HEADLESS IN HOLBORN

Perhaps one of the more gruesome stories about Holborn concerns the execution of Lord William Russell for his part in the unsuccessful plot to get rid of Charles II in 1683. Russell was thought to be one of the Rye House Plotters who were worried by the King's Catholic tendencies and wanted to see him out of the way.

Their scheming was discovered and the King took revenge. Lord Russell, son of the 1st Duke of Bedford met his end on the execution block in Lincoln's Inn Fields. But it was a messy finale. The executioner, Jack Ketch, has been described as clumsy and sadistic. It took five blows of the axe to severe Russell's head from his torso - and it wasn't the first time Ketch had botched a beheading.

He lost his job and was replaced by Paskah Rose and he didn't fare much better. He made the fatal mistake of stealing the Prosecutor's coat and for that criminal act, the executioner became the executed. Rose was hanged at Newgate.

This is just one of the anecdotal stories that the LONDON FOOTSTEPS group heard on the Holborn walking tour which started in Lincoln's Inn Fields and ended at Holborn Circus. It's just one of the walks in the Summer programme and if you want to come along then just get in touch through http://www.londonfootsteps.co.uk/

COME ON A CITY WALK

Isn't it about time you came on a LONDON FOOTSTEPS walk? The programme for April, May and June can be accessed on http://www.londonfootsteps.co.uk/ and places on these popular historical strolls round the City of London are filling up fast. At £5 per person it's a real bargain in these credit crunch times.

CARRY ON LONDON!

The bankers are suffering; a few windows have been smashed and London's reputation is looking a bit suspect at the moment but this is just another pebble on the beach of history. For nearly 2,000 years, this great city has seen triumph and tragedy, violence, bravery, tears, smiles, honour and tradition and so much more.

This is not the end of the world - it is an example of why London is one of the world's great capitals and stirs the emotions of so many. History has a way of repeating itself. Go back to 1780 and the time of the Gordon Riots; there was mayhem and murder as the Bank of England was just one of the targets of rioters who demanded change and a new order.

So don't think 2009 is a watershed in the history of London; it's another chapter. And if you don't believe me then come on LONDON FOOTSTEPS walking tour of the capital. Just go to our website http://www.londonfootsteps.co.uk/ to find the latest programme of walks and join the hundreds of history enthusiasts who know and appreciate that London is a great experience.

Walk the streets of this City with your guide David Williams and London will come alive. The present problems are just a brushmark in the canvas of history.