The Strange Tale of Mr Fribourg and Mr Treyer …….. and Mr Fribourg and Mr Pontet

Friborg and Treyer were fashionable snuff sellers in the 18th century. Based at 34 Haymarket their clientele included King George IV, the actor David Garrick and all-round dandy Beau Brummell. The Fribourg’s had originally come to England from Switzerland, and the claim is, that the firm was started in 1720 by P. Fribourg, although the…

It’s Virtually The Same

Not being able to wander London’s streets during Lockdown is a bit of a problem for a tour guide, and obviously the lack of customers is also a disadvantage. So, my time is spent online, researching, writing and generally indulging in all thing London (Geek). When I come to plan A London Miscellany tour, the…

Is There A Doctor On The Train?

Recently read an article regarding a baby that was born on a London Bus in Hackney, which made me wonder how much of a regular occurrence this was. I couldn’t find any documented numbers, although the search did turn up several instances. However, there is documentation regarding babies born on London Underground. This comes with…

The Affair Of The Brown Dog

Like most of us I’m having to find things to fill my time during this Coronavirus lockdown, and so as A London Miscellany Tours is currently mothballed, I’m taking the opportunity to spend my time researching. During this time I was reminded of last summer when I visited Battersea Park, the first time in probably…

Greek Street, Then and Now

I’ve always found Greek Street in Soho to be a bit of an oasis, if a slightly shabby one, when compared to some of it’s more garish neighbours. With the relative tranquillity at its northern end of Soho Square it’s always struck me as a street that’s a bit more laid back, perhaps not as…

Thence, after eating a lobster for my dinner……….

The line above comes from Samuel Pepy’s diary of February 5th 1667. Having read through his diary he doesn’t come across as much of a “Foodie”, but that’s not to say he didn’t eat and drink well, and this is the topic of this entry. I’ve set out a list below giving some of my…

The Monster Of London

There have been many violent and disturbing crimes committed in the Capital over the centuries, some single incidents, and others of a more serial nature. The latter attract much more attention, sometimes with the culprits achieving cult status. Obviously Jack the Ripper is usually the first to come to mind, along with latter-day perpetrators, John…

“We never know the worth of water till the well is dry.”-Thomas Fuller (1608-1661)

Turning on the tap and getting fresh water has to be one of the top things we take for granted, possibly up there with breathing. Although this is a relatively new “Given”, with water sources in London still dubious until the mid 20th Century, our London ancestors would have been more concerned with finding a…

Tottenham Court Road 5.45 am

This was written last year before Covid engulfed us all…….. As I’ve got older I seem to have shaken the habit of staying within the warmth and comfort of my bed in the mornings. Today, up at 4.45 am as excited as a schoolkid going on an outing. The reason, a fact-finding trip, coupled with…

Name Theory

English as a language is a pretty difficult one to master, even if you were born in the UK! There is always something that’ll try and trip you up, some words sound the same but are spelt differently like, awe, oar, or, ore. Ok, with a bit of thought you can probably deduce which one…