Carolineld
Mostly historical, mostly London blog with art, ghost signs and various visits elsewhere.
MY BLOGS
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Caroline's Miscellany
http://carolineld.blogspot.com/
Deptford - London - Brittany - random bits of history
LATEST ARTICLES ( 790 )
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A 14th-century Tower in the Paris Suburbs
In the southeastern suburbs of Paris, Créteil is off the tourist track - but it does have a hidden treasure. The Colombier de Créteil is a dovecote which has... Read more
Posted on 25 May 2020 CULTURE, DESTINATIONS, HISTORY -
A Little Piccadilly Circus Secret
Tucked away in a part of Piccadilly Circus Underground Station inaccessible to the public is this tile. The station opened in 1906; this tunnel was one of... Read more
Posted on 17 May 2020 CULTURE, DESTINATIONS, HISTORY -
Salisbury Plain's Lost Village
Since 1943, nobody has lived in the village of Imber. Visiting is only possible on a few days a year; the rest of the time, it is part of the Army's training... Read more
Posted on 10 May 2020 CULTURE, DESTINATIONS, HISTORY -
Aux Belles Poules, Paris
In England, prostitution has for centuries occupied a strange position in law: it is legal, but most surrounding activities are not. Read more
Posted on 04 May 2020 CULTURE, DESTINATIONS, HISTORY -
Execution of the Cato Street Conspirators
Five men were executed, 200 years ago today, for their part in the Cato Street Conspiracy. This plot to kill the Prime Minister and his Cabinet, as the first... Read more
Posted on 01 May 2020 CULTURE, DESTINATIONS, HISTORY -
Secret Moorgate Station
A Sunday just before lockdown began: even the public areas were quiet!A busy station in the heart of the City of London, with tube and railway lines, is hardly ... Read more
Posted on 26 April 2020 CULTURE, DESTINATIONS, HISTORY -
Deptford Sewage Pumping Station
Now known as Greenwich Pumping Station, this site just to the east of Deptford Creek has long fascinated me. For many years, this meant peering through the fenc... Read more
Posted on 21 April 2020 CULTURE, DESTINATIONS, HISTORY -
United Nations in London
It's not all that well-known, but the United Nations has one organisation whose headquarters are in London: the International Maritime Organisation (IMO). Read more
Posted on 13 April 2020 CULTURE, DESTINATIONS, HISTORY -
Behind the Scenes in Westminster Cathedral
Westminster Cathedral, the distinctive neo-Byzantine building near Victoria Station, is a striking landmark. It has welcomed worshippers and tourists since the... Read more
Posted on 05 April 2020 CULTURE, DESTINATIONS, HISTORY -
Purfleet Magazine
On the margins of London, on the edge of Rainham Marshes, and on the banks of the Thames, is the Essex town of Purfleet. Its residents are probably right to fee... Read more
Posted on 08 March 2020 CULTURE, DESTINATIONS, HISTORY -
Dinan
Just because you can never have too many pictures of beautiful Dinan. This town in Brittany, built on a hillside above the Rance river, has buildings from... Read more
Posted on 29 February 2020 CULTURE, DESTINATIONS, HISTORY -
London Scales, York Merchants
In York's Merchant Adventurers' Hall is a fine pair of scales, dated 1790. As well as the year, they also have the maker's details: De Grave London fecit [De... Read more
Posted on 22 February 2020 CULTURE, DESTINATIONS, HISTORY -
Ghost Signs (140): Portsea Ghost
Above Demon Dave's barber in Bishop Street, Portsmouth are the faded remnants of a ghost sign. Having been painted over, it's difficult to decipher. However,... Read more
Posted on 01 February 2020 CULTURE, DESTINATIONS, HISTORY -
Lincoln's Inn: No Broken Windows
Lincoln's Inn is one of the four Inns of Court. These Inns are both professional bodies to which all barristers in England in Wales belong, and physical places... Read more
Posted on 22 January 2020 CULTURE, DESTINATIONS, HISTORY -
Ghost Signs (139): Chester, Platform 3
This ghost sign is an intriguing fragment, visible between the posters on platform 3 of Chester railway station. It seems to have directed passengers to ...... Read more
Posted on 09 January 2020 CULTURE, DESTINATIONS, HISTORY -
Cap Frehel in Winter
One of the finest places in Brittany is Cap Frehel, a peninsula on the Emerald Coast. The rugged coastline is watched over by two lighthouses and protected by... Read more
Posted on 02 January 2020 CULTURE, DESTINATIONS, HISTORY -
Deptford Ragged School Archive
Deptford Ragged School was founded 175 years ago, changed its name to the Princess Louise Institute over a century ago, and still survives as the Deptford Ragge... Read more
Posted on 19 December 2019 CULTURE, DESTINATIONS, HISTORY -
Fake London Facts
There is only one street in Britain where you drive on the right. It's Savoy Court, the short and taxi-filled road from Strand to the front door of the Savoy... Read more
Posted on 12 December 2019 CULTURE, DESTINATIONS, HISTORY -
Election 1888: Scawen Blunt in Deptford
As Britain again votes in a general election, we revisit a story from Deptford's 1888 by-election.When decorator Samuel Newson was prosecuted for impersonating ... Read more
Posted on 11 December 2019 CULTURE, DESTINATIONS, HISTORY -
On Top of York Minster
York's gothic cathedral is the most famous, and visible, of the city's buildings thanks to its vast size and three towers. While the current building dates... Read more
Posted on 10 December 2019 CULTURE, DESTINATIONS, HISTORY