London’s Mystic Myths

Bronze Lion Heads with mooring rings in their mouth line the Victoria Embankment, on the northern bank of river Thames, was created for Bazalgette’s new embankments in 1868, with a Mystic rhyme “ accessible via Temple ( Circle and District line), When the Lions drink, London will sink. When it’s up to their manes, we’ll go down the drains”.

Nearly seventy years ago on December 30, 1952, Albert Gunter was driving the number 78 bus over Tower Bridge towards Shoreditch, when the bridge miraculously started to open. Albert slammed his foot down on the accelerator accidentally but managed to jump the gap successfully escaping with just a broken leg.

London Bridge was a direct route into London to one of the markets and to this day the Freemen of the City of London exercise their right to herd sleep over London Bridge annually to raise funds for the Worshipful Company of Woolmen livery company.

The Abbey Road Zebra which appears on a Beatles vinyl music album cover crossing in north London was given Grade II listing status in 2010, by English Heritage despite the original zebra crossing being moved by several meters  30 years ago.

Little Venice’s tree-lined canals span from Hyde Park to Warwick Avenue, where colourful canal boats roam London’s intricate waterways, and many serve as tearooms and cafes. Have you ever had brunch on a London canal boat between Camden Lock Market in Camden Town to Paddington Basin?

Spitalfields and Brick Lane emitting exotic aromas from the notorious curry houses featuring the culinary system of Khasi, Kuki, and other tribes, originating from Sylheti’s of Barak Valley to Surma Valley in Bangladesh, and Jewish delis, with vintage stores and bespoke chocolate shops, you would, of course, forget you are in Jack The Ripper Territory, the serial killer who frequented English pubs in Victorian times. The Spitalfields Market has some of London’s finest handcrafted wares.

Rajiv Nair