LONDON is Beautiful!
Bordering leafy “Hyde Park” , MAYFAIR is an upscale district of elegant georgian townhouses , exclusive hotels , offices, members-only clubs, gourmet restaurants and pubs.
Located between Oxford street, Regent street, Piccadilly and Park Lane it is one of the most expensive districts in the world.
In the 20th century, PARK LANE became well known for luxury hotels , such as “The Dorchester” and
“LONDON HILTON ON PARK LANE”, opened 1963 as the first Hilton Hotel in the Uk and the first skyscraper hotel to be built in the Uk.
On 24 August 1967, The Beatles met Maharishi Mahesh Yogi at London Hilton on Park Lane and went with him to Uttar Pradesh , a state in northern India, to mediate.
The hotel served as the Olympic Family Hotel during the 2012 London Olympics, hosting members of the International Olympic Committee and dignitaries attending the games.
In the 18th century, Park Lane was called Tyburn Lane. At the end of what is now Park Lane was the “Tyburn Gallows”,
London’s primary public place of Executions until 1783. The executions attracted 1000’s of people each time.
SIR GEORGE CAYLEY 1773-57
“The father of Aviation”
20 Hertford Street W1
Sir George was 6th Baronet.
He was an English engineer, innovator & aviator.
He’s one of the most important people in the history of aeronautics.
He was the first man to create the wire wheel.
He represented the “Whig Party” as Member of Parliament for Scarborough and was a founding member of advancement of science.
He was a distant cousin of mathematician Arthur Cayley.
GENERAL JOHN BURGOYNE 1722-92
No 10 Hertford Street W1
General John Burgoyne took this house even before its completion.
The house is bigger than other on the street. He was 2nd son of “Captain John Burgoyne” and grandson of “Sir John Burgoyne” 3rd Bayonet, of Sutton Park, Bedfordshire.
He had little money of his own relying on income from his military career.
He also served as MP for Midhurst and later for Preston.
He was also commander in chief in Ireland.
Later in life he became a Playright.
After his death the house was sold to:
RICHARD BRINSLEY SHERIDAN 1751-16
He was an Anglo-Irish Playright, writer and “Whig” politician who sat in the British House of Commons 1780-12.
He was the owner of the Theatre Royal in Drury Lane and wrote several prominent plays.
He also served as Treasurer of the Navy.
He was buried at “Poets Corner” in Westminster Abbey.
No 10 Hertford Street W1 was used as offices during the 2nd World War until 1990 and became Grade 1 Listed.
MAYFAIR area was originally part of the manor “Eia”, and remained largely rural until the early 18th century.
It became well known for the annual “MAY FAIR” that took place every May there from
1686-1764, at “Great Brookfield” in what is now SHEPHERD MARKET and CURZON STREET, and the area started to develop from there. Hence the name MAYFAIR.
The fair was held annually and is recorded as early as 1560, when it was held at Haymarket before moving to the area because of overcrowding, it was paused year 1603 because of plague, but continued until 1764 when it was abolished after a public campaign against it as it had become a nuisance and regarded a public scandal.
By then it attracted showmen , jugglers, fencers aswell as numerous fairground attractions.
The decline of the British Aristocracy in the early 20th century led to the area becoming more commercial with upmarket shops, offices, restaurants and luxury hotels.
Mayfair is one of my favourite areas of London, an area I used to work in , in restaurants and sandwich bars, when I first came to London. I was sad to see the newly demolished side of LANSDOWNE ROW where I used to work at Sharaton Patisserie, but I was glad to see the old premises of “The Nightingale Cafe” I also worked at, which is now a “Subway”. Around the corner on Berkeley street is a “Starbucks” which used to be “Sandwiches Express”, another place I worked at. Working at these places would also entail making and delivering lunches and foods for office meetings in the areas of Curzon street, Berkeley Square, Bruton street, Davies street , Hill street etc….. to wealthy companies like “Paine Webber”, still know the area like the back of my hand! I have very fond memories of these days in the area!
BERKELEY SQUARE
a garden square and one of the best known squares in London.
The gardens very large trees are among the oldest in central London, planted 1789.
Most of the houses in the square are converted into wealthy offices, only No 48 is fully residential, and this was WINSTON CHURCHILL’S address as a child.
#london #visitlondon #mayfair #travelblog #travelblogger #travel #visit #vacation #holiday #explorepage #explore #exploringhistory #history #historicalfacts #discoverlondon #discover #contentcreator #youtube #youtuber #youtubeblogger #uk #unitedkingdom #britain #2024 #curzonstreet #shepherdmarket #berkeletsquare #centrallondonwalk #centrallondon #walk
18 май 2024
