St James's Park and Green Park

St James's Park

St James's Park and Green Park together with two other Royal Parks of London, Hyde Park and Kensington Gardens form an almost continuous green area in the centre of London.

In 1532, Henry VIII purchased an area of marshland from Eton College, through which the river Tyburn flowed. On James I's accession to the throne in 1603, he ordered the park drained and landscaped, and kept exotic animals in the park, including camels, crocodiles, and an elephant, as well as aviaries of exotic birds along the south.

Hyde Park and Kensington Gardens

Hyde Park and Kensington Gardens together with two other Royal Parks of London, Green Park and St James's Park form an almost continuous "green lung" in the heart of London.

In 1536, Henry VIII acquired the manor of Hyde from the canons of Westminster Abbey and enclosed it as a deer park. It remained a private hunting ground until James I permitted limited access to gentlefolk, and appointing a ranger to take charge. In 1637 Charles I opened the park to the general public.

In 1728 Queen Caroline carved Kensington Gardens out of the western section of Hyde Park. During the next ten years fashionable features including the Round Pond, formal avenues, and a sunken Dutch garden were added.

The Three Musketeers (2011)

Synopsis
The three Musketeers go to Venice to steal Leonardo da Vinci's Airship blueprints, but are double crossed by Milady who gives the plans to the Duke of Buckingham. On their return to Paris they are disbanded by Cardinal Richelieu for their failure.

A year later a young D'Artagnan moves to Paris and befriends the three former Musketeers. They unite and attempt to stop Cardinal Richelieu's plans to engulf Europe in war and seize the French throne.

Doctor Fantastique's Kickstarter Campaign

A message from Doctor Fantastique:

So the Kickstarter for Doc F's is nearly halfway done, and we haven't even reached $1,000 yet. I'm starting to get a bit worried, so on suggestion of a friend of the magazine, I'm reposting here what you get when you donate:

Natural History Museum

Richard Owen, Superintendent of the natural history departments of the British Museum saw that the departments needed more space. Since space at the British Museum site was limited, this meant they needed a separate building. Land in South Kensington was purchased, and in 1864 a competition was held to design the new museum.

Oxford Street

Oxford Street in 1875

Oxford Street is a major road in the City of Westminster in the West End of London. It runs for approximately two and a half kilometres from Marble Arch at the north east corner of Hyde Park, to St Giles Circus, at the intersection with Charing Cross Road and Tottenham Court Road. Roughly halfway along Oxford Street is Oxford Circus, a busy intersection with Regent Street.

Moving to London, a Mouse, and a Thud in the Dark!

Last Thursday I moved to London, both to find a good job, and for the experience. This is now my 4th country move in the last 5 years... I don't enjoy moving so much, but sometimes things are out of my control.

Beneath a Steel Sky (1994)

Adventure Games are the only computer game genre I really enjoy. They are not just point and click puzzles, some could be called interactive movies, and a few have a very good storyline. I'll start by reviewing a classic.

Synopsis
In a dystopian future in Australia, a young boy is the sole survivor of a plane crash in the Gap (what's today known as the Outback). He is adopted and grows amongst Indigenous Australians.

When the game starts Robert Foster is kidnapped and his tribe annihilated by security soldiers sent from Union City by its powerful computer LINC. On their return to Union City, their helicopter malfunctions and crashes. Foster survives the crash and escapes into the dark metropolis vowing to avenge the murder of the only family he's ever known. See video below.