The Executioner’s Bell

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Diary entry of James Ponsonby, clerk and bellman of The Church of St Sepulchre Without Newgate 18th March 1740 I once again find myself bound to report on my loathsome duty which comprised the events of this sorry two days. As ever, the day starts well enough with a light breakfast of sardines, grilled kidneys, […]

Ye Olde Mitre – Elizabethan Pub

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Ye Olde Mitre Pub is situated in Ely Court just off Hatton Garden. The whole area is called Hatton Garden after Sir Christopher Hatton, as I will explain. It was built in 1547 originally as a part of the palace of Ely, which was the town residence of the Bishop of Ely, which is in […]

Cocktail Classes – Last Tuesday Society

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Having visited the extraordinary Viktor Wynd’s Museum of Curiosities I was informed that they also held cocktail classes once a month. So I returned one Wednesday evening to 11 Mare Street where two charming bar persons were conducting proceedings. At the Last Tuesday Society cocktail classes you get led through each stage of the cocktail […]

Who does the Best Christmas Sandwich?

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Which is the best Christmas sandwich? Every year the same burning question raises its head. Who does the best Christmas sandwich? It’s a lot harder to get right that you think! In this video Joolz Guides teams up with Gladrags and Hashtags’ Jo Caley to visit all the main contenders. Marks are awarded according to […]

St Bride’s Church – Looks Like a Cake

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St Bride’s Church Just off Fleet Street near Ludgate Circus is St Bride’s which was built in 1672 by Sir Christopher Wren. What I love about St Bride’s is the story about how it inspired the design of the traditional wedding cake. Just nearby, on Ludgate Hill a pastry chef called William Rich had his […]

Viktor Wynd’s Museum of Curiosities

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Viktor Wynd’s Museum of Curiosities Ever wanted to see the preserved vagina of a Victorian prostitute? Or how about David Bowie’s mullet that he cut off after his last Ziggy Stardust concert in Hammersmith Odeon? Kylie Minogue’s poo in a jar, anyone? Yes, you heard me right the first time. This and much more is […]

The Savoy – Driving on the Right!

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There are many suggestions as to why we drive on the left in Britain but did you know that The Savoy is the one place in where we drive on the right! IN fact, the roundabout is the gauge by which we set the turning circle of a British Taxi cab. All taxis have to […]

Blackfriars Bridge – God’s Banker

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God’s Banker Blackfriars Bridge was the third bridge to be built across the river Thames and opened to the public in 1769. It was called Blackfriars Bridge because it lies within a precinct in the City named after the Blackfriars Monastery which for many years occupied a nearby area. Although it was made of Portland […]

Dr. Who’s TARDIS – Police Boxes

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Dr Who’s TARDIS is essentially based on the Police Box which you can see spotted around London and the UK. There aren’t many left and many are replicas. There are also many smaller ones designed by Gilbert MacKenzie Trench, and the idea was that they were all connected with the local police station and anyone […]

A Roman Bath – Or is it Tudor?

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Just off Surrey Street near Temple Tube Station in London is a rather odd little attraction. The National Trust Roman Baths. There seems to be some debate as to how authentically Roman they are, but they are certainly an interesting attraction. It seems that they are more Tudor and were originally designed to feed a […]

How to use London Cycle Hire – Boris Bikes

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Joolz shows you how to use a Boris Bike! The London Cycle Hire Scheme is a great and affordable way to get around London. For just £2 you can have access to a bike for 24 hours. However, if you only want to pay £2 for the whole day you have to make sure you […]

Sweeney Todd’s Barber Shop

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Rumours abound about the real Sweeney Todd and whether he existed or not. What I love about London is its legends, characters and stories which get passed down and recycled through the ages. People can believe what they like about the true identity of Jack the Ripper or what really happened to Lord Lucan, but […]

Wilton Music Hall – Cockney Singalong

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Wilton Music Hall is the oldest surviving music hall in the world and the perfect location for Tom Carradine’s Cockney Singalong. You might have seen Tom Carradine performing with Champagne Charlie and the Bubbly Boys but you can’t miss him. He has a huge twirly moustache and spats and tail-coat and is member of the […]

Middle Temple Hall

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The Honourable Society of Middle Temple Hall was built in the 16th century, during William Shakespeare’s time and is one of the four inns of courst which can call its members to the bar. (The others are Inner Temple, Grays Inn and Lincoln’s Inn.) It was in the 13th century that the inns of court […]

John Stow’s Quill

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In St Mary’s Axe, under the shadow of the Gherkin, is a church that survived the Fire of London. St. Andrews Undershaft is so-called because it used to have a huge maypole outside in the 15th century which was taller than the steeple. In 1517 there was a riot when City apprentices rioted against foreigners […]

Cabman Shelters

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Dotted around London are these little green huts. They are actually cabman shelters designed so that taxi drivers (and hansome cab drivers in the old days) could have somewhere to go and rest and have some reasonably priced refreshments. Cabman shelters are now listed buildings and you can still buy snacks at them but you […]

Queen Anne Statue

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The amazing thing about the Queen Anne Statue at St Paul’s Cathedral is that it was actually carved by a convicted felon! The story is a remarkable one about how they didn’t want to waste the money they had already spent on getting it commissioned. During the jubilee celebration for Victoria they wanted Queen Anne’s […]

Scrooge’s Counting House & The Stock Exchange

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Learn all about the birth of the stock exchange and insurance industry, and also visit where Ebeneezer Scrooge worked in A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens. The pubs around this area were the stamping ground for all the city businessmen and often feature in the literary works. The Jamaica Inn, Simpsons and the George and […]

Temple Church

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Situated just off Fleet Street in an area called Temple Inn is one of London’s most beautiful treasures. The Temple Church was built over 800 years ago for the famous order of the Knights Templar. You might recognize the Temple Church from the film The Da Vinci Code but in real life it has great […]

Bank of England

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The Bank of England and surrounding area The Bank of England was founded in 1694 and is sometimes referred to as The Old Lady of Threadneedle Street. Their mission is to “promote the good of the people of the United Kingdom by maintaining monetary and financial stability. If you are interested in the history of […]