 
The Underground Map Added: 8 Dec 2020 00:24 GMT |
Othello takes a bow
On 1 November 1604, William Shakespeare’s tragedy Othello was presented for the first time, at The Palace of Whitehall. The palace was the main residence of the English monarchs in London from 1530 until 1698. Seven years to the day, Shakespeare’s romantic comedy The Tempest was also presented for the first time, and also at the Palace of Whitehall.
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GRaleigh Added: 23 Feb 2021 09:34 GMT |
Found a bug
Hi all! Thank you for your excellent site. I found an overlay bug on the junction of Glengall Road, NW6 and Hazelmere Road, NW6 on the 1950 map only. It appears when one zooms in at this junction and only on the zoom.
Cheers,
Geoff Raleigh
Source: Glengall Road, NW6
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Jessie Doring Added: 22 Feb 2021 04:33 GMT |
Tisbury Court Jazz Bar
Jazz Bar opened in Tisbury Court by 2 Australians. Situated in underground basement. Can not remember how long it opened for.
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Christine Clark Added: 20 Feb 2021 11:27 GMT |
Number 44 (1947 - 1967)
The Clark’s moved here from Dorking my father worked on the Thames as a captain of shell mex tankers,there were three children, CHristine, Barbara and Frank, my mother was Ida and my father Frank.Our house no 44 and 42 were pulled down and we were relocated to Bromley The rest of our family lived close by in Milton Court Rd, Brocklehurat Street, Chubworthy street so one big happy family..lovely days.
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Linda Added: 18 Feb 2021 22:03 GMT |
Pereira Street, E1
My grandfather Charles Suett lived in Periera Street & married a widowed neighbour there. They later moved to 33 Bullen House, Collingwood Street where my father was born.
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Vanessa Whitehouse Added: 17 Feb 2021 22:48 GMT |
Born here
My dad 1929 John George Hall
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Added: 16 Feb 2021 13:41 GMT |
Giraud Street
I lived in Giraud St in 1938/1939. I lived with my Mother May Lillian Allen & my brother James Allen (Known as Lenny) My name is Tom Allen and was evacuated to Surrey from Giraud St. I am now 90 years of age.
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Justin Russ Added: 15 Feb 2021 20:25 GMT |
Binney Street, W1K
Binney St was previously named Thomas Street before the 1950’s. Before the 1840’s (approx.) it was named Bird St both above and below Oxford St.
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Reg Carr Added: 10 Feb 2021 12:11 GMT |
Campbellite Meeting
In 1848 the Campbellites (Disciples of Christ) met in Elstree Street, where their congregation was presided over by a pastor named John Black. Their appointed evangelist at the time was called David King, who later became the Editor of the British Millennial Harbinger. The meeting room was visited in July 1848 by Dr John Thomas, who spoke there twice on his two-year ’mission’ to Britain.
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Piccadilly Circus Piccadilly Circus was built in 1819 to connect Regent Street with the major shopping street of Piccadilly. Air Street, W1B Air Street’s name is believed to be a corruption of ‘Ayres’, after Thomas Ayre, a local brewer and resident in the 17th century. Air Street, W1B Air Street was the most westerly street in London when newly built in 1658. Albany Courtyard, SW1Y The courtyard is named after Prince Frederick, Duke of York and Albany, who in 1791 purchased Melbourne House which stood on this site. Albany, W1S The Albany is an apartment complex in Piccadilly, divided into apartments in 1802. Albemarle Street, W1S Albemarle Street takes its name from the second Duke of Albermarle, son of General Monk. Archer Street, W1D Archer Street was Arch Street in 1675, Orchard Street in 1720 and Archer Street by 1746. Argyll Street, W1F Argyll Street was named after John Campbell, 2nd Duke of Argyll, owner of the land in the 18th century. Avery Row, W1K Avery Row was probably named after Henry Avery, an 18th century bricklayer who built this street over the Tyburn Brook. Beak Street, W1B Beak Street runs roughly east-west between Regent Street and Lexington Street. Beak Street, W1F Beak Street is named after Thomas Beake, one of the Queen’s messengers. Berkeley Square, W1J Berkeley Square was originally laid out in the mid 18th century by architect William Kent. Berwick Road, W1F Berwick Road is one of the streets of London in the W1F postal area. Berwick Street, W1F Berwick Street commemorates the Duke of Berwick, an illegitimate son of James II. Brewer Street, W1D Brewer Street runs west to east from Glasshouse Street to Wardour Street. Bridle Lane, W1F Bridle Lane is one of the streets of London in the W1F postal area. Broadwick Street, W1F Broadwick Street runs west-east between Marshall Street and Wardour Street, crossing Berwick Street. Brook Street, W1K Brook Street was named after the Tyburn Brook that formerly ran nearby, Brooks Mews, W1K Brooks Mews is one of the streets of London in the W1K postal area. Bruton Place, W1J Bruton Place is one of the streets of London in the W1J postal area. Burlington Arcade, SW1Y Burlington Arcade is a covered shopping arcade, 179 metres in length, that runs from Piccadilly to Burlington Gardens. Burlington Gardens, W1J Burlington Gardens, with houses dating from 1725, was laid out on land that was once part of the Burlington Estate. Church Place, W1J Church Place is one of the streets of London in the SW1Y postal area. Cork Street, W1S Cork Street, on the Burlington Estate, was named after Richard Boyle, 3rd Earl of Burlington and 4th Earl of Cork. Davies Mews, W1K Davies Mews is one of the streets of London in the W1K postal area. Davis Street, W1K Davis Street is one of the streets of London in the W1K postal area. Dover Street, W1S Dover Street is one of the streets of London in the W1S postal area. Duck Lane, W1F Duck Lane is one of the streets of London in the W1F postal area. Eagle Place, SW1Y Eagle Place is one of the streets of London in the SW1Y postal area. Farm Street, W1J Farm Street is one of the streets of London in the W1J postal area. Fouberts Place, W1F Fouberts Place is named after a Frenchman who had a riding school here in the reign of Charles II. Great Windmill Street, W1F Great Windmill Street has had a long association with music and entertainment, most notably the Windmill Theatre. Greens Court, W1D Greens Court is one of the streets of London in the W1F postal area. Ham Yard, W1D Ham Yard is one of the streets of London in the W1D postal area. Hanover Square, W1S Hanover Square was created as the ’Whig’ square with Cavendish Square being the ’Tory’ square. Hay Hill, W1S Hay Hill is one of the streets of London in the W1J postal area. Hays Mews, W1J Hays Mews is one of the streets of London in the W1J postal area. Hill Street, W1J Hill Street is one of the streets of London in the W1J postal area. Hills Place, W1F Hills Place is one of the streets of London in the W1F postal area. Holles Street, W1C Holles Street runs north from Oxford Street, on the east side of the John Lewis store. Kemp’s Court, W1F Kemp’s Court is situated in the heart of Berwick Street Market where a line of stalls stretch down both sides of the road. Kingly Court, W1B Kingly Court is one of the streets of London in the W1B postal area. Linen Hall, W1B Linen Hall is one of the streets of London in the W1B postal area. Livonia Street, W1F Livonia Street was originally Bentinck Street, family name of owner the Duke of Portland. Mill Street, W1S Mill Street is one of the streets of London in the W1S postal area. New Bond Street, W1J New Bond Street is the northernmost section of what is simply known as ’Bond Street’ in general use. Newburg Road, W1F Newburg Road is one of the streets of London in the W1F postal area. Noel Street, W1F Noel Street is one of the streets of London in the W1F postal area. Old Bond Street, W1J Old Bond Street was named for Sir Thomas Bond, a property developer from Peckham who laid out a number of streets in this part of the West End. Ormond Yard, SW1Y Ormond Yard is one of the streets of London in the SW1Y postal area. Palladium House, W1B Palladium House is a grade II listed (in 1981) Art Deco office building located on the corner of Great Marlborough Street and Argyll Street. Peter Street, W1F Peter Street is one of the streets of London in the W1F postal area. Regent Place, W1B Regent Place is one of the streets of London in the W1B postal area. Royal Arcade, W1S Royal Arcade is one of the streets of London in the W1S postal area. Sedley Place, W1S Sedley Place is one of the streets of London in the W1C postal area. Silver Place, W1F Silver Place is one of the streets of London in the W1F postal area. Smiths Court, W1D Smiths Court is one of the streets of London in the W1D postal area. Stafford Street, W1S Stafford Street is named after Margaret Stafford, partner of developer Sir Thomas Bond who built on this site in the seventeenth century.
Swallow Street, W1B Swallow Street honours Thomas Swallow, lessee in 1540 of the pastures on which the road was built. Vere Street, W1G Vere Street is one of the streets of London in the W1G postal area. Vigo Street, W1S Vigo Street is one of the streets of London in the W1S postal area. Walker’s Court, W1D Walker’s Court is one of the many passageways which in past years was known as ’Paved Alley’. Wardour Street, W1F Wardour Street is a street that runs north from Leicester Square, through Chinatown, across Shaftesbury Avenue to Oxford Street.
Oxford Circus, designed by John Nash in 1811.
Oxford Circus, the busy intersection of Oxford Street and Regent Street, was constructed in the beginning of the 19th century, and was designed by John Nash. Regent Street had been commissioned by Prince Regent, who was later to become King George IV, as a grand scheme to connect the Princes home at Carlton House with his newly acquired property at Regents Park. Nash designed a wide boulevard with a sweeping curve that became a clear dividing line between the less respectable Soho and the fashionable squares and streets of Mayfair. Born from the concept of Nash’s layout of the New Street in 1812, frontage alignments remain, with the rebuilt listed architecture of 1920s buildings.
The surrounding area contains important elements of the Nash heritage. All frontages on the Circus are Grade II Listed. The entire of Regent Street is also listed and sits within a conservation area.
The circus is served by Oxford Circus tube station, which is directly beneath the junction itself.
Oxford Circus station has entrances on all four corners of the intersection. The station is an interchange between the Central, Victoria and Bakerloo lines. It is the fourth busiest station on the network and the busiest without connection to the National Rail service. It opened on the Central London Railway on 30 July 1900, with the Baker Street and Waterloo Railway’s platforms opening on 10 March 1906. The two companies had separate surface buildings and lift shafts. The station buildings, which remain today as exits from the station, were constructed on very confined plots on either side of Argyll Street on the south side of Oxford Street, just to the east of the circus itself. The stations were originally built as entirely separate, but connecting passages were swiftly provided at platform level. The surviving Central London Railway building to the east of Argyll Street is the best surviving example of the stations designed by Harry Bell Measures, and the Bakerloo line building to the west is a classic Leslie Green structure. Both station buildings are Grade II listed.
Almost from the outset, overcrowding has been a constant problem at the station and it has seen numerous improvements to its facilities and below-ground arrangements to deal with this difficulty. After much discussion between the then two separate operators, a major reconstruction began in 1912. This saw a new ticket hall, dealing with both lines, built in the basement of the Bakerloo station, the Bakerloo lifts removed, and new deep-level escalators opened down to the Bakerloo line level. Access to the Central line was by way of existing deep-level subways. The new works came into use on 9 May 1914 with the CLR lifts still available for passengers. By 1923 even this rearrangement was unable to cope, so a second rebuilding commenced. This saw a second set of escalators built directly down to the Central line, the CLR station building becoming an exit only. Then, on 2 October 1928, a third escalator leading to the Bakerloo platforms was opened. Unusually, lifts came back into prominence at an Underground station when, in 1942, a set of high-speed lifts came into use, largely used as an exit route from the Central line platforms directly to the Argyll Street exit building.
The Victoria line opened on 7 March 1969. To handle the additional passenger loads, a new ticket hall was constructed directly under the road junction. To excavate the new ticket hall below the roadway, traffic was diverted for five years (August 1963 to Easter 1968) on to a temporary bridge-like structure known as the ’umbrella’ covering the Regent Street/Oxford Street intersection. Services tunnels were constructed to carry water mains and telecom cables past the new ticket hall. Construction of the Victoria line station tunnels with their platforms, the new escalator shafts and the linking passages to the Central line platforms was carried out from access shafts sunk from nearby Cavendish Square, Upper Regent Street and Argyll Street. To this day, traffic passing through the Oxford Circus intersection literally travels over the roof of the ticket office.
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Boyle Street was built on a piece of land called the Ten Acres to discharge some Boyle family debts.
