This Week In London’s History
- Monday – 21st November 1695: The great composer Henry Purcell dies at his home in Westminster. The cause of his death in unclear, with theories ranging from tuberculosis to chocolate poisoning.
- Tuesday – 22nd November 1977: Concorde's first scheduled commercial flight from London to New York takes off from Heathrow.
- Wednesday – 23rd November 1984: A fire at Oxford Circus tube station traps almost 1000 people in smoke-filled tunnels for three hours.
- Thursday – 24th November 1868: The new meat market at Smithfield (known as the Central Market) is opened.
- Friday – 25th November 1952: Agatha Christie’s stage play, The Mousetrap, begins its run at the New Ambassadors Theatre in the West End. It would run there until 1974, when it would transfer, without break, to St Martin’s Theatre (next door), where it still runs today - representing the longest ‘initial run’ of any play in the world.
Random London Quote Of The Week
A mighty mass of brick, and smoke, and shipping,
Dirty and dusty, but as wide as eye
Could reach, with here and there a sail just skipping
In sight, then lost amidst the forestry
Of masts; a wilderness of steeples peeping
On tiptoe through their sea-coal canopy;
A huge, dun cupola, like a foolscap crown
On a fool's head - and there is London Town.
Lord Byron, Don Juan
Picture by Philippe Brysse via the Londonist Flickr pool.
We originally, erroneously, stated that serial killer Rosemary West was sentenced at the Old Bailey on 22nd November 1995. Thanks to Chris Harrison for putting us straight.