The London Companion

Companion

by Jo Swinnerton

If you love London, then this is your book, mate. Within these pages are hundreds of facts, figures, stories, quotes, jokes, and anecdotes—from its earliest times, when hippos swam the Thames and elephants lived in Trafalgar Square, right up to the present day. Find out whose head fell off London Bridge into his daughter’s lap, what goes on at the Horseshoe and Faggott Cutting Ceremony, who sold Buckingham Palace to a tourist, which Londoner embalmed his wife and displayed her in a glass case in his living room, and how many policeman you can fit in Nelson’s Column.

Genres: Nonfiction, London, Travel, History, Cities, British Literature

160 pages, Hardcover

First published October 1, 2004

Reviews

[Mehmed Gokcel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Made me appreciate the city I live in and couldn’t stop laughing at the quirky facts and puns throughout the book!

[Scott · Rating 3 out of 5]

This little pocket book of quirky facts about London is just thick enough to keep you amused as you hop over the Atlantic. Jo Swinnerton and her crew culled a small stack of Metropolitan guides for off-beat information. They bundled their research in this dainty little volume, The London Companion (2004). The type is tiny, but the facts are fun, and the ribbon gives it a splash of elegance.

Elephants in Trafalgar Square? Piranhas falling out of the sky in the middle of the day? A dozen masons dining at the top of Nelson’s Column? London railings shaped like stretchers? It’s all here along with some marginally less bizarre facts: What was Ernest Shakleton’s address? 12 Westwood Hill SE26. Which members of the literary canon are buried in Bunhill Fields? William Blake, John Bunyan, and Daniel Defoe. What was left behind on London Transport in 2003? Two human skulls, a lawnmower, a kitchen sink, a Chinese typewriter, and 24,084 books.

The researchers had fun pulling this together. They crisscrossed London, sampling the fare at famous pubs, playing London Monopoly, and joining the London Marathon ... half way through. Read the book in that spirit. This little Companion is slapdashy in parts, and sometimes the fun facts are just plain wrong (the Gordon Riots took place in 1870?), but for most of this read, you’ll be awed at just how odd London can be. And when you get home, its diminutive size will make it a suitable addition to the library in your smallest room.

[Marianne Fox · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved it! But I'm a history nerd. :)

[Cat · Rating 1 out of 5]

Meh. Maybe it’s because I’m a Londoner..

[Tiina]

Skimmed only, so not giving it a full rating.

[Clare O'Beara · Rating 4 out of 5]

This neat little book has been carefully edited to fit a few items on each page with nothing spilling over onto another page. Even the page numbers are used to tell us the percentage of theatres in Britain which are in London, or the year in which such a firm opened.

Facts and lists about London cram each page, from films using Trafalgar Square to the original and new names of Tube stations whose names have been altered.

The origin of the Tube map was when an unemployed draughtsman decided to make a better map than the existing one, with all lines vertical, horizontal or forty-five degrees. This iconic map was an instant hit.

Excerpts from literature are given so we can see what people thought of London through the ages.

I did take issue with one item in the list of song titles using London locations. 'Waterloo Sunset' is about London but 'Waterloo' by Abba, in the list, is about a battle in Belgium. I also saw no mention of the film 'Hidden City' which took us to visit the less scenic locations including the city dump.

I like this dip-into read; the main fault is that the hardback's jacket is a pink paper like blotting paper, which picks up stains easily and can't be wiped clean.

[Lucy]

a collection of fascinating facts about London. Even the page numbers have a fact attached to them: page 12 says 12 is the average number of operas produced in London each year; page 126 says 126 is the number of parish churches in London. Some facts are not of interest to me, such as things about the history of cricket, and when various stations of the Underground were founded, moved, renamed, or closed.
Highly recommended for travel lovers and trivia lovers. I'd love to have my own copy. Well worth a read, even a re-read. Great for browsing or reading straight through

[Mandy · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a part of a collection of "Think Books". They have multiple topics covered in the London Companion. It was the equivalent of having your great-uncle along for the trip, telling you quips about local history that no museum or tour guide could ever remember. Really neat.

[Meredith · Rating 4 out of 5]

my friend picked this book up when we were in London and I had to get a copy for myself. I pick it up and flip through whenever I'm feeling homesick for London. All the tidbits and useless knowledge make me feel better :o)

[Brooke · Rating 4 out of 5]

Brilliant little companion book for those interested in London -- travelers, students, historians, writers, architects, and the simply curious. You're bound to find at least one fascinating tidbit. I especially enjoyed the creative use of page numbers as "by the numbers" facts.

[mike · Rating 3 out of 5]

One of the first of the compendia of trivia that are all in vogue now. One of the best, too -- but still, something to pick up, enjoy on the airplane, and not really pick up again.

[Melyni · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fun book on facts and history about London.

[Brittanie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book just fuelled my desire to see London for myself and helped me mark a few places on my to-see list. Very interesting facts, both historical and modern-ish (my copy was published in '04).

[Emily · Rating 4 out of 5]

AMAZING random facts about London. A great bathroom read for an anglophile if you know what I mean...