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 Three minutes from Covent Garden tube station – past the buskers, boutiques and street magicians, stands an unassuming brick building that quietly witnessed nearly 300 years of London’s criminal history. Welcome to the Bow Street Museum of Crime & Justice. If social history, true crime and the evolution of Britain’s justice system are your thing, this place is an absolute gem. A couple of Fieldings who changed policing forever long before the Metropolitan Police were founded, Bow Street was already synonymous with law and order.  In 1749, novelist and magistrate Henry Fielding, yes, the author of Tom Jones, and his half-brother John Fielding (great name – no relation) established the Bow Street Runners here. Often described as London’s first professional police force, they created a small team of trained, salaried “thief-takers” operating out of Bow Street. Until then, law enforcement had relied largely on unpaid watchmen armed with little more than a lantern and a stick. The Fieldings introduced something new. And from this modest street in Covent Garden, modern policing began to take shape. The museum charts that journey beautifully. Housed in the former 1881 police station and magistrates’ court, the building itself is part of the story. You’ll walk through real corridors, stand in authentic cells and explore where history unfolded – including the suffragettes, the Kray Twins, Dr Crippen and, perhaps most famously, the 1895 arrest of Oscar Wilde.   To stand in the same space where such figures once waited to hear their fate is quite something. But the museum doesn’t just recount famous cases; it tells the human stories of the officers, magistrates and ordinary Londoners who worked, and were processed, here. You’ll come away with a genuine sense of how justice evolved alongside the city itself. Small, focused and fascinating One of the joys of the Bow Street Museum is its scale. You don’t need half a day. In 45 minutes to an hour you can comfortably explore it all. It’s £8 for general adult admission and under-12s go free. But don’t be caught out - it’s only open Friday to Sunday (plus Thursdays during school holidays). There are also one-hour private tours for small groups. A detour worth taking London is full of grand institutions and big museums, but it’s places like this that remind you that some of the most compelling stories happen in smaller rooms - and behind thicker doors. If you want to understand how London grew up, how crime was confronted, and how justice slowly professionalised, I think this little museum tells that story brilliantly. Next time you’re in Covent Garden (on a Friday, Saturday or Sunday), my advice is - step away from the market stalls and theatre queues. Walk three minutes down Bow Street. And step into the cells and discover a fascinating slice of London’s story. PLEASE NOTE - The Bow Street Museum is only open on Fridays, Saturdays & Sundays.    
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 On Saturday, after being closed for the best part of two years, the Banqueting House on Whitehall is opening its doors once again to the public. What is Banqueting House? Banqueting House is the last surviving building on Whitehall, that was once part of Whitehall Palace, a sprawling maze of buildings that grew from Cardinal Wolsey’s residence, York Place to become the largest Royal Palace in Europe. In 1698, a fire devastated the area, but Banqueting House survived. The building itself was designed by Inigo Jones and completed in 1622 during the reign of King James I, the first of the Stuart Monarchs, replacing an earlier Elizabethan Hall. What happened there? Strangely, not too many banquets, but aside from ceremonies and celebrations, one of the main things that happened inside Banqueting House were ‘Masques’. Today, we’d probably refer to these events as ‘immersive theatre’, but Masques were a popular form of courtly entertainment that came over from Italy and involved a lot of guests getting dressed up, singing, dancing, acting, accompanied by music and lavish theatrical sets. The main historical event to feature Banqueting House was the execution of King Charles I on the 30th January 1649. Although the actual execution took place on a scaffold outside the building on Whitehall, the King was walked through the hall, under the ceiling he’d commissioned which extolled the divine right of King’s, including a depiction of the apotheosis of his father, which is basically James I being carried up to heaven on the wings of an eagle. Charles I then climbed out of one of the Banqueting House windows to the scaffold to be executed.  Tell me more about this ceiling? The ceiling, which is actually numerous canvases painted by Flemish artist Peter Paul Rubens, was commissioned in the early 1630s and is the largest surviving work by Rubens in Europe, still in its original location. It is spectacular and was largely commissioned to ‘big up’ the Stuart monarchs, which is probably why King Charles I was forced to walk beneath it just before his execution. Why would I visit? The ceiling is obviously the main draw. That alone is worth the visit, but down in the under croft, I believe new interpretation boards are being installed, telling the history of the building, along with a few artifacts. Also, just to be able to experience this incredible survivor of an early 17th building from the Royal Court, which was the scene of one of the most significant moments in British and Royal history; the execution of King Charles I.   Why’s it been closed? A lot of the renovations and refurbishments have been made to create an environment that can maintain and control the temperature and conditions within the building, and therefore preserve the life of Rubens' Ceiling. A lot of it is unseen. Heat pumps. Ventilation etc. The entire floor of the hall has been re-laid with sustainably sourced English Oak and looks and feels great and as well as being given a paint job (not the ceiling) the biggest thing is that Historic Royal Palaces have removed a staircase and replaced it with a super-duper lift, meaning that for the first time in its history, wheelchair users can now enjoy the splendour of the hall and Ruben’s ceiling and also access the under-croft, which also has an accessible toilet. Got any fun facts about Banqueting House? The ceiling painting was actually made to measure in Belgium on canvas, rolled up and shipped over to London. However, upon arriving and unrolling them, Ruben’s assistants realised the canvases were far too big, so changes had to be made to the ceiling to fit them. It took ages, but it wasn’t Rubens’ problem …he didn’t even come over and it would seem, never even saw his masterpiece in situ. Whilst in the hall, if you look out of one of the windows on to Whitehall, you can see the clock on Horse Guards opposite. The roman numerals for ‘Two’ and Ten’ have been blacked out, marking the time that Charles I had his head chopped off. How can I visit? Banqueting House will be open to the public this coming Saturday (20th March), with subsequent open days on the 3rd April, 1st May, 29th May and the 26th June. Adult tickets cost £7.50. Between 1st August & 20th September Banqueting House will be open for 'A Season' and adult tickets cost £10.00. For more information and tickets, check out the Banqueting House website.   Yesterday (13th March), The Prince & Princess of Wales, William & Catherine made an unexpected visit to London’s oldest market, Borough Market, the nearby Bermondsey Beer Mile and the RNLI station on the Thames, Tower Lifeboat station. I was honoured to have been contacted by Kensington Palace to ask whether I’d be interested in creating some online content featuring The Prince and Princess, with the plan being that we could do something together on their whistlestop London tour. Due to a prior commitment (someone had booked me to do a birthday walk for friends and family) I was unable to meet them, but with their team, hatched a plan that would enable me to create a video (in my usual style) giving a brief introduction to the history of Borough Market and incorporating the three stalls they were to visit, complete with voice over, that their own team could then intersperse with footage from the day.  The purpose of their visit was to highlight some of our finest British artisanal food and drink producers and included stops at Trethowan Brothers who have been selling cheese made at their North Somerset farm since the market’s renaissance back in the late 1990s. Next up was Change Please, a coffee stall which since 2015 has been training up those experiencing homelessness to become baristas, offer them a regular wage, accommodation advice, therapy and help them set up an all-important bank account. 100% of the social enterprise’s profits go back in to fighting homelessness. Last up was Humble Crumble, founded by Kim Inness in 2018 to offer high quality, delicious puddings; a gap she spotted in the market after noticing an empty ice cream parlour one winter. Setting up her first permanent stall literally days before the Covid lockdown in 2020, it hasn’t been plain sailing for Kim and her team of crumble crusaders, but she’s been doing a roaring trade at Borough Market in recent years, and her pudding empire seems to show no signs of abating yet.  The day seems to have gone well, and the video we created together showcasing the delights of Borough Market and the Royal visit, have in the last 24 hrs had over 1m views …and counting. You can watch the video on Instagram, TikTok, Facebook or YouTube.   All photos C/O Kensington Palace.
 A short walk from Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre in the backstreets of south London, lies Crossbones Graveyard. Once described as a “despised and desolate site”, today it has been transformed into a peaceful garden of remembrance. In medieval times the site served as an unconsecrated burial ground for Southwark’s prostitutes, known as the ‘Winchester Geese’. By the 18th century it had become a paupers’ graveyard. When it finally closed in 1853, it was estimated that around 15,000 people had been buried there.  Discovering Crossbones For many years the graveyard slipped into obscurity, its history hidden behind hoardings and buried beneath rubble. It was only rediscovered in the 1990s during excavation work by Transport for London. Archaeologists uncovered numerous remains, which were later studied by the Museum of London. Over half of those exhumed were children - a stark reminder of the harsh living conditions and high child mortality that once characterised the area The story of Crossbones then takes an unexpected turn. In 1996, local writer John Constable experienced what he describes as a vision while writing late at night. In it, “The Goose”, the spirit of a medieval sex worker, guided him to the forgotten site of Crossbones, a place he claims he had never previously heard of. She also dictated a poem: For tonight in Hell They are tolling the bell For the Whore that lay at the Tabard, And well we know How the carrion crow Doth feast in our Cross Bones Graveyard.  Breathing new life into Crossbones Since then, Constable and the Friends of Crossbones have worked tirelessly to protect the site and bring attention to its remarkable history. Today the graveyard has been reimagined as a garden of remembrance, with drystone beds, a wildflower meadow and a wildlife pond - all designed to honour the outcast dead who lie buried beneath the soil. Each year, a candlelit procession takes place here on Halloween. And for the past 22 years, at 7pm on the 23rd of every month, a vigil has been held at the gates to remember those buried within and to renew the shrine. The site has quietly become a place of pilgrimage for people who feel themselves outsiders. Visitors from around the world tie coloured ribbons to the large red gate on Redcross Way, creating a vivid rainbow that celebrates difference and remembrance.   Acknowledging the forgotten In a city that constantly rebuilds and reinvents itself, Crossbones offers something rare: a place where the forgotten are finally acknowledged. The ribbons are small tokens of remembrance from visitors who may never have known the names of those buried here, but who recognise something deeply human in their story. In the end, Crossbones isn’t just about the past. It’s a reminder that even the most overlooked corners of a city can still find their voice. If you’re wanting to visit – the volunteer wardens aim to open the garden on Wednesdays, Thursdays and Fridays between 12–2pm, although please note, times can vary.     If you start noticing London’s public statues and busts (and you absolutely should), you’ll quickly realise something. There are a lot of men. In fact, around 90% of London’s public statues are of men. There are reportedly more statues of named animals in the capital than there are of real or non-mythical women. So, in honour of International Women’s Day, here’s a wander through some of the brilliant women who have made it onto London’s plinths. It’s not exhaustive. But it’s a start. Queen Victoria – The Reigning Champion of Plinth Space If there were an award for “Most Statues in London”, Queen Victoria would win it without breaking a sweat. She has twelve statues in the capital alone. Ten of them are full-length public sculptures. The most famous, of course, is the vast Victoria Memorial outside Buckingham Palace. Whatever you think of the Victorian era, Victoria certainly cornered the market in commemorative stone.  Millicent Fawcett – Courage Calls to Courage Everywhere In 2018, history shifted slightly in Parliament Square. For the first time, a statue of a woman was installed there: Millicent Fawcett. A leading figure in the suffrage movement, Fawcett campaigned for women’s voting rights for over sixty years, favouring debate and persistence over militancy. She’s depicted holding a banner reading: “Courage calls to courage everywhere” - words she spoke after the death of Emily Davison. Fittingly, the statue was created by Turner Prize winning artist, Gillian Wearing - the first statue in Parliament Square made by a woman, too. Read more here.  Florence Nightingale - The Lady with the Lamp A pioneer of modern nursing, Florence Nightingale led teams during the Crimean War, transformed hospital hygiene, and revolutionised medical statistics. Her statue at Waterloo Place shows her as the “Lady with the Lamp”, the nickname earned during her night-time rounds tending to wounded soldiers. There’s another at St Thomas’ Hospital - fittingly close to where generations of nurses have trained in her shadow.  Mary Seacole – A Long Overdue Tribute Installed in 2016 in the grounds of St Thomas’ Hospital, the statue of Mary Seacole honours the Scottish-Jamaican nurse who set up the “British Hotel” during the Crimean War - part convalescent home, part morale-boosting haven. Posthumously voted first in a poll of “100 Great Black Britons”, Seacole’s recognition was long overdue. Noor Inayat Khan – Spy, Hero, Storyteller In Gordon Square Gardens stands a bust of Noor Inayat Khan, the British-Indian Special Operations Executive agent who worked undercover in occupied France during WWII. Captured, tortured, and executed at Dachau in 1944, she was posthumously awarded the George Cross. Her memorial stands close to the Bloomsbury home where she once lived - a quiet square honouring extraordinary courage.  Virginia Woolf – Bloomsbury’s Literary Rebel In Tavistock Square you’ll find a bronze bust of Virginia Woolf. Modernist. Feminist. Literary rule-breaker. A born and bred Londoner and a central figure in the Bloomsbury Group, Woolf lived in the area for over three decades. The bust, unveiled in 2004, quietly marks her long connection with Bloomsbury - a neighbourhood that helped reshape 20th-century culture.  Boudicca – Destroyer of Roman London At the north entrance to Westminster Bridge stands one of London’s most dramatic sculptures: a larger than life-size bronze statue of Boudicca and her daughters in a rearing chariot. Positioned opposite Parliament and close to the Palace of Westminster, there’s a neat irony here: she once led the rebellion that burned Roman London to the ground. Ada Lovelace – Look Up! Always look up in London. On Horseferry Road, high on a modern apartment building, stands Ada Lovelace. Lovelace is celebrated mathematician and technology pioneer, at a time when few women entered those fields. Often described as the world’s first computer programmer for her work with Charles Babbage’s Analytical Engine. Today she’s become a symbol for women in science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM).  Amy Winehouse – Camden’s Daughter In Camden Market stands a bronze of British singer and songwriter, Amy Winehouse, forever mid-stride, hair piled high. Music fans and tourists pose with, and celebrate, the beloved late singer in her former stomping ground of Camden - the part of town where Winehouse also tragically died in 2011, aged 27. The statue was unveiled three years after her death. Mary Wollstonecraft – A Controversial Tribute When a memorial to Mary Wollstonecraft was unveiled on Newington Green in 2020, it caused debate. Rather than a conventional likeness, the sculpture, by Maggi Hambling, shows a silver female figure emerging from a swirl of forms. Its unveiling provoked a backlash from some who have queried the inclusion of a naked female figure. A radical and writer, Wollstonecraft, best known for ‘A Vindication of the Rights of Woman’ which is seen as one of the earliest feminist works for challenging the contemporary notions that women existed only to please men and championing women’s independence.  Edith Cavell – Duty Without Distinction Just off Trafalgar Square, in St Martin’s Place, stands the memorial to Edith Cavell. A British nurse from Norfolk, Cavell worked in German-occupied Belgium during the First World War. She treated wounded soldiers from both sides without distinction, because, to her, care came before politics. She also helped around 200 Allied soldiers escape. For that, she was arrested and executed by German firing squad in 1915. Her memorial bears the simple word: Humanity. Emmeline Pankhurst – Deeds, Not Words Walk into Victoria Tower Gardens from Parliament Square and you’re immediately greeted by an icon: Emmeline Pankhurst. Leader of the Women’s Social and Political Union, Pankhurst took a far more militant approach than Millicent Fawcett. Her rallying cry? “Deeds, not words.” The statue was unveiled in 1930 by Prime Minister Stanley Baldwin, just two years after women finally achieved equal voting rights with men. It stands within sight of Parliament. Which, to me, feels exactly right. Still a work in progress. Across the UK, only 2.7% of statues depict real, non-mythical, non-royal women. London is improving, albeit slowly, but it’s still a city of generals, politicians and bewhiskered Victorian gentlemen. So next time you’re out walking, look around, and notice who’s on the plinth - and who isn’t. |
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