Monday Miscellanea

Dave Haste
By Dave Haste Last edited 129 months ago
Monday Miscellanea

This Week In London’s History

  • Monday - 17 June 1497: In the Battle of Deptford Bridge (a.k.a. the Battle of Blackheath), Henry VII's army defeats the forces of the Cornish Rebellion, effectively ending their uprising.
  • Tuesday18 June 1972: A British European Airways plane bound for Brussels crashes moments after taking off from Heathrow airport, killing all 118 passengers. An inquiry later concludes that the pilot had made a ‘speed error’ and stalled the plane, causing it to crash into a field in Staines.
  • Wednesday19 June 1997: McDonald’s wins a libel case against two members of the ‘London Greenpeace’ campaigning group. Having taken seven years, the ‘McLibel’ case becomes the longest-running court action in English history, and despite the verdict, something of an embarrassment to McDonald’s.
  • Thursday20 June 1934: Work starts on dismantling the original Waterloo Bridge, designed by John Rennie and opened in 1821, to allow for a more structurally sound replacement. The first stone is removed by Herbert Morrison, leader of the London County Council at that time.
  • Friday21 June 1887: Queen Victoria celebrates her Golden Jubilee with a procession through London that, according to Mark Twain, “stretched to the limit of sight in both directions”.

Random London Quote Of The Week

London, thou art of townes A per se.
Soveraign of cities, seemliest in sight,
Of high renoun, riches and royaltie;
Of lordis, barons, and many a goodly knyght;
Of most delectable lusty ladies bright;
Of famous prelatis, in habitis clericall;
Of merchauntis full of substaunce and of myght:
London, thou art the flour of Cities all.

William Dunbar, 'In Honour of the City of London'

Photo by Rob Emes via the Londonist Flickr Pool.

Last Updated 16 June 2013