📍  Location Stationers' Hall, Ave Maria Lane, London, EC4M 7DD Nearest station: St. Paul's The event can also be attended online 📅 When Monday, 27 April 2026 - 18:00 until 20:45 A Library and Archives Committee Event The City of London has always thrived on the exchange of information, from casual gossip to news of the politics of the day. Members of our Company have been at the heart of this exchange, from their chairs in the early coffee houses, through to the editors’ de

Karen Cook is not a historical figure, she’s still very much with us, alive and kicking. Karen Cook is the only woman in the City of London who is responsible for the design and construction of a skyscraper. And not just any skyscraper, the tallest one in the City - 22Bishopsgate. 22 Bishopsgate (or 22 for short) is a 62-story tower that stretches to a height of 278 meters. It was completed in 2020 and is used as office space by various companies. The vision of Karen Cook, an

What's on - What to do in London in March

Cock Lane, located near to Smithfield may have received its name from either being the location where chickens (mainly males ones) were reared, cock fighting or the site of legal brothels during the Medieval period. It may well be all three. It was also the site of one of the most infamous ‘hauntings’ of the 1700s. This is the story of Scratching Fanny. Norfolk resident William Kent had been married to Elizabeth Lynes but after she had died in childbirth, Kent began a romanti

A public house of some sort has existed on this site since the 1500s, back when the surrounding area was part of the medieval Blackfriars district, and William Shakespeare lived in nearby Ireland Yard. The name “Cockpit” comes from the old-fashioned sport of cockfighting, a popular but brutal entertainment in earlier centuries. Patrons would bet on fights between cockerels inside a small pit or cockpit, with spectators often watching from galleries. Although cockfighting was

Tucked away on the elegant square of Lincoln’s Inn Fields in central London, Sir John Soane’s Museum is one of the capital’s most enchanting cultural experiences, and one of its best kept secrets. This unique museum was once the home and workplace of Sir John Soane (1753–1837), one of Britain’s greatest neoclassical architects. When Soane died, he left his house and entire collection as a museum preserved exactly as it was on the day he passed away. Sir John Soane’s Museum is

When the long January nights stretch on and much of London feels grey, Canary Wharf Winter Lights swoops in to brighten up the season with colour, creativity and playful light art. Now in its 10th year, this free outdoor art festival transforms the Canary Wharf estate into a glowing trail of installations by acclaimed light artists from around the world. Canary Wharf is famous as London’s skyscraper-lined financial hub, but for these winter nights it becomes one of the capita

One of the great Christmas traditions in the UK is the pantomime. This consists of musical numbers, cross-dressing actors, jokes (including topical ones) and tends to be based on folk tales. These include Cinderella, Aladdin, Peter Pan and Puss in Boots. One is based on a real person and that is Dick Whittington along with his cat.   The basic story is that Dick is a poor orphan boy who travels to London believing that the streets are paved with gold. They are not, but Whitti

The Hand & Shears is traditional side/back street pub. There has been a pub selling beer on this site for 500 years with the date above the door dating it to 1532. This building dates from the mid 1800s though. The décor inside of the pub looks as though it has not been updated since this building was built. It even has a private are which would have once been frequented by wealthier patrons, as well as women during a time when it was frowned upon for ladies to be seen visiti

Within the Guildhall are the statues of Gog & Magog, but who are they? The names appear twice in the Bible. Firstly, in the Book of Ezekiel where Gog was a landowner & Magog was the land he owned. They appear again Book of Revelations representing the ultimate enemies of God’s kingdom. However, the Gog & Magog associated with City of London have nothing to do with those mentioned in the Bible. In one story, they were in fact one person called Gogmagog. According to one legend

St Olave’s, Hart Street is dedicated to King Olaf of Norway who is not only the patron saint of that country, but he is said to have fought alongside Ethelred the Unready at the Battle of London Bridge in 1014. At that time, London was under the control of Danish forces. Ethelred looked to take it back, but the Danes were lined up on London Bridge ready to repel the attack. Olaf’s forces attached cables to the bridge & as they rowed away, they were able to destabilise the bri