News about Samuel Pepys

The most striking examples can be found on the Lady Jane Waller monument. She married Sir William Waller and died in childbirth in 1633. The ­monument features her figure in repose with her husband gazing down on her. Waller was a leading Parliamentary general during the First English Civil War (1642-46). Royalist soldiers vented their feelings against him by battering the face of his effigy. The damage can be dated because Samuel Pepys recorded in his diary entry of June 14, 1668, that he saw Waller's effigy 'lying with his face broken'.

Europe's largest commercial radio company is preparing for a court battle with the council over its claims performers outside its offices are causing a 'nuisance'. Global Radio, which counts Heart, Capital, Radio X, Classic FM, Smooth and LBC among its stations, alleges the council has failed to properly enforce busking rules in the area. The company is using legislation under the Environmental Protection Act, which is usually enforced by councils to prosecute noisy neighbours and fly-tippers, in what is believed to be a first-of-its-kind court action. A spokesman for Labour-run Westminster council said it does not comment on live legal cases, but confirmed it has pleaded not guilty to the prosecution.

He's one of the world's most famous diary-keepers, but Samuel Pepys had a secret love of French fashion, a new study claims. Fancy French garments were the diarist's 'guilty pleasure', a University of Cambridge academic claims, citing a collection of French fashion prints that he owned. But at a time when English suffered a 'moral crisis' over the influence of French culture, Pepys 'suffered internal conflict' over his love for the Paris style.

The Royal Family has marked the one year anniversary of King Charles (left) and Queen Camilla's coronation by releasing a tribute video featuring a new poem by Poet Laureate Simon Armitage (inset). The three-minute highlights video - which the Duke of Sussex (centre) makes a fleeting appearance in - includes footage from the Westminster Abbey (right) service and the royals greeting fans who had lined the Mall in London. Over 2,000 guests were invited to watch the historic service, including foreign royals, dignitaries and members of the public who had been recognised for their charity work. The poem 'An Unexpected Guest' imagines the day through the eyes through the eyes of a member of the public and also includes prose from Samuel Pepys.

Locals have been furious after one of Britain's longest-running Punch and Judy shows was cut off by its seaside council, leaving locals furious. The traditional puppet show in Eastbourne has captivated visitors to the seaside town for more than 120 years. It was one of the most popular and longest-running events in the United Kingdom dating back to the 1890s. It was a core component of the British seaside holiday.

Westminster Council will decide whether or not to enforce a fee-based licensing scheme that restricts a performer's space to just five meters, prohibits any sound amplification in some regions, and prohibits the use of 'dangerous props.' Such regulations would make it all but impossible for anyone but the live statues to continue performing, according to the Covent Garden Street Performers (CGSPA) association, whose members have been boycotting the new rules

In April 2021, Westminster Council first attempted to clamp down on some public services under a fee-based licensing scheme. This included limiting a performer's space to just five meters, placing a complete ban on any sound amplification in certain regions, and prohibiting the use of any 'dangerous props'. According to the Covent Garden Street Performers (CGSPA) group, who openly opposed its adoption and aggressively criminalize their performances as normal. The council will determine whether to fund further enforcement measures to combat the crackdown next month, as well as a proposed alliance with the police.

The Royal Family is proud of its Scottish roots and wishes to make the majority of them, not least at this time of the year, when senior members decamp to Balmoral in Aberdeenshire. If King Charles can claim a direct descendant from James VI of Scotland and I of England, his sons William and Harry have notably more Scottish blood in their veins, despite the fact that they are not allowed to be seen in kilts. No fewer than seven Stuart monarchs ruled Scotland and England from 1603-1714.

How does your lawn grow? Give yourself a gold star if it's looking shady and full of dandelions, clover, and buttercups. Unkempt lawns dotted with weeds are now the height of fashion; in fact, a third of the main show gardens at this year's Chelsea Flower Show incorporated weeds (now officially rebranded by the Royal Horticultural Society as'resilient plants' or "hero plants'). Dr. Ken Thompson does not quite go far, but he points out that without weeds, the majority of the world's not covered by Tarmac would consist mainly of mud.'

DOMINIC SANDBROOK: Charles I (left) was hardly a less convincing model for our own King. He was the worst possible ambassador for monarchy in terms of arrogance, obstinability, inflexibility, and sensibility. By contrast, his son Charles II (right) - despite his tumultuous private life, is a much more believable role model. He didn't have to cope with the humiliation of his father's public execution but he was also forced to hide in an oak tree after his attempt to regain the throne was foiled at the Battle of Worcester in 1651. Charles II is one of Britain's most underrated politicians. Many people were suspicious of a Stuart revival when he was called back to England in 1660. So how will the third Charles (inset) fare? Well, even if it sounds treasonous to mention it, another chopping block appointment appears to be implausible. No monarch in our history has waited longer for the throne or been more prepared.

Susan Rae's voice does not appear in the great list of things she has lost - her work, her house, and vast swaths of her memory - but it does not appear. Her thing that characterized her has survived, and she has thrived. You'll have heard it. It may have brought you to sleep. Only a handful of radio announcers have been entrusted to produce Radio 4's legendary Shipping Forecast, the nearest thing we have to a national lullaby. Susan has done it best, according to some. I think how lovely it would be if she stopped worrying about horrible things - Alzheimer's, nearly setting the house on fire, feeling abandoned by her former employers - and instead gave a soothing 'Rain' followed by squally showers. Moderate is losing money, while poor is deteriorating.'

On a recent visit, comedian Frank Skinner slammed his six-year-old nephew for humiliating him. Elliott, who has a passion for the Great Fire of London and writer Samuel Pepys, was left 'crestfallen' after an unconcerned employee refused to allow him access to Pepys' world-famous diary. To add insult to injury, the staff member insisted on putting the child's Pepys knowledge to the test by demanding that the writer specify the author's date of birth. In a recent iteration of his show on Absolute Radio, Skinner, whose sister of Elliott's mother Rachel, retells his nephew's ordeal.

Drax Hall, a prominent, grey stone home built for a 17th-century entrepreneur who reformed the Caribbean sugar industry. Many Barbadians think Sir James Drax, the original owner, is the devil incarnate. For about 370 years ago, he pioneered the importation of African slaves in order to cultivate his lucrative crop. Despite the fact that Drax Hall (inset) is marketed as a holiday destination, one of his descendants is the object of an increasingly vindictive movement led by civil rights campaigners backed by the ruling Barbados Labour Party's special envoy on reparations and economic enfranchisement. They are requesting that South Dorset MP Richard Drax (left), who now owns the estate, pay a large sum to compensate for the sins committed by his forefathers. According to David Denny (right), a self-proclaimed Barbadian'revolutionary,' the Tory politician should contribute 'hundreds of millions' to the construction of schools, roads, health centers, and other community initiatives.

The George lives in Norton St Philip, near Bath, in the pretty village of Norton St Philip. Lizzie Enfield investigates and finds a 'cosy' bar and a 16th-century dining room that serves locally sourced, seasonal food. Antique furniture and period wall hangings are scattered throughout the guest rooms, with one even having a secret panel leading to the en suite bathroom. Samuel Pepys, who lived in the village in 1668, has also been identified in a room. 'The George has a lot of modern charm, but there is no way to escape its past,' Lizzie says.