A smidgen under 2,000 years ago, a volcano erupted in Italy and within a day had immortalized the local residents in history. Two towns, of Pompeii and Herculaneum were buried under the volcanic fury and lay there virtually untouched until the 1750s.
Once rather difficult to visit, and still only open to pre-arranged tours, a sizeable military bunker deep underground in Uxbridge will be open to visitors every weekend from this week for a trial period of three months.
In the late 18th century, the 4th Duke of Manchester built a very grand house in London, on a location near Baker Street that chosen because there was good duck shooting nearby.
As part of the annual Open Garden’s Weekend that takes place later this year, one rather special garden will be open to the public – the one behind 10 Downing Street.
Short notice, but persons of a morbid or academic bent might want to pop over to UCL on Thursday afternoon – for there is a chance to have your photo taken with a dead man.
In 1859 Charles Darwin published On the Origin of Species, but an equally important discovery was made in France, when a flint axe was found buried amongst the bones of now extinct animals.
Now it its fifth year, the Tweed Run is a mass cycle ride through central London in a more genteel manner than the lycra-clad speeders who usually ply the streets of our city.
One of the highlights of the annual science entertainment calendar is making a return to Imperial College in March, with an evening comprising of an oddly eclectic mix of science, really bad poetry and a small girl walking up to people and repeatedly saying “Please Stop, I’m Bored” when a speaker has droned on for too long.
Surrounded and isolated by three railway lines, an unexpected nature reserve has emerged in West London – the Gunnersbury Triangle.
For the thirty-somthingth time, the English Civil War society travelled down to London to march in memory of King Charles I and once again lay a wreath on the spot of his execution at Banqueting House.
Formerly the home of the Rothschild family, a large mansion house near Acton Town tube station is now home to an expansive local museum for the area, and currently has a rather curious temporary exhibition on in addition to the usual permanent displays.
This Sunday morning, an spectacular sight will greet anyone in central London as roughly 500 members of the King’s Army of the English Civil War Society will march along The Mall to a muster in Horseguards.
Early each year is the time to dust off the paper and envelopes and remind yourself of those sticky things people used to put on those envelopes before email – to apply for tickets to some ceremonial events.
While a huge fusion reactor is being built in France to prove the technology, it is the UK that leads the development work – and their facility is open for public tours.
A slightly quirky display about the crime novel genre has been opened at the British Library with a total of 26 vignettes on display – one per letter of the alphabet.
In a few weeks time, London’s latest tourist attraction opens as the viewing floors at the top of The Shard skyscraper start welcoming their first paying customers.
Treetops and cottages inside Kew GardensOver the past couple of weeks, the walled expanse within Kew Gardens has been free to visit, and they “sold” all 9,000 free tickets that were available almost as soon as they were released.
Smithfield meat market’s boisterous Christmas Eve auctionLondon’s 800-year old meat market at Smithfield usually opens at 3am and usually closes by 7am as the city is overtaken by people more suited to city work than butchering — but on Christmas Eve one butchers holds a very special event more suited to the average punter.
© ianVisits
