AFAR Media - Travel...
Kayak, Hike, and Bike in Off-Season Virginia Beach
5 days ago
diamond geezer
Not very interesting transport news
Friday's not very interesting transport news
The Overground lines still haven't been...
a month ago
Friday's not very interesting transport news
The Overground lines still haven't been renamed
double-sided Mildmay line panel was revealed at one end of platforms 1 and 2 (click to embiggen), while a separate sign directed passengers up to the Mildmay line from the subway. These...
Londonist
The Big Issue Seller Outside St Paul's Who Became An Icon Of The Occupy Protests
A very different Christmas play for you to watch this festive season.
a year ago
A very different Christmas play for you to watch this festive season.
Spoon & Tamago
An Architect Collaborated with 7 Renowned Artisans to Create this Stunning Home
All images © Koji Fujii / TOREAL courtesy Cubo Design Architect “We believe houses that are rooted...
a year ago
All images © Koji Fujii / TOREAL courtesy Cubo Design Architect “We believe houses that are rooted in an understanding of Japan’s cultural context and a respect for the skills and innovations of our ancestors, which can nevertheless be passed onto future generations, are the kind...
diamond geezer
The News From Norfolk
I'm in Norfolk all this week, so expect a mild dose of
The News From Norfolk
Norfolk has more...
5 months ago
I'm in Norfolk all this week, so expect a mild dose of
The News From Norfolk
Norfolk has more Labour MPs than Conservative MPs. That's very unusual in what's normally true blue territory, indeed it hasn't happened since 1945. What's even more unusual is that Norfolk now has MPs...
Londonist
Where To Celebrate Hanukkah 2023 In London
Where to celebrate Chanukah this December.
a year ago
Where to celebrate Chanukah this December.
Londonist
Ramadan And Eid Events In London 2024
Illuminations, shopping festivals and Eid celebrations.
10 months ago
Illuminations, shopping festivals and Eid celebrations.
Londonist
Fears Over Redevelopment Of Surbiton Station
Public consultation now open.
a year ago
Public consultation now open.
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...
10 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...
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...
7 months 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...
Londonist
Festival of Railway Modelling Returns To Alexandra Palace
Hundreds of mini trains steam into town.
9 months ago
Hundreds of mini trains steam into town.
Londonist
19 Images That Tell The Vivid History Of The South Bank
From Roman temples to futuristic domes.
a year ago
From Roman temples to futuristic domes.
Londonist
This Glowing Garden Of 25,000 Illuminated Roses Has Returned
The Ever After Garden returns.
a year ago
The Ever After Garden returns.
Londonist
Frieze Sculpture 2023: Regent's Park Turns Into A Free Outdoor Art Gallery This Autumn
22 playful works of art sprinkled around the English Gardens.
a year ago
22 playful works of art sprinkled around the English Gardens.
Cheese and Biscuits
Restaurant Dominic Chapman, Henley-on-Thames
This isn't going to be a very long post because, well, it wasn't a very long lunch. Sometimes you...
6 months ago
This isn't going to be a very long post because, well, it wasn't a very long lunch. Sometimes you want to spend all day cooing over a tasting menu, getting through way too many bottles of wine and ending up leaving just as the next set of guests are arriving for dinner. Sometimes...
Londonist
Where Is The Heart Of London?
Answer: everywhere.
10 months ago
AFAR Media - Travel...
Where Was Game of Thrones Filmed? 11 Locations You Can Visit
a year ago
Londonist
A Map Of Camden Place Name Origins
Etymology of the borough's road, parks and pubs.
10 months ago
Etymology of the borough's road, parks and pubs.
Londonist
The Wandering Caryatids Of Southwark Park
They've stood in three different locations.
a year ago
They've stood in three different locations.
diamond geezer
Leap day
Leap day - 29 leap facts for February 29th
1) Leap years occur quadrennially, that's every four...
9 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
60-Year-Old Machiya Adapted into Hender Scheme’s New Osaka Flagship
All images © toha courtesy DDAA Hender Scheme’s flagship store in Kansai is an adaptive reuse of a...
a year ago
All images © toha courtesy DDAA Hender Scheme’s flagship store in Kansai is an adaptive reuse of a sixty-plus-year-old one-story wooden house near Umeda Station in Osaka. With a spacious area of around 175m² and impressive high ceilings, the store has been designed to reflect...
Londonist
A Chance To Visit The 'Roman' Bath In Strand Lane
One of London's most lied-about attractions.
a year ago
One of London's most lied-about attractions.
Spoon & Tamago
Oimachi’s New Shopping Oasis Coexists with the Mountains and Sea
All images © Osamu Morishita Architect and Associates Built on reclaimed land that seamlessly blends...
a year ago
All images © Osamu Morishita Architect and Associates Built on reclaimed land that seamlessly blends the expanse of the sea with the majestic mountains, ‘See-Sea Park‘ is a new commercial complex spanning over an area of 10,800 square meters in Oimachi, Fukui. The structure aims...
diamond geezer
London's cheapest visitor attraction
Visiting attractions in Greenwich keeps getting inexorably more expensive. And not just because...
8 months 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...
diamond geezer
Open House (2)
Yesterday's Open House tally was six.
• The dazzling property where the volunteer arrived with a...
a year ago
Yesterday's Open House tally was six.
• The dazzling property where the volunteer arrived with a key one minute before the official opening time and asked if we wouldn't mind going somewhere else for quarter of an hour.
Let's do four of those in more detail (not necessarily...
diamond geezer
A quiz
Mystery quiz
Suggestions and answers in the comments box please.
one suggestion and one guess each,...
a year ago
Mystery quiz
Suggestions and answers in the comments box please.
one suggestion and one guess each, thanks.
1) aftermaths
2) arrow
3) banter
4) braindamaged
5) cheering
6) commensuration
7) condor
8) dance
9) eely
10) embryo
11) feline
12) genial
13) hamlet
14) hearing
15)...
Londonist
Beautiful Paintings Of London Theatres
Not all of them are still with us.
11 months ago
Not all of them are still with us.
Londonist
Four Westminster Gas Street Lamps Get Protected Status
Victory for campaigners preserving London's lambent heritage.
10 months ago
Victory for campaigners preserving London's lambent heritage.
Cheese and Biscuits
Kolae, Borough Market
Everywhere you look the cost of living crisis bites, and few areas is that more evident than the...
11 months ago
Everywhere you look the cost of living crisis bites, and few areas is that more evident than the restaurant industry. If you're a regular anywhere you will have noticed your favourite dishes and tipples creeping up 10%-20% every few months, seemingly in an existential race with...
Londonist
15 Things You Never Knew About Wembley Park
Steeped in history.
a year ago
diamond geezer
Poohsticks Bridge
In deepest East Sussex, on the edge of Ashdown Forest, is a famous bridge where a six year-old boy...
4 months ago
In deepest East Sussex, on the edge of Ashdown Forest, is a famous bridge where a six year-old boy and a fictional bear invented a waterborne race.
There was a broad track, almost as broad as a road, leading from the Outland to the Forest, but before it could come to the...
diamond geezer
10,000 clicks
Yesterday Google sent me an email.
Congratulations! Your site reached 10K clicks from Google Search...
a year ago
Yesterday Google sent me an email.
Congratulations! Your site reached 10K clicks from Google Search in the past 28 days.
This is because several people still turn up at diamond geezer via search engines rather than visiting deliberately - apparently over 300 people daily. They...
diamond geezer
Havant
Until yesterday I hadn't been to Havant.
Havant is a large town in southeast Hampshire on the way...
4 months ago
Until yesterday I hadn't been to Havant.
Havant is a large town in southeast Hampshire on the way to Portsmouth.
They Havant got many old buildings because most of the town burnt in a fire in 1760. Only the church and a row of cottages survived.
St Faith's and they found...
AFAR Media - Travel...
5 Trip Ideas Around the World for Adventurous Travelers
a year ago
diamond geezer
Unwritten
Seven posts that I considered writing today but they were going nowhere so I didn't finish...
a year ago
Seven posts that I considered writing today but they were going nowhere so I didn't finish them
What's the lowest numbered A road you've never driven on?
Wow didn't it just get cold?
the temperature in my living room for three years. I note the indoor temperature first thing...
Londonist
The Must-See London Exhibitions To Look Forward To In 2024
A glance ahead to the capital's upcoming blockbuster exhibitions.
a year ago
A glance ahead to the capital's upcoming blockbuster exhibitions.
diamond geezer
Where's WHS?
I needed to buy something from WHSmith but they didn't have it in the Stratford Westfield branch so...
a year ago
I needed to buy something from WHSmith but they didn't have it in the Stratford Westfield branch so I went to Canary Wharf instead. Except it turned out there isn't a Canary Wharf branch, there hasn't been for years, despite Google telling me it existed and was open. I did some...
Londonist
TfL Poppy Roundels: Here Are The Underground And Overground Stations Where You'll Find Them
London's trains and buses are 'wearing' poppies too.
a year ago
London's trains and buses are 'wearing' poppies too.
diamond geezer
Football pre-season update
Football pre-season update
Olympic Men's Football, as of three minutes ago, it's time to look...
4 months ago
Football pre-season update
Olympic Men's Football, as of three minutes ago, it's time to look forward 11 minutes to the start of the new football season.
Championship at 8pm tonight with a pair of opening matches, one between title contenders Blackburn Rovers and title...
Spoon & Tamago
Tumi-Isi Wooden Stacking Rocks
Designed by Nara-based design studio A4, tumi-isi (積み石; ‘stacking stones’ in Japanese) are a set of...
a year ago
Designed by Nara-based design studio A4, tumi-isi (積み石; ‘stacking stones’ in Japanese) are a set of 5 blocks individually hand bevelled into asymmetrical shapes by local artisans. No two sets are identical. These tactile objects are meant to nourish your sense of balance and...
diamond geezer
BBC Breaking News alerts
Like millions of Britons I have the BBC News app on my phone, and like millions of Britons I get...
3 months ago
Like millions of Britons I have the BBC News app on my phone, and like millions of Britons I get Breaking News alerts flashed to me on my screen when something happens. But all too often I find myself thinking "That's not breaking news", or even "that's not news", as another...
diamond geezer
London's triple points
There are six points around the Greater London boundary where three counties...
a year ago
There are six points around the Greater London boundary where three counties meet.
London/Kent/Surrey
Specifically: Biggin Hill/Westerham/Tatsfield
Location: Rag Hill
To get here take a walk along the quiet twisty country lane that wends between Tatsfield Green and the...
One from Nippon
Japan's Comfort Food: The Onigiri
Walk into any Japanese convenience store and you will always find a shelf dedicated to one item:...
11 months ago
Walk into any Japanese convenience store and you will always find a shelf dedicated to one item: onigiri.
The onigiri, often translated as “rice ball”, literally means “grasping a fistful” and is in many ways Japan's original fast food, before fast food. Quick to
diamond geezer
Green Link Walk 2
Let's return to London's newest official walkway, the Green Link Walk, which was launched on 1st...
9 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...
AFAR Media - Travel...
Tips for Exploring L.A.'s Northern Shopping Districts
2 months ago
diamond geezer
S2
This is the S2, a bus which ran between Clapton and my neck of the woods between 1970 and 2008, back...
9 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...
Spoon & Tamago
Uenosuke Shitanosuke: Twin Tumblers that Fit Perfectly Together
For all the preaching on the health benefits of drinking more water, very few tools help us actually...
a year ago
For all the preaching on the health benefits of drinking more water, very few tools help us actually achieve this. So when Taro Mukasa, an illustrator and toy designer at creative agency Zariganiworks came across a manga panel in which the protagonist declares that his hobby is...
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...
9 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...
AFAR Media - Travel...
4 Reasons to Plan a Vacation at The Blake Hotel in Taos
a year ago
diamond geezer
First steps
As the phoney war before the next election escalates, I'd like to express my disappointment that the...
7 months ago
As the phoney war before the next election escalates, I'd like to express my disappointment that the next government won't be as left wing as it should have been.
These are Comrade Starmer's so-called first steps, a limp selection of depressingly weak promises which reads...
diamond geezer
Unblogged 1984
30 unblogged things I did in April 1984
They didn't have blogs or the internet forty years ago,...
8 months 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...
diamond geezer
Hinchley Wood
One Stop Beyond: Hinchley Wood
Hinchley Wood, one stop beyond Surbiton on the New Guildford...
4 months ago
One Stop Beyond: Hinchley Wood
Hinchley Wood, one stop beyond Surbiton on the New Guildford line.
unsung fields to the east of Esher, officially in the parish of Thames Ditton, sliced through by a non-stopping railway. What changed things was the arrival of the Kingston Bypass...
diamond geezer
Cromwell Road Bus Station
Cromwell Road bus station in Kingston has reopened.
There are eight versions of today's post,...
a month ago
Cromwell Road bus station in Kingston has reopened.
There are eight versions of today's post, according to your level of interest.
(click to jump to the right one)
1) I just need the basics
2) I never intend to visit but tell me more
3) I sometimes use this bus station
4) I...
Londonist
Leicester Square And The Big Apple
London could have had a very weird monument to Isaac Newton.
10 months ago
London could have had a very weird monument to Isaac Newton.
diamond geezer
Thursday transport news
Subscribe now to get a dose of London transport news in your inbox every Thursday.
Four stations...
a year ago
Subscribe now to get a dose of London transport news in your inbox every Thursday.
Four stations miss out on 4G
can't ring a friend and have a very loud conversation and they are Paddington, Whitechapel, Canary Wharf and Woolwich. These will be added to the roster next year,...
diamond geezer
Open House (4)
Yesterday's Open House tally was eight.
• The pricey building where I carried on climbing past the...
a year ago
Yesterday's Open House tally was eight.
• The pricey building where I carried on climbing past the last public room and accidentally ended up in an attic space where a private group were celebrating something, so retreated rapidly.
Let's do five of those in more detail (not...
Spoon & Tamago
Download Over 30 Butterfly Designs by Meiji-Era Artist Yuho Tanaka
Yuho Tanaka (田中幽峰) was an accomplished artist and draughtsman active in Kyoto during the late-1800s....
a year ago
Yuho Tanaka (田中幽峰) was an accomplished artist and draughtsman active in Kyoto during the late-1800s. At the height of his career in the 1890s he created numerous graphic patterns inspired by butterflies that were eventually compiled into a book titled hyaku-cho-zuan, or One...
Spoon & Tamago
Death Fes in Shibuya Asks Visitor to Embrace Their End
images courtesy Death Fes April 14th is the unofficial “day of good death” in Japan. The date 4-1-4...
8 months ago
images courtesy Death Fes April 14th is the unofficial “day of good death” in Japan. The date 4-1-4 can be pronounced yo-i-shi, or good death, making today the perfect day to kick-off the Death Fes, an event aimed at encouraging people to think and talk about their inevitable...
Londonist
Five Big Firsts For West End Cinemas
From the first British talkie to the first circular cinema.
a year ago
From the first British talkie to the first circular cinema.
Londonist
It's Official - London Has Two Of The World's 10 Best Bars
But Barcelona's still the best place to booze.
a year ago
But Barcelona's still the best place to booze.
Cheese and Biscuits
The Ropemaker, Emsworth
As I have surely said on this blog plenty of times over the years, I will never go to any holiday or...
2 months ago
As I have surely said on this blog plenty of times over the years, I will never go to any holiday or short trip without at least one meal booked that stands a better than average chance of being decent. This is partly just for the sheer joy of eating out (how sad must your life...
Spoon & Tamago
Japan’s Jimi ‘Mundane’ Halloween Costumes of 2023
Ah, it’s Halloween weekend. And that means it’s time for our favorite Japanese festival Jimi...
a year ago
Ah, it’s Halloween weekend. And that means it’s time for our favorite Japanese festival Jimi Halloween, where people dress up in costumes so mundane they have to be explained. The tradition was started in 2014 by a group of adults at Daily Portal Z who “kind of wanted to...
Spoon & Tamago
Hokusai-Inspired Erasers Reveal Mt. Fuji the More They Get Used
Erasers are usually used to delete mistakes. And as they get worn down, they become dirty or harder...
6 months ago
Erasers are usually used to delete mistakes. And as they get worn down, they become dirty or harder to hold. By nature, they are not fun to use. But Japanese stationery fim PLUS is on a mission to reverse that mentality with erasers inspired by the iconic woodblock prints of...
Londonist
A Brief History Of The Waterloo & City Line
A very peculiar line.
a year ago
Londonist
Things To Do This Weekend In London: 7-8 October 2023
Oktoberfest parties, rugby screenings, and an open day at a rather niche museum.
a year ago
Oktoberfest parties, rugby screenings, and an open day at a rather niche museum.
Spoon & Tamago
The Unforgettable Landscapes of Ippan Nakamura’s World of Illustrations
All images courtesy of Nakamura Ippan | used with permission Nakamura Ippan, a non-binary artist...
a year ago
All images courtesy of Nakamura Ippan | used with permission Nakamura Ippan, a non-binary artist known for their web comic series ‘Jimocoro‘ and ‘Minna no Gohan‘, held their first solo exhibition last month in Tokyo. Art enthusiasts had the opportunity to witness Nakamura’s...
Londonist
Things To Do In London In Half Term: October 2023
Family-friendly school holiday activities for all budgets.
a year ago
Family-friendly school holiday activities for all budgets.
diamond geezer
Superloop 2
Yesterday's big reveal from would-be Mayor-to-be Sadiq was a major extension to the Superloop...
8 months ago
Yesterday's big reveal from would-be Mayor-to-be Sadiq was a major extension to the Superloop express bus network. Phase 1 has ten routes and the plan is to add another ten and call it Superloop 2. There's a map and everything.
The most important thing on the map is the box in...
Cheese and Biscuits
The London Shell Co., Highgate
The first time I went to the London Shell Co., I hated it. This was nothing to do with the food, and...
a year ago
The first time I went to the London Shell Co., I hated it. This was nothing to do with the food, and everything to do with my aversion to anything boaty, and being trapped on one for the best part of 2 1/2 hours as it punted around the dark, damp Regent's canal in the middle of...
AFAR Media - Travel...
Hotel Review: Ritz-Carlton New York, NoMad, New York City
a year ago
Londonist
Why The Hammersmith & City Is (Arguably) London's Newest Tube Line
It's only been around since 1990 (sort of).
10 months ago
It's only been around since 1990 (sort of).
Londonist
DLR Extension To Thamesmead: Public Consultation Opens
Have your say before 18 March.
10 months ago
Have your say before 18 March.
Londonist
Free And Cheap Things To Do This Week In London: 18-24 December 2023
Things to do for under a fiver.
a year ago
Things to do for under a fiver.
Londonist
Concrete Beauty Of The National Theatre Captured In This Abstract Exhibition
Amelia Lancaster has been photographing it for over 20 years.
11 months ago
Amelia Lancaster has been photographing it for over 20 years.
Londonist
Sh!t Show: Exhibition Of Toilet Graffiti Comes To London In January
Not your bog standard art outing.
a year ago
Not your bog standard art outing.
The Forney Flyer
Congratulations Hannah!
Congratulations Hannah! We are so proud of you!
over a year ago
Congratulations Hannah! We are so proud of you!
Londonist
Best Of Londonist: 8-14 January 2024
All our best articles from the past week.
11 months ago
All our best articles from the past week.
diamond geezer
Birmingham stations quiz
Birmingham stations quiz
Birmingham.
1) Cider Pub
2) Fresh Road
3) Valets Path
4) Jump...
3 months ago
Birmingham stations quiz
Birmingham.
1) Cider Pub
2) Fresh Road
3) Valets Path
4) Jump Street
5) Upland Road
6) Student Hub
7) Tree Quartet
8) Stony Mound
9) Wintry Mount
10) Little Common
11) Half Half Ring
12) Perfume Forest
13) Dark Chocolate
14) Pork Substitute
15)...
Spoon & Tamago
Not a Hotel: A Unique Timeshare Concept Redefining Luxury Travel
All images © Kenta Hasegawa courtesy Suppose Design Office “Buy a vacation home that doubles as a...
a year ago
All images © Kenta Hasegawa courtesy Suppose Design Office “Buy a vacation home that doubles as a hotel.” That’s the tagline for ‘Not A Hotel,’ a real estate start-up founded by Shinji Hamazu. The company challenges the traditional hotel model by treating it as a timeshare and...
Londonist
London's Curious Collection Of Golden Statues
Golden wonders.
a year ago
Londonist
5 London Underground Stations That Totally Ripped Off Other Buildings
From Berlin to Amsterdam to Moscow.
10 months ago
From Berlin to Amsterdam to Moscow.
diamond geezer
Trafalgar Square
TRAFALGAR
SQUARE
£240
London's Monopoly Streets
TRAFALGAR SQUARE
Colour group: red
Purchase...
4 months ago
TRAFALGAR
SQUARE
£240
London's Monopoly Streets
TRAFALGAR SQUARE
Colour group: red
Purchase price: £240
Rent: £20
Area: 3 acres
Borough: Westminster
Postcode: WC2
four streets on the Monopoly board (all the pinks plus Strand) and is also a property in its own right. I've...
Londonist
Where To Eat And Drink In Canary Wharf: The Best Restaurants, Cafes, Bars And Pubs
Scran among the 'scrapers.
a year ago
Scran among the 'scrapers.
Londonist
Kong And Godzilla Appear By/In The Thames For Epic Selfie Op!
They're only here till tonight.
9 months ago
They're only here till tonight.
Londonist
Stratford Market Village To Reopen - Following Shock Closure In January
"We are so glad to be back."
8 months ago
"We are so glad to be back."
diamond geezer
Behind The Red Moon
Big Brother isn't the only cultural phenomenon dividing public opinion annually since the turn of...
a year ago
Big Brother isn't the only cultural phenomenon dividing public opinion annually since the turn of the millennium. There's also the giant artwork in the Turbine Hall at Tate Modern, which over the years has been amazing, tedious, thought-provoking, bland, must-see, involving,...
diamond geezer
Mansfield Park
Some buses terminate at the most evocative literary destinations.
K4 to Mansfield Park
Location:...
6 days ago
Some buses terminate at the most evocative literary destinations.
K4 to Mansfield Park
Location: London southwest, outer
Length of bus journey: 7 miles, 45 minutes
It is a truth universally acknowledged that a single man in possession of an Oyster card must be in want of a...
Londonist
Free And Cheap Things To Do This Week In London: 4-10 September 2023
Things to do for under a fiver.
a year ago
Things to do for under a fiver.
Londonist
5 Historic Castles To Visit In Essex
Including one that's a fake.
8 months ago
Including one that's a fake.
diamond geezer
Your guide to the new Overground line names
Your guide to the new Overground line names
individual names in 2015, mostly geographically-based,...
10 months ago
Your guide to the new Overground line names
individual names in 2015, mostly geographically-based, but Boris Johnson swiftly vetoed the proposal. Then in 2021 Sadiq Khan's manifesto pledged to rename the lines if he got elected.
"TfL’s London Overground network has grown...
Londonist
Never Before Seen Images Of The Rolling Stones To Go On Show In Notting Hill
27 rare pics of Mick, Keef and co.
10 months ago
27 rare pics of Mick, Keef and co.
diamond geezer
Hayling Island
Seaside postcard: Hayling Island
Hayling Island lies just off the south coast near the mouth of the...
4 months ago
Seaside postcard: Hayling Island
Hayling Island lies just off the south coast near the mouth of the Solent, just east of Portsmouth. It's England's 7th largest offshore island and 5th most populous, some way behind Wight and Portsea respectively, both of which are nextdoor. It...
Londonist
Free And Cheap Things To Do This Week In London: 1-7 January 2024
Things to do for under a fiver.
11 months ago
Things to do for under a fiver.
diamond geezer
18U 55V 51W
On Saturday I proposed that 18U Brondesbury Park NW6 7BT is London's highest lettered house....
a year ago
On Saturday I proposed that 18U Brondesbury Park NW6 7BT is London's highest lettered house. Nothing's going to beat a run of houses that goes 18J, 18K, 18L, 18M, 18N, 18P, 18Q, 18R, 18S, 18T, 18U, I thought.
Not so. There are in fact over 50 properties in the capital that can...
AFAR Media - Travel...
Vacation Ideas for Families with Neurodivergent Children
a year ago
One from Nippon
The Surprising Roots of Japan's Indian Curry
It's been a while since our last post - life got in the way. A big thanks to everyone who reached...
a year ago
It's been a while since our last post - life got in the way. A big thanks to everyone who reached out!
We are now restarting our articles, though we might not always write once a week. If we don't think it's interesting, we
diamond geezer
Freshwater fish quiz
Freshwater fish quiz
(quiz complete... all answers now in the comments box)
1) roost
2) plump
3)...
8 months ago
Freshwater fish quiz
(quiz complete... all answers now in the comments box)
1) roost
2) plump
3) long spear
4) below tenor
5) director Ken
6) former Sussex MP
7) Surrey MP
8) vehicle (quiet)
9) phone company (large)
10) 10 swiss
11) 60 secs at present
12) 500 + 1
13) 1000...
diamond geezer
SL10
Route SL10: Harrow - North Finchley
Length of journey: 9 miles, 50 minutes
London gained a new...
a year ago
Route SL10: Harrow - North Finchley
Length of journey: 9 miles, 50 minutes
London gained a new outer orbital bus route yesterday, a peripheral dash connecting the boroughs of Harrow, Brent and Barnet.
new Superloop service, the previous four merely being existing routes...
Londonist
Cycle All Day For £3, As Santander Cycles Introduces New Day Pass
We feel a challenge coming on...
11 months ago
We feel a challenge coming on...
diamond geezer
The Count 2024
For twenty-one consecutive Februaries on diamond geezer I've kept myself busy by counting things....
10 months ago
For twenty-one consecutive Februaries on diamond geezer I've kept myself busy by counting things. Ten different counts, to be precise, in a stats-tastic 28-day feature called The Count. You therefore won't be surprised to hear that I intend to do exactly the same again this year....
Londonist
St Paul's Lorrimore Square: London's Magnificent Modernist Church
Now THAT's a roof.
a year ago
diamond geezer
In the shadow of
We often say somewhere is "in the shadow of" something without it necessarily being true.
The sun...
10 months ago
We often say somewhere is "in the shadow of" something without it necessarily being true.
The sun does not cast a shadow from the first location to the second, that's not how daylight works, so these places are not "in the shadow of".
Let's start with something familiar in...
Londonist
The Next London Borough Of Culture Will Be Wandsworth, Followed By...
Next two boroughs announced.
9 months ago
Next two boroughs announced.
Londonist
Free And Cheap Things To Do This Week In London: 11-17 September 2023
Things to do for under a fiver.
a year ago
Things to do for under a fiver.
AFAR Media - Travel...
5 Most Exciting Travel Destinations in the U.S. to Visit
a year 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...
8 months 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...
AFAR Media - Travel...
5 Excursions With Afar and Atlas Ocean Voyages
6 months ago
Londonist
Take A Peek Inside The Royal Albert Hall's New Archive Collection
From Queen Victoria to Beyonce, this place has seen them all.
a year ago
From Queen Victoria to Beyonce, this place has seen them all.
Londonist
Get Your Broken Stuff Fixed At These Workshops Across London This March
Most are free, too.
9 months ago
Londonist
The Ballot For Wimbledon 2024 Is Now Open
Ace!
a year ago
diamond geezer
Old Oak Common to Euston
A Nice Walk: Old Oak Common to Euston (6 miles)
High Speed 2 is seemingly forever under threat, the...
a year ago
A Nice Walk: Old Oak Common to Euston (6 miles)
High Speed 2 is seemingly forever under threat, the latest proposal being that it should run only between not-quite-central Birmingham and not-quite-central London. But would it really be so terrible to terminate the line at Old...
diamond geezer
10 times TV crews came to Croxley Green
10 times that TV crews came to Croxley Green
1) Metro-land (1973): In this iconic one-off...
6 months ago
10 times that TV crews came to Croxley Green
1) Metro-land (1973): In this iconic one-off documentary Sir John Betjeman came to observe the Croxley Revels, "a tradition that stretches back to 1952". Actually if you watch carefully he's never in shot, he merely provided a...
AFAR Media - Travel...
Places to Visit in Asheville that Cater to Dogs
11 months ago
AFAR Media - Travel...
Cruise for Best Way to See the Northern Lights in Alaska
8 months ago
Londonist
Khan Announces TfL Fare Freeze - But Is Everything As It Seems?
It does't apply to everyone...
11 months ago
It does't apply to everyone...
Londonist
Things To Do In London In The Christmas Holidays With Kids
Theatre shows, exhibitions and Christmas events.
a year ago
Theatre shows, exhibitions and Christmas events.
Londonist
Named: The First Person To Witness The Great Fire Of London
New Museum of London research reveals who first discovered the blaze.
a year ago
New Museum of London research reveals who first discovered the blaze.
diamond geezer
Open House wrap-up
Let's finish this for another year.
Open House: The Rowe (Aldgate) The Unoccupied One
located...
a year ago
Let's finish this for another year.
Open House: The Rowe (Aldgate) The Unoccupied One
located immediately opposite the Whitechapel Gallery and is a repurposing of the former Cass School of Art and Architecture into a modern office block. The overall idea behind the rebuild was...
Cheese and Biscuits
Peckham Cellars, Peckham
Though it's always flattering to be invited to try the latest and greatest of London restaurants,...
over a year ago
Though it's always flattering to be invited to try the latest and greatest of London restaurants, and more often than not I'm happy to play a part in the tricky first few weeks of a new operation to help get it off the ground, or to refocus attention on an established place...
Londonist
The Age-Old Ritual Of Chair Lifting On Easter Monday
Blackheath Morris Men in Greenwich again this Easter.
9 months ago
Blackheath Morris Men in Greenwich again this Easter.
Londonist
Free And Cheap Things To Do This Week In London: 16-22 October 2023
Things to do for under a fiver.
a year ago
Things to do for under a fiver.
diamond geezer
PR bumf round-up
I haven't whinged about unsolicited PR emails for a while because I don't get as many as I used to....
2 weeks ago
I haven't whinged about unsolicited PR emails for a while because I don't get as many as I used to. But they still trickle in, generally from hopeful marketeers with a press release to regurgitate or a plea to amplify some sponsored content. We don't do that here, thanks.
Zarya...
diamond geezer
Euston Road
EUSTON
ROAD
£100
London's Monopoly Streets
EUSTON ROAD
Colour group: light blue
Purchase price:...
9 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
Free And Cheap Things To Do In London This Week: 18-24 March 2024
Things to do for under a fiver.
9 months ago
Things to do for under a fiver.
Londonist
Non-Christmassy Things To Do In London In December
Where to avoid Christmas completely in London this year.
a year ago
Where to avoid Christmas completely in London this year.
Londonist
London History Mapped To The Stars
We are all in the gutter, but some of us are looking at the stars.
a year ago
We are all in the gutter, but some of us are looking at the stars.
Londonist
Greenwich's Old Town Hall To Become Flats And Viewing Gallery
Art deco landmark gets green light for regeneration.
9 months ago
Art deco landmark gets green light for regeneration.
Londonist
Things To Do This Weekend In London: 16-17 December 2023
Festive pursuits, family events, and a huge horse show.
a year ago
Festive pursuits, family events, and a huge horse show.
diamond geezer
Redbridge Museum reopens
The London borough of Redbridge has boasted a solid mid-table museum since 2000, housed in a bespoke...
3 months ago
The London borough of Redbridge has boasted a solid mid-table museum since 2000, housed in a bespoke corner on the second floor of Ilford's main library. But it's needed a bit of a refresh for a while so they used lockdown as a chance to start updating it with lottery money and...
Londonist
Bits Of London That Aren't In The Bit Of London They Say They Are In, But In Another Bit Of London
If you see what we mean.
8 months ago
diamond geezer
Crewe
Gadabout: CREWE
Crewe is a large town in Cheshire and a key junction on the West Coast Main Line....
9 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...
diamond geezer
Dangleway Week (3)
Danglegeek (6) Final facts
• Did you know that if your Dangleway journey is delayed for 15...
a year ago
Danglegeek (6) Final facts
• Did you know that if your Dangleway journey is delayed for 15 minutes or more by bad weather, customer incidents, engineering works, security alerts or strikes you may be able to get a refund. It says so on the delay repay webpage.
TfL website, one...
Londonist
Gorgeous Shots Of The Thames In New Riverside Photography Book
London's Riverside in Photographs, by Franco Pfaller.
10 months ago
London's Riverside in Photographs, by Franco Pfaller.
AFAR Media - Travel...
The Northern Lights Could Appear in the Lower 48 This Week
a year ago
Londonist
Shoreditch Has A New Secret Garden... On A Viaduct
Get eye-level with Village Underground's tube trains.
a year ago
Get eye-level with Village Underground's tube trains.
diamond geezer
Weather 2023
the dg weather review of the year
used to do this with big colourful monthly tables but that's too...
11 months ago
the dg weather review of the year
used to do this with big colourful monthly tables but that's too much effort for too little reward so here's a breezier summary. All data is for Hampstead, as per usual.
temperaturerainfallsunshine
Janmild then...
diamond geezer
Poverest
This is a sponsored post on behalf of the Poverest Tourist Board
Visit Poverest - London's Secret...
3 months ago
This is a sponsored post on behalf of the Poverest Tourist Board
Visit Poverest - London's Secret Leisure Destination
Poverest, the charming outer London suburb handily located on the Chislehurst Road, where a good time is always on offer. [map]
Ask anyone in Poverest where...
diamond geezer
Greens
Once their leaves come out, trees are green until the autumn. But they're never as brilliantly green...
8 months ago
Once their leaves come out, trees are green until the autumn. But they're never as brilliantly green as they are in early spring when the leaves are still young. The canopy is a beautiful burst of light greens, a mix of subtle tones of jade and emerald. Here's the view from...
AFAR Media - Travel...
A Guide to Mindful Travel in Greater Palm Springs
a month ago
diamond geezer
Borough visitor websites
Some London boroughs like to have a web presence that draws tourists in, should anyone be...
2 months ago
Some London boroughs like to have a web presence that draws tourists in, should anyone be interested, or highlights places of interest for the benefit of local residents. These websites attempt to reinforce the idea that a borough has history, or culture, or some sort of life,...
diamond geezer
The Ballot Box
Pub of the Day: the Ballot Box UB6 7QL
Ballot Box, it's on Horsenden Lane between Perivale and...
5 months ago
Pub of the Day: the Ballot Box UB6 7QL
Ballot Box, it's on Horsenden Lane between Perivale and North Greenford. Nothing big drives this way thanks to a width restriction at the old bridge over the Grand Union, but the Capital Ring passes by just after its detour up Horsenden...
Londonist
The New DLR Trains Could Have Toy Steering Wheels Installed
Best. News. Ever.
11 months ago
AFAR Media - Travel...
Visit Corpus Christi, TX for Beaches and Outdoor Adventure
5 months ago
Londonist
BBC's Desert Island Discs Announces Live Palladium Shows
Celebrating 80 years of the hit radio programme.
11 months ago
Celebrating 80 years of the hit radio programme.
diamond geezer
Stratford & Bow election roundup
Stratford & Bow election roundup
my constituency?
Leaflets yes
• Uma Kumaran (Labour) A letter...
5 months ago
Stratford & Bow election roundup
my constituency?
Leaflets yes
• Uma Kumaran (Labour) A letter from Keir with his six pledges, minimal promises. Looks like they sent out millions of these.
• Halima Khan (Workers Party) Roughly-folded and left sticking out of all our...
diamond geezer
TfL FoI requests in May 2024
20 things we learnt from TfL FoI requests in May 2024
1) The three Elizabeth line ticket offices...
6 months ago
20 things we learnt from TfL FoI requests in May 2024
1) The three Elizabeth line ticket offices which sold the fewest tickets in 2023 were Acton Main Line (2736), Hanwell (3375) and Maryland (4037). That's about 10 tickets per day.
2) The installation of new brighter lighting...
Spoon & Tamago
Exploring Tokyo’s Hidden Shrines
According to statistics, Tokyo is home to over 1800 Shinto shrines. You have your major shrines like...
a year ago
According to statistics, Tokyo is home to over 1800 Shinto shrines. You have your major shrines like Meiji-Jingu and Hie Shrine but there are many other tiny shrines, often unstaffed and nestled in the depths of back streets and behind buildings. Tearing down a shrine would be...
diamond geezer
Tube 160 Treasure Hunt
Are you at a loose end tomorrow? Do you like looking at station architecture? Would you like a...
11 months ago
Are you at a loose end tomorrow? Do you like looking at station architecture? Would you like a surprise birthday gift from TfL? If the answer to all these questions is yes then why not take part in the Tube 160 Treasure Hunt? You even get to travel round central London for...
diamond geezer
10 Centuries in 1 Day
One of the capital's best places to go walking is the City of London, and what's more they have the...
7 months ago
One of the capital's best places to go walking is the City of London, and what's more they have the wherewithal to have created all sorts of self-guided walks for you to follow. 21 downloadable walks are listed on their old website (although they're increasingly hard to find...
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...
10 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
Ticket Alert: The Devil Wears Prada Musical On Sale From Today
Tickets? For the West End? Groundbreaking.
a year ago
Tickets? For the West End? Groundbreaking.
Londonist
A Map Of London Nicknames: From The Gherkin To The Silicon Roundabout
What would you add to the map?
a year ago
What would you add to the map?
diamond geezer
Mayfair
MAYFAIR
£400
London's Monopoly Streets
MAYFAIR
Colour group: dark blue
Purchase price:...
2 days ago
MAYFAIR
£400
London's Monopoly Streets
MAYFAIR
Colour group: dark blue
Purchase price: £400
Rent: £50
Area: 1km²
Borough: Westminster
Postcode: W1
Mayfair was mostly fields until the late 17th century when Sir Thomas Grosvenor, a Cheshire baronet, made an exceptionally...
Londonist
A Fantastically Festive Walk Through London's Christmas Lights And Decorations
A self-guided tour through lights, shop window displays, ice rinks and more.
a year ago
A self-guided tour through lights, shop window displays, ice rinks and more.
Londonist
Where To Watch The Super Bowl 2024 In London
Screenings and parties across the capital.
11 months ago
Screenings and parties across the capital.
Londonist
Christmas Transport In London: What's Running, What's Closed, And What About Those Strikes?
Fingers crossed we have a strike-free festive period...
a year ago
Fingers crossed we have a strike-free festive period...
Londonist
12 Marvellous Day Trips From London: September 2023
Charming events within easy reach of London.
a year ago
Charming events within easy reach of London.
Londonist
Fourth Plinth Winning Artworks For 2026 And 2028 Announced
Say hello to Trafalgar Square's latest additions.
9 months ago
Say hello to Trafalgar Square's latest additions.
Londonist
Inside South London's Pay-What-You-Can Cafe
South Norwood Community Kitchen.
8 months ago
South Norwood Community Kitchen.
Spoon & Tamago
City and Forest Living in a Unique Concrete Log House
All images © Ichiro Mishima courtesy IKAWAYA Architects Merging the organic with the inorganic;...
a year ago
All images © Ichiro Mishima courtesy IKAWAYA Architects Merging the organic with the inorganic; walking the fine line between indoors and outdoors, is a predominant theme in contemporary Japanese architecture. One of the latest iterations is from architect Atsushi Ikawaya, who...
diamond geezer
The Charterhouse
I hadn't realised you could wander inside The Charterhouse, the historic almshouses on the edge of...
9 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...
diamond geezer
Littlehampton → Shoreham
Walking the coast of Britain can be a tortuous meandering slog round umpteen bays and inlets or it...
6 months ago
Walking the coast of Britain can be a tortuous meandering slog round umpteen bays and inlets or it can be a simple stroll along a gentle curving shoreline. The coast of Sussex is mostly the latter which makes it ideal for a good long coastal walk. At the weekend I headed to the...
Londonist
Chelsea In Bloom 2024: Giant Floral Caterpillar To Take Over Sloane Square
Free flower festival returns... with a foodie theme.
10 months ago
Free flower festival returns... with a foodie theme.
Londonist
Review: Kate Berlant's Masterful Show Will Have You Crying With Laughter
Believe the hype.
a year ago
Cheese and Biscuits
The Dew Drop Inn, Hurley
I think the Dew Drop Inn must exist, because I have photographic proof I was there on Saturday...
a year ago
I think the Dew Drop Inn must exist, because I have photographic proof I was there on Saturday afternoon, sheltering from the wind and rain in their front bar, cozying up next to a log fire and sipping on a pint of ale. I can see the payment on my credit card statement, I can see...
AFAR Media - Travel...
Five Great Places to Visit on Your Next Vacation to Florida
8 months ago
diamond geezer
Doors
Doors (by Christian Marclay)
White Cube, Masons Yard
6-30 September 2023
10am-6pm, closed Sunday and...
a year ago
Doors (by Christian Marclay)
White Cube, Masons Yard
6-30 September 2023
10am-6pm, closed Sunday and Monday
Christian Marclay is always a treat, if what you enjoy is an exemplarily-crafted audio-visual montage. He's best known for The Clock, a 24 hour compilation of clips from...
Londonist
An A-Z Of The London Underground
X was tricky but we think we sorted it.
11 months ago
X was tricky but we think we sorted it.
diamond geezer
Carpenters Road
Carpenters Road has reopened again. It has a habit of doing this.
2007 so its rundown automotive...
6 months ago
Carpenters Road has reopened again. It has a habit of doing this.
2007 so its rundown automotive industries could be snuffed out in readiness for the Olympics. It took until 2014 to reopen, freshly sanitised, as a link road round the back of the Olympic Park. It then closed...
AFAR Media - Travel...
What is a Dahabiya? A Guide to This Nile Cruise Option
a year ago
diamond geezer
Philips 9TC 2100
40 years ago this week I bought my first television.
It was only black and white and only had a...
a year ago
40 years ago this week I bought my first television.
It was only black and white and only had a nine inch screen, hence the model name, but it showed all the same channels as a normal television and most importantly it was mine. Back in 1983 there were only four channels to...
diamond geezer
Banksy's animals
Over the course of this week, the artist Bansky has been out daily painting an animal at various...
4 months ago
Over the course of this week, the artist Bansky has been out daily painting an animal at various locations across London. The sequence of events generally goes like this.
Overnight: Bansky (or his henchpeople) paint an animal silhouette on a wall somewhere.
Early morning: Local...
Londonist
Just How Bad Is The Air Quality On The Tube?
A look at particle levels on tube platforms.
a year ago
A look at particle levels on tube platforms.
Londonist
The Golden Age Of Transatlantic Travel Hides In Plain Sight By Trafalgar Square
Cockspur Street was a cornucopia of cruise line companies.
a year ago
Cockspur Street was a cornucopia of cruise line companies.
diamond geezer
We're drinking less tea
Yesterday the BBC website had a story about the amount of tea people aren't drinking any more.
do...
a week ago
Yesterday the BBC website had a story about the amount of tea people aren't drinking any more.
do drink tea it's often green tea, herbal tea or bubble tea, not traditional black tea. 18 year-old Sharma, for example, said she prefers herbal tea and hasn't even heard of Typhoo...
Cheese and Biscuits
Nessa, Soho
Looking over the confidently international menu at Nessa the other evening, it occurred to me that...
a year ago
Looking over the confidently international menu at Nessa the other evening, it occurred to me that it's been a while since I've had a moan about anywhere being 'inauthentic'. For all the years that we British were insecure about our place in the culinary world, and those years...
Spoon & Tamago
A VHS Cafe is Opening in Tokyo’s Shimokitazawa Neighborhood
Despite it’s image of neon lights and cyberpunk mystique propagated by the west, Tokyo is very much...
a year ago
Despite it’s image of neon lights and cyberpunk mystique propagated by the west, Tokyo is very much a mash-up of old and new. It’s a city where Tower Records is still alive and well. Where vinyl record and vintage clothing shops have to employ crowd control measures. And where a...
Londonist
5 Amazing Places To Eat Asian Food In Central London
As chosen by chef Jeff Tan.
10 months ago
As chosen by chef Jeff Tan.
diamond geezer
Route 24
A New Year means new digits, and new digits mean a series of posts about the number 24. I've chosen...
11 months ago
A New Year means new digits, and new digits mean a series of posts about the number 24. I've chosen to start with London's oldest unchanged bus route, the 24's north/south run from Hampstead down to Pimlico. Rest assured I won't be writing a full travelogue because I did that...
Spoon & Tamago
Discover Fukui Sake Along the Kuzuryu River at Eshikoto
all images courtesy Furuya Design Eshikoto is a brand created by Nizaemon Ishidaya, proprietor of...
a year ago
all images courtesy Furuya Design Eshikoto is a brand created by Nizaemon Ishidaya, proprietor of the Kokuryu Sake Brewery which was founded in 1804 in the mountains of Fukui. With a motto not dissimilar to the famous quote from Field of Dreams–”if we make good sake, people will...
Londonist
Another Free Quentin Blake Exhibition In April
The master illustrator is back.
9 months ago
The master illustrator is back.
diamond geezer
The zone 1 challenge
It's time once again to go on a pointlessly challenging train journey.
How many zone 1 stations can...
2 months ago
It's time once again to go on a pointlessly challenging train journey.
How many zone 1 stations can you travel through without repeating any?
And there are 72 zone 1 stations altogether, so it's going to be a long journey.
It's perhaps best to think of the question as...
diamond geezer
National Rail interchange symbols
What does the National Rail symbol on the tube map mean?
I ask because several stations with a...
7 months ago
What does the National Rail symbol on the tube map mean?
I ask because several stations with a National Rail service don't have the symbol, for example here in the northwest corner of the map.
The two symbol-less Metropolitan line stations are Rickmansworth and Chorleywood....
Londonist
Christmas Shows In London 2023: Fantastically Festive Theatre, Dance And Comedy
Including a return for Elf The Musical - and a debut for Christmas Actually.
a year ago
Including a return for Elf The Musical - and a debut for Christmas Actually.
Herbert Lui
A place and its magic
When my partner and I were on our honeymoon in Hawaii earlier this year, a driver told us about how...
2 weeks ago
When my partner and I were on our honeymoon in Hawaii earlier this year, a driver told us about how the island had lost its magic to him. After he spent a couple of years there, he naturally stopped noticing the beauty of the island. He felt wistful about this, and while his...
Londonist
Things To Do This Weekend In London: 6-7 April 2024
Last-chance exhibitions, an ice hockey weekender, and a miniature railway.
8 months ago
Last-chance exhibitions, an ice hockey weekender, and a miniature railway.
diamond geezer
Stafford
Gadabout: STAFFORD
Stafford is a West Midlands market town at the heart of its own county, located...
9 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...
Cheese and Biscuits
Ploussard, Battersea
As much as I complained on these pages that all the exciting new restaurants were opening up not...
a year ago
As much as I complained on these pages that all the exciting new restaurants were opening up not handily close to where I live in SW11, but in far-flung places like Dalston or Shoreditch or Highgate, part of me still hoped that something would eventually come along to prove me...
Spoon & Tamago
This Halloween, a Zombie Shinkansen Will Travel Between Tokyo and Osaka
Want a taste of the frights but too busy to go to a haunted house? How about a haunted train? This...
2 months ago
Want a taste of the frights but too busy to go to a haunted house? How about a haunted train? This year, a Tokaido shinkansen, in what is being called the world’s first zombie bullet train, will travel between Tokyo and Osaka. The stage will be set in car 16 of the “Nozomi 435”...
diamond geezer
Lincoln's Inn
Two big Open House openings on opposite sides of Lincoln's Inn Fields.
Open House: Lincoln's...
a year ago
Two big Open House openings on opposite sides of Lincoln's Inn Fields.
Open House: Lincoln's Inn
Lincoln's Inn is the largest occupying 11 acres on the eastern side of Lincoln's Inn Fields (which was named after it, not the other way round). It's been here for at least 600...
diamond geezer
Summer Olympics of my lifetime
Summer Olympics of my lifetime
10th October 1964: Tokyo
Tokyo Melody by Helmut Zacharias - and...
4 months ago
Summer Olympics of my lifetime
10th October 1964: Tokyo
Tokyo Melody by Helmut Zacharias - and helped propel it to number 9 in the singles chart. As one of a limited number of 7-inches in our record box while I was growing up it got a lot of plays, and I still subliminally love...
diamond geezer
Draw-Off
For a few weeks every November the water level in the Thames in west London is deliberately...
a month ago
For a few weeks every November the water level in the Thames in west London is deliberately lowered.
Draw-Off and it exposes more of the riverbed than usual.
In order to carry out essential maintenance works on Richmond lock, weirs and sluices, it is necessary to hold up the...
Londonist
Short Courses At UAL: Learn Life-Changing Creative Skills How (And When) You Want
Over 1,000 short courses to choose from.
a year ago
Over 1,000 short courses to choose from.
diamond geezer
The news from Birmingham
Non-Hyperlocal update: The news from Birmingham
1) Ozzy the Bull, who you may remember stole the...
3 months ago
Non-Hyperlocal update: The news from Birmingham
1) Ozzy the Bull, who you may remember stole the show at the 2022 Commonwealth Games opening ceremony, has been relocated to take pride of place at New Street station. To be fair he's been there since last summer but this is the...
Londonist
Dive Into This Free Exhibition About Billingsgate Fish Market
Living the bream.
10 months ago
diamond geezer
Anorak corner (tube edition)
Anorak Corner (the annual update) [tube edition]
Hurrah, it's that time of year again when TfL...
3 months ago
Anorak Corner (the annual update) [tube edition]
Hurrah, it's that time of year again when TfL silently updates its spreadsheet of annual passenger entry/exit totals at every tube station.
To be honest they did this last month, that's how silently the data was updated, but at...
Spoon & Tamago
The Conran Shop, A New Chapter For Hillside Terrace by Keiji Ashizawa Design
All images courtesy of Keiji Ashizawa Design Since opening its London flagship in 1973, The Conran...
a year ago
All images courtesy of Keiji Ashizawa Design Since opening its London flagship in 1973, The Conran Shop has been a go-to destination for all things contemporary design. And in their latest chapter, the curated shop welcomes you to its new space in Hillside Terrace, a relaxing...
Cheese and Biscuits
Xi Home Dumplings Bay,
I often like to look up the situation of restaurants I'm heading out to on Google Streetview, just...
2 months ago
I often like to look up the situation of restaurants I'm heading out to on Google Streetview, just so I know what to expect when I get off the bus and lessen (though not completely mitigate) the chance I might head off in completely the wrong direction. I wouldn't recommend doing...
Londonist
5 'New' Pubs Promised For City Of London By 2027
But are any actually new?
a year ago
But are any actually new?
diamond geezer
Crossing the river news
Crossing the river news
Silvertown Tunnel toll news
have been announced. They're not called tolls,...
5 months ago
Crossing the river news
Silvertown Tunnel toll news
have been announced. They're not called tolls, they're called user charges, but we all know what they are. The tolls will also apply to the Blackwall Tunnel from the day the Silvertown Tunnel opens which is expected to be...
AFAR Media - Travel...
A Family-Friendly Travel Guide to Minneapolis, MN
7 months ago
Londonist
London's Best Black Friday Theatre Offers
Ballet, opera, musicals and more.
a year ago
Ballet, opera, musicals and more.
Londonist
Guess What Our Most-Read Article Of 2023 Was...
You love Christmas and the tube - but what was numero uno?
12 months ago
You love Christmas and the tube - but what was numero uno?
AFAR Media - Travel...
Spring Vacation at This Historic Arizona Hotel
9 months ago
Londonist
Miracle At Henrietta: The Christmassiest Bar In London
It's Kiiiiiiiitschmas!
a year ago
Londonist
Around London In 14 Lions And Lionesses
One to paw over.
a year ago
diamond geezer
Single life
Single life
Yes, I used to post this every year, but now I only do it every five.
Single: You get...
a month ago
Single life
Yes, I used to post this every year, but now I only do it every five.
Single: You get the whole duvet to yourself.
Coupled: You don't need a hot water bottle.
Single: There's half as much ironing to do.
Coupled: There's twice as much ironing to do but somebody else...
Londonist
Where To Eat And Drink In Croydon
Chew your way through CR0.
a year ago
Chew your way through CR0.
Londonist
Buck's Fizz: How The Perennially Festive Drink Was Invented In A Mayfair Club
It's over 100 years old.
a year ago
diamond geezer
Twickenham Riverside
A Nice Walk: Twickenham Riverside (1½ miles)
Sometimes you just want to go for a nice walk, nothing...
8 months ago
A Nice Walk: Twickenham Riverside (1½ miles)
Sometimes you just want to go for a nice walk, nothing too taxing, a bit of a stroll, lots to see, pretty views, leafy waterside, historic houses, plenty of seating, optional foot ferry, multiple refreshment opportunities, entirely...
Londonist
Events For Book Lovers In London This Winter
Christmas book fairs, winter book swaps and an exhibition on fantasy.
a year ago
Christmas book fairs, winter book swaps and an exhibition on fantasy.
Londonist
What's Open In London On Christmas Day 2023?
Cafes, pubs and tourist attractions open on 25 December.
a year ago
Cafes, pubs and tourist attractions open on 25 December.
diamond geezer
Tube map gaps
It's exactly 11 months since London last had a new tube map.
Intervals between tube maps in reverse...
a month ago
It's exactly 11 months since London last had a new tube map.
Intervals between tube maps in reverse chronological order
11 months
Dec 2023 A Little Slice of Paradise ← Brent Cross West
7 months
May 2023 Come Out, Come Out
6 months
Nov 2022 Routes/Roots ← Bond Street
6...
Londonist
When A Tube Train Full Of Passengers Was Abandoned In The Tunnel
The stuff of nightmares.
a year ago
Cheese and Biscuits
Mamapen at the Sun and 13 Cantons, Soho
There are a few pubs in London notable for their hosting of fledgling food businesses, giving...
3 months ago
There are a few pubs in London notable for their hosting of fledgling food businesses, giving talented but cash-strapped teams a chance to test their market and their cooking skills without the risk and stress of opening a completely brand new restaurant. Over the years, you will...
Cheese and Biscuits
The Silver Birch, Chiswick
It's a pleasant novelty to, for once, not be opening a post about an excellent neighbourhood...
a year ago
It's a pleasant novelty to, for once, not be opening a post about an excellent neighbourhood restaurant without a resigned grump about the lack of such places in my own particular neighbourhood. Until recently, my fellow SW11 residents had very little to be proud of (and even...
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...
10 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
The Crazy Clown Church Service That Happens In Hackney Every February
Send in the clowns!
10 months ago
diamond geezer
Premature poppying
We can all agree that the Royal British Legion does excellent work supporting ex-service personnel...
a year ago
We can all agree that the Royal British Legion does excellent work supporting ex-service personnel and their families, and that their annual Poppy Appeal is an inspirational fund-raising exercise. We can all agree that the Royal British Legion does excellent work supporting...
diamond geezer
Clandon and Hatchlands
Yesterday I took the train to Surrey to tick off two more National Trust properties.
Cost of...
a year ago
Yesterday I took the train to Surrey to tick off two more National Trust properties.
Cost of off-peak return from Waterloo to Clandon: £14.50
Cost of off-peak return from Wimbledon to Clandon: £8.00 (so maybe do that)
You alight the train a couple of stops before Guildford and...
diamond geezer
Poet in residence
A unique opportunity has arisen for creative narration,
the post of poet in residence,
five...
9 months 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...
AFAR Media - Travel...
9 Must-Visit Religious UNESCO Sites in Germany
7 months ago
diamond geezer
W12W13W14
Over the weekend TfL withdrew bus route 549, extended route W13 and substantially restructured...
3 months ago
Over the weekend TfL withdrew bus route 549, extended route W13 and substantially restructured routes W12 and W14. I wrote about the changes last week, and how TfL's information strategy relied substantially on a very complicated map. I went back yesterday to see how the...
diamond geezer
Unblogged June
30 unblogged things I did in June
Sat 1: Kept bumping into Spanish and German football fans all over...
5 months ago
30 unblogged things I did in June
Sat 1: Kept bumping into Spanish and German football fans all over parts of London nowhere near where the Champions League final would be taking place. It's amazing how far a stadiumful spreads out. Dortmund had by far the better kit, and by far...
AFAR Media - Travel...
10 Great All-Inclusive Hyatt Resorts in Mexico & Caribbean
a year ago
Londonist
London Almost Had Another Public Aquarium - In Silvertown Docks
Ever heard of 'Biota!'?
a year ago
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...
8 months 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
Southwark 25
Silver Jubilee: Southwark
Southwark station opened 25 years old today on 20th November 1999.
The...
a month ago
Silver Jubilee: Southwark
Southwark station opened 25 years old today on 20th November 1999.
The platforms are much like many of the others on the Jubilee line extension, but the concourse between them is unique. Step through and you enter a long cylindrical space on two...
diamond geezer
Bow Roundabout update #11
Major road works at the Bow Roundabout continue. They might even be halfway through, depending on...
2 weeks ago
Major road works at the Bow Roundabout continue. They might even be halfway through, depending on when you think the start and finish dates are.
new sliproad underneath the flyover is nearing completion. This'll carry westbound traffic from the contraflow lane on Stratford High...
AFAR Media - Travel...
A Guide to Washington D.C. by Local Band Everyday Everybody
7 months ago
diamond geezer
geezer's postbag
Thank you for your occasional emails, which I generally try to get round to answering...
11 months ago
Thank you for your occasional emails, which I generally try to get round to answering eventually.
storm names as agreed by the British, Irish and Dutch Met Offices.
Hi,
Agnes got a one word reply, and it wasn't Yes.
adventuregameco.com/things-to-do
I did not allow Babet to...
Londonist
London To Brighton Veteran Car Run 2023: When Is It? What's The Route? Which Vehicles Will I See?
What a sight!
a year ago
diamond geezer
London's least busy bus stop
Where is London's least busy bus stop?
It is however a very difficult question to answer, much...
6 months ago
Where is London's least busy bus stop?
It is however a very difficult question to answer, much harder than where's the busiest.
last year when TfL released a Weekday Passenger Data spreadsheet providing the number of boarders at all 19,827 of their bus stops during the month...
Londonist
London Overground Strikes Announced For February And March
Plan ahead if you use the Ginger Line.
10 months ago
Plan ahead if you use the Ginger Line.
diamond geezer
Bakerloo 40
Happy 40th Birthday to the Bakerloo line.
that's 118, but the current extent of the line with...
6 months ago
Happy 40th Birthday to the Bakerloo line.
that's 118, but the current extent of the line with trains operating between Harrow & Wealdstone and Elephant & Castle. Elephant's been the southern terminus since 1906, despite umpteen attempts at an extension. But the northern terminus...
Londonist
Martin Luther King Gets A London Blue Plaque
The activist visited Bloomsbury in 1961.
11 months ago
The activist visited Bloomsbury in 1961.
AFAR Media - Travel...
An Alberta Winter Getaway for Nature, Wellness, and Culture
a month ago
Londonist
50+ Excellent Things To Do In London This Month: October 2023
Black History Month, live music, Comic Con and more.
a year ago
Black History Month, live music, Comic Con and more.
Londonist
Diwali Celebrations Fill Trafalgar Square At The End Of October
Dancing, yoga, comedy puppets - and much more!
a year ago
Dancing, yoga, comedy puppets - and much more!
Londonist
Tram Strikes And Engineering Works Will Affect Network Heavily In March and April 2024
Disruption double whammy.
9 months ago
Disruption double whammy.
Spoon & Tamago
Fender’s First Ever Flagship Store by Klein-Dytham Architecture
Fender, the iconic guitar brand, has opened its first-ever flagship store in Harajuku, Tokyo, riding...
a year ago
Fender, the iconic guitar brand, has opened its first-ever flagship store in Harajuku, Tokyo, riding on the wave of soaring demand of Guitars during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Related posts:
House Tour: Yoyogi Artist Studio (with a hidden bed)
#thatPOWER | Will.i.am’s new music...
Cheese and Biscuits
Crocadon, Cornwall
Great restaurants often involve a great journey, and the journey to Crocadon, for everyone involved,...
a year ago
Great restaurants often involve a great journey, and the journey to Crocadon, for everyone involved, staff and guests, is greater than most. Dan Cox was head chef at Fera at Claridges when I last sampled his cooking, and although the restaurant eventually turned out to be a bit...
diamond geezer
In Jail
After Pentonville Road the next square on the Monopoly board is Jail. It's not assigned a location -...
9 months 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
Things To Do This Week In London: 13-19 November 2023
Winter Wonderland, Doctor Who, Elf The Musical and Christmas at Kew.
a year ago
Winter Wonderland, Doctor Who, Elf The Musical and Christmas at Kew.
diamond geezer
The Putney Sculpture Trail
A Nice Walk: Putney Sculpture Trail (1½ miles)
Sometimes you just want to go for a nice walk,...
a year ago
A Nice Walk: Putney Sculpture Trail (1½ miles)
Sometimes you just want to go for a nice walk, nothing too taxing, a bit of a stroll, lots to see, pretty views, tidal waterside, pockets of history, nine bronzes, multiple refreshment opportunities, entirely step-free, won't take...
Londonist
A Map Of Southwark Place Name Origins
The etymology of the London Borough Southwark.
11 months ago
The etymology of the London Borough Southwark.
Londonist
50+ Fantastic Things To Do In London This Month: February 2024
New exhibitions, a flower festival, and a chance to clown around in church.
11 months ago
New exhibitions, a flower festival, and a chance to clown around in church.
AFAR Media - Travel...
Travel to Coastal Germany's Historical UNESCO Sites
7 months ago
Londonist
The Ghosts Of Oxford Street: The Ultimate London Christmas Film?
Part musical, part 'secrets of', part who-knows-what.
a year ago
Part musical, part 'secrets of', part who-knows-what.
diamond geezer
How deep is Crossrail?
In the last week TfL have refused to answer two freedom of Information requests both asking the same...
11 months ago
In the last week TfL have refused to answer two freedom of Information requests both asking the same thing. How deep are Crossrail stations?
geology student at UCL attempting to complete an air quality project and the other just wanted a data dump.
I am looking for the platform...
Spoon & Tamago
Hida Takayama Distillery is Making Whiskey in an Abandoned School, Aging it in a Local Dam
Takane Elementary School and Takane No.2 Dam | images courtesy Hida Takayama A key strategy to...
a year ago
Takane Elementary School and Takane No.2 Dam | images courtesy Hida Takayama A key strategy to reducing our environmental impact involves integrating principles of a circular economy that prioritizes reuse, recovery, and refurbishment of existing infrastructure and resources. The...
Londonist
A Tim Burton Exhibition Is Coming To The Design Museum In 2024
Illustrator, painter, photographer, author - what doesn't he do?
a year ago
Illustrator, painter, photographer, author - what doesn't he do?
Cheese and Biscuits
The White Horse, Churton
Churton is not a place you're supposed to have heard of, so don't feel bad if you haven't. Unlike...
a year ago
Churton is not a place you're supposed to have heard of, so don't feel bad if you haven't. Unlike its larger, and lets face it more attractive, neighbour Farndon with its pretty medieval half-timbered cottages and 14th century church tower, or Tattenhall to the east, another...
diamond geezer
Some transport news
Some transport news
Overground news
It's only accessible via QR code so it's not that...
4 months ago
Some transport news
Overground news
It's only accessible via QR code so it's not that accessible, but I clicked through and discovered the URL is vin.cloud.gomedia.io/HOXTON so you can check it out too. The homescreen is a list of the next three departures and their expected...
diamond geezer
PR bumf roundup
I haven't whinged about unsolicited PR emails for a while because I don't get as many as I used to....
a year ago
I haven't whinged about unsolicited PR emails for a while because I don't get as many as I used to. But they still come, generally from hopeful marketeers with a press release to regurgitate or a plea to amplify some sponsored content. We don't do that here, thanks.
Emily got...
diamond geezer
50 dull lists
50 dull lists
UK cities without a railway station: Armagh, Ripon, St Asaph, St Davids,...
3 months ago
50 dull lists
UK cities without a railway station: Armagh, Ripon, St Asaph, St Davids, Wells
Commemorative stamps 2024: Spice Girls, Weather forecasting, Vikings, Dinosaurs, 100 years of commemorative stamps, Peppa Pig, Dogs, Red Arrows, Dungeons & Dragons, Tower of London,...
diamond geezer
The Smudge of Remembrance
n.b. All the photos in this post were taken this week.
The Smudge of Remembrance
This key project...
2 months ago
n.b. All the photos in this post were taken this week.
The Smudge of Remembrance
This key project is called The Smudge of Remembrance and has been comprehensively curated to create spectral moments of commemoration firmly rooted in the everyday.
Some iterations are almost...
AFAR Media - Travel...
Ashley English’s Favorite Things to Do in Asheville
11 months ago
Londonist
Behind The Blue Doors Of Brixton's Georgian Almshouse
Free exhibition comes to Lambeth Archives.
8 months ago
Free exhibition comes to Lambeth Archives.
diamond geezer
Slowing the Bow Roundabout
(this is the last post written on my old laptop)
temporary timetables on bus routes 25, 205, 276,...
3 months ago
(this is the last post written on my old laptop)
temporary timetables on bus routes 25, 205, 276, 277 and 425 "to help with reliability during roadworks at the Bow Roundabout and displacement of traffic onto local roads". For example buses on route 25 usually run every 7-8...
AFAR Media - Travel...
Amsterdam Plans to Ban Large Cruise Ships: What to Expect
a year ago
Londonist
A Map Of Women's History In London
From Boudicca to Rachel Whiteread.
9 months ago
From Boudicca to Rachel Whiteread.
Londonist
Welsh Things To Do In London
Daffodils, beer and male voice choirs.
9 months ago
Daffodils, beer and male voice choirs.
diamond geezer
B2024
This is the road of the year, the B2024.
There was once an A2024 heading east out of Chichester,...
11 months ago
This is the road of the year, the B2024.
There was once an A2024 heading east out of Chichester, but a WW2 airfield severed that so the B2024 is now all we have.
It kicks off in the middle of Westerham, a proper Wealden town with a coaching inn, tea rooms and a historic high...
Londonist
19 Facts About London That Sound Made-Up But Are True
A drunken Karl Marx and a tube line to the coast.
a year ago
A drunken Karl Marx and a tube line to the coast.
Spoon & Tamago
The Evolution of Meiji Era Craftsmanship, On Full Display in Tokyo
It’s hard to overstate the cataclysmic impact that the Meiji Restoriation had on Japan. The Meiji...
a year ago
It’s hard to overstate the cataclysmic impact that the Meiji Restoriation had on Japan. The Meiji period, defined as the period between 1868 and 1912, followed what was nearly 300 years of almost complete isolation from the globe. Craftsmen and artists who had previously served...
Londonist
Modern London Is Beautiful In This New Photographic Book
London: A Modern City in Photographs by Mathew Browne.
a year ago
London: A Modern City in Photographs by Mathew Browne.
AFAR Media - Travel...
The Best Places for Art, Music, and Theater in Asheville
a year ago
diamond geezer
Green Link Walk 3
Let's return to London's newest official walkway, the Green Link Walk, which was launched on 1st...
9 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...
Spoon & Tamago
Intricate and Organic Sculptures by Ceramicist Eriko Inazaki
These white and intricate forms appear to be the work of mother nature, sculpted over hundreds and...
a year ago
These white and intricate forms appear to be the work of mother nature, sculpted over hundreds and thousands of years. Instead, they’re the work of Japanese ceramicist Eriko Inazaki, who painstakingly shapes and assembles each prick and piece by hand. And in doing so, she’s...
Herbert Lui
The vessel heuristic
What if, when you made art, you weren’t expressing yourself? What if you were a vessel for something...
a week ago
What if, when you made art, you weren’t expressing yourself? What if you were a vessel for something greater to express themselves through? “The human mind is literally an antenna,” Pharrell says. “It picks up waves and transmissions from the ultimate source, from the ether.”...
Londonist
Ayyy! The Fonz Is Coming To London In June
Happy days.
9 months ago
Londonist
An Entire Barbra Streisand Season Is Coming To North London
A star is celebrated.
10 months ago
Londonist
Free And Cheap Things To Do This Week In London: 8-14 January 2024
Things to do for under a fiver.
11 months ago
Things to do for under a fiver.
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