Monday Miscellanea

Dave Haste
By Dave Haste Last edited 194 months ago
Monday Miscellanea
Royal Exchange

This Week In London’s History

  • Monday21st January 1976: Concorde’s first commercial service, from London to Bahrain (and Paris to Rio de Janeiro) commences.
  • Tuesday22nd January 1876: The Royal Aquarium opens in Westminster. It would be demolished just 26 years later and replaced by the Methodist Central Hall. Wednesday23rd January 1571: The Royal Exchange in the City of London is officially opened by Elizabeth I. Over the next few hundred years it would be destroyed by fire (and rebuilt) twice. Thursday24th January 1969: Students and staff at the London School of Economics riot in protest over the installation of steel security gates. Friday25th January 1731: William Pulteney, 1st Earl of Bath, and Lord John Hervey, 1st Earl of Bristol, hold a duel in Green Park over ‘libellous’ accusations of homosexuality. Neither is seriously injured.

    Random London Fact Of The Week

    The Jubilee Line was originally to be named the ‘Fleet Line’ after the River Fleet. However, following the Queen’s Silver Jubilee in 1977, the name of the forthcoming line was changed – and the line’s proposed battleship ‘fleet’ grey colour was lightened to a more silvery grey.

    London’s Weather This Week

    To somewhat tenuously quote 80s popsters Five Star (remember them?): “Rain or shine – you’ll always be one in a million – my fantasy come true. Rain or shine – it’s you and me – cut me a heart on a tree and say it’s forever, not a year and a day.”

    Of course that reference to Romford’s answer to the Jackson Five has not got much to do with anything, except that the weather might be a bit changeable this week – so you may want to hum this infectiously twee little ditty to cheer yourself up if you get caught in the rain. Or maybe not. It’s up to you, really.

    Picture taken from Ian Muttoo’s Flickr photostream.

    Last Updated 21 January 2008