Monday Miscellanea

Take today's date: 7.6.2010

Turn it back to front: 010267

Go to the Londonist Flickr pool: it's Hoa Hakananai'a, "Stolen or Hidden Friend" as captured by wallyg. God bless the British Museum!

This Week In London’s History

Monday - 7th June 1695: Hackney carriages are banned from Hyde Park, following an incident where a cab full of “unruly ladies” affronted “several persons of quality”. The ban stays in place for almost 230 years.

Tuesday - 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. Wednesday - 9th June 1958: Queen Elizabeth II flies into a revamped Gatwick to officially open London’s second biggest airport. Thursday - 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. Friday - 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.

Random London Quote Of The Week

There are two places in the world where men can most effectively disappear - the city of London and the South Seas.

Herman Melville, The South Seas