On this day: Concorde first breaks the sound barrier Opinion On this day, the 1st October, in 1969, Concorde first showed off its real party trick - breaking the sound barrier, writes Eliot Wilson.
Branding on City skyscrapers? We should let our history do the talking London The City of London has one of the most forward-looking planning departments in the country. They might not always get it right – and they certainly can’t please all of the people all of the time – but when it comes to the big picture I think they make the right calls. As a local [...]
If Dublin can have Bloomsday, London should celebrate Pepys Day Opinion Friday marks the third year of Pepys Day, a celebration of the Great Fire of London's chief chronicler. Michael Mainelli explains why to care.
On this day: Animal Farm is published August 17, 2026 On this day, 17 August, in 1945, with pro-Soviet sentiment rapidly fading in the UK, George Orwell's Animal Farm is finally published.
On This Day : Reagan declares: “We begin bombing in five minutes” August 11, 2026 On this day in 1984, a lighthearted quip from Ronald Reagan nearly sparked World War Three, writes Eliot Wilson Ronald Reagan was an old pro. By the summer of 1984, it was more than 50 years since he had made his radio debut as a sports broadcaster for WOC in Davenport, Iowa, commentating on baseball [...]
On this day: ‘We begin bombing in five minutes’ – Reagan’s accidental broadcast August 11, 2026 On this day, 11 August 1984, a risqué joke from Ronald Reagan accidentally made his weekly radio broadcast, writes Eliot Wilson.
On This Day in 1865: Lord Northcliffe, godfather of the tabloids, was born July 15, 2026 Alfred Harmsworth, founder of the Daily Mail, was born into poverty on this day and went on to change the face of the British media and become enobled as Lord Northcliffe, writes Eliot Wilson Newspapers go back as far as the early 17th century, with general agreement that the first was the Strasbourg-based Relation aller [...]
Remembering Norman Tebbit July 7, 2026 Norman Tebbit died one year ago today. He remains a mnemonic for the high days of the high days of Thatcherism, writes Eliot Wilson A year ago today, former Conservative Cabinet minister Lord Tebbit died at the age of 94. The media coverage was extensive for a man who had left office nearly 40 years [...]
On this day in 1940: Happy birthday Ken Clarke July 2, 2026 For many in parliament, it may feel as if he's always been there. But on this day, 2 July 1940, Kenneth Clarke was born.
Could The Billingsgate Roman Bathhouse win a Toast award? June 26, 2026 We’re celebrating all the places that make the Square Mile great with our Toast the City Awards. This week we sent David Harry – AKA The London Spy – to report on the amazing Billingsgate Roman Bathhouse lurking beneath an office block Underneath 101 Lower Thames Street, a nondescript 1960s office block, hides one of [...]