Monday Miscellanea

This Week In London’s History

Monday - 8th June 1999: At the Old Bailey, ex-cabinet minister Jonathan Aitken is sentenced to jail for 18 months, having been found guilty of perjury and perverting the course of justice.

Tuesday - 9th June 1958: Queen Elizabeth II flies into a revamped Gatwick to officially open London’s second biggest airport. Wednesday - 10th June 2000: The Millennium Footbridge opens, spanning the Thames between Bankside and the City. It would initially suffer from ‘synchronous lateral excitation’ (a.k.a. wobbliness), necessitating its closure and the fitting of dampers. Thursday - 11th June 1988: The Nelson Mandela 70th Birthday Tribute (a.k.a. Mandela Day Concert) takes place at Wembley Stadium. More than 600 million people worldwide tune in to watch the epic day-long concert. Friday - 12th June 1991: The Outrage! gay rights group stage a mass ‘queer wedding’ in Trafalgar Square to demand equal rights for same-sex partners as for married couples.

Random London Fact Of The Week

The Boundary Estate, in Shoreditch, is the oldest housing estate in London. It was opened in 1900 by the Prince of Wales.

Londoner Of The Week

For better or worse, we reckon that one of this week’s most discussed Londoners will be the man who has fronted calls for a tube strike based on seemingly unrealistic pay demands, whilst simultaneously urging Londoners to vote for his new political party. Step forward, Bob Crow.