London's Oddities

by Vicky Wilson

Walking through most parts of London produces puzzles entire buildings or bits of street furniture, monuments or memorials that seem out of place, out of time or simply inexplicable. Sometimes they become so familiar we cease to notice their strangeness, sometimes we are intrigued enough to explore their stories. The findings are collected here as oddities though the word has many different nuances. Some things would be odd under any circumstances, some are the work of very odd people, some are odd by being relocated in new contexts, such as a Wren spire grounded in a 1960s housing estate or a South Seas whalebone in a suburban street. Some seem odd now because of the way the world has changed around them. So, take a seat next to Spike Milligan, discover the dead letter box used by spies in Brompton Cemetery, and dance on the grave of one of the world s greatest clowns.

352 pages, Hardcover

Published April 28, 2018

About the author

Vicky Wilson was the Canterbury Festival Poet of the Year 2007–2008 and is currently a member of the Canterbury Laureate Squad, charged with stimulating writing in schools and the wider community. Her poems have been published in her collection Line Dancing as well as in magazines and anthologies and she has performed her work in several venues in Kent and London. Vicky has worked in book and magazine publishing for 30 years and has a track-record of organising and producing events and publications for educational institutions and to raise money for charities.

Reviews

[Holly · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent book. There are a lot of these types of books floating around but this one actually had a load of secret London facts that I wasn't aware of, and I have subsequently bookmarked many places in google maps to visit as I was reading it. Highly recommend it to anyone who lives in London and is interested in the various odd histories the city has - I genuinely learned so much from this book (and I consider myself fairly knowledgeable on London's history having read a lot of books about the city and from going on various guided walks). As my friends know, I very rarely give anything five stars, so this rating is meant very sincerely! And I also rarely take the time to write a review unless I really want to recommend a book to people! Will definitely be gifting this book to friends in the future. Congratulations to the author Vicky Wilson on a fantastically well-written and engaging book.

[Becky · Rating 5 out of 5]

Well laid out,easily digestible, given me a new appreciation for my city

[Caitlin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Oop, have added plenty to my to-do list for my next time over.