Useless Guide To London

by Martin Pullen

Learn hundreds of obscure yet fascinating facts about London, brought to life with fun and quirky illustrations Did you know that, with more than 17,000 skeletons in its collection, the Museum of London has over three times the number of dead bodies than a full capacity audience at the Royal Albert Hall? That "Farting Lane" (Carting Lane, off the Strand) was so christened because it was illuminated at night by a street lamp run on the methane gas produced by guests staying at the nearby Savoy Hotel? That Burlington Arcade was commissioned by Lord George Cavendish to stop dead cats from being thrown over his garden wall? And that Woodford is the only London Underground Station not to have at least one letter in common with the word elephantiasis? The Completely Useless Guide to London is, as the title suggests, an unnecessary, and yet informative and compulsively entertaining guide to this ancient and endlessly fascinating city.

272 pages, Paperback

First published November 1, 2011

Reviews

[Jane Flynn]

I loved this book. It has so many fascinating snippets of trivia about London and would make a great alternative guidebook. I’ve lived in London for over 30 years and thought I’d seen most things of interest, but this book has introduced me to a whole heap of new landmarks to look out for. I borrowed this from the library but am now wishing I’d bought a copy so I could keep it.