Remember William Wallace

Though for many of us, a questionable film adaptation of his life may spring to mind when remembering the man, of course William Wallace was a real man, celebrated for the part he played in the Wars of Scottish Independence in the late 13th and early 14th centuries.


Sadly, Wallace's visit to London is not one to be celebrated, for he was brought here as a prisoner, facing trial in Westminster Hall before being subjected to torture and a particularly gruesome execution in Smithfield, where today he is commemorated in a plaque on the walls of St Bartholomew's Hospital.

For more, see http://www.londonremembers.com/memorials/st-bartholomew-s-hospital-sir-william-wallace

Tour a replica of the Cutty Sark

Readers will remember that Victorian tea clipper, The Cutty Sark, burned down in 2007, and this summer a replica of the ship was opened in the dry dock the original once sat in, using some of the original metal & bits which survived the fire, but using plenty of shiny new wooden bits.


Your author visited a few weeks ago and was - as expected - rather underwhelmed by the experience, for there are plenty of things worthy of preservation and when one is completely gutted by fire, it is a little odd to pretend the replica you have created is the same as the original. The views of the tasteful sorts at the Victorian Society on the design of the surroundings for the ship are also pretty spot on.

But of course, you should probably decide for yourself, just think of the money which you pay to visit as an unprompted donation to charity. For details, see http://www.rmg.co.uk/cuttysark/

Find Imre Kiralfy's Mausoleum

Though the venue for much of the 1908 Olympics, the White City Stadium, was demolished in 1985 in order to build the BBC White City buildings, the Mausoleum of its creator, Imre Kiralfy is still standing in Kensal Green Cemetery.


An Austro-Hungarian showman and former conjurer who was a protégé of P.T. Barnum, Kiralfy was an unlikely person to mastermind the creation of the great stadium and it is perhaps understandable that the stadium was only added as an afterthought to a Franco-British trade exhibition on the same site.

Upon his death, Kiralfy was interred in the Mausoleum, but in 1921 his wife had him removed and cremated, and another mausoleum built in New York, which was completed in 1924 and which became their final resting place. The cemetery is now open April - September, 9am - 6pm (10am - 6pm Sundays) and October - March, 9am - 5pm (10am - 5pm Sundays).

For more, see http://www.winningendeavours.org/67-142/imre-kiralfy-photo.html


_{^Picture © Jim Linwood used under a Creative Commons license^}

See the Spitalfields Dioramas

Last week, we looked at the excellent library at the Bishopsgate Institute, and if any readers remain unconvinced and in need of a reason to drop in, they are in luck. As highlighted by the amazing Spitalfields Life blog, a set of dioramas, originally created for the Bell Public House, Middlesex Street, in the 1970s, are currently on show in the main reading room.


A few weeks ago, your author dropped into the unveiling of the dioramas, originally created by model maker Howard Karslake, and was pleasantly surprised, finding very well observed details in models depicting Petticoat Lane Market, the Truman Brewery and the Bell at the end of the nineteenth century.

For more, see http://www.bishopsgate.org.uk/content/1690/The-Dioramas-of-Spitalfields and for more from Spitalfields Life why not buy the excellent book.

Find the site of Alexander Fleming's discovery

A blue plaque on the wall on Praed Street near Paddington Station remembers the room, two stories above, where in 1928, Alexander Fleming returned to his work bench at St Mary's Hospital to accidentally discover Penicillin.


Fleming had just returned from a trip to his country home to find discarded Petri dishes he had piled up to make space for his colleague Stuart Craddock to use his work bench. We are told that a colleague dropped in causing Fleming to have a good moan about his workload, and rummage through the dishes.

One of the dishes was contaminated with fungus, causing colonies of the staphylococcus bacteria to be destroyed, whilst other colonies farther away remained intact. This chance discovery led to the development of Penicilin, the antibiotics derived from Penicillium fungi.

For more, see http://history1900s.about.com/od/medicaladvancesissues/a/penicillin.htm

Hear the music of Norman Long

A well-known voice in the 1930s, the music of Sydenham-based Norman Long - a BBC entertainer known for his wit, charm and ability to poke fun at the establishment - has all but disappeared into the ether, but for one South-London-singer who is determined to keep his memory alive.


We are told that Norman Long was the son of a Sydenham bootmaker and lived in a house on Queensthorpe Road. During the First World War, he entertained as part of his service, and despite deciding on a career as an insurance salesman after the war, he found the time to write music which gently mocked the establishment, and became famous after recording songs for various BBC programmes including "A Song, A joke, and a Piano".

South London singer Alexandra Carter has decided to revive his work in a concert that, she believes, may be the first time in around 90 years that anyone has heard Norman Long's songs in concert. For more, see https://sites.google.com/site/alexcartersinger/

Attend the London Map Fair

As far as your author is concerned, anyone who is unable to find interest in old maps has no soul, and so the London Map Fair, which concludes its annual two day event today, is sure to be an interesting affair.


The largest antique map fair in Europe, the London Map Fair was established in 1980 and, we are told, brings together 40 leading antiquarian map dealers, and hundreds of other dealers, collectors, curators at the Royal Geographical Society, with maps on sale from £10 to £100,000.

For more, see http://www.londonmapfairs.com/

_{^Picture © El Bibliomata used under a Creative Commons license^}

Find London's first drinking fountain

Built into the railings of St Sepulchre-without-Newgate, on Holborn Viaduct, London's first Metropolitan Drinking Fountain can still be seen, complete with two cups retained on chains and marked with the words 'Replace The Cup'.


Originally installed in April 1859 and paid for by Samuel Gurney, the fountain was moved in 1867 as Holborn Viaduct was built, and then reinstated in its original position in 1913. Though no longer functioning, it is an interesting anomaly.

For more, see http://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/2653851

Find Thomas Cubitt in Pimlico

A statue of Thomas Cubitt, the master builder whose work shaped large areas of 19th Century London, stands on Denbigh Street in Pimlico.


The son of a Norfolk carpenter, Cubitt's work covered significant areas of Bloomsbury, and Belgravia around Belgrave Square and Pimlico, as well as the east side of Buckingham Palace, and nearly a kilometre of the Thames Embankment, built and funded by the great man.

For more, see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thomas_Cubitt

_{^Picture © Jim Linwood used under Creative Commons^}

Take a twilight tour of Apsley House

Often referred to as Number One, London, the most famous address in London, The Duke of Wellington's former home at Apsley House, on Hyde Park Corner is a Grade One Listed house, originally built for Lord Apsley in the 1770s.


Tonight from 6pm - 8pm, English Heritage offer a rare chance to visit in the evenings, for a twilight tour guided by torchlight, in the company of a knowledgeable guide, to help visitors discover the fascinating history and beautiful collection of art of the building.

For more, see http://www.english-heritage.org.uk/daysout/events/twilight-tours-ah-29-mar/

See the Mottingham Ice Well

A relic of the days before mechanical refrigeration, the Ice Well, beside the Tarn in Mottingham, was built around 1760 as an ice store for Eltham Lodge.


Though it is some distance from the Lodge, the well was placed here so ice could be cut from the Tarn in winter and placed in the well, which is mostly underground, and the brick lining, shady situation and damp ground would keep the ice cool, allowing the affluent residents access to ice at a time when this was the last word in luxury.

For more, see http://www.london-footprints.co.uk/articehse.htm

Browse at Chelsea Military Antiques

Chelsea Military Antiques' main shop appears to actually be quite a long way from Chelsea, in Whitcome St off Trafalgar Square. It specialises in medals, covering a range of different arenas of conflict, with a strong selection of WWI and WWII memorabilia.


We are told that the shop stocks both British & Foreign Decorations and medals, with some dating back as far as the Napoleonic Wars. When your author visited there also appeared to be helmets and uniforms on sale.

For more, see http://www.chelseamilitaria.co.uk/

Attend a talk at Dr Johnson's House

It won't surprise many readers to hear that your author is an admirer of Dr Samuel Johnson, and his house in Gough Square is a fascinating place to visit. There could be no better opportunity than tonight, the museum's very talented curator, Stephanie Chapman, is giving an illustrated lecture on Johnson's visits to different country houses around the country, which sounds fascinating.


We are told that the talk will concentrate on Johnson's visits to Kedleston and Chatsworth, taking a look at the great man's experiences and his predictably vociferous opinions of his visits. As the museum is small, tickets (£12) are limited so please check the website, and telephone ahead if necessary.

For more, see http://www.drjohnsonshouse.org/events.htm

Say hello to Abraham Lincoln

Towering in front of Middlesex Guildhall, on Parliament Square, is someone that passers-by often don't expect to find there, as here stands Abraham Lincoln, the 16th President of the United States of America.


The statue is a replica one that stands in Lincoln Park in Chicago, USA, and the original designs were by American sculptor Augustus Saint-Gaudens. The statue was unveiled in Parliament Square in July 1920, and was part of a plan to celebrate a century since the Treaty of Ghent, which marked of peace between Britain and the USA. However, it was not actually erected until six years after the 1914 anniversary.

For the full story, see http://yourarchives.nationalarchives.gov.uk/index.php?title=The_statue_of_Abraham_Lincoln_in_Parliament_Square

Admire All Saints Blackheath

A beautiful church in a stunning position at the heart of Blackheath, All Saints Blackheath was designed by Benjamin Ferrey, the Hampshire-born student of architect Augustus Pugin.


The church is particularly pleasing for its position on the Heath, distinct from the surrounding buildings, and also for the line of sight from the General Woolfe Statue in Greenwich Park, along Blackheath Avenue to its spire. We are told that it has Kentish rag surfaces and its vestries and porch were added in 1890 and 1899 by A W Blomfield.

For more, see http://www.allsaintsblackheath.org

Browse the Caird Library

Your author took up a kind invitation from the National Maritime Museum over the weekend to visit the updated Caird Library in their brand new Sammy Ofer Wing. Named after the shipping magnate Sir James Caird, it is the largest collection of its kind in the world, and holds some fantastic documents, books, pamphlets, maps and periodicals dating from the 1400s to the present day.


The library is open to all and free, with visitors just needing to pre-register before their visit to access their vast collection, which includes the entire P&O archive, many thousands of crew and ship registers, rare and printed maps and atlases and other items covering every aspect of maritime history. They also have a particularly interesting book on old pirate haunts, the Lundy Island section of which kept your author busy for some time.

For more information, see http://www.rmg.co.uk/researchers/library/

Admire Dover House

Recently in the news as the offices of the Secretary of State for Scotland, a job which may or may not have a future, Dover House is the home of the Scotland Office, and whilst it is not open to the public, its impressive portico is a commanding sight on Whitehall.


Built on Crown land between 1755 and 1758, Dover House is still owned by the Crown Estate and leased to the Scotland Office. The building was previously a private residence home to a French ambassador and the poet Lord Byron. The building is entered through a Georgian rotunda, and its offices are often described as the best Ministerial offices on Whitehall.

For more, see http://www.scotlandoffice.gov.uk/scotlandoffice/10184.html

_{^Picture © stevecadman used under Creative Commons^}

See the Dudgeons Wharf Memorial

A poignant memorial on the Isle of Dogs, the Dudgeons Wharf Memorial marks a spot where five men from the London Fire Brigade died in the greatest single loss of life since the Second World War.


The firemen died when oil tanks exploded as they tackled a riverside fire at Dudgeons Wharf on 17th July 1969. A plaque remembers Michael Gamble, John Appleby, Terrance Breen, Paul Carvosso and Alfred Smee, who had come to fight the blaze from various stations across the city when the tragic incident occurred.

For more information, see http://www.london-fire.gov.uk/PostWarFamousFires.asp

Have coffee in the Brunel Museum cafe

During a trip to the Brunel Museum this week, your author enjoyed fantastic hospitality and a welcome & warming cup of coffee in the recently refurbished cafe.


Alongside tea, coffee and home-made cakes, the café also serves as a gallery, hosting exhibitions by talented local artists and photographers, and is a welcome addition to a museum well worthy of visiting.

For more, see http://www.brunel-museum.org.uk/VisitUs/Cafe.aspx

Learn about the St Margaret's House Settlement

Tonight, the Gallery Cafe in Bethnal Green have kindly offered to lend a space for the Tired of London, Tired of Life book launch, to which you all are invited, so it is only polite to explore a bit of the interesting history of their parent body, the St Margare's House Settlement.


Founded in 1889, the Settlement is a charitable trust, established to support local community groups and offer them space for their projects and activities. This includes office space for some organisations, as well a meeting rooms, a hall for events, a garden and the fantastic Ayoka Charity Shop, the Create Place and the Gallery Cafe.

Your author is a big believer in the value of usable space for a community, and that is why he is such a big fan of St Margaret's House. For well over a century, they have provided support to a range of community projects and organisations, from their base in Bethnal Green, and long may they continue to do so.

For more, see http://stmargaretshouse.org.uk/