Take a look any map of medieval London and you can’t miss the 30 or so religious complexes dotted around the City and suburbs, housing the likes of monasteries, schools and hospitals. Surrounded by stone walls with secure entrances through gate houses, these private precincts grew into thriving […]
When the late Queen Mother undertook tours of the suburbs she often dropped in on the residents of prefabs, claiming the developments resembled holiday camps. Walking around the Excalibur estate in Catford, south London, this afternoon I could see exactly where she was coming from – proud people […]
Travelling across Romania, the ghost of Nicolae Ceaușescu is always present. In town after town we drove through we found the hallmarks of the communist dictator’s stamp on urban planning – grimy, shoe-box apartment blocks within easy reach of equally grotty industrial estates. During a nine-day trip to […]
With all the hype these days about apartment sales on the banks of the Thames, you could be forgiven for thinking that the river is lined with luxury homes along its entire length. While residential property dominates in waterfront areas closest to central London, take a short DLR […]
When the British Museum opened its doors to the public on the 15th January 1753 its policy on admissions was simple – entry was free and given to ‘all studious and curious Persons’. More than 250 years on, there is still no charge for visitors to view the […]
As cholera swept through London in the 1800s, no corner of the capital was left untouched. Hundreds of thousands died as the water-borne disease spread. But while some improvements were made to the sanitation over the course of the century, it seemed that the East End was left […]
William Hogarth’s infamous depiction of Gin Lane has for a long time fascinated me. Issued in 1751, the print portrays the supposed evils of consuming the addictive spirit. In a busy scene, Hogarth has captured, the poverty and despair of a community dependent on gin. In the foreground […]
After three glorious weeks, the BBC’s Tudors season is drawing to a close. Highlights for me included an expert panel (with guests ranging from David Starkey to Hilary Mantel) taking a fresh look at the rise and fall of Anne Boleyn and a biography of Henry VII, the […]
After a short break, Pastinthepresent.net returns. In my last post I was in Israel so, now back in London, it’s appropriate that I kick things off again today by tracing Jewish heritage across the capital. I’ve had a fascinating day visiting the oldest surviving synagogue in Europe, exploring […]
By Oliver Clark, in Budapest In 896AD the Magyars, a host of nomadic tribesmen from Siberia and the ancestors of today’s Hungarians, first arrived in what is today Budapest and decided it seemed a good place to make their home. And travelling around the Hungarian capital on a […]
Past In The Present 