The Old West End, aka Little Quebec Village

Today took a guided tour of the "Old West End," also known as Little Quebec Village in some parts. Geographically it is located between Hyde Park and Paddington west of Marble Arch. Let's see how good everyone is with the layout of London!! Also it is the Western side of Marylebone. (See previous post on Old Marylebone, located on the eastern side of the area) Very expensive area where many celebrities both past and present live.



This is the building of flats where Wallis and Ernest Simpson lived when she began her affair with the Prince of Wales. (It is called Bryantson Court Mansions to disguise the fact that it is just a building of large flats- not very posh in those days)

St Mary's Wyndham church, a "evangelical" Church of England church, although not "evangelical" in the U.S. sense!


Madonna's house, she wasn't there, she stays mainly at her country house


No 34 Montagu Square, at various times lived in by Ringo Starr, Paul McCartney and Jimi Hendrix- not at the same time though


No 36 Montagu Square- lived in by Anthony Trollope-(Victorian author for those who don't know)


House where Benedict Arnold lived after fleeing the U.S. after he committed treason



Directly across the street from where Arnold lived is the house where Wilkie Collins lived, though about 70 or so years later. (He's also a Victorian novelist- credited with beginning the "sensation" novel)



The private club of Madonna, this was also a former home of Anthony Blunt, one of the Cambridge spies

Former stable block where the famous Cato Street Conspiracy took place- this was basically a plot in the 1820s to kill the entire cabinet including the prime minister. You can still see how the old mews would have looked with the carriages and horses on the ground floor with the grooms in rooms above

House where the Messiah was supposed to have his second coming. In 1819 a female "visionary" claimed she was about to give birth to the Messiah and got lots of society people to give her money. They were sadly disappointed, needless to say!!


Statue of Raoul Wallenburg in front of the Western Marble Arch Synagogue- visible in the background of the photo- a converted terrace home