h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

This entry was drawn to our attention as it is on the front page this week. Unfortunately it stops at plans made for moving it in 2002. Was it moved? Where is it now? Is the photo still up to date?

Next time I go to London, I would like to make a pilgrimage to this little stone, having read Coelecanth's entry.

The legend of the founding of London by the Greeks was new to me, too, and filled a gap in my historical memory that I hadn't even realised was there!

And of course the link to the film doesn't work, but I know that sort of thing is on the "to do" list.

You get the message:
H2G2 has moved
H2G2 has now left the BBC.

You can find The Guide to Life, the Universe and Everything at www.h2g2.com

I went past it about a year ago and it's still in place, although it looks neglected. The sports shop that had temporarily opened on site has closed.

However, there is a Twitter account for the stone! @thelondonstone is brilliant! It comments on the weather, people wandering past and so on. And says it is still "living in a cage" in Cannon Street.

This blog post quotes heavily from the Edited Entry but does reference it at the end. http://jongoodbun.wordpress.com/2010/11/05/london-stone/

I have some news of the Stone.

Part 1.

This article: http://londonist.com/2012/08/whats-happening-with-london-stone.php talks about plans by Minerva, the company that owns the building and who seem to have appointed themselves as current custodians of the Stone(!)

They want to move it to sit outside their own building here, just south of the Mansion House: http://www.thewalbrookbuilding.co.uk/

Here's the artists impression of what it will look like. http://www.planning.cityoflondon.gov.uk:90/WAM/doc/Page-7?extension=.pdf&page=7&wmTransparency=0&id=193557&wmLocation=0&location=livevolume1&contentType=application%2Fpdf&wmName=&pageCount=7

English Heritage have objected and would rather have its current location enhanced.

Me too, and I'm going to investigate whether there's a petition or any campaign I can join. @thelondonstone would like to know as well!

Part 2.

I visited Cannon Street on Saturday. 111 is just about to open as a newsagents. I spoke to the person running it, who only took over the lease a couple of weeks ago and was just putting the finishing touches before opening next week. He let me in to look at the back of the Stone. I think it was 2005 since I last saw both sides.

He had no idea about the Stone at all, it wasn't mentioned when he leased the shop and he has been surprised to find people peering in at it. I told him some of the story, he was absolutely fascinated and amongst other things we discussed whether he could do something about the lighting inside. Over the past few years, one by one the halogen bulbs have blown and it's always dark and hard to see from outside. He didn't know whether he was allowed to remove the back plate, which seems wedged in place by two screws in what looks like a DIY job to stop it falling out. Presumably the key has been lost.

I advised him to call the Museum of London, but from the londonist article it seems that they don't have any involvement any more so they'll probably refer him back to Minerva, but at least they, and he, will know about each other.

The nice thing is that he seems really interested and now appreciates that he has the important job of looking after it, which he promised to do.

This photo was taken about a year ago, some of the lights are still working, and you can see the screws holding the back plate in place. http://www.flickr.com/photos/pastlondon/6159108168/

Latest news.

111 Cannon Street is finally being demolished. Therefore The London Stone will be moved to the Museum of London for about 20 months from late spring 2016. http://www.theguardian.com/science/2016/mar/12/psychogeographers-landmark-london-stone-on-show-at-last

Thanks ever so much for updating on this. of course, I have been to London in the meantime and completely forgot about visiting the Stone. To my shame, I've also been to Totnes and didn't remember to go and see the stone there either. (Totnes is such a lovely place, though, I may well go back. My cousin lives there)

I will look forward to following the next moves, so please do keep posting here.