Category: City of London

Ten Ways to Name a Church

How the citizens of the City of London created unique identifiers to help differentiate the 100+ churches in the Square Mile.

The London Wanderer’s Top Three Business Opportunities 2021

With tongue at least partially-in-cheek, let me propose three possible post-Covid business opportunities in the heart of the City.

Lesser Fleas

Nothing to do with fleas, nor even the plague. Instead, I describe another two of those administrative curiosities that London seems to specialise in - the Inner and Middle Temples.

James Townsend’s Legacy

Was he a liberal reformer and the first black Lord mayor of London, a figure to be celebrated, or an imperialist unaware of his own ethnicity? Read on to discover why I don't really answer the question.

Local Government, City of London Style

A post for devotees of municipal governance. Welcome to a world of Freemen, Liverymen, Councilmen, Aldermen, Sheriffs, Aldermanic Sheriffs and a Lord Mayor, in a city that is home to less than 10,000 people.

The Assassination of Broad Street

Who was responsible for the destruction of what was, in 1900, the third busiest rail terminus in London? I name names and point fingers.

The Other Royal Home in the City

The Tower of London survives in all its glory; the lost Baynard's Castle and Bridewell Palace are well-documented. So I've written a short post on the long-forgotten Tower Royal. It's short because there's next to no evidence.

A Bluffer’s Guide to … Dick Whittington (oh, yes it is!)

Everything you need to know about a real Lord Mayor of London who, for some reason, is the main character in a traditional pantomime

A Road by Any Other Name … Part 3

An endless fascination with street names and their evolution has seen me reach again for my copy of Eilert Ekwall's authoritative tome.

All Hail the Ale Conners …

Welcome to the bizarre world of the Southwark Courts Leet, City outposts south of the Thames that have had no purpose for centuries and yet are still with us, alive and ... er ... well, they are certainly alive.
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