You could pass this innocuous building on High Holborn every day of the week and not realise that at the top (shrouded in green netting ATM) on the left hand side is a statue of King Edward I (1239-1307) also known as Edward Longshanks or the "Hammer of the Scots". If I'm honest, I reckon Eddy was a bit of a dick, apparently very temperamental and prone to fits of rage he is often criticized for the various expensive wars with the Scots and the brutal conquest of the Welsh, but also, in 1290 he expelled the Jews from England. It kicked off a long period of pogroms, theft from and discrimination against that particular group of people, not a nice things to be known for really!
I wonder what he'd make of being stuck on top of a pizza restaurant, I bet he'd be a bit cross! Although, he did borrow a lot of cash to finance his wars from Firenze money lenders, perhaps he also had a sweet spot for sour dough Margherita and garlic bread? Below is a stock image of the statue.
No comments:
Post a Comment