David Harry The London Spy

The Emperor Hadrian visited Britannia and London in about the year 122AD, and some people believe that this fort was built for his garrison, and he actually visited it. Much later, after it was less dangerous in the south of England, the fort was incorporated into the famous London wall, which still survives in many locations. The area here was uncovered during German bombing in the Second World War, and has been preserved. That area belongs to one of the ancient livery companies of the city of London, the Plaisterers, and it is situated right next to The Barbican. Join me on one of my Roman London tours to see this and many more incredible remnants of the Roman occupation of this country that lasted from 43A.D. till 410. #thelondonspy #DavidHarry #romanlondon #archaeology #romanempire #cityoflondon #romanarmy #barbican #plaisterershall #visitlondon #londontourguide #roman #learnontik #tourguide #london

Livery companies of the city of London are the ancient trade guilds, representing all the different businesses that used to operate in the city, generate London’s wealth, and by extension the country’s. The most important of all of them are called the Mercers, and they ran the wool trade, which was Britain’s most important export. They own large tracts of land in the city of London, and in Covent Garden in particular, and any building they own is usually marked with this symbol, the masses made, somewhere on the building, see if you can find any. I am a member of the 47th company, known as the stationers, who represent the print, journalism, paper, and press industries. #t#thelondonspyD#DavidHarryl#liverycompanym#mercersm#medievalhistoryc#cityoflondonm#mercersmaidenw#woolsackt#tourguidel#londonl#londontourguidel#learnontik

Picked up by Grenadier Guardsman Bill "Sherry' Sharrard of 3 Squadron 2 Battalion at Bayeux in Normandy in 1944. Reggie' was thought to be a booby trap but when he failed to blow up having been pelted with stones, Guardsman Sharrard hung the doll in his tank as a mascot where it stayed until they reached Berlin. Sharrard then kept it with him when he was stationed in as a guard at the Nuremburg Trials for war criminals that took place at the end of World War II. #thelondonspy #DavidHarry #guardsmuseum #grenadierguards #normandy1944 #ww2history #londontourguide #learnontik

This scent shop is the original 1730 licatiin for Floris scent. Ian Fleming, writer and creator of James Bond, was a regular customer of Floris and he first featured our products in his novel Moonraker in 1955. Our No.89 Eau de Toilette was created the year before his first novel was published in 1951 and the scent soon became a favourite of the James Bond creator. Florence Nightingale had returned from the Crimean War and was busy setting up a training school for nurses at St. Thomas’ Hospital in Waterloo. In our Jermyn Street shop we display this treasured letter written by Florence Nightingale in 1863 to “Mr Floris” thanking him for his “beautiful sweet-smelling nosegays”. A receipted invoice dated December 1934 for fragrances purchased by Winston Churchill including Special No.127 Eau de Toilette and Stephanotis, both of which are still available in the Floris Signature Collection. During the 1950s Floris increasingly exported orders to the United States where the brand was gaining popularity. A receipt in our collection dated December 1959 shows a purchase of Rose Geranium made for Marilyn Monroe Miller while she stayed at Beverly Hills Hotel, California. #thelondonspy #DavidHarry #perfume #perfumetiktok #007 #marilynmonroe #florisperfume #scent #jermynstreet #oscarwilde #londontourguide

I got an invitation from a band I’d never heard of on Instagram saying we love your TikTok, Please be a guest at our London show! The band were called Emotional Oranges, and I was so happy to go, even though I was probably the oldest person in the room. They are wonderful, really life affirming. #davidharry #thelondonspy #emotionaloranges #londongig #londonmusic ##outernetlondon@@Emotional Oranges 🍊##tottenhamcourtroad##stillemo

The great fire of London started in September 1666, and as soon as it was over people were looking for suspects to blame. This monument was built right next to its start to commemorate the great fire, and the rebuilding of London that happened on it, and on its North face was a shameful inscription, blaming the Catholics for this. A foreigner called Hubert, confessed to creating the fire and was executed, but it was later proven that he wasn't even in London at the time. #londonguide #davidharry #greatfireoflondon #christopherwren #17thcenturyarchitecture #thelondonspy #cityoflondon #themonument #londontourguide #learnontik

Parakeets live in London and in St James’ Park, tourists can feed them and often they land on them. The last official count in 2012 showed 32,000 of them living in London alone. I think it’s an urban myth that Jimi Hendrix brought them to London, but who knows and it’s a nice story. #d#davidharryd#davidharryl#londonguidep#parakeets#stjamesparkl#londontourguidef#feedthebirds

The 'Mystery Warrior' was discovered in 2008. Arguably the most elaborately equipped warrior grave ever found in England, archaeologists believe he was a refugee French Gallic fighter who fled Julius Caesar's Roman Army as they swept across continental Europe around 50BC. Due to the significance of the artefacts, a team of world class experts worked with The Novium Museum, to analyse and interpret the finds to tell the story of this incredible individual. The discovery of an Iron Age helmet in Britan is incredibly rare. In fact, the Mystery Warrior's helmet is one of only four to have been found in Britain to date. Many more have been discovered in Europe. What makes the Mystery Warrior's helmet so distinctive is the fact that it has been customised with two unique openwork crests. The basic underlying helmet found with the Mystery Warrior is of a Coolus type. Similar helmets are found throughout Gaul, but rarely found in the Iberian Peninsula, encompassing Spain and Portugal, where the Roman army is known to have been very active during the Late Iron Age. This tell us that it is unlikely the helmet was of Roman origin. The Mystery Warrior's helmet would have provided some protection during battle but combined with the breathtaking openwork crest it was more likely about showmanship, authority and intimidation. A pair of chin strap connectors were riveted to either side of the helmet, which would have been essential in preventing the elaborately decorated helmet from sliding off the Mystery Warrior's head. #davidharry #thelondonspy #chichester #ironage #helmet #shieldboss #archaeology #gallicwars #gallicwarrior

I was lucky enough to be invited to the preview of the new exhibition at the National portrait Gallery, I highly recommend it. Entitled Francesca Woodman and Julia Margaret Cameron - Portraits to Dream In - it contrasts these groundbreaking women, Julia, Margaret Cameron received her first camera at the age of 47 - Francesca Woodman started photography at 13 years old, and sadly died at 21. Many of the artworks from Francesca Woodman have never been shown in public before, including her diaries and notebooks. #davidharry #thelondonspy #photography #juliamargaretcameron #francescawoodman #npg #nationalportraitgallery @National Portrait Gallery #portraitphotography #femaleartist #londonartgallery #londonguide

An incredible 14th century drinking vessel in the V&A collection and a very early English hallmarked fork here - just wonderful objects. The mazer says “Hold your tongue and say the best / And let your neighbour sit in rest / He is so eager to please God / He lets his neighbour live in ease” This is the earliest-known hallmarked silver fork made in an English workshop. On the back of the handle are mark of the maker (London spoon-maker Richard Crosse), and three marks to show the quality of the silver. Forks were originally used at table to serve sticky sweets, such as preserved ginger, or to secure meat as it was carved. Food was brought to the mouth using a spoon, the point of a knife, or the fingers. The use of forks for this purpose was still a novelty in seventeenth-century England, where writers tended to consider the practice an affectation imported from Italy. #davidharry #thelondonspy #mazer #drinkingvessel #tankard #14thcentury #fork #hallmarked #hallmarkedsilver #victoriaandalbertmuseum #cutlery #tableware #londonguide #museumguide

A sneak preview of Drapers Hall, not normally open to the public. Famous previous members include the Lord Nelson , Francis Drake and Walter Raleigh. 1200 – 1500 The precise origins of the Drapers’ Company are not clear. Whilst evidence of drapers working in the City can be found throughout the 13th century it is not until 1361 that formal recognition of the guild was awarded by the Mayor with the foundation of the Brotherhood of our Lady of Bethlehem. To fully secure their monopoly over the drapery trade, the guild petitioned for a Royal Charter which was granted by Edward III in 1364. This first Charter granted the Drapers definite authority from the Crown to organize and govern their guild as well as the much-coveted monopoly of the retail sale of woollen cloth in London. By this they came to set standards for the trade, such as pricing and the "Drapers’ ell", or standard measure, by which all cloth was sold; and oversaw the training of draper apprentices. THE POST-GREAT FIRE HALL In November 1667, Edward Jarman’s plans for the new Hall were approved. In plan the new Hall followed the example of its predecessor with the main rooms grouped around a courtyard though incorporating a longer livery hall. The rebuilding of the Hall took several years during which time the Company hired Carpenters’ Hall, immediately adjacent to the garden, for its events. Work had finished by the end of 1671 though furnishing and adorning the rooms took far longer. #davidharry #thelondonspy #drapers #liverycompany #cityoflondon #londonhistory #londonguide

In the rating system of the Royal Navy, a third rate was a ship of the line which from the 1720s mounted between 64 and 80 guns, First rate had 100 guns. Years of experience proved that the third rate ships embodied the best compromise between sailing ability (speed, handling), firepower, and cost. So, while first-rates and second-rates were both larger and more powerful, third-rate ships were the optimal configuration. That is why more than half of the ships at the battle of Trafalgar were actually “third rate”. ##davidharry##thelondonspy##trafalgar##georgeiii##hamiltonmusical##lordnelson##horationelson##battleoftrafalgar##figurehead##navalhistory##warship

This famous coin is in the museum of London. Called The Arras Medallion, it shows Roman leader Constantius Chlorus, armed with a spear, approaching the walls of London on horseback having defeated the rebel leader Allectus. We know it’s London because it helpfully says “LON”. Before him, a female figure (variously said to be Britannia or the personification of London) kneels in supplication. There’s a galley full of troops below Constantius to commemorate the two fleets who made the daring raid under the cover of fog. The legend translates to “Restorer of the Eternal Light” and celebrates Constantius bringing the province out of the darkness it had endured, and back to the blessings of roman civilisation after the temporary rebellion of Carausius and Allectus. The break away empire of Carausius and Allectus came to an end in September 296 when Constantius Chlorus, also known as Constantius I, invaded Britain and brought it back into the Roman empire. Constantius didn’t mint any coins related to Britain, but he did mint a set of stunning gold medallions that were found in 1922 at Beaurains near Arras in France. #davidharry #thelondonspy #romanempire #romanbritain #londinium #ancientcoin #londonhistory #coin #tourguide #londonguide #museumoflondon

The Forty Elephants bar is in the Great Scotland Yard Hotel, dedicated to an all female criminal gang of 40 women based in Elephant and Castle. They were active throughout the 19th and 20th century, but their heyday was in the interwar period. The gang operated from the Elephant and Castle District, allied to the Elephant and Castle Mob. They raided quality stores in the West End of London wearing expensive looking clothing modified to include hidden pockets, concealing their loot in their coats, cummerbunds, muffs, skirts, bloomers, and hats. They took advantage of Victorian sensibilities and prudish attitudes towards women’s bodies The gang specialised in shoplifting luxury items such as diamond jewellery and furs. In the 1920s they began mimicking the decadent lifestyles of ‘the bright young things’. They started using getaway vehicles - Goldstein was a daring driver specialising in ‘smash and grab’ and on several occasions, she used her car as a way to ram store fronts such as Cartier’s on Bond Street. ##davidharry##thelondonspy##40elephants##fortyelephants##shoplifter##elephantandcastle##femalecriminals##womencriminals##smashandgrab##londonhistory##londonguide##londonhotel##greatscotlandyardhotel

Billingsgate was a byword for foul and abusive language, known as "Billingsgate discourse." Mickey Flanagan worked here, as did the Kray twins. “You couple of Treacherous Sons of Bridewell B—s, who are Pimps to your own Mothers, Stallions to your Sisters, and Cock-Bawds to the rest of your Relations; Who were begot by Huffling, Spew’d up, and not Born; and Christen’d out of a Chamber-Pot; How dare you show your Ugly Faces upon the River of Thames, and Fright the Kings Swans from holding their heads above Water? You Lousie Starv’d Crew of Worm-pickers, and Snail Catchers; You Offspring of a Dunghill, and Brothers to a Pumkin, who can’t afford Butter to your Cabbage, or Bacon to your Sprouts; You sh*tten Rogues, who worship the Fundament, because you live by a Turd; who was that Hundred of Sparragrass, and dug twice in his Wives Parsley-bed before the Goodman.” This piece of folklore might have stemmed from the women, known as fish wives, who did the filleting and pickling on Lower Thames Street. An 1811 dictionary of the Vulgar Tongue defined Billingsgate language as: "Foul language or abuse, Billingsgate is the market where fish women assemble to purchase fish; and where, in their dealings and disputes, they are somewhat apt to leave decency and good manners a little on the left hand." The Kray Twins really did work at the market. Reggie Kray worked as a salesman and Ronnie's job was collecting empty fish boxes. #davidharry #thelondonspy #billingsgate #billingsgatemarket #swearing #fishwife #londonhistory #londonguide #mickeyflanagan #kraytwins

The London Hydraulic Power Company was established in 1883 to install a hydraulic power network in London. This expanded to cover most of central London at its peak, before being replaced by electricity, with the final pump house closing in 1977. It delivered enormous high pressure water to industry via a separate network from normal domestic mains supplies which were about 15 times less powerful. The system was used as a cleaner and more compact alternative to steam engines, to power workshop machinery, lifts, cranes, theatre machinery (including revolving stages at the London Palladium and the London Coliseum, safety curtains at the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane, the lifting mechanism for the cinema organ at the Leicester Square theatre and the complete Palm Court orchestra platform), and the backup mechanism of Tower Bridge. It was also used to supply fire hydrants, mostly those inside buildings. The water, pumped straight from the Thames, was heated in winter to prevent freezing. #davidharry #thelondonspy #victorianlondon #waterpower #water #engineering #londonguide #tourguide #industrialhistory #waterpressure

I stumbled across this popup a while ago, solar power technology is incredible. The man behind the popular Lola’s Cupcakes brand has lighted on a new venture: a pop-up shop in the heart of Covent Garden powered by the sun. Situated at 36 Neal Street, two giant solar panels sit outside the pop-up, absorbing sunlight to power the shop. Step inside to find a plethora of solar power goodies like kids’ toys, garden illumination solutions, and portable phone and laptop charging power boxes. Not just a retail space, visitors can also learn all about the power of renewable energy, with a dedicated area to inspire and inform about the potential of solar power. As well as being fuelled by the sun, the shop was built with recycled materials where possible. #davidharry #thelondonspy #solarpower #solarelectric #solarpanel #coventgarden #londonguide #learnontiktok #lolascupcakes

Just like in James Bond when MI6 is called Universal Exports, the real MI6 used Minimax Fire Extinguisher company. Unfortunately every taxi driver in London knew the truth. The Germans did too and thats why they allegedly placed an agent watching the door from a cubbyhole opposite - pretending to be a blind matchseller. #davidharry #thelondonspy #mi6 #jamesbond #londonguide #universalexports #spytours #spying #espionage #spyhistory

My edition of Bertrand Russell's famous 1946 book - The History of Western Philosophy - hides a post WW2 secret - the war economy meant paper was in short supply so the publishers reused military maps for the covers. This is a war map of part of Germany I think. #bertrandrussell #BookTok #davidharry #thelondonspy #bookcover #rarebookstories #bookcollector #londonguide

Aged just 11, Ted Beckham, David’s great grandfather, was one of a crew of 24 scouts from the slums of South East London who sailed from Waterloo Bridge just after midday on August 4, 1912. But eight would not return alive, and without the heroism of their scoutmaster Sydney Marsh and the Kent coastguard, there would have been no David Beckham. Ted and his other brother John narrowly escaped drowning in a sudden squall on the Thames that claimed the lives of eight scouts. Among them was the boys’ brother William Beckham, the 2nd Walworth Scouts’ patrol leader. The disaster, just off the coast of the Isle of Sheppey half a mile out from the village of Leysdown-on-Sea, triggered a national outpouring of grief. Winston Churchill, then First Lord of the Admiralty, ordered the boys’ bodies to be brought back by naval warship. A million people lined the streets to watch the eight white coffins make their final journey to Nunhead Cemetery in South East London. David Beckham’s great-uncle had just won a scholarship to secondary school and was a talented artist. His family had high hopes for him. He was also the crew’s best sailor. The Scouting movement was only five years old when the 2nd Walworth Scouts set sail for Sheppey. All the boys were experienced sailors. They set off from Southwark for Sheppey at 5pm on August 3, 1912, rowing the first two-and-a-half miles to Tower Bridge, then hoisted the sail and set off downstream in a strong breeze between cargo ships, tugs and sailing barges. By 9pm they had reached Erith and settled down for the night under a blanket on the bottom boards of the boat. At 4am they set off on the final leg of the journey. As the wind picked up, Marsh put his best boy, William Beckham, at the mainsheet, the rope that controls the mainsail. They passed Canvey Island, and then began to cross the mouth of the Medway. At 1.30pm the coastguard recorded seeing the cutter rounding Warden Point. “As the cutter put about to run for s