This Week In London’s History

• Monday – 28th January 1807: The gas lamps on Pall Mall are lit, making it the first street in the world to be illuminated in such a fashion.
  
• Tuesday – 29th January 1976: Twelve IRA bombs explode in the area around Oxford Street, injuring a taxi driver and starting several small fires.
  
• Wednesday – 30th January 1969: The Beatles perform live for the last time ever, on the roof of the Apple Records building in Mayfair.
  
• Thursday – 31st January 1609: Guy Fawkes and his fellow conspirators are hanged at Old Palace Yard in Westminster.
  
• Friday – 1st February 1444: The steeple of St. Paul’s is damaged when it is struck by lightning.

Random London Fact Of The Week
We may be accustomed to the ubiquitous nature of Indian restaurants in the capital, but of course it was not always so. In fact, the first ever Indian restaurant in London (and possibly the UK) opened less than 200 years ago.

In 1809, a Bengali entrepreneur named Sake Dean Mahomet opened the Hindoostanee Coffee House on George Street in Marylebone. As with many ‘coffee houses’ of the time, this establishment did not serve coffee – however it did feature a menu that was entirely dedicated to Indian cuisine, offering somewhere “for the Nobility and Gentry where they might enjoy the Hookha with real Chilm tobacco and Indian dishes of the highest perfection”.

The restaurant was popular but financially unsuccessful, and the entrepreneur soon abandoned it and moved to Brighton, where he established a highly successful shampooing business, eventually being appointed ‘shampoo surgeon’ to King George IV (and later William IV).

London’s Weather This Week
There should be quite a bit of sunshine in between this week’s sporadic showers. However, the forecasters seem to think it will get a bit chilly as the week progresses. Scarf, umbrella and shades required.

Picture of the Apple Records building taken from Jeherv’s Flickr photostream.