iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Danny Hurst @dannyhurst.bsky.social · 12h

The piers of Blackfriars (road) Bridge are designed to look like church pulpits, reflecting the Dominican order which gave the area its name. podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/u... Unusual Histories is in trouble. Please consider donating or sharing. gofund.me/713de166

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Danny Hurst @dannyhurst.bsky.social · 15/10/2026

The main Shaolin temple in the UK is located in the unlikely neighbourhood of Tufnell Park. Here learners combine martial arts with Chan Buddhist meditation. podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/u... Unusual Histories is in trouble. Please consider donating or sharing. gofund.me/713de166

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Danny Hurst @dannyhurst.bsky.social · 14/10/2026

The wall of Myddleton Passage in Islington has the collar numbers of bored Victorian policemen on night patrols carved into it. podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/u... Unusual Histories is in trouble. Please consider donating or sharing. gofund.me/713de166

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Danny Hurst @dannyhurst.bsky.social · 13/10/2026

I interviewed Ronnie Golden, who died recently, about his London and life in music and comedy. podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/f... Unusual Histories is in trouble. Please consider donating or sharing. gofund.me/713de166

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Danny Hurst @dannyhurst.bsky.social · 12/10/2026

Though everyone knows the song from 'Me And My Girl', Lambeth Walk is a genuine street and during Victorian times, was famous for its market. podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/u... Unusual Histories is in trouble. Please consider donating or sharing. gofund.me/713de166

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Danny Hurst @dannyhurst.bsky.social · 11/10/2026

Gilwell Park in Chingford is the headquarters of the British Scout Association. podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/u... Unusual Histories is in trouble. Please consider donating or sharing. gofund.me/713de166

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Danny Hurst @dannyhurst.bsky.social · 10/10/2026

Hidden in a warehouse in Tooting and only open once a month, London Sewing Machine Museum is a fascinating walk into the past. podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/u... Unusual Histories is in trouble. Please consider donating or sharing. gofund.me/713de166

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Danny Hurst @dannyhurst.bsky.social · 09/10/2026

The clock tower in Crouch End was built as a memorial to the chairman of the local council, Henry Reader Williams, in 1895. podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/u... Unusual Histories is in trouble. Please consider donating or sharing. gofund.me/713de166

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Danny Hurst @dannyhurst.bsky.social · 08/10/2026

The Acton Snake Tree, or Actonconda, is actually a python, and is carved into a plane tree in Acton Park; quite literally, a snake on a plane. podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/u... Unusual Histories is in trouble. Please consider donating or sharing. gofund.me/713de166

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Danny Hurst @dannyhurst.bsky.social · 07/10/2026

Scenes In The Square is a series of cinema-related statuses in and around Leicester Square. podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/u... Unusual Histories is in trouble. Please consider donating or sharing. gofund.me/713de166

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Danny Hurst @dannyhurst.bsky.social · 06/10/2026

The Mildmay Line is named after the Mildmay Mission Hospital in Bethnal Green. podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/u... Unusual Histories is in trouble. Please consider donating or sharing. gofund.me/713de166

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Danny Hurst @dannyhurst.bsky.social · 05/10/2026

In Geraldine Mary Harmsworth Park (next to the Imperial War Museum) is a Tibetan Peace Garden that was opened (and blessed) by the Dalai Lama. podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/u... Unusual Histories is in trouble. Please consider donating or sharing. gofund.me/713de166

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Danny Hurst @dannyhurst.bsky.social · 04/10/2026

Allegedly, if you leave your car in neutral at the bottom of Hangman's Hill in Epping Forest with the handbrake off, it appears to roll uphill. podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/u... Unusual Histories is in trouble. Please consider donating or sharing. gofund.me/713de166

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Danny Hurst @dannyhurst.bsky.social · 03/10/2026

Dragon's Gate in Limehouse is a homage to what was London's first Chinatown. podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/u... Unusual Histories is in trouble. Please consider donating or sharing. gofund.me/713de166

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Danny Hurst @dannyhurst.bsky.social · 02/10/2026

The Windmill of Wimbledon Common operates as a museum. Robert Baden-Powell was staying here while writing 'Scouting For Boys'. podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/u... Unusual Histories is in trouble. Please consider donating or sharing. gofund.me/713de166

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Danny Hurst @dannyhurst.bsky.social · 01/10/2026

The first Nandos in the UK opened in 1992 by Ealing Common underground station incorporated into its art deco architecture. podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/u... Unusual Histories is in trouble. Please consider donating or sharing. gofund.me/713de166

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Danny Hurst @dannyhurst.bsky.social · 30/09/2026

Antrim Gardens, well off the beaten track in Belsize Park, houses a baluster from the old Waterloo Bridge and a well head from the old House of Commons. podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/u... Unusual Histories is in trouble. Please consider donating or sharing. gofund.me/713de166

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Danny Hurst @dannyhurst.bsky.social · 29/09/2026

The Weald Stone in Harrow Weald is, like Stonehenge, Avebury and other ancient rocks, sarcen stone and thousands pass it daily without giving it a second glance. podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/u... Unusual Histories is in trouble. Please consider donating or sharing. gofund.me/713de166

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Danny Hurst @dannyhurst.bsky.social · 28/09/2026

The first known use of the name 'Isle of Dogs' for the peninsula was in 1520 and its etymology is debated to this day. podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/u... Unusual Histories is in trouble. Please consider donating or sharing. gofund.me/713de166

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Danny Hurst @dannyhurst.bsky.social · 27/09/2026

Pope's Grotto in Twickenham is the remaining subterranean part of poet Alexander Pope's 18th century mansion, the site of which is now a school. podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/u... Unusual Histories is in trouble. Please consider donating or sharing. gofund.me/713de166

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Danny Hurst @dannyhurst.bsky.social · 26/09/2026

Jacob's Well in Ventine's Park in Ilford is thought to be an ancient holy well, though this is unlikely. podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/u... Unusual Histories is in trouble. Please consider donating or sharing. gofund.me/713de166

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Danny Hurst @dannyhurst.bsky.social · 25/09/2026

The prehistoric fossilised tree on Tooting Common was part of the Purbeck Fossilised Forest in Dorset and brought to London in 1898. podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/u... Unusual Histories is in trouble. Please consider donating or sharing. gofund.me/713de166

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Danny Hurst @dannyhurst.bsky.social · 24/09/2026

The remains of the foundations of Merton Priory's Chapter House are preserved in a chamber beneath the A24 by the Sainsbury's in Colliers Wood. podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/u... Unusual Histories is in trouble. Please consider donating or sharing. gofund.me/713de166

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Danny Hurst @dannyhurst.bsky.social · 23/09/2026

The Stone House on Lewisham Way has always been incongruous to its surroundings. When it was completed in 1773, it was nicknamed 'The Comical House'. podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/u... Unusual Histories is in trouble. Please consider donating or sharing. gofund.me/713de166

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Danny Hurst @dannyhurst.bsky.social · 22/09/2026

The Parkland Walk is London's longest linear nature trail, running from Finsbury Park to Alexandra Palace. podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/u... Unusual Histories is in trouble. Please consider donating or sharing. gofund.me/713de166

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Danny Hurst @dannyhurst.bsky.social · 21/09/2026

During World War II, railings across London disappeared. After the war, cast-iron stretchers, still seen across South London, were repurposed to replace them. podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/u... Unusual Histories is in trouble. Please consider donating or sharing. gofund.me/713de166

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Danny Hurst @dannyhurst.bsky.social · 20/09/2026

Built in 1848, Dead Dogs Tunnel by Camden Lock gained its nickname from the debris, including dead animals, which used to wash up there. podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/u... Unusual Histories is in trouble. Please consider donating or sharing. gofund.me/713de166

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Danny Hurst @dannyhurst.bsky.social · 19/09/2026

Elaborately decorated by Francois Rochard, the 1856 S & P Erard grand piano at Buckingham Palace was built for Victoria and Albert, both keen musicians. podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/u... Unusual Histories is in trouble. Please consider donating or sharing. gofund.me/713de166

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Danny Hurst @dannyhurst.bsky.social · 18/09/2026

The House of Dreams Museum in East Dulwich is the home of textile and fashion designer Stephen Wright, and open to the public ten days a year. podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/u... Unusual Histories is in trouble. Please consider donating or sharing. gofund.me/713de166

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Danny Hurst @dannyhurst.bsky.social · 17/09/2026

Although mainly a military base, RAF Northolt in South Ruislip also hosts private civil aircraft and is the oldest air force base in Britain. podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/u... Unusual Histories is in trouble. Please consider donating or sharing. gofund.me/713de166

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Danny Hurst @dannyhurst.bsky.social · 16/09/2026

Formerly George Yard, Gunthorpe Street, off Whitechapel High Street, was the murder scene of Martha Tabram, thought to be the first victim of Jack the Ripper. podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/u... Unusual Histories is in trouble. Please consider donating or sharing. gofund.me/713de166

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Danny Hurst @dannyhurst.bsky.social · 15/09/2026

Princess Park Manor, a luxury residence in Friern Barnet, was formerly Colney Hatch Lunatic Asylum; so notorious that its name became a byword for insanity. podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/u... Unusual Histories is in trouble. Please consider donating or sharing. gofund.me/713de166

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Danny Hurst @dannyhurst.bsky.social · 14/09/2026

William Huskisson's statue is found in Pimlico Gardens. In 1830 Huskisson became the first person of any note to be killed, by a train. podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/u... Unusual Histories is in trouble. Please consider donating or sharing. gofund.me/713de166

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Danny Hurst @dannyhurst.bsky.social · 13/09/2026

York House Gardens in Twickenham date back to the 17th century but were transformed in the early 19th by Indian industrialist Sir Ratan Tata who owned the house. podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/u... Unusual Histories is in trouble. Please consider donating or sharing. gofund.me/713de166

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Danny Hurst @dannyhurst.bsky.social · 12/09/2026

The Dogs of Alcibiades have guarded the Bonner Gate entrance to Victoria Park in Bethnal Green since 1912. podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/u... Unusual Histories is in trouble. Please consider donating or sharing. gofund.me/713de166

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Danny Hurst @dannyhurst.bsky.social · 11/09/2026

Established in 2015 by Jess and Matt Turtle, the Museum of Homelessness found a permanent home in 2023 in the Manor House Lodge in Finsbury Park. podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/u... Unusual Histories is in trouble. Please consider donating or sharing. gofund.me/713de166

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Danny Hurst @dannyhurst.bsky.social · 10/09/2026

Artist Carrie Reichardt's home and studio is Mosaic House in Chiswick. The mosaics contain messages, social commentary and popular cultural references. podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/u... Unusual Histories is in trouble. Please consider donating or sharing. gofund.me/713de166

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Danny Hurst @dannyhurst.bsky.social · 09/09/2026

The Isle of Dogs Pumping Station at Cubitt Town in the docklands was built during the regeneration of the area during the late 1980s. podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/u... Unusual Histories is in trouble. Please consider donating or sharing. gofund.me/713de166

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Danny Hurst @dannyhurst.bsky.social · 08/09/2026

Originally built in East Sheen in 1965 and paid for by the Thai government, Britain's oldest Buddhist temple, Wat Buddhapadipa, is found in Wimbledon. podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/u... Unusual Histories is in trouble. Please consider donating or sharing. gofund.me/713de166

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Danny Hurst @dannyhurst.bsky.social · 07/09/2026

Robert the Steam Locomotive is found outside Stratford Station. Built in 1933, Robert has been resident here since around the millennium. podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/u... Unusual Histories is in trouble. Please consider donating or sharing. gofund.me/713de166

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Danny Hurst @dannyhurst.bsky.social · 06/09/2026

The 'Elfin Oak' in Kensington Gardens is carved and painted with elves, witches and other fantasy beings and animals by artist Ivor Innes. podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/u... Unusual Histories is in trouble. Please consider donating or sharing. gofund.me/713de166

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Danny Hurst @dannyhurst.bsky.social · 05/09/2026

The Musical Museum in Brentford features a collection of self-playing musical instruments and many other attractions including a Korg synthesizer gallery. podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/u... Unusual Histories is in trouble. Please consider donating or sharing. gofund.me/713de166

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Danny Hurst @dannyhurst.bsky.social · 04/09/2026

Whalebone Park in High Barnet is home to the listed 19th century house named the Whalebones, due to its entrance arch made from two blue whale jawbones. podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/u... Unusual Histories is in trouble. Please consider donating or sharing. gofund.me/713de166

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Danny Hurst @dannyhurst.bsky.social · 03/09/2026

The memorial to the International Brigade that fought in the Spanish Civil War is found in Bishops Park in Fulham. podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/u... Unusual Histories is in trouble. Please consider donating or sharing. gofund.me/713de166

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Danny Hurst @dannyhurst.bsky.social · 02/09/2026

Dept W on Mile End Road was built in 1927 as Whickham's Department Store around Spiegelhalter's jewellers, who refused to sell to Whickham's. podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/u... Unusual Histories is in trouble. Please consider donating or sharing. gofund.me/713de166

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Danny Hurst @dannyhurst.bsky.social · 01/09/2026

A number of TV shows were filmed in Churchfield Road, Acton including episodes of Minder and a number of Monty Python sketches. podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/u... Unusual Histories is in trouble. Please consider donating or sharing. gofund.me/713de166

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Danny Hurst @dannyhurst.bsky.social · 31/08/2026

Holly Village in Highgate was completed in 1865 as part of the Holly Lodge Estate and is an excellent example of Victorian Gothic-Revival architecture. podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/u... Unusual Histories is in trouble. Please consider donating or sharing. gofund.me/713de166

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Danny Hurst @dannyhurst.bsky.social · 30/08/2026

The Cinema Museum in Kennington, South London, was once the Lambeth Workhouse, where Charlie Chaplin lived during his childhood when his mother faced destitution. podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/u... Unusual Histories is in trouble. Please consider donating or sharing. gofund.me/713de166

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Danny Hurst @dannyhurst.bsky.social · 29/08/2026

Several former ticket office windows on the London Underground have been turned into 'Tiny Parks'. podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/u... Unusual Histories is in trouble. Please consider donating or sharing. gofund.me/713de166

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Danny Hurst @dannyhurst.bsky.social · 29/08/2026

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