Monday Miscellanea

Dave Haste
By Dave Haste Last edited 193 months ago
Monday Miscellanea
The Waterloo and City Line tunnel in Bank Station

This Week In London’s History

  • Monday25th February 1900: The first tube station to be known as ‘Bank’ is opened, effectively replacing the old ‘City’ station and providing a link between the Waterloo & City Railway and the newly extended City & South London Railway (now part of the Northern Line). At the same time, nearby King William Street station is closed.
  • Tuesday26th February 1797: The Bank of England issues its first one-pound and two-pound notes. Wednesday27th February 1900: The Labour Party is formed at the Memorial Hall on Farringdon Street. Thursday28th February 1975: A southbound Northern Line train overshoots the end of the platform at Moorgate Station, accelerating into a dead-end tunnel and crashing into a hydraulic buffer and then a brick wall at about 40mph. 43 people die, and many more are severely injured. Friday29th February 1928: A notable cocktail is invented at the Savoy Hotel…

    Random London Fact Of The Week

    Fancy a slightly different tipple after work this Friday? We recommend that you find an obliging bartender and order yourself a Leap Year Cocktail:

    2 measures gin
    1/2 measure Grand Marnier
    1/2 measure sweet vermouth
    1/4 measure fresh lemon juice
    A twist of lemon peel (for garnish)

    Shake the ingredients (minus the lemon peel) over ice, then strain into a chilled cocktail glass. Add the garnish.

    This cocktail was invented by the Savoy Hotel’s head bartender, Harry Craddock, on 29th February 1928 as a part of the hotel’s leap year celebrations. According to the Savoy Cocktail Book (1930), this cocktail has been used to support the tradition that the ‘leap day’ is an appropriate occasion for a lady to propose marriage to her suitor:

    [This cocktail] is said to have been responsible for more proposals than any other cocktail that has ever been mixed.

    So then, ladies, if you’re looking for some Dutch courage to help you pop the question to your man this Friday, you now know the perfect drink to help you out…

    London’s Weather This Week

    The temperatures promise to creep up a bit this week, but it’s going to be a bit breezy at times, and some of the evenings will probably still be a bit chilly. Prepare for some rain, also.

    Photo of the tunnel to the Waterloo & City Line at Bank Station courtesy of paulbence photography’s Flickr photostream.

    Last Updated 25 February 2008