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Why Is Downing Street Painted Black?: 365 fun, fascinating London facts from one of the city’s most popular tour guides, the perfect 2025 gift for history and trivia fans
365 weird and wonderful London facts by one of the city’s most popular tour guides
Have you ever tried to find a street named Bond Street? ( you won't!)
Did you know you can't dine for 13 at the Savoy? At least not without a cat joining you…
And have you ever heard about the bus that jumped Tower Bridge?
As a walking tour guide for 15 years, Jonnie Fielding has made it his mission to uncover all there is to know about London, from forgotten facts to the history hiding in plain sight.
Packed full of pub-quiz trivia and bespoke illustrations, Why Is Downing Street Painted Black? includes 365 of his favourite quirks, anomalies and eccentricities from all over town.
So whether you live in London, would love to live in London or just love a great fun fact, Jonnie's guaranteed to reignite your fascination with this weird and wonderful city.
Have you ever tried to find a street named Bond Street? ( you won't!)
Did you know you can't dine for 13 at the Savoy? At least not without a cat joining you…
And have you ever heard about the bus that jumped Tower Bridge?
As a walking tour guide for 15 years, Jonnie Fielding has made it his mission to uncover all there is to know about London, from forgotten facts to the history hiding in plain sight.
Packed full of pub-quiz trivia and bespoke illustrations, Why Is Downing Street Painted Black? includes 365 of his favourite quirks, anomalies and eccentricities from all over town.
So whether you live in London, would love to live in London or just love a great fun fact, Jonnie's guaranteed to reignite your fascination with this weird and wonderful city.
384 pages, Hardcover
Published December 23, 2025
12 people are currently reading
30 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
January 20, 2026
Many fascinating facts in this book. Really fun to read! Makes me want to go on a walk in London with Jonnie!
January 25, 2026
I found out about this book because I follow the author's Instagram page (@bowlofchalk). The author, Jonnie Fielding, is a refugee from Corporate UK who found a job leading walking tours of London. After the COVID pandemic, he decided to juice up his business by posting a fun London fact with video on his Instagram. He then took those facts and ported them into a book.
The title is I think a bit of false advertising in that there are way more than 365 fun facts. Each fact is a page or less, and told in Fielding's conversational style. It's a refreshing book that one can read for a bit, set down, and return to later.
The title is I think a bit of false advertising in that there are way more than 365 fun facts. Each fact is a page or less, and told in Fielding's conversational style. It's a refreshing book that one can read for a bit, set down, and return to later.
October 21, 2025
I’m not sure why I decided to listen to this book but lowkey enjoyed it 😂
January 4, 2026
I love a fun fact
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews