Things you didn't know about... Hammersmith

No Sleep Until Hammersmith
That's the name of a famous live album by Motörhead. No fewer than nine live albums by major acts have been recorded at music venues in Hammersmith like the Apollo and the Hammersmith Palais, as well as the film of the last ever gig by David Bowie as Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars.

There were once secret nunneries in Hammersmith
Hammersmith has long been a centre for Catholicism in Britain, and during the times when that religion was suppressed, the devout resorted to desperate measures. Girls' schools especially were used by plainclothes nuns as a front for their recusancy (refusal to renounce Catholicism).

Fancy a drop of Château de Hammersmith?
Lee's Gardens in Hammersmith produced large quantities of a so-called "Burgundy" wine at the end of the 18th century. There is no record, though, of how drinkable it was.

An attempt to assassinate Oliver Cromwell was made near Hammersmith
Miles Sindercombe of Shepherds Bush tried to murder Cromwell in north Hammersmith using a home-made machine gun. He failed and was sentenced to be hanged, drawn and quartered. He was able to poison himself in the Tower before sentence was carried out.

Until the end of the 19th century, Hammersmith was surrounded by market gardens
All the land north of Hammersmith and west to Fulham was given over to market gardens, producing a large proportion of the fruit, vegetables and flowers needed by Londoners.

George lV had a house for his special needs in Hammersmith
When he was Prince of Wales George had a large house set up in Hammersmith to service his carnal desires. Why he chose Hammersmith is anyone's guess—presumably it was handy for both Windsor and London. Ironically, his estranged but publicly popular wife Caroline set up a rival court in the area, before her early death.

Hammersmith used to be a basket case
The first recorded industry here used the plentiful willow from the riverbank to create all manner of woven objects.

Hammersmith Bridge was the first suspension bridge in Britain
Not the current one, which is a replacement for the original, built in 1827. Both bridges have required constant repair, due to the high volume of traffic over the years.

Lots of showbiz types have links to Hammersmith
Hugh Grant, Mel Smith, Bill Bailey, Lily Allen and Top Gear's James May all have links to the borough.