Upminster Mill

I clambered around this gem during the weekend. Upminster smock Mill was built in 1803.
A smock mill has six to eight weatherboard sides and a cap on top that rotates the sails.

During the 18th century farmers wore a smock and funny cap and looked like a windmill. This wee treasure is the last of its kind in the UK saved by a group of volunteers who devote their time to its upkeep and on certain days of the year will spend hours showing you around and telling you anything you ever wanted to know about its history.

One of the tales is that of the son who had a successful bakery on the nearby corner but committed suicide when the council forced him to sell for road works. The amount he would have received was not enough for him to start any new venture.
Sound familiar?

America Street

Thank you all for your well wishes yesterday, I feel much better after a day of rest.

Recently on a walk through the borough of Southwark I came across America Street. I felt certain there would be an interesting history associated with it. I can't find anything. The best I can offer is the the nearby Cathedral has close ties with America. John Havard a parishioner lost most of his family members during the Southwark plague, he and his wife then left for Massachusetts in 1637. Unfortunately John died a year later of consumption.

There are also connections with the cathedral of settlers who went to Connecticut and in typical colonist fashion appropriated land from the indigenous tribes.
A petition was presented to Queen Anne who ruled in favour of the indigenous people. this ruling was ignored.
In 1735 a group comprising both indigenous and settlers came to London to petition King George II to restore their lands. Disaster struck and the entire party died of smallpox before meeting the King. The lands remained with the settlers.

Small Pub - Big Choice

It may be a tiny pub but it punches way above it weight in both selection of beers and interesting surroundings. This was one of the two lodges that sat either side of the grand arch that lead into Euston railway station. The grand arch was demolished during the redevelopment in the 1960's causing a huge public outcry at the time. Much of the original arch has been recovered from where it was dumped and there is a rumour it will be rebuilt as part of the next redevelopment of the station to accommodate the new fast rail.
In the meantime enjoy a boutique beer at this quaint drinking establishment.

Ancient Hall

Westminster Hall. The oldest part of Westminster Palace, built between 1097 and 1099. An incredibly impressive hall, try and visualise the coronation banquets that took place here for nearly 800 years. Or the state trials and impeachments, such as those of guy Fawkes or Charles I.

St George and the Suffragette

Back in the 1700's the area of Bloomsbury was growing rapidly. An act was passed in 1711 to build 50 new churches in the area. Six eventuated. Among them St Georges, shown here. In 1913 the funeral of Emily Davison, the suffragette killed by the King's horse at the Epsom Derby,was held here.

York Water Gates

Tucked away in Embankment gardens these gates once in front of York House leading directly onto the Thames. York House was one of the mansions on the Strand built around 1237 for the Bishops of Norwich. Although it was not known as York house until 1556 when acquired by the Archbishop of York. The water gates pictured here were an addition in 1626 during the period the property was owned by George Villers 1st Duke of Buckingham.

Construction of Embankment in Victorian times meant the gates were no longer on the Thames banks. Where York House once stood is now modern office buildings. The gates do seem a little out of place but are a reminder of what once was here.

Black Cab Tours

What a perfect way to see the best of London in the ultimate London icon, a black cab. Graham is your driver and a trained guide who has a history degree. Black cab drivers have to know every street within a 6 mile radius of the centre of London as part of the "knowledge". More important than any of that Graham is passionate about the London he knows so very well and his enthusiasm is infectious. I now know that the centre of London is not really Trafalgar Square but is actually the statue of Charles I in Whitehall. To be absolutely correct it is the raised hoof of the horse he is riding and all distances are measured from here. Want to know anything about the Beatles? Hendrix? maybe Dickens or Shakespeare? Architecture? Graham's your man. Check out his web site for information on all his tours.

p.s. if you ask him really really nicely he just might let you sit for a moment in the front seat of his cab. If he does make sure you have your camera for a photo you can show off back home.

Stories from Silence

A free storytelling event for children and adults by the Wellcome Library.

Saturday 18 July, 14.00-15.30
Sunday 19 July, 14.00-15.30

A Native American in full war dress armed with bottles of prairie medicine, an exploding bucket, Japanese demons, and a voice from plague-ridden London in 1665 all feature in a live storytelling event to be held at Wellcome Collection on 18-19 July.

Four specially commissioned storytellers will use performances, Japanese story boards and live demonstrations to tell their stories, each inspired by one of four different objects in the Wellcome Library.

Story lovers of all ages will be transported to London during the Great Plague of 1665-66, to the magical land of Japanese spirits and demons, to Clapham Common in the 1890s - where assistants dressed as Native Americans (or 'Red Indians' as the Victorians knew them) touted Sequah medicines while volunteers had their teeth pulled - and taken on a school trip to San Diego in the mid-1990s to hear Francis Crick's colourful personal account of his early youthful, and at times explosive, experiments.

These four stories, spanning different countries and centuries, bring to life four fascinating items in the Wellcome Library - the world's greatest collections of books, manuscripts, pictures and films relating to the history of medicine.

Families and adults are welcome at this free event, which also includes audio description of the four central objects, as well as speech-to-text live subtitles (on Saturday 18 July) and BSL (on Sunday 19 July).

To book your free tickets, visit the Wellcome Collection website.