Metropolitan Police Coat Hook

The lowdown

Among the everyday street fittings of the City is a small iron hook that comes with a charming bit of policing folklore. The story goes that it was put there for the use of point-duty officers, the policemen who once stood directing traffic at busy junctions, giving them somewhere to hang their heavy waterproof capes when the weather turned.

Whether every detail is gospel or polished by retelling, it is exactly the sort of overlooked oddity this guide loves, an ordinary object with an extraordinary backstory. It is free to find, a tiny reward for anyone who enjoys reading the hidden history in London's street furniture.