Spoon & Tamago
The 2024 Toyama Kei-Truck Gardening Contest
The 2024 Kei-Truck Gardening Contest took place over the weekend. In what is perhaps the...
9 hours ago
The 2024 Kei-Truck Gardening Contest took place over the weekend. In what is perhaps the most-Japanese contest, professional gardeners and landscapers compete to create a beautiful, seasonal, and unique landscape , all within the bed of their kei-trucks. This contest originated...
diamond geezer
A nice walk
A Nice Walk: Suburban circuit (¾ mile)
Sometimes you just want to go for a nice walk, nothing too...
yesterday
A Nice Walk: Suburban circuit (¾ mile)
Sometimes you just want to go for a nice walk, nothing too taxing, a bit of a stroll, easily reached, pretty flowers, running water, hidden secrets, occasional benches, refreshment opportunity, entirely step-free, won't take long. So here's...
Cheese and Biscuits
Baudry Greene, Covent Garden
There are few things more important in the success of a restaurant than pedigree. If you are able to...
2 days ago
There are few things more important in the success of a restaurant than pedigree. If you are able to launch one good restaurant, you're more than likely to be able to make a good go of a second. And then a third, and so on. Well, up to a point. You don't want to spread yourself...
diamond geezer
Silver Jubilee
In May 2004 I wrote a month-long series called Silver Jubilee to celebrate the 25th anniversary of...
3 days ago
In May 2004 I wrote a month-long series called Silver Jubilee to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the Jubilee line. I believe in playing the long game, so today I'm reviving the feature to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the Jubilee line extension.
So here's what I wrote...
Cheese and Biscuits
YiQi, Chinatown
As any self-respecting 2024 London restaurant-goer knows, the trend in Asian cuisine is towards...
a week ago
As any self-respecting 2024 London restaurant-goer knows, the trend in Asian cuisine is towards regional specification. You're not just Thai, you're Northern Thai/Isarn. You're either selling Tokyo ramen or Sapporo Miso or Kyoto-style Kaiseki. And if you're Chinese, are you...
diamond geezer
London's waymarked walks
London's waymarked walks
(i.e. they have signs showing you the way to go)
(n.b. fabulous...
a week ago
London's waymarked walks
(i.e. they have signs showing you the way to go)
(n.b. fabulous Londonwide map here)
The Premier League
(i.e. important enough to be listed on the TfL website)
Capital Ring: 75 miles, 15 sections [blogged✔]
Full directions courtesy of the Inner...
diamond geezer
Mayday Mayday
London has just two streets called Mayday Something. I've been to both.
Mayday Road Thornton Heath...
a week ago
London has just two streets called Mayday Something. I've been to both.
Mayday Road Thornton Heath CR7
Saints and Sinners pub (which you can tell closed three years ago because it's still advertising a pint for £2.99). Perhaps dodge the ambulances. And here you'll find Mayday...
Spoon & Tamago
‘Puddle’ Are a Series of Flower Vessels Inspired by Puddles of Water
Simple and common acts of nature often inspire brilliant design. Such is the case with “Puddle,” a...
a week ago
Simple and common acts of nature often inspire brilliant design. Such is the case with “Puddle,” a series of flower vessels that mimic a puddle of water. Using properties of transparency and surface tension, these whimsical vessels create the illusion of a single plant growing...
diamond geezer
20 Centuries in 1 City
10 Centuries In 1 Day may not have been a very good walk.
London's a Roman city, can we do 20...
a week ago
10 Centuries In 1 Day may not have been a very good walk.
London's a Roman city, can we do 20 centuries?
16th-21st century
This is the easy bit.
21st century
Gherkin (2004) I'm going to pick The Shard (2013). It's still the tallest building in western Europe.
20th...
Spoon & Tamago
Five Unique Experiences at Harajuku’s Latest Development Harakado
Harakado, opened on April 17, 2024 at the Jingumae intersection along Omotesando Street in central...
2 weeks ago
Harakado, opened on April 17, 2024 at the Jingumae intersection along Omotesando Street in central Tokyo. The shiny, brand new facility was designed by architect Akihisa Hirata, whose interest in tangled, organic structures, is on full display in his rendering of the facade and...
diamond geezer
Pudding Mill Lane 10
The DLR's youngest station is ten years old today.
Pudding Mill Lane opened on 28th April 2014...
2 weeks ago
The DLR's youngest station is ten years old today.
Pudding Mill Lane opened on 28th April 2014 and remains unnecessarily enormous.
Caveat: The station which opened 10 years ago was a rebuild paid for by Crossrail, because the original sat on the precise site where purple...
Cheese and Biscuits
The Bear, Camberwell
Despite Camberwell's increasing reputation for all kinds (and all budgets) of great food, it still...
2 weeks ago
Despite Camberwell's increasing reputation for all kinds (and all budgets) of great food, it still seemed unlikely that this bare-bones pub, just opposite the Walworth bus depot and furnished, as far as I could tell, with tables and chairs nicked from the local secondary school,...
diamond geezer
The Wombles
April 1974 wasn't all about ABBA, it was also about the Wombles.
Top 5 singles, week ending 27...
2 weeks ago
April 1974 wasn't all about ABBA, it was also about the Wombles.
Top 5 singles, week ending 27 April 1974
1) Seasons In The Sun (Terry Jacks)
2) Waterloo (Abba)
3) The Cat Crept In (Mud)
4) Remember You're A Womble (Wombles)
5) Angel Face (Glitter Band)
As a nine year-old I was...
diamond geezer
Unblogged 1984
30 unblogged things I did in April 1984
They didn't have blogs or the internet forty years ago,...
3 weeks ago
30 unblogged things I did in April 1984
They didn't have blogs or the internet forty years ago, indeed my Sinclair ZX81 wasn't capable of much, but here are 30 things I didn't digitally publish at the time. To help you get your bearings I was 19 and most of this is the Easter...
Spoon & Tamago
Japan Quietly Shines at Milan Design Week
Milan Design Week—Coachella, but for furniture—is running this week from April 16-21. All the...
3 weeks ago
Milan Design Week—Coachella, but for furniture—is running this week from April 16-21. All the biggest names and brands in the design world descend upon the Italian city, which sees its population swell by nearly 25%. Now in its 62nd iteration, the design extravaganza is an...
diamond geezer
BBC2@60
60years@BBC2
1964 Play School, Horizon, Match Of The Day, Not Only But Also; 1965 Call My Bluff, Man...
3 weeks ago
60years@BBC2
1964 Play School, Horizon, Match Of The Day, Not Only But Also; 1965 Call My Bluff, Man Alive; 1966 The Money Programme, Chronicle, Cathy Come Home; 1967 The Forsyte Saga, Look and Read, colour televison; 1968 Gardeners' World, The Morecambe & Wise Show; 1969 Q, Pot...
AFAR Media - Travel...
Five Great Places to Visit on Your Next Vacation to Florida
4 weeks ago
diamond geezer
Exiting Noak Hill
I said I wasn't going to make a habit of this, and I'm not, but I've ticked off two more.
The...
4 weeks ago
I said I wasn't going to make a habit of this, and I'm not, but I've ticked off two more.
The black ticks are all the crossings I've crossed and the latest two are the pair just northeast of Noak Hill. I walked out of one and back in via the other. In the middle were...
Spoon & Tamago
Myaku-Myaku Footwear, Inspired by the Googly-Eyed Mascot for the Osaka Expo
Myaku-Myaku, the unsettling googly-eyed humanoid that was selected as the 2025 Osaka Expo, has...
a month ago
Myaku-Myaku, the unsettling googly-eyed humanoid that was selected as the 2025 Osaka Expo, has inspired numerous spinoffs, both official and unofficial. And with exactly 1 year to go before the Expo, we should all expect to see a lot more. The latest iteration comes in the form...
diamond geezer
The Battle of Barnet
The Battle of Barnet, one of the key turning points of the Wars of the Roses, took place on 14th...
a month ago
The Battle of Barnet, one of the key turning points of the Wars of the Roses, took place on 14th April 1471. A 553rd anniversary's not particularly major but unfortunately I missed the 550th, as did most of the population of Barnet due to lockdown issues. Also the battle took...
Cheese and Biscuits
Dream Xi'an, Tower Hill
There are lots of good Chinese restaurants in the Holborn/Bloomsbury area of London. Most seem to...
a month ago
There are lots of good Chinese restaurants in the Holborn/Bloomsbury area of London. Most seem to have popped up in the last decade or so, I assume alongside an influx of Chinese students attending the many nearby high-profile universities and colleges, because I'm fairly sure...
diamond geezer
Crossing the boundary
While I was in Enfield, heading away from the power station, I decided to depart across Sewardstone...
a month ago
While I was in Enfield, heading away from the power station, I decided to depart across Sewardstone Marsh. Why exit the dull way when you can cross the Lea and walk through a minor Essex village? The riverside path passed nosey ponies and a pumping station and crossed three...
AFAR Media - Travel...
Cruise for Best Way to See the Northern Lights in Alaska
a month ago
diamond geezer
Zoë's Mayoral transport policies
As the Mayoral election approaches, all sorts of parties are announcing all sorts of policies on all...
a month ago
As the Mayoral election approaches, all sorts of parties are announcing all sorts of policies on all sorts of things.
manifesto to be released, that of Green Party candidate Zoë Garbett, a 134-page monster which was launched yesterday. And because transport is one of the areas...
Spoon & Tamago
Oyane-san Blending Tradition with Modern Technology In Shikokumura
Welcome to Oyane-san, affectionately known as "Honorable Roof," standing proudly at the foot of...
a month ago
Welcome to Oyane-san, affectionately known as "Honorable Roof," standing proudly at the foot of Mount Yashima on Shikoku Island.
Related posts:
Buddhist Monks are Getting All the Love
Now Open: The New Oita Prefectural Art Museum Designed by Shigeru Ban
SANAA’s New Sublime River...
diamond geezer
Sharpenhoe Clappers
Over the weekend I went to Sharpenhoe Clappers.
The Canine Activity paragraph
memorial stone at...
a month ago
Over the weekend I went to Sharpenhoe Clappers.
The Canine Activity paragraph
memorial stone at Sharpenhoe Clappers because just before I reached it I encountered a group of young people with two dogs. I wasn't at all pleased when the bull terrier looked up and started running...
Londonist
Dozens Of Well-Dressed Dandies Saunter Through Central London In May
What Londoner doesn't like a good flan?
a month ago
What Londoner doesn't like a good flan?
diamond geezer
QEOP development check
Ten years ago, when Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park fully opened, I showed you this graphic showing all...
a month ago
Ten years ago, when Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park fully opened, I showed you this graphic showing all the adjacent parcels of land proposed for development. Ignore the blues because they were already up and running in 2014, specifically the East Village (previously the Athletes...
Londonist
Best Of Londonist: 1-7 April 2024
Our top stories from the last seven days.
a month ago
Our top stories from the last seven days.
diamond geezer
Unlocking QEOP
Ten years ago, when Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park fully opened, I showed you this graphic showing all...
a month ago
Ten years ago, when Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park fully opened, I showed you this graphic showing all the pedestrian entrances into the park. It wasn't an official list, simply those I'd spotted, numbered in an anti-clockwise direction starting from Westfield.
greens were...
Londonist
"Wretched, Frightful, Monstrous" - How London's Iconic Landmarks Were First Reviewed
Inc. some serious shade thrown on Tower Bridge.
a month ago
Inc. some serious shade thrown on Tower Bridge.
diamond geezer
QEOP 10
Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park is 10 years old this weekend. A chunk of the North Park opened more...
a month ago
Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park is 10 years old this weekend. A chunk of the North Park opened more quickly in the summer after the Games but the rest was only fully revealed on 5th April 2014, including all the good stuff round the Stadium. This was the moment that created a...
Spoon & Tamago
Kenji Yanobe’s BIG CAT BANG is Now on Display at Ginza Six
Space cats in astronaut suits, ultraman figurines reenacting the beginning of the universe, and a...
a month ago
Space cats in astronaut suits, ultraman figurines reenacting the beginning of the universe, and a tribute to Taro Okamoto’s iconic Statue of the Sun sculpture. There’s a lot to love about artist Kenji Yanobe’s new installation, BIG CAT BANG, and it’s now on view to the public...
Londonist
Stratford Market Village To Reopen - Following Shock Closure In January
"We are so glad to be back."
a month ago
"We are so glad to be back."
diamond geezer
London's longest countdowns
Works to remodel the Old Street roundabout are nearing completion, above ground at least. It was...
a month ago
Works to remodel the Old Street roundabout are nearing completion, above ground at least. It was still possible to drive round it five years ago, then massive sequential roadworks intervened and the northwest arm was slowly pedestrianised. Cars now have to negotiate a very...
Londonist
There Are So Many Swan Lakes Coming To London This Summer
The Year of the Swan.
a month ago
diamond geezer
Pall Mall
PALL MALL
£140
London's Monopoly Streets
PALL MALL
Colour group: pink
Purchase price:...
a month ago
PALL MALL
£140
London's Monopoly Streets
PALL MALL
Colour group: pink
Purchase price: £140
Rent: £10
Length: 500m
Borough: Westminster
Postcode: SW1
Pall Mall is the first of the pinks, all of which lead off Trafalgar Square, and a classically posh street to boot. At less...
Londonist
LNER Launches Its Summer Sale
Hundreds of thousands of cheaper tickets available.
a month ago
Hundreds of thousands of cheaper tickets available.
diamond geezer
Bakerloop
An exciting new express bus is on its way if the Mayor is re-elected, which he obviously will be, so...
a month ago
An exciting new express bus is on its way if the Mayor is re-elected, which he obviously will be, so an exciting new express bus is on its way.
All aboard the Bakerloop!
If I’m re-elected - a new Express bus will help Londoners get between Elephant & Castle, Old Kent Road,...
Spoon & Tamago
Tomona Matsukawa’s Realistic Paintings Reconstruct Fragments of Everyday Life
“Morning will come and my feelings will ease a little” (2024), Oil on linen mounted on panel...
a month ago
“Morning will come and my feelings will ease a little” (2024), Oil on linen mounted on panel Kyoto-based artist Tomona Matsukawa creates realistic and somewhat dramatic oil paintings that are each inspired by conversations with other women of her generation, often strangers. The...
Londonist
Things To Do This Weekend In London: 6-7 April 2024
Last-chance exhibitions, an ice hockey weekender, and a miniature railway.
a month ago
Last-chance exhibitions, an ice hockey weekender, and a miniature railway.
diamond geezer
Unblogged March (true)
31 unblogged things I did in March (true version)
Fri 1: I can't believe another constituency has...
a month ago
31 unblogged things I did in March (true version)
Fri 1: I can't believe another constituency has elected George Galloway as its MP (actually I can, mine once did, because politics repeatedly proves you can fool enough of the people some of the time).
Sat 2: Yes I watched the...
Spoon & Tamago
Demographics Professor Warns that by 2531, Everyone in Japan Will be Named Sato
image courtesy Mainichi Shimbun Despite today’s date, this is not an April Fool’s prank. At a press...
a month ago
image courtesy Mainichi Shimbun Despite today’s date, this is not an April Fool’s prank. At a press conference in Tokyo last weekend, professor Hiroshi Yoshida from the Tohoku University Research Center for Aged Economy and Society, sounded the alarm bell for a looming crisis. By...
Londonist
Free And Cheap Things To Do In London This Week: 1-7 April 2024
Things to do for under a fiver.
a month ago
Things to do for under a fiver.
diamond geezer
Unblogged March
31 unblogged things I did in March
Fri 1: I always have to reset my ancient Casio digital watch...
a month ago
31 unblogged things I did in March
Fri 1: I always have to reset my ancient Casio digital watch after a leap day because it thinks today is the 2nd, but this year the already-somewhat-dodgy button jammed through over-use and I fear I'm going to be stuck with the wrong date...
Londonist
Greater London To Get First New Borough In 60 Years
Live in Berkshire? You might soon be a Londoner!
a month ago
Live in Berkshire? You might soon be a Londoner!
diamond geezer
Gaps between Easters
You've probably noticed that Easter Day moves around a lot. Yes, it can fall on any date between...
a month ago
You've probably noticed that Easter Day moves around a lot. Yes, it can fall on any date between 22nd March and 25th April, but it never seems to end up on the same weekend it did last year. And indeed it never can.
Let's take a look at how the date jumps around during the...
Londonist
Best Of Londonist: 25-31 March 2024
Catch up with the best Londonist articles from the past week.
a month ago
Catch up with the best Londonist articles from the past week.
Spoon & Tamago
Japan’s Stationery Award Offers a Return to the Primitive
Early civilizations had it all figured out. At least according to the Kokuyo Design Awards, arguably...
a month ago
Early civilizations had it all figured out. At least according to the Kokuyo Design Awards, arguably Japan’s most-influential stationery design award, which this year asked designers to look to the past. “If we return to the idea of ‘primitive’ in order to create the future,”...
Londonist
Where To Eat And Drink In The Foodie Heaven That Is Brick Lane
Kimchi, ribs, clams - or just pork scratchings and a pint.
a month ago
Kimchi, ribs, clams - or just pork scratchings and a pint.
diamond geezer
London's cheapest visitor attraction
Visiting attractions in Greenwich keeps getting inexorably more expensive. And not just because...
a month ago
Visiting attractions in Greenwich keeps getting inexorably more expensive. And not just because admission prices have increased but because buildings that used to be free to enter started charging money.
Royal Greenwich Observatory had free admission between 2001 and 2011, then...
Spoon & Tamago
The Playable Poetry of Zeni Tainaka
The Day I Couldn’t Write a Poem is a short, playable game in which the reader moves a character...
a month ago
The Day I Couldn’t Write a Poem is a short, playable game in which the reader moves a character through text, interacting with obstacles and making your way through a narrative. It’s the work of Zennyan (Zeni Tainaka), a Japanese pixel artist who has been experimenting with...
Londonist
Your London Reading List: The Best Non-Fiction Books
Best books voted for by Londonist readers.
a month ago
Best books voted for by Londonist readers.
diamond geezer
Good / Not Good
GOOD
NOT GOOD
a month ago
Londonist
5 Historic Castles To Visit In Essex
Including one that's a fake.
a month ago
Including one that's a fake.
diamond geezer
The great Banksy cover-up
I visited the new Banksy on Hornsey Road on Day 3, which proved the optimal time.
Days 1 and 2 it...
a month ago
I visited the new Banksy on Hornsey Road on Day 3, which proved the optimal time.
Days 1 and 2 it had been rammed with people crowding round the railings, so getting a decent photo was difficult.
Day 4 someone chucked white paint over part of the artwork closest to the road and...
Londonist
Another Free Quentin Blake Exhibition In April
The master illustrator is back.
a month ago
The master illustrator is back.
diamond geezer
World Cup of London Walks
The best thing about the creation of the Green Link Walk is that it brings the number of Walk London...
a month ago
The best thing about the creation of the Green Link Walk is that it brings the number of Walk London walks to eight.
So let's do it, let's bring on the WORLD CUP OF LONDON WALKS.
Two rivers: Thames Path v Lea Valley Walk
Two greens: Green Chain Walk v Green Link Walk
Two...
Londonist
Tulips In London: When And Where To See Them In And Around The Capital
Who needs Amsterdam?
a month ago
diamond geezer
Green Link Walk 4
I've now completed London's newest official walkway, the Green Link Walk, which was launched on 1st...
a month ago
I've now completed London's newest official walkway, the Green Link Walk, which was launched on 1st March. If you need a map try here, if you need an app try here, if you want 45 pages of walking instructions try here, and if you're reading this several months in the future try...
Londonist
Free And Cheap Things To Do In London This Week: 25-31 March 2024
Things to do for under a fiver.
a month ago
Things to do for under a fiver.
diamond geezer
Mystery tour
Yesterday I went on a mystery tour round London.
Clues
Notes
pink boxes.
Rules
If you leave a...
a month ago
Yesterday I went on a mystery tour round London.
Clues
Notes
pink boxes.
Rules
If you leave a comment, please wait 1 hour before leaving another one.
Additional clues
.
.
the Superloop.
blue strips may be revealed later.
Hendon station ...
Londonist
10 Things You Learn From Living In The Tower Of London
William the Conqueror did NOT build those walls with a strong internet connection in mind.
a month ago
William the Conqueror did NOT build those walls with a strong internet connection in mind.
diamond geezer
Sunday transport news
Some transport news
Central line news
well known in tubular circles that the longest direct...
a month ago
Some transport news
Central line news
well known in tubular circles that the longest direct journey on the Underground is between Epping and West Ruislip on the Central line. It's 54.9km long (34.1 miles), comfortably ahead of Uxbridge to Cockfosters on the Piccadilly line...
Londonist
Best Of Londonist: 18-24 March 2024
Our best articles from the past week.
a month ago
Our best articles from the past week.
diamond geezer
Poet in residence
A unique opportunity has arisen for creative narration,
the post of poet in residence,
five...
a month ago
A unique opportunity has arisen for creative narration,
the post of poet in residence,
five maintained by them:
apply,
Tower Bridge
London Bridge
Since medieval masons built a stone span with central chapel,
Since pilgrims passed through in reverent migration,
Since...
Londonist
16 Spring Day Trips From London: April 2024
Steam trains, flower festivals and a mysterious grotto.
a month ago
Steam trains, flower festivals and a mysterious grotto.
diamond geezer
In Jail
After Pentonville Road the next square on the Monopoly board is Jail. It's not assigned a location -...
a month ago
After Pentonville Road the next square on the Monopoly board is Jail. It's not assigned a location - the corner squares never are - but I wonder if they had Pentonville Prison in mind when placing Pentonville Road beside the Jail. The two aren't close in real life, Pentonville...
Londonist
The Best Places To Find Bluebells In And Near London This Spring
You can walk your dog in some of these spots, too.
a month ago
You can walk your dog in some of these spots, too.
diamond geezer
Pentonville Road
PENTONVILLE
ROAD
£120
London's Monopoly Streets
PENTONVILLE ROAD
Colour group: light...
a month ago
PENTONVILLE
ROAD
£120
London's Monopoly Streets
PENTONVILLE ROAD
Colour group: light blue
Purchase price: £120
Rent: £8
Length: ¾ mile
Borough: Islington
Postcode: N1
Euston Road and the Angel Islington. That's because it's another segment of the New Road, London's first...
Londonist
Two 24-Hour Tube Strikes Planned For April And May 2024
Aslef members say they're 'working harder and longer for less'.
a month ago
Aslef members say they're 'working harder and longer for less'.
diamond geezer
Extremities of extremities
For today's post I've visited the least extreme points in London's most extreme boroughs.
As...
a month ago
For today's post I've visited the least extreme points in London's most extreme boroughs.
As posts go it's a lot of effort for scant reward.
Hillingdon East [map]
Borderline with: Ealing
Location: Yeading/Southall
Specifically: bend on Grand Union towpath
Distance from...
Londonist
Crystal Palace Park Dinosaurs Getting A Glow-Up - As Part Of Huge Park Revamp
Italian Terraces will also be restored and replanted with wildflowers.
a month ago
Italian Terraces will also be restored and replanted with wildflowers.
diamond geezer
Green Link Walk 3
Let's return to London's newest official walkway, the Green Link Walk, which was launched on 1st...
a month ago
Let's return to London's newest official walkway, the Green Link Walk, which was launched on 1st March. If you need a map try here, if you need an app try here, if you want 45 pages of walking instructions try here, and if you're reading this several months in the future try...
Londonist
Lord Mayor Demonstrates Einstein's Time Dilation Effects In The City's Tallest Skyscraper
With a little help from the National Physical Laboratory.
a month ago
With a little help from the National Physical Laboratory.
diamond geezer
Not the Metropolitan line extension
Eight years ago the Metropolitan line extension to Watford Junction was cancelled when the incoming...
a month ago
Eight years ago the Metropolitan line extension to Watford Junction was cancelled when the incoming Mayor chose to ditch the outgoing Mayor's underfunded project. The people of London barely noticed - they had no desperate need to go to west Watford and the money saved went on...
Londonist
"My Obsession With London's Modernist Council Estates"
The beauty of the capital's social housing.
2 months ago
The beauty of the capital's social housing.
diamond geezer
St Patrick's Day quizzes
Today I hope to bring you five St Patrick's Day quizzes.
Just one guess in each quiz please.
(but...
2 months ago
Today I hope to bring you five St Patrick's Day quizzes.
Just one guess in each quiz please.
(but that's five guesses over the course of the day)
5) St Patrick quiz
ST PATRICK.
1) bigot
2) channel
3) characteristics
4) coupé
5) deceives
6) designer
7) flatbreads
8)...
Londonist
Best Of Londonist: 11-17 March 2024
Our best articles from the past week.
2 months ago
Our best articles from the past week.
diamond geezer
346
Last Saturday one bus route on the edge of east London disappeared and another quadrupled in length....
2 months ago
Last Saturday one bus route on the edge of east London disappeared and another quadrupled in length. I didn't fancy spending my birthday in Upminster so left it a few days before taking a ride on the end result.
• The 346 used to be one of London's shortest bus routes, a brief...
Londonist
Hundreds Of Boats Race On The Thames The Week Before Oxford Vs Cambridge
Ever seen the Head of the River Race?
2 months ago
Ever seen the Head of the River Race?
diamond geezer
Random borough 3
Twenty years ago, on my first Random Borough trip, my jamjar took me to Merton and I only gave it a...
2 months ago
Twenty years ago, on my first Random Borough trip, my jamjar took me to Merton and I only gave it a one-day write-up. Two decades later I'm doing Merton justice by giving it three days, of which this is the last, so buckle down to learn about fertiliser, philanthropy and phone...
Londonist
The Age-Old Ritual Of Chair Lifting On Easter Monday
Blackheath Morris Men in Greenwich again this Easter.
2 months ago
Blackheath Morris Men in Greenwich again this Easter.
diamond geezer
Random borough 2
Twenty years ago today I brought you my very first Random Borough report from the London borough of...
2 months ago
Twenty years ago today I brought you my very first Random Borough report from the London borough of Merton. But it was fairly brief - most of my posts were back then - so two decades on I'm having another go to do Merton justice. Yesterday somewhere sporty and somewhere pretty,...
Londonist
Artist Will Lie On Tower Bridge's Glass Walkway All Day This Saturday
Thought-provoking work from Anahita Harding.
2 months ago
Thought-provoking work from Anahita Harding.
diamond geezer
Random borough 1
It's exactly 20 years today since I dropped the names of 33 boroughs into an empty honey jar, picked...
2 months ago
It's exactly 20 years today since I dropped the names of 33 boroughs into an empty honey jar, picked one at random and kicked off my Random Borough project. It took eight years to complete.
I've decided to pick one of these 33 boroughs completely at random and then go there for...
Londonist
Things To Do In London Over Easter Weekend 2024
Eggs, bunnies and the Passion of Jesus.
2 months ago
Eggs, bunnies and the Passion of Jesus.
diamond geezer
Green Link Walk 2
Let's return to London's newest official walkway, the Green Link Walk, which was launched on 1st...
2 months ago
Let's return to London's newest official walkway, the Green Link Walk, which was launched on 1st March. If you need a map try here, if you need an app try here, if you want 45 pages of walking instructions try here, and if you're reading this several months in the future try...
Londonist
The Next London Borough Of Culture Will Be Wandsworth, Followed By...
Next two boroughs announced.
2 months ago
Next two boroughs announced.
diamond geezer
Euston Road
EUSTON
ROAD
£100
London's Monopoly Streets
EUSTON ROAD
Colour group: light blue
Purchase price:...
2 months ago
EUSTON
ROAD
£100
London's Monopoly Streets
EUSTON ROAD
Colour group: light blue
Purchase price: £100
Rent: £6
Length: 1 mile
Borough: Camden
Postcode: NW1
Euston Road is the broadest, busiest, most polluted street on the Monopoly board, so hardly somewhere you'd want to...
Londonist
How Aldwych Tube Station Could Have Become A Heritage 'Theme Park'
A subterranean heritage railway.
2 months ago
A subterranean heritage railway.
diamond geezer
Route 59
Route 59: Smithfield to Streatham Hill
Location: London south, inner
Length of bus journey: 6 miles,...
2 months ago
Route 59: Smithfield to Streatham Hill
Location: London south, inner
Length of bus journey: 6 miles, 55 minutes
It's traditional around every birthday that I take a numerically significant bus journey. Seventeen years ago I took the 42 to Dulwich, then subsequently the 43 to...
Londonist
Wish You Were (Still) Here: Piccadilly's Egyptian Hall
London's most beautiful pastiche?
2 months ago
London's most beautiful pastiche?
diamond geezer
with a 9 on the end
Birthdays are often great, but a birthday with a 9 on the end can give cause to ponder as the end of...
2 months ago
Birthdays are often great, but a birthday with a 9 on the end can give cause to ponder as the end of another decade grows uncomfortably close.
So I thought I'd look back at my previous birthdays ending in 9, the moments I found myself on final approach to another decade's end,...
AFAR Media - Travel...
Discover Nine Ways to be Present in Los Angeles.
2 months ago
Londonist
Inside London's New Women's Museum
Head east for London's latest cultural offering.
2 months ago
Head east for London's latest cultural offering.
diamond geezer
Stafford
Gadabout: STAFFORD
Stafford is a West Midlands market town at the heart of its own county, located...
2 months ago
Gadabout: STAFFORD
Stafford is a West Midlands market town at the heart of its own county, located halfway between Crewe and Birmingham. It may be the same size as Crewe but it's over a millennium older, has much better shops and boasts a castle and some nice old buildings. It's...
Spoon & Tamago
Satoshi Odagiri Creates One-of-a-Kind Organic Mobiles from Found Material
Located in the wilderness of of Hanno City (Saitama), about an hour outside of Tokyo, is Saturday...
2 months ago
Located in the wilderness of of Hanno City (Saitama), about an hour outside of Tokyo, is Saturday Factory, a design studio founded by Satoshi Odagiri in 2015. Inspired by the surrounding forests, rivers and wildflowers, Odagiri creates balancing mobiles that incorporate materials...
Londonist
The Boat Races 2024: How, Where And When To Watch Oxford Vs Cambridge
Plenty of riverside pubs to choose from.
2 months ago
Plenty of riverside pubs to choose from.
diamond geezer
Crewe
Gadabout: CREWE
Crewe is a large town in Cheshire and a key junction on the West Coast Main Line....
2 months ago
Gadabout: CREWE
Crewe is a large town in Cheshire and a key junction on the West Coast Main Line. It's only here because of the railway so has pretty much no history before that arrived, and the railway's only here because the nearby towns of Nantwich and Winsford turned the...
Londonist
Ayyy! The Fonz Is Coming To London In June
Happy days.
2 months ago
diamond geezer
The Charterhouse
I hadn't realised you could wander inside The Charterhouse, the historic almshouses on the edge of...
2 months ago
I hadn't realised you could wander inside The Charterhouse, the historic almshouses on the edge of Smithfield, probably because I hadn't been paying sufficient attention. I knew it had been restored a few years ago and I knew they did paid-for tours but I thought that was it, you...
Spoon & Tamago
Japan’s Tiniest Botanical Garden is in Shibuya
photos by Kenta Hasegawa courtesy Suppose Design Office Walk south from Shibuya station and within...
2 months ago
photos by Kenta Hasegawa courtesy Suppose Design Office Walk south from Shibuya station and within 10 minutes you’ll stumble upon a glass dome-shaped building sandwiched between several nondescript buildings. Hidden in plain sight is the Shibuya City Botanical Garden, Japan’s...
Londonist
Bush Hall: Live Music At Historic West London Venue Under Immediate Threat
Four months to save the Shepherd's Bush icon.
2 months ago
Four months to save the Shepherd's Bush icon.
diamond geezer
439
In March 2020 TfL published a Croydon Bus Study, a 54 page examination of the local bus network and...
2 months ago
In March 2020 TfL published a Croydon Bus Study, a 54 page examination of the local bus network and how it might need to change in response to proposed development, particularly to the south of Croydon. Essentially it said "if more people are going to live here they'll need...
Cheese and Biscuits
Solo, Aughton
When I was first out of university, trying to decide what to do with my life, and with no long term...
2 months ago
When I was first out of university, trying to decide what to do with my life, and with no long term plan other than the fact I knew - eventually - I wanted to move to London and stay there, I got a job as a cashier at Ormskirk Abbey National. Ormskirk is ostensibly a market town,...
Londonist
Brixton Academy Is Reopening In April
First gigs announced since December 2022.
2 months ago
First gigs announced since December 2022.
diamond geezer
S2
This is the S2, a bus which ran between Clapton and my neck of the woods between 1970 and 2008, back...
2 months ago
This is the S2, a bus which ran between Clapton and my neck of the woods between 1970 and 2008, back when 'S' meant Stratford.
It now means Sutton, there already being an S1, S3 and S4 threading across the borough, but it's taken until 2024 for the gap to be filled with an...
Londonist
Pedlar's Acre: The Mysterious Bit Of South Bank Where The London Eye Now Stands
Who was the Pedlar of Lambeth?
2 months ago
Who was the Pedlar of Lambeth?
diamond geezer
SL2
Route SL2: Walthamstow Central - North Woolwich Ferry
Length of journey: 12 miles, 60...
2 months ago
Route SL2: Walthamstow Central - North Woolwich Ferry
Length of journey: 12 miles, 60 minutes
Headline: The new express route that completes the loop.
Subtext: This time last year the Superloop hadn't even been announced. It now circles outer London.
Caveat: It's not a loop, the...
Londonist
Best Of Londonist: 26 February-3 March 2024
Our top stories from the last seven days.
2 months ago
Our top stories from the last seven days.
diamond geezer
Green Link Walk 1
For those of us who like walking, yesterday was a red letter day. A new official London walkway was...
2 months ago
For those of us who like walking, yesterday was a red letter day. A new official London walkway was launched, the first in over a decade - the first of six potential new Greenways proposed by the London Ramblers in 2021. It's been a while because waymarking and accessibility take...
Londonist
Photos Of The London Tube In The 1940s And Ukraine's Metros In The 2020s
Echoes of the Blitz comes to LTM.
2 months ago
Echoes of the Blitz comes to LTM.
diamond geezer
Unblogged February
29 unblogged things I did in February
Thu 1: While I was in Trafalgar Square today I stood in the...
2 months ago
29 unblogged things I did in February
Thu 1: While I was in Trafalgar Square today I stood in the shadow of Nelson's Column and took a photo of it stretching towards the National Gallery. It's much better than the photo I used last week in my post about the shadow of Nelson's...
Londonist
London's New Women's Museum Opens This March
Launching on International Women's Day.
2 months ago
Launching on International Women's Day.
diamond geezer
Leap day
Leap day - 29 leap facts for February 29th
1) Leap years occur quadrennially, that's every four...
2 months ago
Leap day - 29 leap facts for February 29th
1) Leap years occur quadrennially, that's every four years. They're required because a solar year is almost exactly 365¼ days long, and over a four year period those four quarter-days add up to make one whole extra day.
2) Today is the...
Spoon & Tamago
A Glimpse Inside the Whimsical Wooden Miniature Homes of Yukihiro Akama
Artist Yukihiro Akama is set to unveil his largest exhibition to date, ‘Basho no Kankaku – A Sense...
2 months ago
Artist Yukihiro Akama is set to unveil his largest exhibition to date, ‘Basho no Kankaku – A Sense of Place,’ at Yorkshire Sculpture Park (YSP).
Related posts:
Whimsical Wooden Automata by Kazuaki Harada
A Wooden Cabin Constructed Locally in the Mountains of Japan Using a 3D...
Londonist
Expect To Hear Lots More Buskers In Tube Stations Over The Next 2 Weeks
It's the X Factor of the London Underground.
2 months ago
It's the X Factor of the London Underground.
diamond geezer
Count 2024
During February 2003 on diamond geezer I kept myself busy by counting things. Ten different counts,...
2 months ago
During February 2003 on diamond geezer I kept myself busy by counting things. Ten different counts, to be precise, in a none-too thrilling daily feature called The Count. My 28-day tally chart may have been deathly dull to the rest of you, but I've continued to count those...
Londonist
Exciting News For London Art Lovers!
A special offer just in time for the Easter holidays
2 months ago
A special offer just in time for the Easter holidays
diamond geezer
Why did they say that?
This post is about announcements I’ve heard on TfL services recently.
The announcements split into...
2 months ago
This post is about announcements I’ve heard on TfL services recently.
The announcements split into two groups.
a) Why did they say that?
b) Why did they say that now?
Why did they say that?
"Customers using the escalators are advised to carry pets at all times"
[Whitechapel...
Spoon & Tamago
Past, Present and Future of Tokyo on Full Display in World’s Largest Architectural...
From the deep forests of Okutama and the vibrant coral reefs of Ogasawara, to the sleepless neon...
2 months ago
From the deep forests of Okutama and the vibrant coral reefs of Ogasawara, to the sleepless neon lights of Shinjuku, Tokyo truly is one of the most diverse cities. And while one could argue that it has enough night lights, a new nightly projection mapping display will light up...
Londonist
Explore A Lost Victorian London In This Free Exhibition
A London Disappeared at LMA.
2 months ago
A London Disappeared at LMA.
diamond geezer
A nice Starbucks walk
A Nice Walk: Tottenham Court Road (½ mile)
Sometimes you just want to go for a nice walk, nothing...
2 months ago
A Nice Walk: Tottenham Court Road (½ mile)
Sometimes you just want to go for a nice walk, nothing too taxing, a bit of a stroll, lots to see, centrally located, historic buildings, well connected, retail proximity, easy to follow, multiple refreshment opportunities, won't take...
Londonist
Leicester Square And The Big Apple
London could have had a very weird monument to Isaac Newton.
2 months ago
London could have had a very weird monument to Isaac Newton.
diamond geezer
SL3
Route SL3: Thamesmead - Bromley North
Length of journey: 14 miles, 75 minutes
SPOD CLUB...
2 months ago
Route SL3: Thamesmead - Bromley North
Length of journey: 14 miles, 75 minutes
SPOD CLUB MEET-UP
Location: Thamesmead Town Centre
Date: Saturday 24th February 2024
Time: 10:30am
Purpose: To ride the SL3!!!!!
In attendance: BusTokker09, Ian, Jings, Markie, Rizzo, Tim
Apologies:...
Londonist
Best Of Londonist: 19-25 February 2024
7 days of London wrapped up in a neat little package.
2 months ago
7 days of London wrapped up in a neat little package.
Spoon & Tamago
Show Your Japan Prefectural Love With These Enamel Pins
This series of enamel pins, with each representing one of Japan’s 47 prefectures, are the perfect...
2 months ago
This series of enamel pins, with each representing one of Japan’s 47 prefectures, are the perfect way to show love for your hometown, or simply keep as mementos from your travels. Not only do they accurately capture the shape of each prefecture but the colors were also carefully...
Londonist
Chelsea In Bloom 2024: Giant Floral Caterpillar To Take Over Sloane Square
Free flower festival returns... with a foodie theme.
2 months ago
Free flower festival returns... with a foodie theme.
diamond geezer
completely screwed at the moment
I was on the Central line the other day and there was a 15 minute gap between trains. You might...
2 months ago
I was on the Central line the other day and there was a 15 minute gap between trains. You might expect this kind of thing at the extremities or late at night, but not at Bethnal Green mid-morning. "Sorry, we're going to be held here for 5 minutes," said the driver. "This is due...
AFAR Media - Travel...
7 New Attractions in California Travelers Should Know About
2 months ago
Londonist
A Rare Chance To Have Afternoon Tea Inside Greenwich's Painted Hall This March
For one day only.
2 months ago
diamond geezer
Friday transport news
Friday transport news
n.b. London Reconnections does a longer list every Friday
Ian Visits does a...
2 months ago
Friday transport news
n.b. London Reconnections does a longer list every Friday
Ian Visits does a longer list every Friday
Raildate does a longer list every Friday
Overground news
recently restored, and it's one of the latter.
It's the original waiting room from 1872 which...
AFAR Media - Travel...
7 New Luxury Hotels in California You Should Know About
2 months ago
Spoon & Tamago
Director Ryota Nakano to be Special Guest at Japan Society’s Family Portrait: Japanese Family in...
this post is sponsored by Japan Society Agency for Cultural Affairs, Government of Japan and Japan...
2 months ago
this post is sponsored by Japan Society Agency for Cultural Affairs, Government of Japan and Japan Society are proud to announce the eighth installment of the ACA Cinema Project film series, Family Portrait: Japanese Family in Flux. The series examines the shifting dynamics and...
Londonist
Ramadan And Eid Events In London 2024
Illuminations, shopping festivals and Eid celebrations.
2 months ago
Illuminations, shopping festivals and Eid celebrations.
diamond geezer
Algorithmic non-chronological
I'm delighted to announce that diamond geezer now has a new non-chronological algorithm.
From...
2 months ago
I'm delighted to announce that diamond geezer now has a new non-chronological algorithm.
From today an automated algorithm will determine the order in which posts appear in your feed. This algorithm uses various factors to prioritise content with the goal of showing you the...
Londonist
Superloop: SL3 Route Between Thamesmead And Bromley Launches This Weekend
Just SL5 and SL4 to go now...
2 months ago
Just SL5 and SL4 to go now...
AFAR Media - Travel...
3 Great California Travel Itineraries to Inspire Anyone
2 months ago
Londonist
120 Teens Are Walking The Entirety Of The Tube This Sunday
(Not through the tunnels, though.)
2 months ago
(Not through the tunnels, though.)
Cheese and Biscuits
The Garden Museum Café, Lambeth
Beautiful 15th century Lambeth Palace is a strange London landmark - widely recognisable, with a...
2 months ago
Beautiful 15th century Lambeth Palace is a strange London landmark - widely recognisable, with a stately position Thames-side and passed by a number of busy bus routes, it is nevertheless very rarely visited, most of the main structures off-limits as the Archbishop of...
Londonist
The BT Tower Is Becoming A Hotel
Iconic building sold for £275m.
2 months ago
Iconic building sold for £275m.
diamond geezer
Inner monologue
Hello to all of you who, like me, live by yourself. Not for us the chance of a friendly chat over...
2 months ago
Hello to all of you who, like me, live by yourself. Not for us the chance of a friendly chat over breakfast, nor a natter in the bedroom, nor an entire evening sitting in front of the TV offering a running commentary on everything you watch. Our inner monologue stays private,...
Spoon & Tamago
Step Into a World of Contemporary Japanese Art at New Exhibition in New York
a series of washi paper prints by artist takayuki. o “Stepping Into A World” is a the 5th in a...
2 months ago
a series of washi paper prints by artist takayuki. o “Stepping Into A World” is a the 5th in a series of juried open call exhibitions aimed at showcasing undiscovered Japanese artists and integrating them into the forefront of the global art scene. The exhibition, which includes...
Londonist
Cricket Cornish Pasty Anyone? London's Bug Restaurant Has Just Gone Permanent
Hop to it!
2 months ago
diamond geezer
The Angel, Islington
THE ANGEL
ISLINGTON
£100
London's Monopoly Streets
The ANGEL, ISLINGTON
Colour group: light...
2 months ago
THE ANGEL
ISLINGTON
£100
London's Monopoly Streets
The ANGEL, ISLINGTON
Colour group: light blue
Purchase price: £100
Rent: £6
Length: n/a
Borough: Islington
Postcode: N1
The Angel has quite a backstory, indeed if you want a full a proper history you should read the lengthy...
Londonist
Free And Cheap Things To Do This Week In London: 19-25 February 2024
Do cool stuff for under a fiver.
2 months ago
Do cool stuff for under a fiver.
diamond geezer
What if the world ended?
What if the world ended? It could happen.
var randno = Math.floor(Math.random() * 199) + 2100;...
2 months ago
What if the world ended? It could happen.
var randno = Math.floor(Math.random() * 199) + 2100; document.write(randno );. Or var randno = Math.floor(Math.random() * 49) + 2050; document.write(randno );. Perhaps var randno = Math.floor(Math.random() * 19) + 2030;...
Spoon & Tamago
Takenokuma Cafe is a Water Garden Inspired by the Lush Nature of Kumamoto
In the peaceful town of Minami-Oguni (Kumamoto Prefecture) is Takenokuma, a new cafe inspired by the...
2 months ago
In the peaceful town of Minami-Oguni (Kumamoto Prefecture) is Takenokuma, a new cafe inspired by the many water sources that flow freely from nearby Mt. Aso. These water sources manifest themselves in many ways including rivers, hot springs and channels that flow into the...
Londonist
Never Before Seen Images Of The Rolling Stones To Go On Show In Notting Hill
27 rare pics of Mick, Keef and co.
2 months ago
27 rare pics of Mick, Keef and co.
diamond geezer
Splitting lines
Now that the Overground lines are being separately named, some people are asking whether other TfL...
2 months ago
Now that the Overground lines are being separately named, some people are asking whether other TfL services should follow suit.
n.b. The answer to this question is 'No', but stay with me as we go through the motions.
n.b. These days the Circle line shadows the Hammersmith &...
Londonist
Best Of Londonist: 12-18 February 2024
Copycat tube stations, odd benches and SIX new lines on the tube map.
2 months ago
Copycat tube stations, odd benches and SIX new lines on the tube map.
Spoon & Tamago
Go on the Tokyo Toilet Tour and Never Worry About Finding a Public Restroom Again
Japan’s public restrooms have in international reputation for being clean and well-maintained, but...
2 months ago
Japan’s public restrooms have in international reputation for being clean and well-maintained, but apparently that still wasn’t good enough. In 2020, the city of Shibuya and Nippon Foundation embarked on an initiative called Tokyo Toilet. They brought together some of the biggest...
Londonist
Skyscraper Bagging: How Many Of London's 20 Tallest Buildings Have You Been Up?
Ticking off the towers.
2 months ago
diamond geezer
Hidden Overground Histories
Hidden Overground Histories
“There are so many fascinating, and often forgotten, stories from our...
2 months ago
Hidden Overground Histories
“There are so many fascinating, and often forgotten, stories from our city that should be told and remembered. Naming the lines will not only help educate visitors about our amazing city and its incredible history but will also make it easier for...
Londonist
London Overground Strikes Next Week Cancelled
Normal service now planned.
2 months ago
Normal service now planned.
Full Width 
Shortcuts 
About 
Sign Up 
Articles 
Blogs 
Reading List 