Monday Miscellanea

Dave Haste
By Dave Haste Last edited 127 months ago
Monday Miscellanea

Westminster Abbey

This Week In London’s History

  • Monday5 August 1100: Henry I is crowned King of England at Westminster Abbey.
  • Tuesday6 August 1937: Barbara Windsor is born in Shoreditch in central London. She would achieve fame as an actress, notably in the Carry On films of the 60s and 70s and later as a major character in Eastenders.
  • Wednesday7 August 2001: The Department of Health pays £27 million for a private Harley Street heart hospital, re-nationalising it and bringing it into the NHS. It becomes the first private hospital to be nationalised since the foundation of the NHS.
  • Thursday8 August 1988: The Duchess of York gives birth to her (and Prince Andrew’s) first child in the Portland Hospital in central London. The girl would later be named Beatrice Elizabeth Mary, confounding those who foolishly placed bets on what the new princess’s name would be.
  • Friday9 August 1902: Another royal Westminster Abbey anniversary: more than 18 months after the death of Queen Victoria, the heir to the throne, Edward VII, is crowned king.

Random London Quote Of The Week

Nothing is certain in London but expense.

William Shenstone

Photo by Gary Crutchley via the Londonist Flickr Pool.

Last Updated 04 August 2013