history with diverse cultures, traditions, religions and languages. East London offers so…
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Why not join my BRIDGE TO BRIDGE walk on Thursday, 18th May 2017. The walk starts from Tower Hill Station and lasts about 2 hours. We shall cross over Tower Bridge, come back across London Bridge, walk along the Thames Path to Southwark Bridge, then back over to the Southern side of the river before…
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The question often asked when invited to speak at clubs and societies is…”which subject would you recommend?” That is almost impossible to answer because London offers such a rich source of stories that almost any subject can be fascinating and keep the audience engaged. These talks are often ‘moveable feasts’. All the time there is…
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They are the hidden gems that provide the clues to so much of London’s rich history. Blue Plaques provide tantalising information of people, places and events that have contributed so much to the development of the City. For those on a LONDON FOOTSTEPS walk they offer an invitation to explore the stories behind them. It…
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It will never be known how many died in the Great Plague of 1665. Some say it was less than 80,000; others put the figure at above 120,000. Yet a year later, the Great Fire of London which completely devastated the City only claimed the lives of around 20 people, an astonishingly low number. These…
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When, in 1839, Britain’s much admired soldier-statesman, Arthur Wellesley, the Duke of Wellington, began to correspond with the richest woman in the land, Angela Burdett-Coutts, a unique friendship developed which was to impact on the lives of so many people throughout the 19th century. Their personal and trusting relationship is revealed in over 800 letters…
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