On This Day in 1865: Lord Northcliffe, godfather of the tabloids, was born Opinion 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 Opinion 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 Opinion 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 [...]
On this day: “God’s Banker” found dead, suicide or murder? June 18, 2026 On 18th June 1982, Roberto Calvi, a banker with close ties to both the Vatican and the Mafia was found hanged under Blackfriars Bridge. Eliot Wilson asks what happened The temperature was climbing by 7.30am on Friday 18 June 1982 and had reached 14°C, but London remained cloudy and wet. A postal clerk was walking [...]
On this day: Britain’s first banking crisis June 8, 2026 On 8 June 1772 Alexander Fordyce, a partner at Neale, James, Fordyce and Down absconded to France to escape crippling debts caused by a sharp rise in shares in the East India Company, writes Eliot Wilson As 1772 opened, Alexander Fordyce seemed like a wealthy and successful man. He was 42 years old, a partner [...]
On this day: The death of Ronald Reagan June 5, 2026 On this day, 5 June 2004, Ronald Reagan died of pneumonia at his home in Bel-Air aged 93, writes Eliot Wilson.
On this day: Britain’s youngest ever Prime Minister is born May 28, 2026 A prodigy and exception, William Pitt the Younger was Britain's youngest ever Prime Minister. On this day in 1759, he was born, writes Eliot Wilson
On This Day: Happy birthday Andrew Neil May 21, 2026 Today in 1949, Andrew Neil was born. He remains one of the most compelling figures in the British media landscape, writes Eliot Wilson In a media landscape of interchangeable and forgettable talking heads, Andrew Neil remains an unmistakable and forceful presence. Readers who can recall a time when he was not a well-kent face in [...]
On this day in 1940: McDonald’s is born in a strange kitchen in California May 15, 2026 On this day in 1940, Mac and Dick McDonald opened an octagonal kitchen in San Bernardino and changed food forever, writes Eliot Wilson.