Travelling across Britain I’m always alarmed when I come across accounts of how places of national historical or archaeological importance could have been lost forever. Splendid buildings like St Pancras Station and over two thirds of Covent Garden, for example, would have been destroyed by developers had campaigners […]
Over in London’s square mile today people were reportedly waiting for three hours in the pouring rain to go up the landmark ‘Gherkin’ building. “Not worth it for six minutes at the top,” someone wrote on Twitter. Officially 30 St Mary Axe, the 41 storey construction, completed in […]
Visiting the Sun Inn in Herefordshire used to be like wandering into someone’s house and stopping by for drinks in their living room. Beers at this so-called ‘parlour pub’ were served from the kitchen: there was no bar counter and customers sat together, chatting at long wooden trestle […]
People from Bristol have contributed a lot to the world over the years. Bristolians played a large part in manufacturing Concorde, they created plasticine and invented the blanket. And of course John Cabot sailed from Bristol and re-discovered North America in 1497. But perhaps a lesser known fact […]
London is such a vibrant and exciting place to live – you never need get bored given the array of attractions on offer. But give me a reason to get out and explore England’s green and pleasant lands and I’ll jump at the opportunity. Arriving in quaint English […]
In contrast to the ugly concentre monstrosity that spans the Thames today, the London Bridge of medieval times was an awe-inspiring stone structure which attracted visitors from all over Europe. Taking over 30 years to complete, and claiming the lives of an estimated 150 workmen during its construction, […]
In the shadow of the Shard at the southern end of London Bridge, there’s a curious looking grey spike sculpture jutting up in the sky. Skater boarders use the pedestal for performing tricks, while most people probably simply walk past it. But this feature has a great deal […]
Past In The Present 