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    The London Link

    Kitkat
    Kitkat

    The London Link Empty The London Link

    Post by Kitkat Fri 30 Aug 2013, 13:05

    I have only just discovered this awesome site, 'The Londonist', which provides a regular stream of extremely interesting info, historical and current, in and around our capital city.   Of special interest to those living in London, and an excellent source for visitors to the city, giving ideas on things to do and see. Updated daily.

    There is an option within the link to subscribe to the listings and have them delivered to your inbox at 7am every morning. Alternatively, subscribe to Londonist Daily to hear about events further in the future.

    The link also contains a 'Good Cause of the Day'

    I have selected a personal item of interest from today's info, to start off the thread here:  
    Inside A Ghost Tube Station: Brompton Road

    and plan to continue the thread with other items of interest as and when they become available.

    So, keep an eye out for updates here ... you will be pleasantly surprised to discover a whole heap of treasure unearthed in the columns of 'The Londonist'.

    Enjoy!  cat
    Kitkat
    Kitkat

    The London Link Empty How the London Boroughs got their names

    Post by Kitkat Sat 31 Aug 2013, 15:56

    Fifty years ago today, the London Government Act 1963 received Royal Assent. It paved the way, two years later, for radical changes in London’s political boundaries. The 32 boroughs that we still know, love and pay our council tax to, were created. (The tiny City of London — also known as the Square Mile — holds different political status to the 32 boroughs, and carried on as normal after the Act.)

    Many former boroughs (Finsbury and St Pancras, for example) disappeared overnight, though you can still see their names on old street signs around town. The new, bigger, amalgamated boroughs needed new names. In most cases, ancient appellations were chosen. So here’s our guide to the etymology of London’s boroughs. Find out which areas are named after sheep, chalk, crocuses…and a hill in Yorkshire.




    Barking and Dagenham
    Barking is an ancient, Anglo-Saxon phrase, first recorded as Berecingas. The name either derives from a local chieftan called Bereca or means “the settlement by the birch trees”. Dagenham is also ancient, first recorded as Dæccanhaam in 666 AD. ‘Haam’ means ‘home’ or ‘homestead’ and Dæcca was presumably a local land-owner or leader.

    Barnet
    The borough of Barnet contains plenty of Barnets — High Barnet, Chipping Barnet, Friern Barnet, New Barnet… All derive their names from the Anglo-Saxon word ‘bærnet’, which suggests the clearing of woodland by burning. It was first recorded as Barneto in 1070.

    Bexley
    Recorded in Domesday Book as Bix, and later as Bixle (a good name for a breakfast cereal, wethinks), ‘Bexley’ translates as pasture by the stream — presumably the River Cray, which still flows through the area.

    Brent
    The most ancient borough name of all. Brent predates the Anglo-Saxons and even the Romans, and comes from a Celtic word meaning ‘holy one’ or ‘high place’. A river of the same name still flows through the borough. It is one of only a handful of pre-Roman names still in use in the London area, along with Penge, Thames and London itself.

    Bromley
    Yet another Anglo-Saxon derivation. Bromley was first recorded in 862 AD as Bromleag, which means ‘a woodland clearing where broom grows’. Interestingly, the other Bromley (Bromley-by-Bow) is of different derivation, coming from a word meaning bramble field.

    Camden
    Both the borough and Camden Town are named after Charles Pratt, 1st Earl of Camden, who owned land here in the late 18th century. Camden Place was his seat in Kent, itself named after William Camden who lived in the property from 1609.

    Croydon
    The borough and its largest conurbation take their name from the Anglo-Saxon phrase croeas deanas, and later crogdene, which, contrary to Croydon’s current appearance, meant ‘valley of the crocuses’. The valley was no doubt a centre of crocus cultivation, yielding saffron.

    Ealing
    Ealing was first recorded as Gillingas around 700 AD. Gillas was another of these local chieftans, and the ‘ingas’ part denotes ‘the followers of’. The spelling has since flitted among Illing, Gilling and Ylling, before finally settling on Ealing.

    Enfield
    Two possibilities here. It could derive from the fields belonging to a chieftan called Ēana, or it could be named after the Anglo-Saxon for lamb, which was ēan. Either way, Enfield was first recorded in Domesday Book as a small settlement called Enefelde.

    The Royal Borough of Greenwich
    London’s newest Royal Borough also has Anglo Saxon origins, stemming from Grenewic, the green place on the bay (which it still is).

    Hackney
    The name is not recorded until the 12th century, but Hackney was undoubtedly settled much earlier, as evinced from the ‘tun’ of Dalston and Clapton and the ‘wic’ of Hackney Wick. A leading theory suggests origins with Haca’s ey, an ‘ey’ being an area of raised ground in marshland.

    Hammersmith and Fulham
    Hammersmith has disputed origins as a place name. Some sources suggest it derives from Hammoder’s Hythe (a safe haven belonging to Hammoder), others, perhaps more satisfyingly, suggest it’s simply a concatenation of ‘hammer’ and ‘smithy’, denoting an area important for metal working. Fulham is an area belonging to an Anglo-Saxon called Fulla, but rather than the usual ‘ham’ meaning homestead, this one was originally ‘hamm’, signifying a bend in the river.

    Haringey
    The borough name, as well as its conurbations of Harringay and Hornsey, derive from Haeringes-hege, the enclosure belonging to Saxon chief Haering.

    Harrow
    It’s thought that this name denotes a heathen shrine (hearg), built on Harrow Hill. Caroline Taggert (see sources) notes that its earliest recording is Gumeningae Hergae, a heathen shrine of the Gumeningas tribe.

    Havering
    Havering might now seem like a relative backwater borough to most Londoners, but it was once home to an important palace of Edward the Confessor. Its name is recorded in Domesday Book as Haueringas, for the followers of a man called something like Haefer.

    Hillingdon
    A ‘don’ usually denotes a hill in Anglo-Saxon place names, and Hillingdon is no different. It’s in Domesday Book as Hillendone, suggesting a hill belonging to a man called Hille, Hilla or Hilda — probably where Hillingdon Hill rises near Uxbridge.

    Hounslow
    This one’s not certain. It might derive from Honeslaw, meaning an area of land suitable for hunting, or it may indicate a hill claimed by a man called Hund or a tribe called Hundi.

    Islington
    More properly, it should be Islingdon, as (like Hillingdon and Wimbledon) the name denotes a hill (don), here formerly governed by a Mr Gisla. Old records call the place Giseldone (1005) and Gislandune (1062). The area was known as Isledon well into the 17th Century.

    Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea
    Kensington’s yet another place named after an otherwise forgotten Saxon chappie. This time, Mr Cynesige or Kenesigne. Chelsea’s a bit more interesting, with various ancient spellings along the lines of Chelchith, meaning the landing place or wharf for chalk. Chalk would have been used in fertiliser.

    Royal Borough of Kingston Upon Thames
    Kingston was an ancient seat of kings. Recorded as Cyninges tun in 838, the name means King’s manor or estate. Several 10th century kings were crowned here, as still remembered in the area’s Coronation Stone, near the Kingston Guildhall.

    Lambeth
    Rather satisfyingly, the name means ‘landing place for lambs’, and it’s a shortened version of the earlier Lambehitha (hitha being a common ending for riverside landing places like Rotherhithe).

    Lewisham
    Leofshema is thought to be derived from the Jute name Leof or Leofsa, with the hema bit being a variant on ‘ham’ or dwelling.

    Merton
    The name is again Saxon and means either farm by the pool or Maera’s homestead. The former is perhaps most likely, as Merton stands on the banks of the Wandle and its associated flood plains.

    Newham
    One of the few borough names not to derive directly from ancient roots. Newham was formed in 1965 from East Ham and West Ham, the ‘new’ bit conjured up to declare that, yes, this political entity is new. The ‘ham’ part of the name indicates, in this case, low-laying land surrounded by marsh.

    Redbridge
    Quite simply, named for a red bridge which bestrode the River Roding from the 17th century, until it was knocked down for road improvement in 1922. Here’s the modern replacement.

    Richmond upon Thames
    Another relatively recent coinage (well, around 1500), Richmond took its name from the now-vanished Richmond Palace, built on the river by Henry VII. His former title was Earl of Richmond, relating to the town in Yorkshire. That place’s name comes from Old French for ‘strong hill’.

    Southwark
    This ancient part of London was settled by the Romans. Early records call it Suthriganaweorc or Suthringa geweorche, meaning ‘the defensive works of the men of the south’ (i.e. Surrey).

    Sutton
    Recorded as Sudtone in Domesday Book, the name translates roughly as ‘south farm’.

    Tower Hamlets
    Predictably, the name refers to the hamlets and villages closest to the Tower of London. Despite having the whiff of a modern coinage, the name has been used for centuries.

    Waltham Forest
    Waltham Forest is an ancient name for what we now call Epping Forest. Waltham meant ‘forest estate’. The borough contains Walthamstow, which was originally called Wilcumestowe (meaning welcome place), but gradually morphed into Walthamstowe.

    Wandsworth
    Wandsworth takes its name from the River Wandle, which remains one of the delights of the borough. The Wandle got its name from an Anglo Saxon called Waendel, who owned land round here.

    City of Westminster
    The name relates to the famous Abbey — ‘mynster’ being Old English for a church. The ‘West’ part simply denotes it as west of the ancient City, and its great church of St Paul. In Anglo Saxon and early Norman times, the area was known as Torneia or Thorney Island, for an islet of that character, upon which the abbey and Palace of Westminster are built.


    Sources:-

       The Book Of London Place Names, an excellent guide by Caroline Taggart
       Map of Anglo Saxon London (by Londonist)
       What’s In A Name?, a predictably named etymology guide to tube stations by Cyril M Harris
       British History Online
       Wikipedia, to fill in any gaps
    Kitkat
    Kitkat

    The London Link Empty Photos of smoggy London from the first half of the 20th century.

    Post by Kitkat Mon 02 Sep 2013, 00:41

    Foggy London Town

    As the balmy weather of recent weeks is set to last, winter seems a long way off in most parts of the country.
    But a collection of photographs from the early 20th century is sure to send a chill down the spines of those who thought colder days would never come, with its grim depiction of dark, long drawn winters in the 1900s.
    Among the dreary images which capture London's quintessentially British climate are several of the city's Great Smog of 1952, in addition to others which depict the clammy, summer fogs of the past century.
    Eerie photographs show the capital in grip of smog during the gloomy winter months
    in the early 20th Century


    Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2407768/Eerie-images-London-fog-Grim-mid-winter-pictures-capital-early-20th-century.html#ixzz2dgfXf5Py
    Kitkat
    Kitkat

    The London Link Empty Sir Alfred Hitchcock Hotel

    Post by Kitkat Thu 12 Sep 2013, 17:44

    Sounds an interesting place to check out ...  I don't think I'll be considering staying overnight though.  obgob 

    Sir Alfred Hitchcock Hotel

    Where: Leytonstone

    Route: 257


    Few places in London can be as sinister on a rainy autumn’s evening as the fringes of Epping Forest. The long, narrow strip of ancient woodland run for 11 miles from Bell Common to Wanstead Flats, a scar across suburbia, a shiver down London’s spine. The very names on the map seem to hint at the frightening fate awaiting those who go walking in the woods. Whipps Cross. Snaresbrook.

    At the right time of the day, in the wrong time of the year, with the sky growing dark overhead, it can feel as if the trees are like giants, crowding around you. It’s easy enough to find your way into the woods; finding your way out again is an altogether different matter. Take a wrong turn, and suddenly the undergrowth begins to grow taller, the muddy ground beneath you seeming as if it’s pulling at your feet, unwilling to let you go.

    Then suddenly through the trees you glimpse a welcoming sight: a public house of some sort, blazing with light and warmth. You make for the hostelry, overwhelmed with relief that you will soon be inside once more, but as you break out into the open you catch sight of its name, and you feel your blood run cold.

    The Sir Alfred Hitchcock Hotel.

    Then you go inside and have a nice steak and a few beers, and everyone’s terribly nice to you.

    The master of suspense was born in Leytonstone, in 1899, when it was still Essex suburbia rather than the last outpost of the inner city. He’s one of the district’s most famous sons (the other is David Beckham, who has yet to qualify for his own bus stop) so it’s not surprising to see him commemorated by a local business. It’s perhaps a little surprising to find he’s given his name to a hotel, however, since the most famous scene or his most famous movie sees Janet Leigh hacked to pieces in the shower of one.

    None of this should be taken as any reflection on the Sir Alfred Hitchcock Hotel itself, which, most internet reviewers agree, is actually rather good. It includes 25 rooms, a bar and a restaurant, and enjoys hosting weddings, and most of the ratings on Trip Advisor give it four or five stars. Rather sweetly the manager seems to answer every one of them personally, including those that are, er, less flattering (in response to a one-star review complaining that one guest had been left standing outside for 20 minutes: “We have two main entrances and you have waited in front of the wrong one… I repeat the wrong one“). Whether such a crack response team would be required were the hotel not named after the bloke who directed Psycho is not exactly clear.

    There’s one other thing to say about Sir Alfred and his bus stop. There’s been much hoo-ha of late about private companies (Emirates, Barclays, et al.) getting their names slapped onto bits of London’s transport infrastructure for money. What’s passed unnoticed, though, is that pubs and hotels have been getting this for nothing for years. Just consider the fact we have bus stops called The Grapes and Adam & Eve, or a major junction called Holloway Nag’s Head.
    There are five tube stations named for pubs, too. We wouldn’t dream of patronising you by telling you which they are. Huh?  Five!?!! I can't even think of ONE. And I thought I knew my London. Tchhh ... have to go and google it now .......................

    Kitkat
    Kitkat

    The London Link Empty Re: The London Link

    Post by Kitkat Thu 12 Sep 2013, 17:51

    Well .... not only did I find the 5 tube stations in question (should've known 2 of them, as often frequented by me), but I also found a great link with a load more titbits to take in.   rabbit 

    London Transport / Did you know ....

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Portal:London_Transport/Did_you_know
    Kitkat
    Kitkat

    The London Link Empty Cricklewood in the news

    Post by Kitkat Thu 03 Oct 2013, 17:39

    Pranksters commemorate anniversary of George Michael being found passed out in Cricklewood
    Wednesday, October 2, 2013


    The London Link 3628246633
    Fake 'blue plaque' has been erected in Cricklewood

    Pranksters have commemorated the seventh anniversary of George Michael being found slumped in his car in Cricklewood by erecting a fake ‘blue plaque’ at the scene.

    The 50-year-old singer was arrested in Cricklewood Lane, after he was discovered passed out at traffic lights on October 1, 2006.

    Yesterday, a plaque purporting to be an official emblem from Barnet Council was placed on railings at the scene.

    The joke emblem says ‘George Michael slept here at 3.20am on October 1, 2006’.

    A resident, who asked not to be named, told the Times: “I laughed to myself when I saw it. At least it puts Cricklewood on the map and that can’t be a bad thing.”

    The official blue plaques scheme commemorates notable figures of the past and the buildings in which they lived and worked.
    Kitkat
    Kitkat

    The London Link Empty Is this seat taken?

    Post by Kitkat Sat 09 Nov 2013, 15:06

    Those spooky fare dodgers get everywhere.

    The London Link BYa6v3VIcAEHlOS
    Kitkat
    Kitkat

    The London Link Empty London Underground Ghosts

    Post by Kitkat Sat 09 Nov 2013, 19:47

    Some of the spooky stories going underground:

    Sign saying 'Mind the Ghost'.

    This entry takes a look at some of the ghosts that are reputed to haunt the London Underground. For modern-day stories on life on the London Underground check out Going Underground. Meanwhile, here are the ghosts...
    Aldwych

    This station was closed in 1994 (not because of ghosts) although it is still currently used for parties and trendy opening nights. However, the 'fluffers', people who clean the tunnels and stations, claim to have been scared by a figure who appears on the tracks at night. The ghost is that of an actress who believes she has not enjoyed her last curtain call, supposedly haunts the station. Aldywch used to be on the site of the old Royal Strand Theatre.
    Bank

    Workmen who were building Bank station in the last century roused the spirit of the so-called 'Black Nun'. The Nun's brother, Phillip Whitehead, was a cashier and was executed in 1811 for forgery. The Nun, Sarah, wearing black, waited for him outside the bank every evening for 40 years until she died. To this day, it said that she still searches for him along the platforms.

    British Museum

    A double whammy here - a ghost station and a ghost. British Museum station closed on the 25 September, 1933. There was a local myth that the station was haunted by the ghost of an Ancient Egyptian. Dressed in a loincloth and headdress, the figure would emerge late at night. The rumour grew so strong that a newspaper offered a reward to anyone who would spend the night there. No one attempted to do this!

    The story takes a stranger turn after the closure of the station. The comedy thriller, Bulldog Jack, was made in 1935 which included a secret (fictitious) tunnel from the station to the Egyptian room at the Museum. The station in the film was called 'Bloomsbury', and in all likelihood was a stage set, but it was based on the ghost story of British Museum.

    On the same night that the film was released, two women disappeared from the platform at Holborn - the next station along from where British Museum was. Marks were later found on the walls of the closed station. More sightings of the ghost were reported along with strange moanings from the walls of the tunnels. Eventually the story was hushed up as London Underground has always denied the existence of the tunnel from the station to the Egyptian Room.

    However the lead character in Keith Lowe's novel Tunnel Vision resurrects the story to impress/scare his girlfriend with tales of tube horror.

    He writes:

       If you listen carefully when you're standing at the platform at Holborn, sometimes - just sometimes - you can hear the wailing of Egyptian voices floating down the tunnel towards you.

    Covent Garden

    A tall man in a frock coat, tall hat and gloves is said to be pacing the tunnels and has been seen since the 1950s. When he appeared in the staff rest room the staff demanded a transfer - no wonder they look so miserable.

    The ghost is supposed to be actor William Terriss who was fatally stabbed near the Adelphi Theatre in the Strand in December 1897. Apparently William regularly visited a baker's shop which stood where today's Tube station was built.

    Elephant and Castle

    When this station is closed people say that you can hear the steps of an invisible runner, strange tappings and doors being thrown open. What follows is a genuine testimony from an h2g2 Researcher - a tube driver on the London Underground. He's actually seen the ghost but didn't appear to be all that impressed...

       'Twas around six of the evening at a Bakerloo line Underground Station - about a week ago. I was in pursuit of my duties as an employee of London Underground (Northern Line - and I should apologise to all who are condemned to this line - not my fault Really. Heh! Heh!)

       So I join the train at the terminus at Elephant and Castle and walk forward to the front of the train with a view to travelling with the driver. At this point the driver has not arrived so I put my bag down and move to the rear door to wait for him. While I am waiting a girl gets into the carraige - she walks straight through the carriage and I have to move aside making some muttered apology - I sort of have to do this since I was in uniform!

       A minute or so later the driver turns up, and we move toward the front of the train. I notice that the girl is not in the carriage and this is a rather immediate cause for concern - she could not have left the train without passing me - I had full view of the carraige and platform at the time. My reaction was to inform the driver - the only place she could have gone was to have walked down the tunnel - not really what we want! The driver's response was unusual: 'Oh, her. We hear about her all the time - she's even been in the papers.'

       Lovely - my first real ghost is a media celebrity, - and, it must be said, very, very boring indeed.

    Farringdon

    A 13-year-old trainee hat maker, Anne Naylor, was murdered in 1758 by her trainer and the trainer's daughter. People claim to hear her cries echoing down Farringdon Station. She has been nicknamed 'The Screaming Spectre'.

    Highgate

    In 1941 Highgate station was rebuilt to join an extension from the Northern Line. However, the project was abandoned and the cutting became overgrown. Nevertheless residents still claim to hear eerie sounds of trains going through the cutting.

    South Kensington

    Now here's a sighting of a ghost train. A passenger from the last westbound tube saw a train pull into South Ken station in December 1928. An ear-piercing whistle broke through the night and the passenger spotted a ghostly figure in a reefer jacket and peaked cap hanging from the side of the engine. Both the man and the train then vanished into the tunnel never to be seen again.
    To read more comments to that article, check out the link:
    http://news.bbc.co.uk/dna/place-lancashire/plain/A673391
    Kitkat
    Kitkat

    The London Link Empty London Underground Ghosts

    Post by Kitkat Sun 10 Nov 2013, 14:40

    Some more ghostly stories of haunted London Underground ...   The London Link Ghost  Ghosts of the London Underground  The London Link Zombie2

    ... one of the major headaches facing the engineers and the army of construction workers commissioned to expand and develop the network has been the presence of huge burial pits dating back to the summer of 1665 when London was ravaged by an outbreak of bubonic plague (a.k.a. the Black Death).

    Since no-one knew for certain how many of these plague pits were actually dug, nor where they were located with any degree of accuracy, it was inevitable that as the railway network continued to expand more and more of these 17th century plague pits would be disturbed often without any warning
    WARNING: If you're a ghosty scaredycat, DO NOT click the link above.  The London Link HalloweenSmiley



    and more importantly .... do not travel on the London Underground ..................   woohoo
    Kitkat
    Kitkat

    The London Link Empty Re: The London Link

    Post by Kitkat Tue 18 Feb 2014, 00:05

    Fifty people had to be moved from a shopping street in north London after a pavement burst into flames.

    The fire, outside a supermarket in Caledonian Road, Islington, was apparently caused by an electrical fault under a manhole cover.

    Video HERE

     scared  I worked for a time just round the corner from where that happened.

    It does make you appreciative of the great job that is done in the continuous maintaining of our streets and services, overall. Brings back memories of when I worked in Tripoli (Libya) where it was a matter-of-fact and commonplace situation to have to choose your footsteps carefully and gingerly when heading out at lunchtime, avoiding numerous cable chunks and exposed wiring just sticking out and up from the ground all over the place. I remember once my skirt got caught and ripped on one of these thick chunks of end bit multi-wiring stumps as I was making my way back to the office at lunchtime. This was in the main capital city of the country, just a stone's throw away from the walled and heavily guarded palace of 'the Leader'! Pretty sure the other side of that wall would not have have held such lurking menaces.

      Current date/time is Tue 19 Mar 2024, 05:02