August this year will be the 80^th anniversary of the start of the Blitz, that constant bombing in the Second World War which, second only to the Great Fire of London, changed the face of this great City.

A symbol of the Blitz spirit can be found inside a church in the City of London, only a stone’s throw from that great survivor of the bombing, St Paul’s Cathedral.  St Vedast in Foster Lane, rebuilt after the Great Fire of London, was not so fortunate.  On 30^th December 1940 it wa...

Today is National Bubble Bath Day. Yes, it’s a thing!

Would you like having a bath only once a week, in your kitchen, using only carbolic soap, in a hip tin bath like this? No? We don’t blame you, but this is what many Victorian families. Brrrrr. Washing body parts separately, such as arms, hands and faces were executed regularly but full-body baths were a different beast all together.

History of Soap

Ancient Babylonians are credited for inventing soap. Evidence for this has bee...

Whilst out with a lovely group on my Georgian London tour in North Clerkenwell we were lucky enough to come across the BBC filming. When I asked the crew, and after being told they were filming Jeremy Kyle the movie I was informed they were filming a new miniseries of Howards End. 

Back in February 2017 the BBC announced an all-star cast for Kenneth Lonergan's adaption of Howards End for BBC One. This is to be Academy Award® nominated screenwriter and playwright Lonergan's first TV screen ad...

Covent Garden's Apple Market is a popular market under the glass roof of Covent Garden market providing an antiques market every Monday. For the other days a vibrant market filled with individuals selling unique products for ever-demanding visitors.

Lavinia has had a popular stall The T-Shirt Club Covent Garden's Apple Market for the last six years; making and selling hand made T-shirts with a London theme. All T-shirts host hand-painted designs by Lavinia herself and are machine washable at 4...

The British tradition of Mothering Sunday is rather muddled. Mothering Sunday has been celebrated in the UK on the fourth Sunday in Lent since at least the C16th. 

In the early twentieth century Mothering Sunday underwent a revival thanks to Constance Penswick Smith (1878-1938). It was in 1913 where she was inspired after reading a newspaper report of Anna Jarvis’s campaign for Mother's Day in America.

What is the connection between Laetare Sunday and Mother's Day? 
Laetare Sunday g...

The Royal Artillery Memorial at Hyde Park Corner has continued to be the subject of much critical discussion with Lord Curzon being quoted as describing the howitzer as "a toad squatting, which is about to spit fire out of its mouth...nothing more hideous could ever be conceived". 

What is the objective of having a war memorial? 

To remember the dead? To bask in the glory of sacrifice for King and country? Ex-servicemen were quoted by the Manchester Guardian as reminiscing about the war as they...

The area also played a pivotal role in the genesis of British film making, a combination of Television and homes that people didn't mind spending time in brought all this to an end.Only one of these cinemas still shows films,the majority were demolished but some of the buildings still survive.

Most people think of the Seven Sisters and Holloway Roads as two nondescript traffic choked roads with nothing to detain them on their way in and out of town. Nothing c...

Aberdeen Park is an unexpected expansive leafy haven in inner London with public access. The residents are responsible for most aspects of Aberdeen Park's upkeep and is reflected in its relaxing ambience. Why aren't more places like this?

There are 341 address in Aberdeen park, predominantly domestic architecture covering 150 years.

There are four storey Victorian villas on the South and East perimeter with iconic Italianate towers built in 1850's for prosperou...