The Bloody History Of This London Square

[@stuartgoodall225]

Thank you again, Roger , it makes such a change to find a REAL londoner, telling the history of London .

[@lordleonusa]

Roger, another fantastic video, no need to apologise for including history, it's all fascinating and appreciated!

[@SkillBuilder]

Thanks, I started doing these videos from a builder's point of view but I can't keep on message.

[@lordleonusa]

@@SkillBuilder if I still lived in London, I'd buy you a drink, just because you are a fellow Londoner!

[@Pugggle]

I love history and found your channel from one of your history videos, and im hooked because I love the different perspective you give . Fantastic videos!

[@leandabee]

Fascinating, and told in a wonderful genuine interesting way, thank you 👌👏👏

[@SkillBuilder]

@@lordleonusa if you buy a drink for every fellow Londoner it could be an expensive round but then again........... maybe not.

[@TheFatNumpty]

It does seem that although your main content is of course building and construction, which you’ve always done very well, you also present historical subjects very well too. Nice to learn about the old methods of construction while we’re there. Thoroughly enjoying this series Roger 👍

[@Bingbng2705]

I love these types of videos from you really interesting and informative. Keep em coming Roger.

[@stevek28]

I thoroughly enjoy your history walks. Keep making more please sir.

[@markdonovan1540]

You're a superb story teller, and the mix of history and architectural insights is a perfect combination. Long may you run.

[@G6EJD]

Roger, many thanks for such an enthralling, educational and interesting video. Your presentation style is perfect.

[@timwatson6318]

You need to be given your own TV program. I love the way you present these London histories. History facts presented though the optic of a master craftsman. I learned so much on the London stock bricks video. Shared it so many times. Keep up these fantastic mini productions. Love em.

[@cuebj]

Mainstream TV is old hat. Has to be too generalised with very high production costs. He did do some work for TV about rogue traders but realised the TV people just wanted someone to shaft, even if there were, in fact, no rogue traders

[@Croi_Fiain]

This is super interesting. Would be absolutely happy to see more of this style!

[@Mossie-f8o]

Another excellent insight. Thanks Roger.

[@iatsechannel5255]

Roger: As a Yank I do enjoy the use of our common language as practiced in your narratives. Accents are a treasure to me and yours coupled with your phrasemanship make for a great watch. I am learning about London as well. I may possibly move to your fair city soon so this is not just entertainment.

[@SkillBuilder]

Many thanks

[@JP_TaVeryMuch]

Just watch out for priggish pedants who might be tempted to advise you that when we practise as a verb there's an S and when we are, for example, in a doctor's practice as a noun, it's a C see? Frankly, almost saintly in its essential practicality.

[@ColumbusDixon]

@@JP_TaVeryMuch Nice one Cyril. 😊

[@ColumbusDixon]

Rodger, if I had to have another Dad I would have loved to go on walks with you as well. It’s amazing what you can see if you really try to look isn’t it? 10/10

[@JP_TaVeryMuch]

@@ColumbusDixon Always remember to do yourself a favour and go out of your way to look up. Not only will you be greeted with an ocean of architectural fantasmagoria in London because we still have an embarrassment of Georgian and Victorian embellishments despite the best efforts of the Luftwaffe and the 60s planners, but you'll also have to be aware that you'll need to lift up your dropped jaw, relax your wide open eyes and probably remember to catch your breath too. It really is that good, (my paltry attempts at) humour aside. London calling. This is London calling.

[@jamesmay6895]

Terrific video Roger. I work just round the corner from St Barts and love the history of the area (and the pubs). Often take my lunch next to the fountain in the hospital. Used to play darts with some mates in a pub in Clarkenwell. There’s so much history around there, including the spot where a Zeppelin dropped the first bomb on London during the First World War.

[@SkillBuilder]

I didn't know that was the first bomb. What a calling card, it must have been terrifying.

[@lmtliam]

I like these videos. They save me the price of a plane ticket. The delivery is better than that of any modern TV documentary, in which the presenter has to be seen interacting with people, interviewing historians, and feigning wild enthusiasm at the significance of everything.

[@SkillBuilder]

That is a lovely description of modern television. Coming up later in the programme............. I am so excited........... wow!

[@seangold8469]

Top job !! Me and the Missus really enjoyed this,can't wait for the next one.

[@simondrew2914]

Another excellent video, Roger. My mother was a State Registered nurse at St. Barts in the '50s, and she met my father who was a patient there. So I was very interested to see this historic site, since it's basically the start of everything as far as I'm concerned!

[@foreignparticle1320]

I'm visiting London next month and St Bartholomew the Great is now my priority. Thank you for the compelling tour - if you did a series on London history I would buy the box set. Your presentation style is terrific.

[@ambiguousUndertones-]

It's great seeing the beautiful historic sights of the Mother Country. Cheers from Australia.

[@wantsum8714]

Love the history and the architecture videos! Some of my favourite videos on YT at the moment

[@radiggie]

Wow, am loving learning so much about the history of building London, especially loved the one about yellow stock bricks, things we walk past every day. Great work!

[@RussellJones77]

Cheers for the interesting video mate, was visiting London today from Notts and went and spent a lovely hour or so by Smithfield Square. Fantastic church, cheers for the recommendation Roger

[@ianoliverbailey6545]

What an incredible guy you are, Roger. I live in France and accidently happened upon your video on Porotherm (that we use everywhere here in France!) and since then, i've subscribed and now I'm finding that your curiosity and savvy extends well beyond your extensive mastery of "all things building". Many a time a stray YT algorithm brings a pleasant surprise... and I'm happy to have discovered you and your excellent channel. Looking forward to many more discoveries with you.

[@kellypaws]

Excellent video. These are my favourites by far, with a bit about the buildings, a bit about the history, a bit about London. Really excellent stuff.

[@fraserthomson5766]

Honestly, I'd give a kidney to walk around this old town with this man, but the next best thing is these videos. Thanks very much for curious folks like us to share the stories and history. I've walked past that archway dozens of times, never knew Bloody Mary was sitting right there watching the chaos..

[@nigelmoscrop9987]

You're a great story teller , that's a talent in itself , great stuff !

[@TheKinguskongus]

Another well appreciated video,a pleasure to watch, keep them coming Roger 👍👌

[@andyhutton8659]

Easy and nice to listen to, knowledgeable. I'm surprised Roger hasn't been picked up by the mainstream and I'm glad, he'll only get curtailed. Long may you continue Roger, first point of call on any construction problems.

[@BrentfordRes]

Great video, as always 👍🏻. Thank you

[@howard8573]

Interesting Video Roger, I really enjoyed seeing around a part of London I have not visited before. Thanks!

[@SkillBuilder]

Glad you enjoyed it, there is so much to see.

[@juliemooney6663]

Fantastic video from someone who knows his stuff. Thank you.

[@americanwoman6246]

Well this is a video thats right up my alley of interest. I am quite pleased i found your channel.

[@TheYohtube]

Great film Roger, thanks and keep it up!

[@SkillBuilder]

Thanks, will do!

[@geoffhalbert5435]

My grandfather was born within the sound of Bow Bells 1910. I ran a mobile workshop around London. I find your knowledge of brickwork fascinating

[@welshhibby]

I’m enjoying your historical walks.

[@RobertCraine-v1i]

Your walking tours of areas are always fascinating and so enjoyable.

[@greenbrain8725]

We Canadians have walked and gawked through London a few times and your explanations add a nice layer of knowledge to all the wonder..

[@_christianlowe]

Really appreciate your historical content. Thanks for making another great video.

[@hermesjackle5903]

Thanks Roger for an interesting tour of some of the places in London.

[@ColumbusDixon]

To our friends in North America, the United States. This is a builder talking about the city of London in Great Britain. Maybe around twelve minutes in he mentions checking something in “Hansard”. This is a written record of what our representatives say in parliament as they say it.

[@bewater4732]

Love these videos please keep them coming !

[@SusanPayne-b2t]

Really enjoyed your walk, so informative . Thank you

[@cosser6522]

Roger, love your work and looking at this one about London Square reminds me of when I first moved to London and lived in the Barbican and exploring the area. My walk to work at Blackfriars took me through Smithfield and our daughter used to work at Sessions in Clerkenwell so it’s lovely to see it all again.

[@alanreeves459]

Always interesting to get your take on the London buildings and history 👍

[@Patricia-tr9zm]

Wow! I'm in New Zealand. Great presentation; can't wait to hear more from you. Thank you so much 😊

[@edska501]

Huge respect for you Sir. So much knowledge

[@johnakyle5908]

Very knowledgeable Roger , love these walk abouts .

[@robertgoodall4525]

I have to say i really enjoyed this. Here in NZ we do not have any history or buildings of this age. I found you after watching your review on the Vauxhall Vivaro, I have a 5yr old Renault Traffic (same vehicle as yours. The Vauxhall brand disappeared here in the early 1970s) which is perfect for my needs and its been totally reliable. Not as common as the Toyota Hiace but if i ever change it it will be another Renault Trafic. I will be checking out your other videos.

[@Doug....]

Once again many thanks for the tour Roger 🙏👍

[@niallchaffin2065]

Love these videos Roger, very interesting!

[@nickhickson8738]

Excellent video Roger, you're so knowledgeable.

[@diabolicalartificer]

Love these video's, brickies, those who work with their hands see things differently. Pretty sure a few places where you filmed in Clerkenwell were used in films. The cafe on the corner I've seen in a few & the jitty/ginal @ 23:54 was in an episode of Danger UXB where they stash some loot in a dustbin, later when they come to pick it up a fellow soldier has put a detonator in it. Bang, the thieves scarper. Thanks for posting.

[@patrickrose1221]

Cracking video pal😉and you managed to cover stuff I've never seen before 👍 Diamond Geezer, I didn't recognise you without your helmet on show as per 😆😂🤣👍

[@antonyetheridge1050]

great stuff again roger,thank you

[@jont8707]

Please never be sorry for the history type videos i love them you do a great job telling the history your a great presenter i cant wait to see whats next 😮 and im glad your heart is doing better roger

[@SkillBuilder]

I appreciate that. I am living a normal life thanks to those talented people. Good plumbers all of them.

[@DarrylKirby]

Fantastic series this , thanks Roger

[@michaelkennedy8766]

Very interesting Roger, thank you.

[@AC-gm6bq]

Great video...very interesting 👍

[@whitewittock]

Enjoying the history episodes!

[@Me-zo8yc]

Excellent Rog!

[@paulstamp4106]

Good work Roger

[@gonzosk8966]

Genuinely enjoy your fantastic knowledge, thank you.

[@petergibson39]

The damage on the building is war damage from the blitz great video 😊

[@patrickshaw7983]

Great video, very interesting.

[@pitcull1046]

Such a good tour guide..... Well done Roger.

[@chrisf1600]

What a fantastic video :) I used to rent a small flat just off the Smithfield rotunda. Nice place, although it backed onto a local restaurant and I always got woken up at 5:45am when the kitchens opened for breakfast. I loved wandering around at the weekend when the streets were nearly empty and exploring all the nooks and crannies. The history of the area is endlessly fascinating (google the story of Richard Roose if you're after more gruesome tales). Anyway, what a lovely trip down memory lane, thanks !

[@americanwoman6246]

Sorry to flood your comments, but one more thing, looking at all that beautiful architecture really makes wish i could see it in person.

[@1x3dil]

Hi Roger. The first thing that struck me was how relatively quiet it was , non of the hustle and bustle I would expect in the capital . We’re you there early, or at sparrow fart as we say in Lincolnshire . Learned a lot from this video , so much history in one small quarter of the capital . Look forward to your next outing . 👍

[@HeatherRead-k7p]

Really like these history vlogs.

[@RichieRich845]

I'm loving your videos Roger! You just finished telling us the the old telephone booths are no longer used and I (we) see one in the street 19:34😁. The last and the only one wooden telephone booth that I have seen here in Australia was in restaurant called Thursdays Restaurant back in the 90's. People used to get there paycheck (cash in an envelope) on Thursdays, so most people go out to dinner on Thursday. 19:34 the rounded end of the building also the window and glass are rounded too, that must cost $$ to get glass curved, nice detail.👍 As always.

[@SkillBuilder]

The telephone boxes are still there but a lot of the phones are gone and people piss in them. Hardly anyone doesn't have a mobile phone so there is not much use for them

[@RichieRich845]

@@SkillBuilder I see, that is a shame pissing on history.

[@JP_TaVeryMuch]

​@@RichieRich845Out in the real world of the country's countryside, you'll find them still in their central village location. Only now, they usually have a defibrillator or a book swap casual library inside.

[@RichieRich845]

@@JP_TaVeryMuch 👍

[@chrisware8585]

love these videos mate.....

[@SkillBuilder]

Thanks 👍

[@nickjung7394]

I too like Clerkenwell, having been associated with the printing industry all my life. The London College of Printing annexe at Back Hill was where I started my technical training!

[@americanwoman6246]

Wow everything there is so old. The city i live in was still a swamp when some of your most impressive buildings were built. Very interesting to think about how modern infastructure was integrated with such old buildings.

[@Ex3t3r]

A pleasant and interesting diverse from your normal content. Dan Snow eat your heart out.

[@HarveyJohnWillmott]

Like these new walk and talk videos you do.

[@stoveguy2133]

Bartholemu hospital 3:40 NEEDS a scrub down on algae growth. WOW

[@nickjung7394]

I too bought my wife's wedding ring at Hatton Garden in 1977. We walked along the road one Saturday and haggled! I got quite a discount.....the same ring from a jewellery shop would have cosy £50. I paid £9. Ordered on Saturday, picked it up on Thursday, married on Saturday. You could trust people in those days!

[@SkillBuilder]

That is brilliant! Nine quid? I was done.

[@DannyCarroll-d9d]

Wonderful!

[@julianlord2697]

As a young engineer I was told by an old engineer that in the 1940s and 1950s metal was hard to get and they would reuse all sorts of scrap. Scrap iron can be fed back into furnaces and other elements added to make steel, or just iron for bombs. Iron ore is an imported material

[@fenixfp40]

Great vid Roger. 👍👍

[@jeremykemp3782]

Thank you Roger.

[@robwalker7575]

Thanks for that. i really enjoyed it. My lot came out of Battersea - I've managed to trace them back to the 1850s but records get scetchy after that. I'd love to see a vid on that area pre power station era......if you're ever dare to go south of the river....😂😂👍

[@umwhatthistime]

Thanks Roger.

[@hifiandmtb]

Ripper tour, Rog! You are a font of knowledge.

[@davidhull1481]

I like this guy. He doesn’t try to impress anyone with detailed knowledge, but he’s got enough to make it interesting, and he’s so informal. Also kinda cute how he mixes up beadles with beagles.

[@SkillBuilder]

Ah yes beadles and beagles, of course. I knew something was wrong there.

[@davidhull1481]

@ I’m glad you didn’t take it as an insult. And I do really appreciate your videos.

[@barryford7135]

Hi Roger, seeing Clerkenwell green reminds me of the bike sprayer who had a little workshop. He used to spray bike frames for a lot of the London bike shops. If you went down personally he would charge you a third of the price of the bike shop. We used to call hi, lacquer lungs, because he never used a mask. 🚴👍

[@salwood6712]

The oldest oldest residential house in cloth fair as well, such a nice and historic area

[@giulianomarco]

Man: "What's on the blocks this evening, dear?" Wife: "Burning, Burying and Chopping." Man: "Anything on the other side [of the square]?" Wife: "Intestines, Torture and Violence." Man: "Meh! Bloody repeats!"

[@ursusmaritimus7159]

Hi Roger, I've learnt so much from your videos over the years, and I like the new format. By the way, Ely Cathedral has some lovely cast iron radiators which are worth checking out if like me you are drawn to the building services as much as the beautiful architecture. Cheers!

[@SkillBuilder]

I haven't been to Ely for 50 years but I am intending to go soon

[@elviolette]

heart ablation is a Mirical of modern, as someone who played a small part in cardiovascular research, I'm so glad it was so effective with you.

[@stevegee7593]

Many years ago 1965, I was working as an electricians labourer and we had a job in Barts Hospital. To replace the light bulbs because the old bulbs were too dim. When we started testing we found out that the were still running on D.C. It must of been one of the last place's to run on D.C. My firm didn't get the rewire job.

[@brucevair-turnbull8082]

Another fascinating walking tour, Roger. It may seem counter-intuitive but public executions were seldom an effective crime deterrent. The great historian, Roy Porter outlines the fact they often descended into wild revelry and on occasion were scuppered by the crowds cutting down the hanged before they expired! In the end the authorities grew weary of such public disorder and confined executions to prison.

[@JohnnyMotel99]

Talking of lead pipework, the council buildings in Winchester were built with lead downpipes...apparrently. My dad was an architect for the council and he told me the building was designed to be nuclear fallout proof, hence the lead external pipework.

[@tomburton8239]

Another great vid!! But aren’t the holes in the wall of Barts actually bomb damage? Like in Exhibition Road? You can check from the WW2 official bomb damage maps?

[@SkillBuilder]

Yes you are right and I have since had a look at the map and learned that the marks on Barts are from a Zepplin bomb. Yes Exhibition Rd has more than anywhere.

[@stevexpfoster]

The wall of St Bart's hospital was damaged by a shrapnel bomb dropped during the Zeppelin raid of 8th September 1915. It's believed that the attackers mistook the hospital for Whitehall offices. Newspapers at the time were outraged.

[@mestep511]

Man, you are a complex interesting specimen of creation. What a mind.

[@darrelemery7659]

Love you Roger ❤

[@jsdare]

loved this roger, could you do a tour or brighton please?

[@timothyjones9804]

I enjoy these architectural history videos. Interesting fact, the ramp to the underground car park shown at the start of the video was used as the entrance to an MI6 bunker in a Daniel Craig bond film.

[@burwoodbuild]

Roger is it true these fantastic historical walk vids all started because your wife told you to “take a hike?!” 😊

[@greenbrain8725]

I was only familiar with “Smithfield” from a Sinead O’Connor song. And there it is for real!

[@SkillBuilder]

what song is that? I know a lot of her stuff but can't recall that one.

[@derin111]

I qualified as a doctor at Bart’s. One summer, I think it must have been 1993, my little tutorial group of fellow students and I (or Firm, as we called them then) were on our Cardiology attachment. Looking out of the window from the Cardiology Ward that summer’s days, we could see what looked like a very posh wedding gathering, in the courtyard outside the neighbouring old church that you see in this very video. I say “posh” because this couple who were getting married could obviously afford to have their happy day filmed by a very elaborate, and no doubt very expensive, film set-up. Probably some rich City of London banker, we no doubt assumed. It’s that sort of area as well. Of course, we didn’t know it at the time but what we were witnessing was the filming of one of the weddings that subsequently featured in a minor, little movie called: “Four Weddings and a Funeral” Probably no one has even heard of it!

[@SkillBuilder]

I watched the film but I didn't know it was filmed in St Bartholemews and now I want to watch is again. That aside I had the most amazing day at Barts. The consultant came and saw me in the morning and said they were trying out a new device from America that uses freezing rather than a hot wire. He said I would be the first one in the country to use it. I do a lot of product testing of new tools but this was taking it a bit far. Needless to say it worked a treat.

[@derin111]

@@SkillBuilder Always a sucker for a new product or tool, huh? I know the feeling. 😂 I think a lot has changed at Bart’s since I was a student and did my first jobs there. The A&E closed whilst I was there and slowly its place a general hospital serving the City and close by part of the East End was lost and it evolved more and more into a specialist hospital. I always enjoy your videos, even the ones when I have no intention of doing the jobs. Always a pleasure to listen to and observe someone who is so knowledgeable in their own field. Good luck 👍🏽

[@goddam9925]

Love it more please !!