London
About London
London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of 9.1 million people in 2024. Its wider metropolitan area is the largest in Western Europe, with a population of 15.1 million. London stands on the River Thames in southeast England, at the head of a 50-mile (80 km) tidal estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a major settlement for nearly 2,000 years. Its ancient core and financial centre, the City of London, was founded by the Romans as Londinium and has retained its medieval boundaries. The City of Westminster, to the west of the City of London, has been the site of the national government and parliament for centuries. London grew rapidly in the 19th century, becoming the world's largest city at the time. Since the 19th century the name "London" has referred to the metropolis around the City of London, historically split among the counties of Middlesex, Essex, Surrey, Kent and Hertfordshire. Since 1965 it has largely comprised the administrative area of Greater London, governed by 33 local authorities and the Greater London Authority.
On the show · 1912 mentions total
During the 19th century, Sadler's Wells Theatre in London was routinely flooded to stage fake naval battles.
from Little Fish: It's Nice To Say Titicaca · read transcript
More facts about London
In 2013, a group of people tried to crowdfund London's first UFO museum; their target was $1 million, but they only managed to raise $370.
Little Fish: The Cat Is Banging On The Door · listen
The air used to be so filthy in London that there were increasingly severe smogs over the 1940s and 50s.
Little Fish: Unencumbered By Any Knowledge · listen
The costermongers of London were named for the costards, the sour apples they sold, and they talked about their deals in a coded shorthand so other people couldn't understand.
No Such Thing As A Ham Bag · listen
One of the first fibre optic networks in London was built inside old tubes.
No Such Thing As Anti-Drone Sharks · listen
In 16th-century London, there was a chain of pubs that sold laxatives on tap.
No Such Thing As Elizabeth I's Burnt Umber · listen
There's still a pub in London called Old Dr. Butler's Head in Moorgate, which claims he sold his medicinal purging ale there.
No Such Thing As Elizabeth I's Burnt Umber · listen
There was an establishment on Bond Street in the early 20th century where you could buy lavish things for dogs, like toilet water.
117: No Such Thing As Dr No Teeth · listen
There was one family in London who sold the exact time, doing it right up until 1940, and you could even get season tickets from them.
118: No Such Thing As Dinner On A Spider · listen
London is basically covered in bees: the Royal Festival Hall has a beehive on its roof, and there are hipster beehives in Shoreditch.
142: No Such Thing As Edward Binbag-Hands · listen
There is a Victorian time capsule buried in London that contains photographs of the 12 best-looking women in England.
152: No Such Thing As A Sleepover With Lions · listen
Bazalgette, who designed the London sewer system, knew what was underneath the city and said it was safe because it is made of London clay.
152: No Such Thing As A Sleepover With Lions · listen
You can get to Roding Valley, the least used station on the entire Underground, which has only about 712 passengers a day.
160: No Such Thing As A Sausage Jacuzzi · listen
Rivers run through some London Underground stations: at Sloane Square a pipe above the platform carries the Westbourne, and the Fleet runs through Farringdon.
160: No Such Thing As A Sausage Jacuzzi · listen
A couple of London Underground lines used to have first class and third class, but no second class.
160: No Such Thing As A Sausage Jacuzzi · listen
During World War II, William Foyle filled sandbags with old books to protect Foyles from the Blitz, covering the roof with copies of Mein Kampf.
201: No Such Thing As Lobsters At The Lobster Festival · listen
Everyone loved gorillas so much that you had gorilla ballets in London, complete with tutus.
No Such Thing As A Shakespeare Burger · listen
An elephant once walked across the river right next to Blackfriars Bridge, which seems unnecessarily dangerous when there's a bridge right there.
147: No Such Thing As Burrito Party Boy · listen
The Underground goes much further than you'd think; there's even a zone nine, which I didn't know existed.
160: No Such Thing As A Sausage Jacuzzi · listen
Coordinates: 51.5072, -0.1275