Red is the colour of love (and of buses)
Today there are 8,000 buses in London. They cover 700 routes and there are 19,500 bus stops. The buses are red because in 1907 many independent bus companies could paint their vehicles whatever colour they liked. The largest company, the London General Omnibus Company, chose red to to make their buses standing from the others.
The writer of Winnie The Pooh, A.A. Milne, decided to dispose of his own profits between his wife and son, the school he attended, Westminster School, and his favourite club, the Garrick in Covent Garden. The members, though, did not decide what to do with the money which was pouring to their bank account every year. Until 1998 they had not taken any decision. After discarding the suggestion of some member to divide the sum among themselves (40,000 each), they decided to refurbish the club and give the rest to charity.
Fish and Chips is a Jewish stuff
If you think that Fish and Chips is quintessentially British, you are wrong. The most traditional of English meals was invented by the Jewish Joseph Malin in 1860. Malin combined the fried fish brought to England by the Jewish refugees from Portugal and Spain with fried potatoes.
Fish, chips and mushy peas
The Wedding Cake was invented in London
The traditional multi-layered wedding cake was inspired by the stepped spire of St. Bride’s Church, Fleet Street, the second tallest church in London (St. Paul is the highest).
Loved it? You can read more London secrets in ‘Bizarre London’, by David Long.