My London - Softcover

Young writing talent features in new book on London Did you know that the first London Olympics in 1908 was the first Modern Olympics held outside Athens, and included a race run by a single athlete - the only walk-over' in Olympic history and that the second London Olympics in 1948 was the last Olympics to include an amateur art competition? If you didn't know that UCL houses the stuffed carcass of Jeremy Bentham, that the London Underground has evolved its own unique breed of mosquito and that Britain's smallest police station is hidden inside an ornamental light fitting in Trafalgar Square, then My London is the book for you. A delightfully different history book, crammed with fascinating facts, My London contains 366 stories about London's history and people ranging from the familiar to the fantastic and includes six fantastic winning entries from the My London Young Writers Competition. Children aged 8-12 from schools across the capital were invited to write a short piece about any aspect of London that sparked their inspiration. Hundreds of entries of an extremely high standard were submitted, with six winners eventually chosen. Author David Simpson said "Our goal was to inspire young people to show what London means to them and the volume and standard of their response has been incredibly impressive." Think you know everything there is to know about London? Think again... - In 1809 the rising price of Covent Garden theatre tickets led to sixty-seven solid days of riots! - The Lord Mayor of the City of London receives an annual fine of a single red rose due to a fourteenth century breach of planning permission. - London's narrowest house is less than six foot wide. - Dead bodies once had their own private railway at Waterloo and... - The London A-Z has about one false entry on every page. --Brentford TW8.com

My London is a fabulous, fun-filled, fact-frenzied forage into London's fascinating history, landscape and people. This quirky collection of 366 delightfully different stories brings London's history to life in a way that will appeal to all ages. Take a holiday to the Isle of Dogs and hear the stories of Big Ben, Spring-Heeled Jack, Moll Cutpurse and Gog and Magog. Meet villains, heroes and Londoners of renown as you follow the antics of time traveller Ann Achronism on her journey through London's past. There's a story for every day of the year including a leap year, so turn the pages and discover the hidden secrets of London.