Edward VII – The People’s King
Edward VII smoked at least 20 cigarettes and 12 cigars a day. And when he died of emphysema and a series of heart attacks in 1910, he had both his...
Under the Waterloo Clock
The Waterloo Clock is a beautiful addition to Waterloo Station. This special London station was named after the Waterloo Bridge which opened in 1848. It was Britain's largest station (25...
The Cheviot Hills
The rolling Cheviot Hills that straddle the English-Scottish border are pronounced without the last syllable. This pocket for land was used for hunting. It was known as a chase, thus...
Getting Married at Gretna Green
In 1753, Lord Hardwicke’s Marriage Act passed in England. The Act prevented anyone from getting married under the age of 21. And marriage was only allowed with full parental consent....
Hampton Court Palace
The robust extravagance of the Royal Family, gives Hampton Court Palace something that no other palace or castle has. It has a unique personality. This wonderful royal home evolved from...
Ruth Ellis – last woman to be hanged in Britain
How did it happen that Ruth Ellis was the last woman to be hanged in Britain?
Hodge the Cat
When my late mother visited me in the UK, I always took her on walking tours of the Square Mile. The City of London forms the foundation of so much...
Surbiton – the Queen of the London Suburbs
In the 1830s the railway was expanding across Britain. It made its way towards the south west of London and was to be developed into and beyond Kingston. But the...
London Eye – the eye of London
In the early 1990s a competition was launched to design a millennium landmark.
Where does the word ‘Xmas’ come from?
The word 'Xmas' is not just a lazy abbreviation for 'Christmas'. It comes from Greek, which was the language of the gospels. Using the Greek alphabet, the word Christ was...
Lillie Langtry – the Talk of London
Lillie Langtry was admired by women and desired by men. She was painted by Whistler and praised by Twain
Frome’s Valentine’s Lamp
At the top of Catherine Hill, in the heart of Frome, is the world’s only Valentine’s Lamp.