Monday Miscellanea

This Week In London’s History

Monday – 18th February 1996: An IRA bomb explodes on a double-decker bus on Aldwych, killing the bomber and injuring eight members of the public.

Tuesday – 19th February 1960: Prince Andrew is born in the Belgian Suite of Buckingham Palace. Wednesday – 20th February 1913: Two suffragettes set fire to the tea pavilion at Kew Gardens at around 3am, destroying it completely. Thursday – 21st February 1946: Alan Rickman is born in Hammersmith. He would become a multi-award-winning film, television and stage actor. Friday – 22nd February 1807: A huge crowd gathers outside Newgate Prison to witness the hanging of convicted murderers John Holloway and Owen Haggerty. In the crush and chaos, as many as one hundred people are killed through trampling or suffocation.

Random London Fact Of The Week

The ubiquitous Marlboro brand of cigarettes was named after Great Marlborough Street – the location of the Philip Morris factory that originally produced it.

London’s Weather This Week

The forecasters agree that the wonderful sunshine will last for a day or two (as will the frosty nights), but as the week progresses it looks like the temperatures will rise (although the sun may become more elusive).

Sketch of crowds gathering to watch an execution outside Newgate Prison by Thomas Miller (1852).