Sick people used to come to Margate to convalesce

In the 1700's, bathing in the sea and drinking seawater became a fashionable cure for all sorts of diseases. From the Georgian period onwards visitors from London began flocking to resorts like Margate for the seawater cure and increasingly as a place to socialise. Margate has built a reputation as a place for bathing in the sea – both for health and pleasure.

Olympic training ground

Viking Bay was actually the training ground of the British Olympians for 1924 Paris Olympics. (A very famous storyline depicted in the film ‘Chariots of Fire’)

Off to Australia..!

Botany Bay got its name because the common fate of a captured smuggler was deportation to Botany Bay in Australia on a convict ship. In the late 18th century there was a big battle here between the smugglers and the revenue men, which resulted in quite a few fatalities

Big Ben Chimes in the Key of E

A lot of people think that Big Ben is the name of the clock, or the name of the tower which stands at the Houses of Parliament. In fact the tower was simply called ‘The Clock Tower’  when it was built, and was renamed ‘Elizabeth Tower’ in 2012, as part of the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee Celebrations. Big Ben is the name given to the bell that chimes out the hour across Westminster. Big Ben has been at the top of the tower since it was originally hung in 1859. Soon after it was hung, the bell cracked and did not chime again for 4 years, until it was repaired and the hammer replaced with a smaller one in 1863.

Though there have been a few interruptions, Big Ben has chimed out almost every hour since then. The bell weighs in at a massive 13.5 tonnes and has a 2.75 meter circumference. We look forward to hearing it again soon..!

It is Illegal to Die Inside the Houses of Parliament

It would be a difficult one to prosecute, but this law has been on the books in London for several hundred years. It is also illegal to enter the Houses wearing a suit of armor. The Houses of Parliament are also known as the Palace of Westminster.

The Palace contains 8 bars, 6 restaurants, a rifle range and a hairdresser; none of which are open to the public. The current Palace was built in the 19th Century; on the bank of the River Thames – a location which was chosen so that the Palace could never be completely surrounded by a mob.

A River Runs Through Sloane Square Station

Stand on the platform at Sloane Square Station, in the heart of fashionable Chelsea, and look up. You’ll see what looks like a big, ugly green girder; this is actually a tube containing whatever remains of the River Westbourne, a tributary to the Thames which starts at Hampstead Heath.

There are around 20 rivers, brooks and canals snaking their way across London, mostly hidden from view and known only to a few. 

Our staff are full of interesting facts about the ares they work! If you are thinking of moving - call us, we'd love to meet.