Exploring one of the world's greatest cities
My latest video is an exploration of 10 London pubs, all of which have a tale to tell- including the tavern frequented by the villainous Bill Sikes, a secretive bare-knuckle boxing venue and the pub that lends its name to an unfinished tube station…. Click below to watch! ***
https://youtu.be/Um0ZsRNpPLc The Great Exhibition, which was held in Hyde Park in the huge, purpose built Crystal Palace between May and October 1851, was a defining moment in London’s history. The brainchild of Queen Victoria’s husband, Prince Albert and the inventor and civil servant, Henry Cole, this five month long event was essentially the world’s first…
London has seen some very strange trains over the years; a good example- which I explored in my last article– being the two Necropolis railways which once operated from King’s Cross and Waterloo. Although the idea of funerals being conducted by rail is a fascinating one it is also, let’s be honest, pretty morbid too! To lighten…
The history of the London Necropolis Railway and the Great Northern Cemetery Company is also available as a video documentary, which can be viewed by clicking below: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aQDcWg5EaXQ It sounds strange- morbid even- but in the mid-19th century, two railway terminals opened in London which were specifically designed for transporting the dead. The first of…
1970s London embraced an exciting array of musical genres from glam and reggae to pub rock, punk and more. London’s West End, 1977 Here are 15 music videos from that decade, all of which were filmed in London. Enjoy! In the Summertime: Mungo Jerry, Park Lane W1 (1970) Mungo Jerry were formed at the end…
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b4ssbFKLzJ4&t=5s James Greenacre was one of 19th century London’s most notorious murderers. The story behind his gruesome crime begins on the Regent’s Canal, which was built between 1812 and 1820 as a means of linking the Grand Union Canal to the River Thames. Route of the Regent’s Canal on an 1840s map of London A…
1960s London was truly swinging; an exciting place where music and fashion thrived. In this post, I’ll be sharing a number of music videos which were all shot in 1960s London. Even though the medium was still in its infancy during this era there are still some cracking promos to discover! London, 1967 This collection is…
Believed to have developed amongst market traders and petty criminals in the mid-19th century, Cockney Rhyming Slang is one of London’s most famous quirks and, although not as widely heard as it once was, this fun and playful language remains an important aspect of the city’s character. As a companion to my earlier A-Z Guide of…
80 years ago, on the night of 29 December 1940, a photograph of St Paul’s Cathedral was taken as it towered above smoke and flames. It would prove to be one of the most iconic images of London ever captured. Christmas 1940 The Battle of Britain had been raging since July 1940. As the weeks…
Welcome to this festive special in which I’ll be taking you on a tour of the sites in London connected with Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol. I have also compiled a video version of this tour for the robslondon YouTube Channel which can be viewed below. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bl4bPj8jjrg During his celebrated career, Charles Dickens wrote a…
