Velocipedes.—­We call them “cycles” nowadays, but in 1816-20 they were “dandy-horses,” and in the words of a street billet of the period

  “The hobby-horse was all the go
  In country and in town.”

Views of Birmingham.—­The earliest date “view” of the town appears to be the one given in Dugdale’s Warwickshire, of 1656, and entitled “The Prospect of Birmingham, from Ravenhurst (neere London Road), in the South-east part of the Towne.”

Villa Cross was originally built for and occupied as a school, and known as Aston Villa School.

Visitors of Distinction in the old Soho days, were not at all rare, though they had not the advantages of travelling by rail.  Every event of the kind, however, was duly chronicled in the Gazette, but they must be men of superior mark indeed, or peculiarly notorious perhaps, for their movements to be noted nowadays.  Besides the “royalties” noted elsewhere, we were honoured with the presence of the Chinese Commissioner Pin-ta-Jen, May 7, 1866, and his Excellency the Chinese Minister Kus-ta Jen, January 23, 1878.  Japanese Ambassadors were here May 20, 1862, and again November 1, 1872.  The Burmese Ambassadors took a look at us August 14, 1872, and the Madagascar Ambassadors followed on January 5, 1883.—­Among the brave and gallant visitors who have noted are General Elliott, who came August 29th, 1787.  Lord Nelson, August 30, 1802, and there is an old Harborneite still living who says he can recollect seeing the hero come out of the hotel in Temple Row.  The Duke of Wellington and Sir Robert Peel dined at Dee’s Hotel, September 23, 1830.  The Duke’s old opponent, Marshal Soult, in July 1833, seemed particularly interested in the work going on among our gun-shops.  Lady Havelock, her two daughters, and General Havelock, the only surviving brother of Sir Henry, visited the town October 8, 1858.  General Ulysses Grant, American Ex-president, was soft-soaped at the Town Hall, October 19, 1877.—­Politicians include Daniel O’Connell, January 20, 1832.  The Right Hon. Benjamin Disraeli, who visited the Small Arms Factory, August 18, 1869, was again here August 22, 1876, immediately after being raised to the peerage as Earl of Beaconsfield.  The Right Hon. W.E.  Gladstone was welcomed with a procession and a “monster meeting” at Bingley Hall.  May 31, 1877.  The Right Hon. R.A.  Cross, Home Secretary, honoured the Conservatives by attending a banquet in the Town Hall, Nov. 20, 1876.  Sir Stafford Northcote, then Chancellor of the Exchequer, came here Oct. 19, 1878, and was at Aston, Oct. 13, 1884, when the Radical roughs made themselves conspicuous.  Lord Randolph Churchill was introduced to the burgesses, April 15, 1884; and has been here many times since, as well as the late Col.  Burnaby, who commenced his candidature for the representation of the borough July 23, 1878.—­In the long list of learned and literary visitors occur the names of John Wesley,