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 “When a man is tired of London, he is tired of life,“ wrote Dr Samuel Johnson. I totally agree with Sam’s sentiment. London has an extraordinary ability to keep surprising you - especially when you step away from the bigger attractions and into its smaller, more personal museums. These are places you might walk past a dozen times without noticing. Former homes. Quiet townhouses. Buildings that still feel more like someone has just popped out for a stroll than formal museums. Here are five small London museums I love – and that you may not have visited yet, starting with the aforementioned Dr Johnson’s former home. Dr Johnson’s House Dr Samuel Johnson is considered one the greatest literary figures of the eighteenth century and is perhaps best known for his monumental A Dictionary of the English Language, published in 1755. He worked on the Dictionary while living at 17 Gough Square - a beautifully preserved 17th-century townhouse tucked away in the courts and alleys off Fleet Street. It’s the only surviving part of the original Gough Square development, and stepping inside feels like slipping through a crack in time. This incredible four-storey townhouse has retained many of its original features, including historic panelling, an open staircase, wooden floorboards, coal holes and even the original eighteenth-century front-door security system, complete with a heavy chain, corkscrew latch and spiked iron bar. Burglars consider yourselves warned! What I particularly love about Dr Johnson’s House is how immersive it feels. You’re encouraged to sit on the chairs and window seats, to pause, to linger – and to imagine Johnson pacing the rooms, wrestling with definitions and deadlines.  Handel Hendrix House Apart from being famous musical marvels, what have George Frideric Handel and Jimi Hendrix got in common? By a remarkable coincidence, they lived next door to each other on Brook Street in central London, albeit two centuries apart. Handel moved into 25 Brook Street in 1723, at the height of his fame. A couple of centuries later in 1966, Hendrix came to London and he lived in a flat at 23 Brook Street for couple of years with his then girlfriend, Kathy Etchingham, while the Jimi Hendrix Experience took the UK by storm. The Handel Hendrix House is now a museum, combining both residences and carefully recreated to reflect life in their respective centuries. You can wander from baroque London to swinging sixties London in the space of a staircase, with plenty of music to accompany you along the way.  Benjamin Franklin House Benjamin Franklin could never be accused of underachieving. Despite only having two years of formal education, he not only went on to become a founder of the United States, but he is considered to have helped advance the Age of Enlightenment through his experiments with electricity, his inventions, writings, and his extensive activities as a printer and philosopher.  At 36 Craven Street, just off Trafalgar Square, is the world's only remaining home of Benjamin Franklin. He lived here for 16 years between 1757 and 1775, and during that time the house effectively became the first unofficial US embassy in London. It opened as a museum in 2006. Today, the house is a museum and uses live interpretation, sound, lighting and visual projections to bring Franklin’s London years to life. One small warning: it’s a tall, narrow, five-storey house with uneven floors and stairs. You may be stepping back into the eighteenth century, but mind your footing while you do. Sir John Soane’s Museum Sir John Soane’s Museum may be the smallest of the National Museums, but it’s an absolute treasure trove. Soane is considered one of England’s greatest architects, and he built and lived in the house, until his death in 1837.  The house is preserved exactly as Sir John left it, offering visitors a wonderful opportunity to journey through the rooms, learning about his life and his vast curated collection of over 30,000 architectural drawings, models, sculptures and paintings. It feels like a brilliant, eccentric mind made physical – a place you could visit ten times and still notice something new on each visit. 2 Willow Road If modernist architecture is more your thing, 2 Willow Road in Hampstead is well worth seeking out. Designed and lived in by architect Ernő Goldfinger and his family, the house was built in 1939 and is one of only two modernist houses in the UK open to the public. Now a National Trust property, it offers a rare chance to see modernist design principles applied to everyday family life. Knowledgeable guides are on hand to explain how a philosophical and artistic movement became a way of living.  The house is due to reopen on 5 March 2026, and visits must be booked in advance – so a little forward planning is required. These small museums are reminders that some of London’s richest stories are tucked away behind unassuming front doors.
And if a few of them sound familiar, that’s no accident. Many of these places, and plenty more like them, crop up in my book, Why is Downing Street Painted Black?: and 364 Other Fun London Facts, where I explore the quieter corners of the capital and the stories they tell. After all, as Dr Johnson knew, London rewards curiosity - and there’s always another door worth pushing open. My book can be ordered here.
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If you happen to be mooching around Charing Cross Road on the evening of Thursday 27th November, then stop by Foyles bookshop and come and say hello. I’ve been invited to join a whole host of esteemed writers for Foyles Christmas book signing shindig. Yes there’ll be complementary mulled wine. Yes, there’ll free mince pies (if I remember to bring them!). And yes, you’re absolutely encouraged to wander around all six floors of Foyles' flagship shop whilst pretending you’re in a Richard Curtis Christmas film.  There’ll even be live music. I’m hoping for carols – but will happily accept anything with sleigh bells. My imposter syndrome will be working overtime as I’ll be joining a long list of famous faces and writers including the likes of Rev. Richard Coles, Jonathan Freeland, India Knight, William Boyd, Alex Horne, Robert Elms and Charlie Mackesy (you’ll need tickets to catch him) – all there to meet their fans and sign their books. I’d like to give a special mention to art historian, Katy Hessel who will be there promoting her inspiring book, 'How to Live an Artful Life'. A cracking Christmas present for anyone who enjoys art, joy, or simply owning attractive coffee-table reads. Talking of books, Foyles gets a cheeky mention in mine, ‘Why is Downing Street Painted Black? And 364 Other Fun London Facts’. Turn to page 298 to discover why co-owner William Foyle wrote to Hitler and why they laid copies of 'Mein Kampf' on the roof of their central London shop in the 1940s. (Yes, really). I hope to see some of you at Foyles Christmas Evening! Bring your copy of my book along and I’ll happily sign it. You can also buy a copy on the day.   Today is the 5th November, a day in the UK associated with an event that almost happened in 1605 when a group of Catholic conspirators attempted to blow up the Royal Palace of Westminster, better known as the Houses of Parliament. The plan was to kill the Protestant King James I and a large number of other protestant big-wigs who would have been present at the State Opening of Parliament that day. The conspirators wanted to install King James’s catholic daughter Elizabeth on the throne - an audacious plan that they very nearly pulled off. All 13 conspirators hailed from the Midlands (where I’m from) and the North, and although the main instigator was a man called Robert Catesby, the ‘poster boy’ has always been one of the newest recruits to the gang, Guy Fawkes. I want to introduce you to four locations in London that are associated with the Gun Powder Plot, which at the time was known as ‘the Powder Treason’.  Houses of Parliament - Westminster Westminster In 1605 the Royal Palace of Westminster (the building that houses the UK Parliament) was a sprawling mass of buildings which had grown from an 11th century palace into a small village. A fire in 1834 eradicated most of the buildings that the conspirators would have been familiar with, but a couple of bits remain, most notably the 11th century Great Hall (where our late Queen. Elizabeth II lay in State) and nearby, the 14th century Jewel Tower. Our poster boy, Guy Fawkes, was discovered in a cellar beneath Parliament with 36 barrels of gun powder. Somewhat incriminating. The plot was foiled, and all those involved either killed or rounded up to face trial. Before the State Opening of Parliament each year, the Yeomen of the Guard (AKA Beefeaters) ceremonially search the Palace of Westminster for explosives - by lamplight (a fun fact which I included in my recent fun fact trivia book, Why is Downing Street Painted Black? – and 364 other fun London facts. We love a bit of tradition and ceremony in the UK!  The Great Hall - Westminster Palace The Royal Palace of Westminster played a further part in events relating to the ‘Powder Treason’. The eight remaining conspirators who weren’t immediately killed when caught, were tried in the Palaces’ Great Hall and four of them Guy Fawkes, Thomas Winter, Ambrose Rookwood and Robert Keyes, were executed in 1606 in Old Palace Yard. Hoxton Street These days Hoxton in east London feels a world away from Westminster, and back in 1605 it was …two worlds away. It was a quiet country idyll. In October 1605, a catholic called William Parker, known in certain circles as 4th Baron Monteagle or Lord Monteagle was staying in a house on Hoxton Street when he received an anonymous letter. The letter basically warned him not to attend the State opening of Parliament because it was all going to kick off. Part of it reads: “I would aduyse you as you tender your life to devise some excuse to shift youer attendance at this parliament, for God and man hath concurred to punishe the wickedness of this tyme, and thinke not slightly of this advertisement, but retire yourself into your country, where you may expect the event in safety.” Now, the way in which William Parker received the letter; the way in which it was read out to an audience; and the way in which it was handed to King James I’s head of what we would now call ‘the secret service’, Robert Cecil, is all very suspicious and to be debated. But what we can deduce is that William Parker was the brother-in-law of one of the conspirators, Francis Tresham who in turn was related to Robert Catesby (the gang’s ringleader). It is generally believed that it was Tresham who sent the letter to his brother-in-law imploring him to stay away from Westminster on the day it was due to be blown up. Today, a plaque marks the spot on Hoxton Street where what has become known as ‘the Monteagle Letter’ was received.  The Gunpowder Plot plaque - Hoxton The Tower of London It was at the mighty Tower of London that the eight surviving conspirators were brought, interrogated and tortured. Probably the most famous surviving piece of history from this period is Guy Fawkes' signature, before and after he had his fingers pulled from their sockets. However, if you visit the Tower today, you can still see two signatures of less famous gun powder plotters etched into the very fabric of the building. Whilst waiting to be executed, Ambrose Rookwood carved his name in to the wall of Martin Tower and Sir Everard Digby’s signature can still be seen on a wall in Broad Arrow Tower.  The Tower of London St Paul’s churchyard I’ve already mentioned that four conspirators were executed at Westminster, but the men were split up - and it might surprise you to learn that the churchyard at St Paul’s Cathedral was another famous execution site. It was here on the 30th January 1606 that Digby, Robert Winter, John Grant and Thomas Bates met their grisly ends.  Old St Paul's cathedral Today we celebrate the “nearly” events of 1605 with fireworks and burning effigies of Guy Fawkes (and often contemporary politicians) but what are we celebrating? The fact that a plot to kill the King, James I was foiled or that 13 Catholics were executed for something that didn’t happen?
Maybe it doesn’t matter. Either way the Gunpowder Plot remains one of London’s most fascinating stories - and the places where it played out still survive, in one form or another, today. On Thursday 25th September, my book Why is Downing Street Painted Black? and 364 other fun London facts was officially published by Harper Collins, with a small gathering that evening at Stanford's Travel, an amazing bookshop specialising in maps, travel guides and travel writing that has been knocking around the Covent Garden area since 1853. When I turned up, they'd sorted out a nice window display featuring some of the book's illustrations, done by Ollie Mann.  It was a lovely evening, made all the more enjoyable by the behind the scenes work of Stanford's staff, so a big thanks to them. As well as friends, family and a few repeat walkers, I was delighted that a couple of people who feature in the book were able to attend including Mr. James Cook from the shirt makers Turnbull & Asser and Ben Wilson 'the Chewing Gum Man' who I had embroiled to help with the treasure hunt we executed in August.  It's been a novel (non-fiction) experience actually seeing my book on display in bookshops around London, particularly after spending the best part of 20 years writing fiction and non fiction books and screenplays to no avail.  From Monday to Sunday the following week, each day I placed a copy of my book somewhere in London for people to find, posting a clue or two on Instagram Stories and a note attached to the book which read 'Take Me, I'm Yours'. Four of the seven people who found a book wrote to tell me, and the first one on the Monday, told me it was also his birthday. Double Whammy.    Oh yes ...I left them at places that feature in the book. Later in the week I did a walk with a woman called Sam who won the 'Ben Wilson Chewing Gum Treasure Hunt' back in August. She's called Sam, is a mudlark and found all five of Ben's chewing gum art just a couple of days after he finished them. The paint had hardly dried. Sam's prize (aside from a copy of the book) was to do a walk with her and her friends / family around her favourite one of Ben's pieces of chewing gum art done for the book. Turns out her friends were also mudlarks, and we did a bit of a wander around the Fleet Street area before ending in a pub in Blackfriars. Here's Sam with her book.  I forgot to say, on the Monday, I did a talk, my first ever talk (with a screen, projector and everything) above a pub called The Devereux, organised in part by Grace who came on one of my walks a few years ago. I talked about fun facts that are in the book that surround the pub, so Temple, Fleet Street, Middle Temple, Inner Temple ...that kind of thing. I completely forgot to take any photos, but someone in the audience took this. It's the only record.  On Saturday 4th October, 20 or so people very kindly turned up to an event I did with the Brick Lane Bookshop in east London. I did a walk around the Brick Lane and Spitalfields area that began and ended at the shop. Also, if you're on the look out for a signed copy of Why is Downing Street Painted Black? I signed quite a number whilst I was there.   I've also recently featured on a couple of podcasts. The first (The Conversation: Coffee Break) was with crime writer Nadine Matheson who writes a cracking series featuring a detective called Anjelica Henley set in around modern day Deptford and south east London. You can listen online (wherever you get your podcasts), or watch here. The second was with former professional rugby player Ross Neal who had a slightly different angle. His podcast Human Alchemy concentrates on interviewing people from elite sport, leadership, the military and hardcore outdoor adventurers. I was obviously a slight departure, but Ross has been on a couple of my walks and was interested to hear about my route to tour guiding and social media as well as the way I run my tours. You can listen to Ross's chat with me HERE or watch it on You Tube. Many thanks to everyone that pre-ordered Why is Downing Street Painted Black? and everyone that has bought it since its publication. Really appreciated it and if you find it enjoyable, please feel free to pop a review somewhere (Amazon, Goodreads, Waterstones, Google Books etc).
For those living in the States, I believe it'll be published there in December. Oh yes ...on the evening of Tuesday 4th November, I'll be giving a talk entitled 'Many Facts You Probably Don't Know About London' with 'Pints of Knowledge' which organise lectures in pubs. See you there?  My book, Why is Downing Street Painted Black? And 364 other fun London facts is published on Thursday (25th Sept 2025) by Mudlark, an imprint of Harper Collins, so thought I’d take the opportunity to introduce its illustrator, the talented Ollie Mann and find out how he got in to illustration, who he admires in the world of illustration and what he’s got coming up next …amongst other things. Did you always want to be an illustrator? I’ve always loved drawing, but it was just under a decade ago that I began to think seriously about making it my career. I was hesitant to make my hobby a full-time job (an unstable one at that), but the autonomy of freelance work really appealed to me, so I took the plunge. What was your route to becoming an illustrator? I posted a lot of my work on social media, primarily Instagram. An old friend from university who worked in publishing saw my posts and asked me to illustrate a book she was editing, which led to my first professional book job. From then onwards I grew my portfolio through word of mouth and sending-out emails to editors and art directors. Are there any illustrators or artists you particularly admire? There are loads – old and new! I recently went to the Edward Burra exhibition at Tate Britain which was really inspiring. I love the way he drew figures – kind of grotesque, imbued with lots of physical energy, but also very funny. I love how he crams so much detail onto a canvas and captures very busy human moments. Contemporary illustrators I follow and am big fans of include Aysha Tengiz, Sam Prentice-Jones, Robbie Cathro – there’s always a lot of playfulness and colour in their work. I also really enjoy John Broadley’s work and how to evokes history in his rich vintage style. In terms of providing illustrations for Why is Downing Street Painted Black? Were there any particular challenges for you? I think my biggest challenge was also my biggest pleasure: my attempts to emulate the sense of humour of the words in my illustrations. There were some images that just had to be very representative of the particular landmark so as not to cause confusion, but I relished the instances where I could tweak or play with what was being described to add a bit of humour – for example, turning Big Ben into a giant HP sauce bottle!  Illustration by Ollie Mann. Had you already known any of the fun London facts you illustrated? I’m ashamed to say there aren’t many I already knew, although that made it more fun for me to read the book because I did a lot of learning! The ones that stick out to me are the man, Michael Fagan, who broke into the Queen’s bedroom at 7am and that the name of ‘Soho’ came from a 16th century hunting cry.  Illustration by Ollie Mann. Were there any that particularly surprised you or jumped out? A lot surprised me! The ones that stick-out are those that almost seem to ridiculous to be true, like the grave site of the clown Grimaldi being designed to be danced on, or Foyle’s layering their roof with copies of ‘Mein Kampf’ during World War II to discourage the Luftwaffe from bombing them. Would you say you have a particular style or are you quite fluid in your approach to projects? I think my style can be a bit fluid to fit the project, but I have a consistent point of view – one that is playful and irreverent. I think most of my work falls in a ‘cartooning’ space because I love to draw people with exaggerated expressions and gestures. Do you have a favourite illustration from Why is Downing Street Painted Black? I think my favourite might be Nelson having dinner at the top of his column. I like how it tells the story of the fact and it was just fun to draw!  Illustration by Ollie Mann. You work as a ‘live scribe’ …could you tell us a bit more about that? As well as illustrating books I illustrate live events. This means that as a talk, presentation or meeting of some kind if happening I am capturing what is happening in realtime, either on a white board or on my ipad. What advice would you give to someone wanting to become an illustrator? I would say that it’s important to have a clear point of view, your drawings don’t have to all look the same, but it’s helpful to identify the direction you want to go in as an illustrator. I would also say keep sharing your work, even if it’s not polished. Some people – especially prospective clients – enjoy seeing the ‘sketchbook’ just as much as the finished piece. Aside from book illustrations, where else might we see your work? I do illustration for events or venues every now and then, but I mostly illustrate for books. What upcoming projects do you have? I’ve just illustrated ‘Unbelievable Football: The Most Amazing World Cup Stories You Never Knew’, which is a book for young people packed with fun true football stories and is part of the official World Book Day lineup. A great read for budding football fans!  Illustration by Ollie Mann. Why is Downing Street Painted Black? And 364 other fun London facts is available to pre-order now and will be available in bookshops on Thursday 25th Sept. Many thanks to Ollie for the interview and of course, his wonderful illustrations. My book Why is Downing Street Painted Black? (and 364 other fun London facts) is being published on Thursday 25th September and currently available to preorder. I have enlisted the help of London based street artist Ben Wilson (AKA The Chewing Gum Man) who features in the book, to create something both fun and Londony that you can get involved with …and possibly win a prize.  Ben has painted 5 unique pieces of chewing gum in secret locations around central London. Each tiny piece of masticated art depicts a fun fact from my book and your mission (should you choose to accept) is to find them. Each of the five pieces of gum have @bowlofchalk written on them (just in case you find another of Ben’s pieces of chewing gum art). Here’s what you need to do. 1. Using the clues below, see if you can find all 5 pieces of chewing gum art. 2. For each piece of gum you find, post on social media using the hashtag #WhyIsDowningStreetPaintedBlack and tag @bowlofchalk, @benwilsonchewinggumman, and @harpernonfiction. Once you’ve found and posted all 5 pieces of gum, DM me on Instagram @bowlofchalk saying “I’VE FOUND ALL THE GUM!” (If you don't use social media, then good for you. Please just take photos and contact me using the Contact Form on this website). MOST IMPORTANT – Please don’t reveal the location of the gum.  WHAT CAN YOU WIN? Grand Winner - The first person to find all 5 pieces of gum will receive a free walking tour from me, centred around whichever their favourite bit of gum is and a signed copy of the book. VERY IMPORTANT – The tour will be on a weekday or one evening during the week at a time that is mutually convenient. It will last approximately 90 mins. Runners Ups – The next 10 people to find all 5 pieces of gum will receive a signed copy of the book in the post – please do not give out your address to any other account, the DM will come directly from me @bowlofchalk.  THE CLUES Clue No. 1 I depict a building that is the same height as there are days in the year and built by a small brown bird. However, to find me you must cross the bridge of a thousand years to its once polluting neighbour that is now full of art. You will find me close to ‘liquid history’ by a small avenue of trees. Clue No. 2 To find me you must head east to an area that has lost its H and its O on the opposite end of a street to where ‘Saucy Jack’ once prowled and a pub that has quite a ring. I am close to where bricks were once made and depict a building in which many different people have prayed. Clue No. 3 I am in an area at the end of the west where hunters once called on a street that is both wide and part of a candle. Although of the same name, I have neither read the news or appeared in Game of Thrones, but you may find this refreshing. I am close by on a corner by a giant toast rack. Clue No. 4 This area once shook with printing presses, just off 'ink street'. You will find me in a place that is not round, close to where an important book was compiled in the 18th century by a man who had a ‘very fine cat indeed’ that had a penchant for oysters. Clue No. 5 There was once a hall here that was certainly not black or grey. I am opposite an address that is both famous and has a door that won’t open without help. There is a cat called Larry but be aware of the police and the guns for it is here that the First Lord of the Treasury resides. You’ll find me a short distance from ‘Monty’ ...watching on from a safe distance.  The competition ends on Monday 15th September at midnight, after which time I won’t respond to competition entries. However, if the chewing gum paintings are still there, you’re still very welcome to see if you can find them.
Please take care when taking part in the treasure hunt. Please use road crossings, beware of traffic and also take care of your phone. I wish you all the best, keep your eyes peeled and most of all I hope you have fun. Jonnie PS – If you haven’t already pre-ordered my book, you can do so HERE.  If you live in Hackney or surrounds (or anywhere else for that matter), then you can preorder my forthcoming book ‘Why is Downing Street Painted Black (and 364 other fun London facts)’ directly from the brilliant indie bookshop Pages of Hackney on Lower Clapton Road (in Hackney). ‘Pages’ (as the locals call it) opened in 2008 on what was then known as ‘murder mile’ in an area that hadn’t had a book shop for 30 years. I was actually living about two minutes away at the time and remember sitting in the laundrette opposite and the founder Eleanor was there too. She clearly wasn’t waiting for any clothes to dry so I asked her what she was doing. The shop was about to open but still had the builders in so she was getting her first books delivered to the laundrette. Seventeen years later and Pages of Hackney is very much part of an incredibly diverse community in which 300 languages are spoken and 47% residents identify as ‘black and/or global majority’ groups. This diversity is very much reflected in the books they stock and the events they host in their lovely basement. If you’d like to support a wonderful local independent London bookshop and you’re in the market for purchasing Why is Downing Street Painted Black, then you can pre order my book HERE.     Pages of Hackney, 70 Lower Clapton Road, London, E5 0RN.
 In the run up to my book ‘Why is Downing Street Painted Black (and 364 other fun London facts) being published on the 25th September, Waterstones, the book shop behemoth who also actually feature in the book (you’ll have to buy it to find out why) have launched a prize draw. If you preorder my book HERE you’ll automatically be entered into a prize draw meaning you’ll be in the running to win two tickets to ‘The Ultimate London Experience’ which involves a whirl on the London Eye (also features in the book), a visit to Madame Tussauds (the one in London obviously) the SEA LIFE London Aquarium, DreamWorks Tours Shrek’s Adventure, The London Dungeon, a hop on / hop off bus tour around London, a one way river cruise along the Thames …and a few more things. You don’t have to do them all at the same time, but if you’d like the chance to win, you can preorder ‘Why is Downing Street Painted Black’ HERE. There are various terms and conditions but the main one is that you need to be 18 or over to enter and the competition closes at 11:59pm on the 31st August 2025.    |
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