Did you know from History…

“Did you know that it was in Islington (either at the Pied Bull, Upper Street, or the Old Queen’s Head, Essex Road- then called Lower Street) that Sir Walter Raleigh was drenched by his servant, who threw a tankard of ale over him when, seeing smoke coming from his mouth, and thought he was on fire. Sir Walter was using ‘Virginia Weed’, or tobacco, which he brought back from the New World.”

“Did you know that Joseph Grimaldi, the original Circus Clown, came from Clerkenwell and is buried in St James Church, Pentonville. He and other clowns are remembered every year on the first Sunday in February at the Holy Trinity Church in Dalston.”

Did you Know about Islington Places…

“Did you know that Freightliners Farm got its name from the King’s Cross Freightliners Terminal, where it started its life?”

“Did you know that the white tower near the Angel was built in 1913 as the entrance to a cinema?

Did you know Islington Gory Facts…

“Did you know that on the Almeida Post office site a gruesome method of avoiding paying wages was common? In January 1876, the bodies of eight former employees were discovered in a pit under Collinwood’s steam saw.  They had been beheaded on the power saw when their contracts had ended.”

Did you know about the Population of Islington …

“Did you know that Islington is the most densely populated local authority in England, with 13,875 people per sq.km, almost three times the London average?”

“Did you know that there were 2,952 births in Islington in 2010? The fertility rate in Islington is almost 20% lower than in England as a whole”