Some of London’s permanent residents are rather oddly immortalized, to say the least. In the lobby of University College, displayed in a wooden cabinet sits the mummified remains of the writer and philosopher Jeremy Bentham. Bentham stipulated in his will that his body was to be preserved and displayed after his death, and his wishes were duly carried out. Today anybody can walk in the lobby (of the Gower Street entrance) and see the rather odd figure in a wooden display case complete with cane and reading glasses. Bentham still votes at the annual board of directors meeting and he ceremoniously attends the university’s annual dinner. Some people are convinced Bentham borrows books from the university library at night – and returns them to the wrong place.
Another unique and odd skeleton belongs to that of Joseph Merrick; better known as "the Elephant Man". Merrick suffered from a horribly debilitating disease that resulted in large folds of skin on his face and body. Merrick lived a short and sad life and committed suicide at the age of 28 while in the Royal London hospital where he was confined towards the end of his life. Today, Merrick’s skeleton is still on display in the hospital but can be viewed by appointment only. The singer Michael Jackson reputedly made an offer to buy Merrick’s skeleton in 1985 – but the hospital turned down the offer
Finally, if you are catching a train from London’s busy King’s Cross station, spare a thought for what – or who – may lie under your feet. According to legend, the Celtic queen Boadicea who led an uprising against the Romans, is buried under platform 10 at King’s Cross. An interesting theory – but what would be a major archaeological discovery has so far never been proven.