Scammell Lorries, Spitalfields and Watford

George Scammell, born 1817, moved to London in the 1840s and became a wheelwright, establishing a business at 12 Fashion Street, Spitalfields. He would build carts, perfect for the narrow congested streets, while also repairing carts and vans. By 1851 he was employing ten men and the business was flourishing and they began constructing horse drawn wagons, too.

In the 1860s George's nephew, Alfred Thomas Scammell, joined the company, with the business becoming 'G. Scammell & Nephew', in 1873. The company was selling and maintaining Foden Steam Wagons and had moved into larger premises, still on Fashion Street.

An unrelated event would turn out to be fortuitous for Scammell, too. A consortium of East End businessmen redeveloped the slum buildings, in the early 1900s, on the south side of Fashion Street, building a Moorish style market. Their hopes that the street traders would move into this indoor market, and off the streets, didn't work, as the traders refused to pay rent, preferring to remain out in the elements. 

Scammell saw an opportunity and purchased the freehold to the building, which needed little work to its interior, thus allowing them to move straight in. This extra space allowed them to continue to build horse drawn carriages and vans, while also allowing for the construction of commercial bodies for motor vehicles and single-deck bus bodies.

This additional space allowed them, for the first time, to undertake mechanical work, servicing and repair of motor vehicles, including private cars. The company's original trade as a wheelwright was able to expand, where they developed a composite wheel which, in addition to its strength, allowed for the tyre to be changed without having to remove the wheel from the vehicle.

One of their customers, Edward Rudd, had imported an American 'Knox Tractor' as he was impressed with its low weight but high payload. It is believed that Mr Rudd suggested that George Scammell build a similar vehicle for the UK market.

However, the outbreak of World War I put a hold on its production. The war did prove a turning point for the company, though, as mechanical transport was proving its worth on the continent which focused the company's future projects.

In 1919, George's great nephew, Lt Col Alfred George Scammell, who had been injured and invalided out of the British Army, was made Managing Director of the company, bringing with him a wealth of experience form the battlefields of Europe, where mechanised vehicles had proven their worth.

Jamaica Wine House, City of London

Along St Michael's Alley, Cornhill, you will find this wonderful building called the Jamaica Wine House. It stands on the site of London's first coffee house, which, it turns out, was more than just a coffee house.

On what was part of the Cornhill Glebe land, land owned by the church to support a parish priest, the Jamaica Coffee House was established, by Pasqua Rosée. Pasqua Rosée was the servant of a merchant, named Daniel Edwards, who traded in Ottoman goods that included coffee. Edwards assisted Rosée in setting up the establishment to sell coffee, in 1652. This coffee house was one of the first places, in London, for people to experience coffee. 

Soon, the majority of its customers were concerned with trade in Jamaica, while financiers made up the rest. Not only was the coffee house used as a business address by traders, but also as a place where letters for Jamaica could be left and received.

The great Cornhill fire of 1748, which consumed over 100 houses, did 'but little damage' to the coffee house. 

In 1793 it was stated, in 'Roach's London Pocket Pilot or Stranger's Guide Through the Metropolis', that the best rum could be obtained at the 'Jamaica', and that 'one sees nothing but aquatic captains in the trade of that island'.

Tibetan Peace Garden, Southwark

The overall design of the Tibetan Peace Garden symbolises the meeting of East and West, by bringing together contemporary western imagery with traditional Tibetan culture. The circular shape of the garden, for example, is based on the fundamental Buddhist image, the Wheel of Dharma. 

As you walk into the Tibetan Peace Garden, the first thing you come across is the Language Pillar. Built in Portland stone, its design is based on the famous Sho Pillar in front of the Potala Palace in Lhasa. It carries His Holiness the Dalai Lama's message of peace and harmony in four languages: Tibetan, Hindi, English and Chinese. The pillar is topped by 'precious jewels' set upon three steps representing peace, understanding and love.

Walking from the pillar towards the garden, you will see in the pathway a circular logo, cast in bronze and set in Kilkenny stone. The two Tibetan syllables in the centre mean 'Virtue' and 'Foundation', and the six 'vajras' represent the perfections of generosity, discipline, patience, diligence, concentration and wisdom as well as the six mythological families of the Tibetan people. This is the logo of the Tibet Foundation, who commissioned the Tibetan Peace Garden.

Dragon Boundary Marks for the City of London

One of the silver dragons that adorns Holborn Viaduct.

Anyone that has walked into the Square Mile along one of its main thoroughfares, will have passed by one of the fourteen silver dragons that mark the boundary to the City of London. 

The coat of arms of the City of London has two dragons supporting a shield that bears a flag of St George, with a sword in its top left corner. Atop the shield is a knight's helmet and plume, while the motto "Domine dirige nos (Lord guide us)" runs in a ribbon across the bottom. The sword, with its tip pointed upward, symbolises the martyrdom of St Paul, the patron saint of London.

One of the original dragons from the London Coal Exchange.

The City's first silver dragons adorned the London Coal Exchange building, which was situated almost opposite the Old Billingsgate Market. Then, in 1962, the Coal Exchange was demolished due to damage from World War II and the need to widen the road. However, the two 7 feet (2.1 metres) cast iron dragons, that had stood above the entrance on a parapet, were saved. Once they had been cleaned, repaired and painted they were mounted on Portland Stone plinths that are 6 feet (1.8 metres) in height and erected on Victoria Embankment, in October 1963.

Eleven more dragons, which are half-size replicas of these, were then erected at various points around the City of London boundary, during the late 1960s.

"The Man who saved London from drowning, during The Blitz"

Thomas Peirson Frank. (Elliott & Fry, Public domain)

During World War II, especially during The Blitz, London was heavily bombed. 

Bombers flew along the River Thames, dropping bombs on the dockyards and industrial sites, before moving towards the City itself, using Tower Bridge as a point of reference.

Because London is a low-lying city the River Thames embankments were targeted, too, in the hopes of flooding some of the area.

However, they didn't know about Thomas Peirson Frank.

Thomas Peirson Frank was born into a farming family in Yorkshire, in 1881. He was educated at Pickering Grammar School and Huddersfield Technical College, before gaining three years of practical experience training under Huddersfield borough engineer, K.P. Campbell.

Over the next few years he gained further experience in general construction, the laying of sewers and water mains, maintenance of roads and tramways and much more.

In 1908, he became the city engineer for Ripon. During the four years that he worked here he was responsible for extending the sewage disposal works and also the construction of two river dams.

He then spent between three or four years in various roles in Cardiff, Liverpool, Plymouth and Stockton-on-Tees. In Cardiff he acted as a surveyor and performed a similar role in Liverpool. While in Plymouth he was responsible for construction work, which included roads and sewers for a housing scheme. In Stockton-on-Tees he was the borough engineer. During his time in Liverpool he also lectured at Liverpool University.