Anyway, with Watkin and Forbes going every which way but round, by the 1880s the government was getting frustrated with the lack of a Circle Line, so a third, separate company was formed to fill in the gaps between the Metropolitan and District Railways. Watkin wasn’t happy with this at all, bought it out and decided to finish the job himself.
The first train to travel in a loop around London was in 1884. James Forbes and Edward Watkin rode in the same carriage as part of the celebration, but at opposite ends, and refused to say a word to each other the entire way round.
The enmity between these bitter rivals not only delayed the development of the underground, but also causes problem to this day. Watkin and Forbes set the tone for the rest of the network being built. Every one of London’s tube lines (apart from the Victoria and Jubilee Lines which came much later) were built by separate private companies competing with each other to bring passengers to popular parts of London, rather than cooperating.
This is why there are two separate stations called Edgware Road that have nothing to do with one other. It’s why Hammersmith has two stations on opposite sides of the road. Why Euston has two different stations, as well as Aldgate.
Ever tried changing trains at Oxford Circus or Charing Cross and found yourself lost in a warren of endless, confusing tunnels? That’s because each was two separate stations combined into one. Finally it’s also why, when the entire network came together in 1933, many stations became redundant and were closed, leaving London with around 40 abandoned ‘ghost stations’ (see our other blog on Aldwich station, and the image of Down Street station below).
The London Underground is an iconic part of the city that, as much as its users grumble, they would never wish to do without. We owe its existence to the extraordinary vision of its creators, and its many annoyances to their equally massive egos.
Meanwhile, Edward Watkin was industriously creating new branch lines of his railway, going west and north. Since they used the same trains, his intention was to link his underground section in London to the other railways he owned in the North of England. Alas, this project ran out of funds, and ground to a halt 50 miles outside of the capital. Though not stretching out quite that far today, this is why the Metropolitan Line reaches further than any other London Underground line.
Another failed project of Watkin was to have tourist attractions along his route, to attract more passengers to his trains. As part of this scheme, he decided to build his own version of the Eiffel Tower, on a hill overlooking the capital, in Wembley.
It was to be bigger, taller, and better than the one in Paris, containing a 90 bedroom hotel, a theatre and restaurants. Eiffel was asked to design the landmark, but unsurprisingly declined to outdo his masterpiece in his own country. Undeterred, Watkin began construction in 1891.
When this project also ran out of money, he opened it to the public anyway in 1896, despite having only completed the first stage of the tower. Circus tents were erected on top, hoping to draw people up for some elevated entertainment. However, while the park around it proved popular, few people wanted to ascend the giant monstrosity, which soon came to be known as “Watkin’s Folly” and “The London Stump.”
The whole thing was dynamited in the early years of the 20th Century, and Wembley Stadium built there instead, opening in 1907
But Watkin had even bigger ambitions. He wasn’t only attempting to expand his railway north; he was also hoping to go south; further south than any British railway had gone before — to Paris. In the 1880s he submitted a plan for building a Channel Tunnel to Parliament. He even began tunneling in Kent.
The government, however, was having none of it. For one thing, politicians were worried that the technology of the time wasn’t up to the task, but their biggest concern was that France might invade from under the sea. No, that would not do at all.
That same fear was again raised when talk of the modern Channel Tunnel began in the 1970s. By then, it was the Soviet Union that was the concern. As was common during the Cold War, the solution was clear: if the Soviets invaded using the Channel Tunnel, there could only be one thing for it — nukes. The idea was to wait until a sizeable portion of the Red Army was in the tunnel, then blow it up. The only problem was this would convert the tunnel into a gigantic cannon, shooting nuclear material out at great velocity and destroying half of Kent.
Continue to Part 3
Love it or loathe it, the underground is a huge part of the London experience, for locals and visitors alike. People new to the city often find it overwhelming, while Londoners dread the daily commute in crowded carriages, shoved up against someone’s sweaty armpit.
Strong feelings about the Tube are nothing new. When the idea of an underground railway was proposed in the 1840s, the Times newspaper described it as “an insult to common sense”, and when it opened, the Prime Minister, Lord Palmerston, flatly refused to go anywhere near it. Meanwhile, a preacher in Smithfield foretold that it would bring about the End Times as we tunnelled into hell. Passengers during rush hour these days might not disagree.
In the mid-nineteenth century, the narrow streets of London were a seething mess of open sewers, horse manure, and horrendous traffic jams of carriages and carts. Something had to be done to keep the city moving, so in 1854 a government commission decided that underground was the way to go.
The Metropolitan Railway was created by digging trenches along the city streets (causing even more traffic chaos, no doubt), laying track down, and covering it over again. They didn’t see the need to make new rolling-stock, so the line was built wide enough to accommodate steam-trains already in use above ground.
Unsurprisingly, the public were a little concerned about breathing in the smoke and soot particles in such a confined space, but the Metropolitan Railway assured them that it would be no worse than entering a steam room, and may even be beneficial if you have asthma…
The first stretch of underground railway anywhere in the world, running between Paddington and Farringdon, opened in January 1863, and was a huge success. On the very first day, 30,000 people travelled under the city streets. So, the government wanted more.
A separate company was founded to construct a railway through the south side of central London, along the river. Confusingly named The Metropolitan and District Railway, it had several board members from the Metropolitan Railway and the intention was that these two companies would cooperate to build a circular railway under London, and then merge. The initial stretch of the new line opened between South Kensington and Westminster in 1868.
However, as both companies ran into financial difficulties in the early 1870s, they were taken over by two railway magnates who hated each other’s guts. James Forbes became chairman of the Metropolitan and District Railway at the turn of the decade, while a couple of years later, his arch-nemesis, Edward Watkin took over the Metropolitan Railway.
Both were already bitter rivals in the rail transport business, and instead of cooperating to build a circle line, they literally took their railways in opposite directions to each other.
James Forbes expanded what we now call the District Line south-westward, connecting the towns of Ealing, Richmond and Wimbledon to Westminster by 1879. As much of the land was not heavily developed, it was significantly cheaper to build above ground out west than to go underground in central London. For one thing, they didn’t have to compensate for damaging wealthy city-dwellers’ property, or deal with the bad press of demolishing poorer people’s homes. The expansion was hugely popular, and facilitated London’s growth to encompass many once separate towns and villages. Continue to Part Two
Today many of you may know Whitecross Street for its vibrant international food market which is super popular with the local workers during the week and also for its annual street art festival which takes place every July.
That event is one of the few opportunities where street artists can paint on the walls without fear of recrimination, and along the street you’ll find the likes of Conor Harrington, Urban Solid, Paul ‘Don’ Smith and DS Solid have left their mark.
Further works now adorn the side of the Peabody Housing Estate, and they certainly bring a splash of colour and imagination to the area, and walking along Whitecross Street feels like you are passing through an outdoor art gallery.
Check out these works by Otto Schade, Boxhead, Inkie, Zadok, Airborne Mark, Nathan Bowen
Moving back in time, it may not surprise you to know that this street was named after a stone white cross which once stood here as early as the 15th century. White stone crosses often represented the jurisdiction of the Knights Hospitallers – a wealthy religious order at the time – with the four arms representing the four virtues of prudence, temperance, fortitude and justice.
At one point the Hospitallers controlled Malta, and the Maltese Cross owes its history to the religious order, hence the similarity. Incidentally, if you are keen to delve into the order’s fascinating history, you can visit the Museum of the Order of St John in nearby Clerkenwell (below image).
Peeling back the veneer of modern hipster morality, this street’s history paints a picture of a place which has struggled to live up to those four Christian virtues!
A 17th century ballad went like this: ‘In Whitecross Street and Golden Lane do strapping lasses dwell, and so do there in every street, twixt that and Clerkenwell’
One such strapping lass was the notorious Priss Fotheringham who in around 1660, after a career of working in brothels, set herself up as the madam of the The Six Windmills tavern on the corner of Whitecross Street and Old Street.
During her younger years, she was described as ‘the second best whore in the city’, and gained great fame from her skill at the ancient art of ‘chucking’, where she would stand on her head, naked, and customers would throw coins into what at the time was known as her ‘commodity’. Not surprisingly this form of entertainment proved spectacularly popular, and the tavern became known as the ‘half crown chuck office’.
The 17th century also saw the street develop as one of London’s foremost Sunday markets. Being just outside the walls of the City of London, it thrived despite many God-fearing folk considering having a market on the Sabbath to be ‘vulgar’. It attracted working class people known as costermongers’ which translated into modern language means apple seller.
Over time, almost certainly to protect themselves from the law, they developed a secret language whereby they spoke words backwards – ‘boy’ became ‘yob’, table – ‘elbat’, and ‘penny’ – ‘yennap’. Alongside this they also developed a language we still know of today, called rhyming slang, which included phrases like ‘rubbedy dub’ for pub, and ‘trouble and strife’ for wife!
By the 19th century, following an article written by one of the first investigative undercover journalist James Greenwood which shocked the readership, Whitecross market became associated with poverty and alcohol, and was known as the ‘squalors market’.
So perhaps it could be argued that with so much law breaking and raucousness, Whitecross Street could be seen as an ideal place for a jail… In 1813 a debtor’s prison was built here to house up to 500 inmates and ease crowding in Newgate Prison in the City of London. But given that at this time you could be imprisoned for stealing a shilling or a sixpence, it is estimated that over 2000 people passed through these doors each year, and once incarcerated it was notoriously difficult to get out.
Fortunately once a year according to the 17th century Will of Nell Gwynne, prostitute turned favoured mistress of King Charles II, a sum of £20 was given to inmates of the prison to release them from jail on Christmas Day. By 1869 it was no longer possible to imprison people for debt, and the following year the jail closed down.
Today Whitecross Street really feels like a sanitised shadow of its former wild days, with even the anti establishment ethos of street art now here being challenged by being officially sanctioned and controlled by Islington Council. So maybe the four virtues of the ancient white cross are finally being fulfilled!
With thanks to Clerkenwell & Islington Guiding Association and the English Hedonists for providing the inspiration to write this article.
The Business Design Centre is regarded as one of the best conference and exhibition centres in the UK. Many of you may have been inside and seen the huge open spaces, an auditorium and scores of smaller rooms used as office space which is ideal for hosting hundreds of events each year.
Taking a break from closing other things down, it was opened by our former PM Margaret Thatcher in 1987 after a major restoration project by the businessman Sam Morris, who has a bust inside. He was keen to recreate the glory days of the building after it had laid empty and unloved for nearly 20 years.
Opened in 1862, it was said to be inspired by construction of Crystal Palace in Hyde Park for the Great Exhibition in 1851. It was originally used for holding the annual Smithfield Show, and was known as the Royal Agricultural Hall. The first agricultural event here attracted 135k people, and every year usually over 100k arrived to observe agricultural innovations, equipment and animal husbandry.
It was also the host of the Royal Tournament from 1880 for 20 years, which was the greatest military event of the year.
Although the agricultural show was a huge success, there were inevitably fallow periods, and these were filled with some more unusual events.
In 1877 the first six day walking race took place here and drew crowds of 20,000, while the following year it held the first six day cycling event when a professional cyclist David Stanton wagered £150 (£12k in today’s money) that he could ride 1000 miles in six days, cycling for 18 hours each day. Amazingly he managed it within 73 hours!
Talking of global events, what is now the world’s most famous dog show, Crufts, had its first official competition here in 1891. It was organised by Charles Cruft, a local dog biscuit salesman, and immediately attracted aristocrats and royalty from across Europe. 2000 dogs were entered, including six by Queen Victoria, who not surprisingly won joint first prize! Some say it was ‘rough’ justice…
Unfortunately when the agricultural show moved out to West London in 1938 the building lost some sense of purpose, and despite being used temporarily as a parcel depot during the war by 1970 it was empty and unused except for occasional events and a bingo hall.
Its rebirth has been pretty spectacular, even being used as the home of Stella McCartney’s first graduate fashion show in 1996 and the BAFTAs in 1999 where rather appropriately given its agricultural past, Live Flesh was nominated for best foreign language film and Thora Hird won best television actress award!
Walk along the busy ‘street of ink’ from the Royal Courts of Justice towards St Paul’s Cathedral, and if you keep your eyes peeled you will see statues of two of the most iconic monarchs in British history. Given their fame you may imagine they would be on plinths or set in a nice square, but they are rather hidden away, as unassuming in death as they were imposing in life.
First up, in an alcove set within the church of St Dunstan in the West, you’ll find a statue of Queen Elizabeth I. Experts debate the age of this figure, but if we are to believe the inscription of 1586 underneath, it may well be the oldest outdoor statue in London.
What we know for sure is that there was a statue of the ‘virgin queen’ on Ludgate – one of the gates to the City of London – in the 17th century, and that the diarist John Evelyn describes the statue as having survived the Great Fire of London of 1666 with ‘little detriment’. However, it is possible that the gate and its figures may have been remade following this event.
When Ludgate was torn down in 1760, the statue of Elizabeth was restored and placed at St Dunstan in the West looking east towards St Paul’s Cathedral and the location of the old gate.
When the church was demolished in 1830, the figure was sold for £16.10 and bought by the local Goslings bank. But while work was undertaken to rebuild the church the statue spent some years inside a neighbouring pub until it was rediscovered by some rather surprised construction workers who were in the process of knocking the pub down!
Finally in the twentieth century, girl power and common sense prevailed when four notable women funded the restoration – Gwen John the painter, Miss Jones of Lincoln’s Inn, and the famous suffragist Dame Millicent Fawcett (now with her own statue in Parliament Square) and her sister.
Statue of Millicent Fawcett in Parliament Square, unveiled in 2018.
Stay on the same side of Fleet Street, and after a couple of minutes you will come across a rather beautiful building with an inevitable Pret a Manger at ground level. Look up, and you’ll discover a statue of Mary Queen of Scots.
Those of you who know your history will know that Mary Queen of Scots was executed upon the orders of her cousin in 1587. And who was this cousin? Queen Elizabeth I. Oh the intrigue!
This statue certainly wasn’t sculpted during the lifetime of the monarch, instead being created in 1905 by the wonderfully named Sir Tollemache Sinclair. Being a Scottish MP and landowner, he had a particular fascination with the life of Mary, and not only erected this 2 metre statue above the entrance, but also had a plaque bearing a poem of hers in the hall.
In 1950 the Daily Telegraph reported that the statue of Mary was in a neglected state, and was ‘rousing the ire of Scotsmen’ until arrangements were made to give her a ‘first wash for 75 years’ (the press exaggerating? Whatever next…) Still, it is interesting to note that it took until 2015 for a statue of Mary to be created in Scotland.
So next time you wander down this particularly busy stretch of London take a moment to look up and pay your respects to two of the most distinguished women in our history.
If you were wondering which hotel is the most superstitious in London, look no further than the Savoy Hotel. It is of course known the world over for being a byword for opulence, pandering to the obscenely rich and illustrious ever since it opened its doors to the privileged on 6th August 1889. However, those of you who have ever had the fortune to dine here may have been made aware of a superstition which dates back over a hundred years.
Let me take you back to early 1898. The Savoy was less than a decade old, and despite being a great financial success, attracting the aristocracy and even the Prince of Wales to its dining rooms, the world renowned manager Cesar Ritz and head chef Auguste Escoffier had just been fired by the hotel for financial misconduct.
At almost exactly the same time, 34 year old Woolf Joel, one of the famously rich Joel brothers who gained their wealth through diamond and gold mining in South Africa, arranged a dinner party for fourteen guests (including himself) at the Savoy. At the last minute one of the guests pulled out, leaving thirteen seated at the table. The conversation turned to superstition, and it was suggested that whoever left the table first would be cursed with misfortune. Woolf Joel was that man, or so it would appear, for as soon as he returned to Johannesburg on 14th March he was shot and killed. He left an estate worth £1.2m and was transported back to London, then was buried at the Willesdon United Synagogue Cemetery.
However, the extraordinary reasons for the murder clearly indicated that there was more than bad luck involved. At the ensuing trial the gunman Baron Von Veltheim alleged that he had entered into an agreement with the Joel Brothers and their uncle Barney Barnato to kidnap the South African president J.P.Kruger. When the brothers broke the agreement, Von Veltheim shot Woolf Joel in self-defence. It was on these grounds that he was acquitted. However, a sensational second trial occurred a full decade later in London after Von Veltheim had spent the intervening years blackmailing his co-conspirators. On this occasion the gunman was sentenced to twenty years in prison.W
The Savoy Hotel was sufficiently moved to take a respectful stance in this matter and mark Woolf Joel’s murder by the simple act of offering groups of thirteen who dined an opportunity to be joined by a member of staff for the duration of the meal. But of course this created its own issues regarding confidentiality and privacy, so eventually it was decided to create a lucky mascot for these occasions.
In the mid-1920s the artist Basil Ionides was commissioned to design a large wooden cat which he duly carved from a single piece of London plane tree. It was black and christened Kaspar, and from 1927 at each party of thirteen this lucky four legged friend sat in the unlucky chair to ensure no misfortune would visit any subsequent guests. A napkin was tied around his neck, and he was served each course of the meal, with all the correct china, glass and cutlery suitable for the occasion. And to this day, this odd practice is still continued!
Being rather familiar with the Savoy Hotel, Winston Churchill was a known admirer of Kaspar. Towards the rear of the hotel is the luxurious Pinafore Room, where the ‘Other Club’ meets once a fortnight on a Thursday evening. This dining club was established by Churchill and the conservative Member of Parliament FE Smith in 1911 after they were not invited to join the distinguished dining club ‘The Club’.
The original membership was of twelve Liberals, twelve Conservatives and 12 ‘distinguished outsiders’ and has gone on to include members as diverse and similar as John Profumo, HG Wells, Aristotle Onassis and Tony Blair. Kaspar is expected to be present at all of these meals. However, on one occasion he was stolen by officers of no.609 West Riding Squadron and installed in their mess but then he was smuggled back to avoid punishment.
A few weeks later he was taken again by the same squadron, this time in a daring raid named ‘Operation Kaspar’. On this occasion, one of the group became the decoy, stuffing his tunic with empty bottles. He was challenged by the head waiter. Another officer took a heavy bag containing all sorts of items and was promptly searched. Meanwhile the squadron’s intelligence officer snuck off with Kaspar under his raincoat. On this escapade Kaspar sustained a few scratches and a scuffed ear, so it took a little bit of surgery before he was once more restored to the Pinafore room. Churchill was said to have been delighted!
So the next time you walk along the Strand and your companion wonders why the two shrubs at the front have been given a feline appearance, and why the restaurant is called Kaspars, you will have one of the more bizarre stories of London to fall back on…
Did you know that there are signs on the streets of our great city which point with assuredness towards the existence and knowledge of a parallel universe? And that an explorer of this other realm has left signposts in three London streets which tell of great lost civilisations, wars, tribes and cultures?
Probably not. And that’s why we’re here!
Today we went looking for the clues to this legendary universe, known as ‘Kcymaerxthaere’ (pronounced Ky-MAIR-icks-theer) after stumbling across the first key to the multi-dimensional puzzle on Old Compton Street during our Curiosities of London Walking Tour.
Confused? That’s understandable. Let us interpret.
Dangeroos are giant war kangeroos with the ability to disembowel someone within 20 paces with their huge claws. At the Battle of the Devils Marbles, their power destroyed the Material Alliance, causing the Tehachapic peoples to become refugees. On their subsequent flight, the defeated Tehachapic came across the devastation here, and assumed that the Dangeroos were responsible. Henceforth the event became known as the Great Dangeroo Flood.
Wait, what? Don’t worry, it’ll become clearer in time. Honest…
Using our own other-worldly navigational skills, we set sail for the choppy waters of Whitechapel, taking refuge in Angel Alley, where we found the next sign:
So…
We’ve all heard of the Royal Family of Rockall right? And we remember when Martha Tabran died and her sister Esther flew into a rage against the Crown Prince who was accused of the crime? It turns out that the Prince was not actually guilty, but was so decadent he deserved his fate anyhow. The upshot was that it sparked the rebellion against the Royal Family, and this sign tells of how they fell into obscurity as a result.
Now that’s cleared up, lets show you the final piece in this jigsaw, which is down in Kennington. We discovered this one on the corner of De Laune and Braganza Street, just minutes from the tube station.
Bragansas are a phenomenon recognised in many diverse cultures, but colloquially they are inaccurately described as the Tombstones of the Shaarara Tlar.
And that’s it! Now that everything is crystal clear, keep your eyes peeled just in case another sign presents itself on a street near you….
If you feel this article requires further explanation, or if you want to find these signs yourself, check out the official kcymaerxthaere website
For those of you who are fans of George Michael, Emilia Clarke, Henry Golding, Emma Thompson, Paul Feig or just lovers of Christmas feel good movies, you’ll probably love this film.
Don’t let the Guardian’s one star Grinch-like review put you off if you haven’t seen it, especially if you enjoy looking around London’s streets for the unusual, unique, hidden or simply beautiful nuggets of history which give this city so much magic.
So in honour of Last Christmas and its litany of film locations, here’s a guide to the best bits… Just in case you missed part 1, then click here.
1. Phoenix Gardens
This wonderful oasis in the heart of Central London was officially opened in 1986, and acts as a community garden run by dedicated volunteers to provide a much needed sanctuary amidst the noise and commotion of the surrounding area.
Emma Thompson and Paul Feig considered this to be the ideal location for several key scenes in the movie where Tom and Katie have their heart to heart chats. For these scenes, the whole garden was turned into a beautifully lit fairyland which truly conveyed the magic of Christmas in London.
Originally on the site of these gardens stood a building which was bombed in WW2. Following that it was a car park, and if you do come here, take a moment to consider that beneath your feet there are still arched vaults and cellars for buildings which used to be here before, meaning that it is only suitable for plants with shallow roots. Perhaps a good analogy for the way Kate feels about her life until she meets Tom.
And before you leave this tiny oasis, check out the mural by the street artist Stik.
2. Cecil Court
One of the most atmospheric streets in London, you may remember this as the place where Kate dragged her suitcase into Tom while he was locking up his bike, then proceeded to get changed out of her elf costume in a doorway!
Cecil Court has been known as a heaven for book enthusiasts for 300 years, and still is the place in London if you are searching for an out of print book. Those of you who remember the TV advert for Yellow Pages in 1983 may remember that JR Hartley came here to look for his book on fly fishing!
It also has a rather magical feel, with the oldest esoteric bookshop in London, Watkins, having attracted such luminaries as Blavatsky, Yeats and almost certainly JK Rowling, who may well have been inspired by the street’s atmosphere when conjuring up Diagon Alley.
If you are keen to find out more about this magical street, and some surrounding alleyways, hidden and secret history, then join our Secret London Tour. Alternatively, you could book a private tour with Matt and he’ll take you on a tour of all the Last Christmas film locations – contact us at info@funlondontours.com for further details.
3. Cleopatra’s Needle
Movement is a fundamental part of the film with Tom being fluid and dancing through life, while Kate trudges stiffly around the streets of London. He does this at Cleopatra’s needle. He practiced for hours in the studio dancing around obstacles set up to represent lampposts and benches.
One of the things you’ll notice when you arrive is that the bench was just a prop brought in for the shot. And think further on it and it makes sense – why would a bench have its back to the Needle and River Thames, and face the road? Just for the film to work, that’s why!
In order to keep themselves warm, Golding and Clarke often used to sing Garage songs in the early hours of the morning.
The needle was finished in 1450BC and stood in Heliopolis, Egypt, making it possibly the oldest man made structure on the streets of London. It was given by the Egyptian sultan to the English after the battle of the Nile in 1801, but the British didn’t want to pay to transport it. Eventually in 1877, some 76 years later a wealthy scientist William Wilson paid for it to be taken to England. But on the way the boat capsized, killing the six crew. Somehow the obelisk stayed afloat and it was erected here in 1878.
A curious and rather odd choice made by the Victorians was to position the bronze sphinxes facing away from the needle and so not protecting it! While a rather more serious and poignant scar can be seen on the needle, with damage still visible from a WW1 raid on 4th September 1917
One wonderful little ‘secret’: Before it was erected in London, a time capsule was put here containing some items from the period, including photographs of the twelve most beautiful women in England, a box of hairpins, box of cigars, imperial weights, baby’s bottle, childrens’ toys, a razor, British coins, a portrait of Queen Victoria, several bibles in different languages, ten daily newspapers and a map of London.
Of course, in contrast to looking back at history, Tom is keen to live in the present. He doesn’t even have a phone!
4. Savoy Theatre and Simpsons.
You’ll find these two gorgeous film locations next door to each other on the Strand.
The interior of the Savoy Theatre was used as the set where Kate had her disastrous audition dressed as an elf. When refurbished in 1929 it was the first public building in the world to be lit throughout by electricity. Although Kate failed here, the hotel next door is known as the first luxury hotel in the world, attracting superstars like Audrey Hepburn, Marilyn Monroe and Coco Chanel as guests over the years.
Tom and Kate sit outside Simpsons after they have gone ice skating, scenes filmed inside the rink at used Alexandra Palace. Emilia was due to take skating lessons with Dancing On Ice star Matt Evers who signed a NDA but it never came to pass. She says she was terrified, but that Henry Golding was amazing!
For those of you who are fans of George Michael, Emilia Clarke, Henry Golding, Emma Thompson, Paul Feig or just lovers of Christmas feel good movies, you’ll probably love this film.
Don’t let the Guardian’s one star Grinch-like review put you off if you haven’t seen it, especially if you enjoy looking around London’s streets for the unusual, unique, hidden or simply beautiful nuggets of history which give this city so much magic.
So in honour of Last Christmas and its litany of film locations, here’s a guide to the best bits…
1. Lombard Street Grasshopper
If you enjoy ‘looking up’ like the character Tom (played by Henry Golding) in Last Christmas, then you’ll simply adore this street. The historical home of banking in London and described as the Wall Street of London until the 1980s, there are still wonderful reminders of a time when hanging signs used to dominate our streets. For illiterate people a picture was far more effective than writing, and a large hanging sign could help people easily identify an establishment.
Some places went even further, with a chop house called the George and Vulture around the corner having a real vulture on a chain outside so customers would know where to come for a beer (if they could get past the dangerous bird first!)
In the late 17th century and 18th centuries, some of the signs were made out of stone to be less of a fire hazard. But in 1718 one of the signs on nearby Bride Street was so heavy it pulled the entire front of a building down and killed four passers by! By the 19th century most of them had disappeared, but for King Edward VII’s coronation in 1902 it was decided to put 23 of them back.
The grasshopper is believed to be the only original one and was the emblem of the very wealthy Gresham family. When his family moved out of the building, it was taken over by a bank called Martins, who stayed here until they were bought by Barclays Bank in 1969 along with 19 other private banks, including one called Gosling and Sharpe, which had the symbol of Three Squirrels hanging outside. Another bank along here was Lloyds which had a black horse which they still use today.
2. Brydges Place
Tom describes it as the narrowest alleyway in London. It is 34 inches at its widest point. There is another alleyway called Emerald Court which is 27 inches, but hey who cares?
A couple of tips if you are trying to locate this tiny passageway. Head for the Colosseum on St Martin’s Lane near to Trafalgar Square, then use your nose. As well as being the second narrowest alleyway in London it is most probably the second smelliest. Not so romantic!
3. Philpott Lane Mice
Continuing to follow in Tom’s footsteps, look up on the side of what was once a 19th century spice merchants, you’ll find a couple of cute mice fighting over a piece of cheese. Legend has it that they are a rather macabre reminder of a lunch break which went horribly wrong. During construction of the building, two workers were having lunch on the roof; one of the men turned his back for a few moments, and when he looked back his cheese sandwich had disappeared… Becoming uncontrollably ‘hangry’ he blamed his colleague who was pushed off the roof in the resulting argument, only for the cheese sandwich to be discovered in the grip of two cheeky mice in the other corner of the roof!
4. St Mary’s Church, Wyndham Place
This is the church which was used as a homeless kitchen in the movie and where Kate busks outside, raising some money for the charity. Then of course organised a concert with none other than Wham!’s Andrew Ridgeley in the audience!
When you arrive here you’ll be struck by why the movie producers chose this as a perfect location, as it really is a truly gorgeous church -perfectly proportioned, elegant and imposing. Cudos to the architect Robert Smirke who designed it 200 years ago.
On this occasion, movie magic reflects reality, as the church hosts a monthly meal for rough sleepers and people in vulnerable housing situations.
