Monday Miscellanea

This Week In London’s History

Monday - 27th April 1840: Following its almost complete destruction by fire in 1834, work on rebuilding the Palace of Westminster starts with the laying of a foundation stone by the wife of the architect Sir Charles Barry.

Tuesday - 28th April 1801: Anthony Ashley-Cooper, 7th Earl of Shaftesbury, is born at 24 Grosvenor Square. He would become a noted politician and philanthropist, whose works would be commemorated by the construction of the Shaftesbury Memorial (a.k.a. ‘The Angel of Christian Charity’, a.k.a. ‘Eros’) in Piccadilly Circus. Wednesday - 29th April 1745: Cowper Thornhill, keeper of the Bell Inn in Stilton, Cambridgeshire, rides from the inn to Shoreditch Church and back. He then turns around and rides back to London again, covering a total of 213 miles in 12 hours and 17 minutes, to the awe of many spectators lining the route. Thursday - 30th April 1999: ‘London nailbomber’ David Copeland plants his last bomb, in the Admiral Duncan pub in Soho. Three people are killed and dozens are injured. Friday - 1st May 2000: The May Day anti-capitalism protests bring mass violence and vandalism to central London. On the same day one year later, police detain thousands of protesters and unwitting bystanders in Oxford Circus for about 6 hours.

Random London Quote Of The Week

A country gentleman should bring his lady to visit London as soon as he can, that they may have agreeable topicks for conversation when they are by themselves.

Samuel Johnson

One Thing You Must Do In London This Week

Check out Slow Exposure, the results of our very own photography competition, at Ray's Jazz Cafe, Foyles, Charing Cross Road.