Monthly Archives: April 2016

Charterhouse, Monastery of

Posted on April 29, 2016 by

Above: Ancient gateway in Charterhouse Square that was the original entrance to the Monastery of Charterhouse. Before the religious houses of England were suppressed (in 1536) by Henry VIII, London acted are quite a magnate for the English mother houses … Continue reading →

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Shakespeare at Silver Street

Posted on April 27, 2016 by

Above: City Plaque on the low retaining wall of the churchyard of St Olave, Silver Street. You may already be aware that the evidence for William Shakespeare’s life is remarkably small. For someone so famous you would think that every … Continue reading →

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Shakespeare’s Plays

Posted on April 25, 2016 by

Above: Front page of the First Folio. William Shakespeare (born 23 April 1564) died on his birthday in 1616. This year, therefore, we celebrate the 400th anniversary of his death. As far as we know, Shakespeare’s life was a busy … Continue reading →

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St George, Perry Hill

Posted on April 22, 2016 by

Above: Close-up of the highly original weathervane on the tall spire of the  church. “St George and the Dragon” The 23rd April is St George’s Day. It is not hard to find visual representations of St George in London. Several … Continue reading →

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Gresley, Sir Nigel

Posted on April 20, 2016 by

On 5 April 2016 a statue to Sir Nigel Gresley was unveiled on the new concourse of King’s Cross Station. Nigel Gresley (1876-1941) was born in Derbyshire. He became Chief Mechanical Engineer for the Great Northern Railway from 1911 to … Continue reading →

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Smithfield Medieval

Posted on April 18, 2016 by

Above: Outline map of the area around Smithfield representing a date of around 1500. The remarkable thing about London’s street plan is how far back it goes. Much of the street layout has remained the same for over a thousand … Continue reading →

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Angel, Islington

Posted on April 15, 2016 by

Above: Photo of Islington High Street around 1900. The Angel is the large building on the left. Apart from the traffic and people’s dress being different in 1900, the buildings are still the same today. A more suitable title for … Continue reading →

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