Londonist
Best Of Londonist: 29 January-4 February 2024
The best Londonist articles from the past week.
11 months ago
The best Londonist articles from the past week.
diamond geezer
McDonald's in Woolwich at 50
50 years ago today England's first McDonald's restaurant opened.
There's a brilliant plaque...
a month ago
50 years ago today England's first McDonald's restaurant opened.
There's a brilliant plaque outside.
The three signatories were big names in the American company - Robert Rhea, Fred Turner and Ray Kroc - but none of them turned up. Instead the ribbon was cut by the dynamic...
diamond geezer
New year, new niggles
My 2020 niggle arrived during lockdown. It started small. It wasn't much of a niggle to start with,...
a year ago
My 2020 niggle arrived during lockdown. It started small. It wasn't much of a niggle to start with, it just came on. They say it happens to most people so I shouldn't have been surprised. It was still a bit of a shock though. The first inkling was several years ago. It's got more...
Londonist
V&A East - Brand New Museum Opening In 2025 Announces Its First Exhibition
The Music Is Black: A British Story will get the ball rolling.
a year ago
The Music Is Black: A British Story will get the ball rolling.
diamond geezer
RM70
Every 10 years the Routemaster Association likes to take over Finsbury Park with a mass line-up of...
5 months ago
Every 10 years the Routemaster Association likes to take over Finsbury Park with a mass line-up of London's favourite heritage vehicle, the RM bus. Unfortunately this year Haringey council made things difficult so the 70th anniversary bash, RM70, had to find a different home....
Londonist
15 Pictures Of London's Beautiful Shopfronts
From floating Chinese restaurants to everyone's favourite foliage-smothered boozer.
a year ago
From floating Chinese restaurants to everyone's favourite foliage-smothered boozer.
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.
Londonist
The Elysian Arcs: Giant Rainbows And Bubbles Appear Beneath Cheesegrater
Free installation bring colour to City.
10 months ago
Free installation bring colour to City.
Cheese and Biscuits
Kachori, Elephant and Castle
There's a lot to be said about the redevelopment/regeneration/whitewashing (delete as applicable) of...
a year ago
There's a lot to be said about the redevelopment/regeneration/whitewashing (delete as applicable) of Elephant and Castle, and I am singularly unqualified to say it. I'm not trying to avoid the issue (honest), but am very aware that having nothing invested in the old place and...
diamond geezer
Bonfire of the bonfires
Time was when bonfires and fireworks were the done thing on 5th November. Be it Jacobeans haranguing...
a year ago
Time was when bonfires and fireworks were the done thing on 5th November. Be it Jacobeans haranguing Catholics, Victorians burning effigies or Elizabethans lighting Roman Candles, the day has been celebrated for centuries. But it used to be hugely more important.
Monday,...
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
"Displeasing And Absurd": A Hatchet Job Review Of A Christmas Carol From 1843
There's always one.
a year ago
Londonist
Ice Hockey In London: Who Are The Teams, Where To Watch And When's It On?
Puck up your ideas.
a year ago
AFAR Media - Travel...
These Are the Most Endangered Historic Sites in America
a year ago
Londonist
Lord Mayor Demonstrates Einstein's Time Dilation Effects In The City's Tallest Skyscraper
With a little help from the National Physical Laboratory.
9 months ago
With a little help from the National Physical Laboratory.
Cheese and Biscuits
The Victoria, Oxshott
More often than not, any given world-class gastropub is a good journey away from London. There are...
a year ago
More often than not, any given world-class gastropub is a good journey away from London. There are exceptions, of course - the Drapers Arms, the Pelican, and the Baring are all brilliant places to enjoy a pie and a pint within the M25 - but these are rare. Usually, to find that...
AFAR Media - Travel...
6 Reasons To Travel by Private Yacht in Croatia
10 months ago
Londonist
Lord Mayor's Show 2023: When And Where Is It, And What's Happening?
Spend the day marking an ancient London tradition dating back to 1215.
a year ago
Spend the day marking an ancient London tradition dating back to 1215.
Londonist
Pollock's Toy Museum Is Reopening... In Croydon
Six month pop-up arrives this January.
12 months ago
Six month pop-up arrives this January.
AFAR Media - Travel...
Tips for Avoiding Crowds and Enjoying Croatia
10 months ago
Londonist
London's Alleyway Pubs: 13 Of The Best
Some of the finest ye olde pubs in London.
10 months ago
Some of the finest ye olde pubs in London.
diamond geezer
Count update
After a week of The Count, i.e. 25%, here's what I said I'd count and some of what you asked me to...
11 months ago
After a week of The Count, i.e. 25%, here's what I said I'd count and some of what you asked me to count.
Sorry, some of your suggestions proved terribly impractical.
Count 1) Number of visits to this blog: 22300
Count 2) Number of comments on this blog: 209
Count 3) Number of...
diamond geezer
Canary Wharf 25
Today is Canary Wharf station's 25th birthday. Not the DLR station (that's 33) nor the Crossrail...
3 months ago
Today is Canary Wharf station's 25th birthday. Not the DLR station (that's 33) nor the Crossrail station (that's 2) but the Jubilee line station which opened mid-afternoon on Friday 17th September 1999.
The relentless commercialisation of Canary Wharf station
"Twenty banks of...
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...
Londonist
Best Of Londonist: 6-12 November 2023
The very best chunks of Londonist from the past week.
a year ago
The very best chunks of Londonist from the past week.
AFAR Media - Travel...
Explore the Arctic's Beauty and Wildlife on a Luxury Cruise
3 months ago
Londonist
The Best Music Festivals In London 2024
Party in a field without leaving the capital.
10 months ago
Party in a field without leaving the capital.
Londonist
Best Of London 2023: It's The Annual Londonist Awards!
Dust off your tux - it's trophy time!
a year ago
Dust off your tux - it's trophy time!
Londonist
How To Spend A Weekend In Puerto Del Carmen, Lanzarote
And neighbouring Los Pocillos too.
a year ago
And neighbouring Los Pocillos too.
diamond geezer
The Charterhouse
I hadn't realised you could wander inside The Charterhouse, the historic almshouses on the edge of...
10 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...
Londonist
Review: V&A Shows Tropical Modernism Was So Much More Than An Architectural Movement
Politics, people, environment - all rolled into beautiful buildings.
10 months ago
Politics, people, environment - all rolled into beautiful buildings.
Cheese and Biscuits
YiQi, Chinatown
As any self-respecting 2024 London restaurant-goer knows, the trend in Asian cuisine is towards...
8 months 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
Bus of the day 167
Bus Route Of The Day
167: Ilford to Loughton
Quadrant: London northeast
Length of journey: 8 miles,...
5 months ago
Bus Route Of The Day
167: Ilford to Loughton
Quadrant: London northeast
Length of journey: 8 miles, 50 minutes
Because it's 16th July I've been out riding the 167, because that's the Bus Route Of The Day. Let's hit the Home Counties.
167 extends far enough to properly enter...
Londonist
Victorian Society "Very, Very Sad" About Development Around Turkish Bathhouse
City of London Corporation has green-lit Landsec's £500m plan.
a year ago
City of London Corporation has green-lit Landsec's £500m plan.
Londonist
DLR Extension To Thamesmead: Public Consultation Opens
Have your say before 18 March.
11 months ago
Have your say before 18 March.
diamond geezer
Monday transport news
Subscribe now to get a dose of London transport news in your inbox every Monday.
You've Got...
a year ago
Subscribe now to get a dose of London transport news in your inbox every Monday.
You've Got Mail
Here's the roundel mat at Acton Main Line which is located just behind the gateline. It's easiest seen by those exiting the station, although they can only read it upside-down...
Londonist
Save The Chewing Gum Art Trail On The Millennium Bridge
Ben Wilson's art is threatened.
a year ago
Ben Wilson's art is threatened.
diamond geezer
10 things to see on the Liberty line
The introduction of line names on the Overground is sure to bring sightseers to Havering to see what...
a month ago
The introduction of line names on the Overground is sure to bring sightseers to Havering to see what the Liberty line is all about. So here's my tip-top tourist guide to help you find the finest places in the locality, some of which are actually rather fine.
10 things to see on...
Londonist
Giant Gorilla In Paternoster Square... And You Can Climb On It
New Gillie and Marc sculptures show endangered wildlife.
11 months ago
New Gillie and Marc sculptures show endangered wildlife.
Cheese and Biscuits
Zapote, Shoreditch
One of the best things about being in San Diego twice a year (apart from the zoo... and seeing the...
a year ago
One of the best things about being in San Diego twice a year (apart from the zoo... and seeing the family of course) is its proximity to the Mexican border and to Tijuana. Mexico's second largest city is home to a breathtaking variety of restaurants at all price points, from...
The Forney Flyer
Recent Stuff
A few weeks ago we (fellow MAF pilot Andrew and I) landed at Amudat airstrip for the first time in a...
over a year ago
A few weeks ago we (fellow MAF pilot Andrew and I) landed at Amudat airstrip for the first time in a very long time (below).
Over the past year and a half quite a few of the upcountry airstrips in Uganda (especially in Karamoja) deteriorated so badly that we had to stop using...
Londonist
Where To Eat And Drink In Forest Gate: The Best Restaurants, Cafes, Bars And Pubs
Forest food!
a year ago
Spoon & Tamago
Pioneering Japan’s Zero-Energy Hospitality, ‘ITOMACHI HOTEL 0’
Ito-Machi, launched in 2020, is an urban development in Saijo, featuring a master plan by the...
11 months ago
Ito-Machi, launched in 2020, is an urban development in Saijo, featuring a master plan by the esteemed Kengo Kuma Laboratory at the University of Tokyo.
Related posts:
Stay in Artist Designed Hotel Rooms at the Park Hotel Tokyo
Hotel NUTS by Upsetters Architects
Kamikatsu in...
Londonist
57 Magnificent Things To Do In London This Month: March 2024
Art fairs, Comic Con, the Boat Races, and other March events.
10 months ago
Art fairs, Comic Con, the Boat Races, and other March events.
Londonist
Get Your Broken Stuff Fixed At These Workshops Across London This March
Most are free, too.
10 months ago
diamond geezer
Everyman Stratford International
Stratford has a new cinema.
Everyman and can be found in the highrise nomansland that separates...
2 weeks ago
Stratford has a new cinema.
Everyman and can be found in the highrise nomansland that separates Westfield from the Olympic Park, now officially known as Stratford Cross. It's housed in a brushed metal box tucked beneath 20 floors of Grade A office space. It has three screens,...
diamond geezer
Littlehampton
Seaside postcard: Littlehampton
Littlehampton is a seaside town, I hesitate to say resort, midway...
7 months ago
Seaside postcard: Littlehampton
Littlehampton is a seaside town, I hesitate to say resort, midway along the coast of West Sussex. It has a Heatherwick cafe, a sort-of lighthouse, Britain's longest bench and a lot of crabs. I visited yesterday. [Visit Littlehampton] [12...
AFAR Media - Travel...
10 Best, Most Beautiful Places to Visit in Portugal
a year ago
Herbert Lui
Disorientation
When you first land in a new place, where you don’t speak the language, you’re probably going to...
3 weeks ago
When you first land in a new place, where you don’t speak the language, you’re probably going to make some mistakes. You’ll get in the wrong line at the airport. Queue on the wrong side of the escalator. Realize you’ve unintentionally broken etiquette or convention of some sort....
diamond geezer
Rejigging the Bow Roundabout
(this is the first post written on my new laptop)
(Windows 11 remains very unfamiliar - a lot's...
4 months ago
(this is the first post written on my new laptop)
(Windows 11 remains very unfamiliar - a lot's changed since 7!)
I'm still trying to work out what's going on with the imminent roadworks at the Bow Roundabout. I keep checking the Causeway one.network map where everything's...
diamond geezer
London's longest countdowns
Works to remodel the Old Street roundabout are nearing completion, above ground at least. It was...
9 months 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...
Herbert Lui
Serious writing
In Impro, Keith Johnstone describes how his teachers taught him to write, “They wanted me to reject...
a month ago
In Impro, Keith Johnstone describes how his teachers taught him to write, “They wanted me to reject and discriminate, believing that the best artist was the one who made the most elegant choices. They analysed poems to show how difficult ‘real’ writing was, and they taught that I...
Londonist
Free And Cheap Things To Do This Week In London: 5-11 February 2024
Do cool stuff for under a fiver.
11 months ago
Do cool stuff for under a fiver.
Londonist
Stratford Market Village To Reopen - Following Shock Closure In January
"We are so glad to be back."
9 months ago
"We are so glad to be back."
AFAR Media - Travel...
These Airlines Make Flying Easier for Travelers With Autism
a year ago
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.
Londonist
Free And Cheap Things To Do This Week In London: 12-18 February 2024
Things to do for under a fiver.
10 months ago
Things to do for under a fiver.
Londonist
The World's Rarest Stamp Is On Display In London This September
It's also the most expensive.
a year ago
It's also the most expensive.
Londonist
A White Knuckle Guide To High Adrenaline Activities In London
Feel the fear and do it anyway.
11 months ago
Feel the fear and do it anyway.
diamond geezer
Poor predictions
Two years ago today Liz Truss became Prime Minister. That went well.
I took the opportunity to ask...
3 months ago
Two years ago today Liz Truss became Prime Minister. That went well.
I took the opportunity to ask who you thought would win the next General Election. I offered four options and asked you to "pick the outcome you expect, not the outcome you want". 83 of you had a...
diamond geezer
339 Rerouting Implementation Assessment Report
Rerouting of bus route 339 on Fish Island
November 2023
rerouted in the Fish Island area of East...
a year ago
Rerouting of bus route 339 on Fish Island
November 2023
rerouted in the Fish Island area of East London to serve emerging residential areas previously remote from the bus network. This report from the Independent E3 Inspectorate analyses the build-up to implementation and...
One from Nippon
The World's First App Store
Editor’s Note: This article ends on a cliffhanger. The next part goes out in a week.
I will start...
a year ago
Editor’s Note: This article ends on a cliffhanger. The next part goes out in a week.
I will start with an honest admission. I didn’t set out to write about the world’s first app store. I set out to write about Brother printers.
But
The Forney Flyer
And Here We Go Trying Yet Again...
There are so many good reasons/excuses I could give you as to why I did just one blog post last...
over a year ago
There are so many good reasons/excuses I could give you as to why I did just one blog post last June, with indications that I would start consistently blogging again, and then I disappeared... again. I could tell you that life has been super crazy busy, and that by...
AFAR Media - Travel...
Ways to Get Outside at Iberostar Hotels, Dominican Republic
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...
AFAR Media - Travel...
The British Virgin Islands Is Your Ultimate Vacation Destination
a year ago
AFAR Media - Travel...
Lufthansa Strives to for More Eco-Friendly Air Travel
2 months ago
Londonist
When Are London's Christmas Lights Switched On For 2023?
Three...two...one... CHRISTMAS!
a year ago
Three...two...one... CHRISTMAS!
Spoon & Tamago
Komaeyu: Redesigning the Public Bath to Preserve Traditional Sento Culture
all photos by Ju Yeon Lee courtesy Schemata Architects The number of public baths, or sento as...
a year ago
all photos by Ju Yeon Lee courtesy Schemata Architects The number of public baths, or sento as they’re referred to in Japan, have been in chronic decline since the late 1960s. As the number of homes with their own private bath proliferated, public bathhouses shrank from over...
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.
Spoon & Tamago
The Asuke II Cruise Ship is a Floating Museum of Traditional Craftwork
Over 50 pieces of traditional craftwork (dento kogei) are on display on the Asuka II cruise ship for...
6 months ago
Over 50 pieces of traditional craftwork (dento kogei) are on display on the Asuka II cruise ship for a project organized by the Japan Kogei Association, a Tokyo-based group comprising artisans nationwide, and Anchor Ship Partners Co., a shareholder of the company that operates...
Londonist
April And May Tube Strikes Called Off
No tube strike next Monday after all.
9 months ago
No tube strike next Monday after all.
Londonist
Ever Noticed These Decorative Panels At Guy's Hospital?
Three scenes of hospital life.
a year ago
Three scenes of hospital life.
Londonist
Best Of Londonist: 27 November-3 December 2023
The best articles from the past week.
a year ago
The best articles from the past week.
AFAR Media - Travel...
The Best Outdoor Destinations for Every Kind of Traveler
6 months ago
AFAR Media - Travel...
Travel to Coastal Germany's Historical UNESCO Sites
7 months ago
Londonist
"Sensationally Naff": The 1995 Plans To Rebrand Tube Stations After Advertisers
Tube sponsorship is nothing new.
10 months ago
Tube sponsorship is nothing new.
Londonist
Where To Eat And Drink In The Foodie Heaven That Is Brick Lane
Kimchi, ribs, clams - or just pork scratchings and a pint.
9 months ago
Kimchi, ribs, clams - or just pork scratchings and a pint.
diamond geezer
Unblogged January
31 unblogged things I did in January
Mon 1: I watched the New Year fireworks from the western edge...
11 months ago
31 unblogged things I did in January
Mon 1: I watched the New Year fireworks from the western edge of Canary Wharf, and they were a bit small and the Shard got in the way but at least I celebrated midnight at the right time, rather than slightly delayed on the telly.
Tue 2:...
Herbert Lui
The vessel heuristic
What if, when you made art, you weren’t expressing yourself? What if you were a vessel for something...
3 weeks 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
At A Glance: What's Happening With London's Transport In 2024
New trains! New stations! Major closures!
a year ago
New trains! New stations! Major closures!
Londonist
Hither Green Rail Crash: 1967 Disaster Was One Of London's Worst
"I saw one of the coaches go straight up on its end."
a year ago
"I saw one of the coaches go straight up on its end."
diamond geezer
The Map House
An exhibition of tube maps, dozens and dozens of them, is pretty much nirvana for some people. If...
2 months ago
An exhibition of tube maps, dozens and dozens of them, is pretty much nirvana for some people. If this is you be sure to make a pilgrimage to The Map House (nearest station Knightsbridge) before the end of the month. Look for the gold tube map in the window, just round the corner...
Londonist
Secrets Of 19th Century Workhouse Uncovered At St Pancras Dig
Fireplaces, vibrant walls and hot water bottles revealed.
a year ago
Fireplaces, vibrant walls and hot water bottles revealed.
Londonist
A Map Of Women's History In London
From Boudicca to Rachel Whiteread.
10 months ago
From Boudicca to Rachel Whiteread.
AFAR Media - Travel...
Why Denmark and Finland Are Must-Visits for Foodies
4 months ago
diamond geezer
Crewe
Gadabout: CREWE
Crewe is a large town in Cheshire and a key junction on the West Coast Main Line....
10 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
Supperclub.Tube: The Tube Carriage Serving A Six-Course Tasting Menu
Definitely the best way to spend three hours on the tube.
a year ago
Definitely the best way to spend three hours on the tube.
diamond geezer
Vehicle registration letters
My latest numberplate-spotting game, as I said yesterday, is trying to spot all the pairs of letters...
10 months ago
My latest numberplate-spotting game, as I said yesterday, is trying to spot all the pairs of letters at the start of a vehicle registration plate.
I tried spotting L-pairs over the weekend - a dozen attempts in various parts of town for roughly fifteen minutes each. The dark...
Spoon & Tamago
Gaku Yamazaki has Documented Thousands of Unusual Road Signs Across Japan
all images courtesy Gaku Yamazaki Gaku Yamazaki, a 21-year old college senior, spends his spare time...
a year ago
all images courtesy Gaku Yamazaki Gaku Yamazaki, a 21-year old college senior, spends his spare time traversing Japan in search of what he has dubbed ikei-yajirushi, or ‘unusual arrows.’ There are thousands of these abnormal road signs dotted across Japan and while drivers might...
Londonist
Street Art Hopscotch Appears In London, With A Potent Anti-War Message
“Stop talking about the politics of war and think more about the children suffering from conflict."
a year ago
“Stop talking about the politics of war and think more about the children suffering from conflict."
Londonist
Things To Do This Weekend In London: 25-26 November 2023
Festive markets, drag queens, ice hockey and queer lit.
a year ago
Festive markets, drag queens, ice hockey and queer lit.
diamond geezer
The circular tube map
Is there no limit to the number of tube map variants?
It prioritises the Circle line whose...
11 months ago
Is there no limit to the number of tube map variants?
It prioritises the Circle line whose traditional loop has been manipulated into a perfect circle, but it distorts the hell out of all the other tube lines. Oxford Circus and Piccadilly Circus are on opposite sides of the...
Londonist
Hundreds Of Boats Race On The Thames The Week Before Oxford Vs Cambridge
Ever seen the Head of the River Race?
9 months ago
Ever seen the Head of the River Race?
Londonist
Inside South London's Pay-What-You-Can Cafe
South Norwood Community Kitchen.
9 months ago
South Norwood Community Kitchen.
Londonist
The Vagina Museum Is Reopening In November
"We're absolutely delighted... we love a big opening!"
a year ago
"We're absolutely delighted... we love a big opening!"
Londonist
There's A Place Called Bovril Castle In South London
And there was once a second one, too.
10 months ago
And there was once a second one, too.
Londonist
7 Places To See Gorgeous Autumn Leaves In London
Autumnal walks against a golden backdrop.
a year ago
Autumnal walks against a golden backdrop.
diamond geezer
Far From Super Loop
On bus shelters across London TfL are keenly advertising the Superloop. The poster shows a bus, a...
a year ago
On bus shelters across London TfL are keenly advertising the Superloop. The poster shows a bus, a rainbow burst of pastel colours and the legend The Superloop Is Coming. The given date is Spring 2024 and it's described as a commitment by the Mayor to improve public transport in...
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.
9 months ago
Italian Terraces will also be restored and replanted with wildflowers.
Londonist
Best Of Londonist: 2-8 October 2023
The best articles from the past week.
a year ago
The best articles from the past week.
AFAR Media - Travel...
Away Just Updated its Classic Suitcases With a New Design
a year ago
diamond geezer
Bus of the day 187
Bus Route Of The Day
187: West Hampstead to Park Royal
Quadrant: London northwest
Length of journey:...
5 months ago
Bus Route Of The Day
187: West Hampstead to Park Royal
Quadrant: London northwest
Length of journey: 8 miles, 60 minutes
Because it's 18th July I've been out riding the 187, because that's the Bus Route Of The Day. It's no big hitter.
twiddling round backstreets in an...
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...
10 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
Martin Luther King Gets A London Blue Plaque
The activist visited Bloomsbury in 1961.
11 months ago
The activist visited Bloomsbury in 1961.
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...
8 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
Where To Eat And Drink In Upton Park And East Ham: The Best Restaurants, Cafes, Bars And Pubs
Hope you're hungry...
a year ago
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...
9 months 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
Horizon 22: London's Got A Free New Viewing Gallery - And It's The Tallest In Western Europe
Booking opens 20 September.
a year ago
Booking opens 20 September.
AFAR Media - Travel...
Nordstrom Anniversary Sale 2023: Best Deals for Travelers
a year ago
AFAR Media - Travel...
Why you should visit Story Parlor in Asheville, NC
11 months ago
AFAR Media - Travel...
Amsterdam Plans to Ban Large Cruise Ships: What to Expect
a year ago
AFAR Media - Travel...
Here's Your 7-Day Escape to the British Virgin Islands
a year ago
diamond geezer
Overground line factfile
Overground line factfile
(because all the stats have changed)
Windrush line...
a month ago
Overground line factfile
(because all the stats have changed)
Windrush line
Operates: Highbury & Islington to New Cross/Clapham Junction/Crystal Palace/West Croydon
Colour on map: red parallel lines
Joined the Overground: 2010
Length: 24 miles
Zones: 1-5
Number...
diamond geezer
Mourning clothes
I don't wear my mourning clothes very often, thank goodness. A freshly laundered white shirt, a...
8 months ago
I don't wear my mourning clothes very often, thank goodness. A freshly laundered white shirt, a black jacket unwrapped from the dry cleaners (not actually a suit but the forecast was for showers), suitably shiny shoes and a tie in my pocket in case sartorial standards require....
AFAR Media - Travel...
You Can See the 2024 Solar Eclipse During This 22-Day Cruise
a year ago
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...
8 months 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
Consecutive postcode districts
It's a lovely day in the capital so I hope you're out enjoying the unseasonable warmth rather than...
8 months ago
It's a lovely day in the capital so I hope you're out enjoying the unseasonable warmth rather than wasting your time reading today's post. That's because it's about journeys through consecutively numbered postcode districts, an issue of no practical use whatsoever.
postcode...
Londonist
Where To Celebrate Hanukkah 2023 In London
Where to celebrate Chanukah this December.
a year ago
Where to celebrate Chanukah this December.
Londonist
40+ Rather Splendid Things To Do In London This Month: December 2023
From the first day of advent, through to New Year's Eve.
a year ago
From the first day of advent, through to New Year's Eve.
Spoon & Tamago
Shibuya Unveils Graphics Discouraging Halloween Parties in Their Ward
After the tragic and fatal Halloween crowd crush that occured in Seoul last year, Tokyo’s Shibuya...
a year ago
After the tragic and fatal Halloween crowd crush that occured in Seoul last year, Tokyo’s Shibuya ward, which has increasingly become a go-to spot for Halloween parties—often with dangerous consequences—is taking preemptive measures to discourage people from congregating in their...
Spoon & Tamago
Whale Butter Dish Designed by Akira Yoshimura
This whimsical butter dish is sure to bring a sea of change to your kitchen. Designed by Akira...
a year ago
This whimsical butter dish is sure to bring a sea of change to your kitchen. Designed by Akira Yoshimura (previously) and lovingly produced by the metal artisans of Takaoka-based Sanomasa, the Whale Butter Dish is made in the likeness of a whale that has swallowed a stick of...
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...
10 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
Best Of Londonist: 5-11 February 2024
The best articles from the past week.
10 months ago
The best articles from the past week.
diamond geezer
Lavenham
Day out: Lavenham
well off the beaten track - roughly west of Ipswich and south of Bury St Edmunds....
a year ago
Day out: Lavenham
well off the beaten track - roughly west of Ipswich and south of Bury St Edmunds. But 500 years ago Lavenham was one of the wealthiest towns in the country thanks to all the money to be made from sheep, specifically the dyeing, spinning and weaving of woollen...
diamond geezer
Vote London 2024
There are now less than 20 weeks until the London Mayoral elections and most of the top candidates...
a year ago
There are now less than 20 weeks until the London Mayoral elections and most of the top candidates have laid out their key policies. Sadiq hasn't, his personal website is still a 1-slogan void, but as the incumbent it's easy to imagine what 'more of the same' might mean. Nobody...
Londonist
9 Challenge Events In London In 2024 To Sign Up For Right Now
New year, new challenge!
a year ago
Londonist
10 Tempting New Afternoon Teas To Try In London Right Now: February 2024
Get booking for the newest afternoon tea menus in the capital.
11 months ago
Get booking for the newest afternoon tea menus in the capital.
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...
Londonist
Theatreship: London's Newest Cultural Venue Is On A Boat
Cinema, theatre, lecture hall, bar...
11 months ago
Cinema, theatre, lecture hall, bar...
diamond geezer
The Ivers
Today is Buckinghamshire Day, a celebration of all things Northwest Home Counties, or at least it is...
5 months ago
Today is Buckinghamshire Day, a celebration of all things Northwest Home Counties, or at least it is if you're a flagpole fetishist or a features writer with a gap to fill. It might sound historic but was actually conjured up in 2015 for no better reason than that on 29th July...
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.
Londonist
Where To Be Scottish In London
Kilty pleasures
a year ago
AFAR Media - Travel...
Family-Friendly Vacations on Alabama's Gulf Shores and Orange Beach
a year ago
Londonist
Beavers Are Back In London For The First Time In 400 Years
This'll bring a toothy grin to your face.
a year ago
This'll bring a toothy grin to your face.
AFAR Media - Travel...
Embark on Epic Adventures in the British Virgin Islands
a year ago
diamond geezer
TfL FoI requests in April 2024
20 things we learned from TfL FoI requests in April 2024
1) The annual operating cost for the...
8 months ago
20 things we learned from TfL FoI requests in April 2024
1) The annual operating cost for the Woolwich Ferry is £8.9 million.
2) In 2021 there were 305km of bus lanes in London, up from 293km in 2011.
3) Tfl spent £282,945.43 advertising this year's Fares Freeze on posters, in...
Londonist
Wish You Were (Still) Here: Piccadilly's Egyptian Hall
London's most beautiful pastiche?
10 months ago
London's most beautiful pastiche?
diamond geezer
Splitting lines
Now that the Overground lines are being separately named, some people are asking whether other TfL...
10 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 &...
diamond geezer
25 years of hurt
25 years ago today a total solar eclipse could be seen from the UK. How is that ever quarter of a...
4 months ago
25 years ago today a total solar eclipse could be seen from the UK. How is that ever quarter of a century ago?
small part of the UK mainland in south Devon and Cornwall, arriving over Land's End at 11:10am and departing near Salcombe five minutes later. All you had to do to...
Londonist
Walking With The Snowman: Free Art Trail Comes To Fleet Street This Christmas
We're walking in the aaaiiiiiiir.
a year ago
We're walking in the aaaiiiiiiir.
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...
Londonist
Superloop: SL3 Route Between Thamesmead And Bromley Launches This Weekend
Just SL5 and SL4 to go now...
10 months ago
Just SL5 and SL4 to go now...
Londonist
Behind The Blue Doors Of Brixton's Georgian Almshouse
Free exhibition comes to Lambeth Archives.
9 months ago
Free exhibition comes to Lambeth Archives.
Londonist
Things To Do This Weekend In London: 19-20 August 2023
Black Pride, All Points East, a foodie weekend, a cocktail festival and more.
a year ago
Black Pride, All Points East, a foodie weekend, a cocktail festival and more.
AFAR Media - Travel...
Where Was Game of Thrones Filmed? 11 Locations You Can Visit
a year ago
diamond geezer
439
In March 2020 TfL published a Croydon Bus Study, a 54 page examination of the local bus network and...
10 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...
AFAR Media - Travel...
Discover the Artistic Side of Aspen: A Guide for Culture Lovers
7 months ago
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...
Londonist
A Free Exhibition Featuring Virtual Rainforests Is Coming To Oxo Tower Wharf
Shrug off the city and immerse yourself in a forest.
a year ago
Shrug off the city and immerse yourself in a forest.
Londonist
Where To Watch The Six Nations 2024 In London
Watch rugby greats battle it out at these pubs and bars.
a year ago
Watch rugby greats battle it out at these pubs and bars.
Londonist
Where To Watch Dickens' A Christmas Carol On Stage In London, 2023
From traditional retellings to drunk adaptations.
a year ago
From traditional retellings to drunk adaptations.
AFAR Media - Travel...
7 New Attractions in California Travelers Should Know About
10 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...
Spoon & Tamago
School Lunch Provider Creates Manga Milk to Encourage Kids to Finish Their Milk
Seki Milk, a Gifu-based provider of milk and other dairy-based products to local schools, had long...
a year ago
Seki Milk, a Gifu-based provider of milk and other dairy-based products to local schools, had long been dealing with an inconvenient truth. A large majority of students—65%, according to their own research— weren’t finishing their milk. This was leading to food loss but also a...
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...
8 months 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...
Londonist
Pubs With Real Fires In London: Cosy Up With A Pint By These Roaring Fireplaces
Updated for winter 2023!
a year ago
diamond geezer
Brookside Close
London's Soap Streets
Albert Square E15 and Albert Square SW8.
Coronation Street but the capital...
a year ago
London's Soap Streets
Albert Square E15 and Albert Square SW8.
Coronation Street but the capital doesn't have one.
Come with me to the borderlands between South Ruislip and South Harrow...
Brookside Close HA2
namesake cul-de-sac can be found beside the big roundabout on...
Londonist
A Brief History Of The Bakerloo Line
A chronology of the brown line.
a year ago
A chronology of the brown line.
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...
One from Nippon
$450 for a School Bag?!
Every year, around March, a curious social custom occurs in Japanese families.
Parents of kids...
a year ago
Every year, around March, a curious social custom occurs in Japanese families.
Parents of kids entering elementary school visit the grandparents and gingerly tread the topic of buying the kids a very expensive item: a randoseru.
And gingerly they must tread. The randoseru, a...
Cheese and Biscuits
Evernight, Battersea
Knowing we would be having dinner at Evernight I thought aperitifs at Homeboy Battersea, just around...
a year ago
Knowing we would be having dinner at Evernight I thought aperitifs at Homeboy Battersea, just around the corner in the same building, would be a nice way to kick off the evening. I was at Homeboy a couple of years ago just after it had opened, was treated to a very decent burger...
Londonist
Explore Love In The Animal Kingdom After-Hours At The Natural History Museum
A special Valentine's Day celebration.
11 months ago
A special Valentine's Day celebration.
Londonist
Free And Cheap Things To Do This Week In London: 29 January-4 February 2024
Things to do for under a fiver.
11 months ago
Things to do for under a fiver.
AFAR Media - Travel...
Five Great Places to Visit on Your Next Vacation to Florida
8 months ago
diamond geezer
Why are hire bikes dumped everywhere?
♦ geezr/london 6h
George43Penge
Why are hire bikes dumped everywhere? it makes me so mad
⬆423 ...
5 months ago
♦ geezr/london 6h
George43Penge
Why are hire bikes dumped everywhere? it makes me so mad
⬆423 💬25
✨ penryjan 6h
⭐ obmit 5h
⌚ monkeytennis 4h
⌛ Bimbles 3h
☔ McSpatula 42m
♋ zxcvbnm12 5h
⛽ Greggers 4h
☕ wingnutz 4h
⛲ Ecosoldier 4h
⛔ clarxon 2h
❌ ProudMick 1h
⛵...
Londonist
How (And Why) To Get Tickets To The London Railway Station You've Never Heard Of
London International (CIV).
11 months ago
London International (CIV).
diamond geezer
Brent Cross West station
For decades the two mile gap between Hendon and Cricklewood stations didn't need a station. The...
a year ago
For decades the two mile gap between Hendon and Cricklewood stations didn't need a station. The surrounding area was mostly retail parks and rundown industrial estates, and the site itself was occupied by Cricklewood traction maintenance depot. But 'rundown industrial estate' is...
AFAR Media - Travel...
7 Music-Themed Museums to Visit in Washington D.C.
8 months ago
diamond geezer
Non-London universities in London
London contains a lot of non-London universities.
This building is part of Buckinghamshire New...
11 months ago
London contains a lot of non-London universities.
This building is part of Buckinghamshire New University, which is neither new nor in Buckinghamshire.
wrong side of the river Colne. Admittedly the boundary's less than 200 metres away but this side of the river has always...
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...
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...
10 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...
diamond geezer
Connection issues
I had a nice 2025-related post lined up for you today, but I have issues.
lot of...
4 hours ago
I had a nice 2025-related post lined up for you today, but I have issues.
lot of twiddling.
lightning port.
Yes, I've tried cleaning it but to no effect.
online advice.
There are potential getarounds to get the photos off the phone.
comments if(postComments['91681514525519'] !=...
AFAR Media - Travel...
A Family-Friendly Travel Guide to Minneapolis, MN
8 months ago
Londonist
Christmas Has Returned To The Royal Albert Hall
From carols to festive films in concert.
a year ago
From carols to festive films in concert.
AFAR Media - Travel...
7 Articles on Adventure and Wellness in the Nordic Countries
4 months ago
AFAR Media - Travel...
A Guide to D.C. for Music Lovers by Local Musician Neffy
8 months ago
Herbert Lui
Invest in your stories
My friend Peter started posting at LinkedIn a couple of years ago. He noticed that while people who...
3 weeks ago
My friend Peter started posting at LinkedIn a couple of years ago. He noticed that while people who followed him appreciated his advice, what they remembered most were his stories—about how he met his co-founder and started an agency, how they spun out new companies, and his move...
Londonist
The BT Tower Is Becoming A Hotel
Iconic building sold for £275m.
10 months ago
Iconic building sold for £275m.
Londonist
International Women's Day And Women's History Month 2024 Events In London
Guided walks, talks, exhibitions and more - all celebrating women.
10 months ago
Guided walks, talks, exhibitions and more - all celebrating women.
Spoon & Tamago
Tenohira Hanabi Let’s You Enjoy Sparklers in the Palm of Your Hand
Senko hanabi, literally meaning ‘incense fireworks,’ are small and subtle sparklers that are packed...
5 months ago
Senko hanabi, literally meaning ‘incense fireworks,’ are small and subtle sparklers that are packed with about 10 seconds of delicate pyrotechnics. Typically sold alongside other handheld fireworks, the unspoken rule is that senko hanabi are reserved for the grand finale....
Londonist
The Wandering Caryatids Of Southwark Park
They've stood in three different locations.
a year ago
They've stood in three different locations.
Londonist
St Paul's Lorrimore Square: London's Magnificent Modernist Church
Now THAT's a roof.
a year ago
Herbert Lui
Deliberate play
When I was a child, my parents enlisted me in piano class for the better half of a decade. Those...
a week ago
When I was a child, my parents enlisted me in piano class for the better half of a decade. Those were long years. Every day, I was tasked with practicing two or three songs six times. During exam season, I would need to practice my exam songs ten times perfectly—which meant that...
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...
7 months 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
Marlborough Street
MARLBOROUGH
STREET
£160
London's Monopoly Streets
MARLBOROUGH STREET
Colour group:...
6 months ago
MARLBOROUGH
STREET
£160
London's Monopoly Streets
MARLBOROUGH STREET
Colour group: orange
Purchase price: £180
Rent: £14
Length: 300m
Borough: Westminster
Postcode: W1
Great Marlborough Street. To understand why, remember that the orange set of properties were originally all...
diamond geezer
Trafalgar 219
To celebrate/commemorate the 219th anniversary of the Battle of Trafalgar, here are 40...
2 months ago
To celebrate/commemorate the 219th anniversary of the Battle of Trafalgar, here are 40 Trafalgar-based lists.
Places called Trafalgar: cape in Spain, hamlet in Cornwall, town in Indiana, community in Nova Scotia, town in Victoria, waterfall in Dominica, village in South Africa,...
Spoon & Tamago
Travelling Through Eizan Railway’s Picturesque ‘Momiji Tunnel’
all photos courtesy Eizan Electric Railway Along Kyoto’s Eizan Electric Railway is a section known...
a year ago
all photos courtesy Eizan Electric Railway Along Kyoto’s Eizan Electric Railway is a section known as “Maple Tree Tunnel” (momiji tunnel, in Japanese) that is lined with hundreds of maple trees. They are, of course, beautiful any time of year. But maple trees are particularly...
diamond geezer
Snowflakes
A lot has been added to the tube map in recent years. Accessibility blobs, walking connections,...
a year ago
A lot has been added to the tube map in recent years. Accessibility blobs, walking connections, cablecars, trams, river piers and most recently Thameslink, all have been shoehorned into an increasingly cluttered diagram. But whatever ridiculous woke nonsense have they added...
diamond geezer
Littlehampton → Shoreham
Walking the coast of Britain can be a tortuous meandering slog round umpteen bays and inlets or it...
7 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...
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...
3 weeks 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...
Londonist
Jings! London Is Getting A Deli Selling Nothing But Scottish Food
The Shoap opens in Angel in February.
11 months ago
The Shoap opens in Angel in February.
diamond geezer
Banksy's zoo
Over the course of the last nine days, the artist Banksy has been out daily painting animals at...
4 months ago
Over the course of the last nine days, the artist Banksy has been out daily painting animals at various locations across London. As publicity goes it's been a summer season masterstroke.
Some have since been removed, some have been screened off, some have been further...
AFAR Media - Travel...
Kid-Friendly Historic Sites and Attractions to Visit in Germany
7 months ago
Cheese and Biscuits
Speedboat Bar, Soho
It's been a very long time since I did my post-University trip to SE Asia (yes, I am a cliché, I...
over a year ago
It's been a very long time since I did my post-University trip to SE Asia (yes, I am a cliché, I know) and although this was 2001 (I am also old) and years before I thought about starting a food blog (in fact probably years before the first blog even existed) I remember being...
diamond geezer
Unblogged October
31 unblogged things I did in October
Tue 1: Two new developments in Barking & Dagenham are...
2 months ago
31 unblogged things I did in October
Tue 1: Two new developments in Barking & Dagenham are over-egging transport links in their roadside marketing. Barking Riverside says 'Perfectly connected' when the reality is a half-hourly boat, a train to Barking or non-express buses....
diamond geezer
Summer Olympics of my lifetime
Summer Olympics of my lifetime
10th October 1964: Tokyo
Tokyo Melody by Helmut Zacharias - and...
5 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
Notes from the SL1
Notes from the SL1
Route SL1: North Finchley - Walthamstow Central
Length of journey: 10 miles, 50...
a year ago
Notes from the SL1
Route SL1: North Finchley - Walthamstow Central
Length of journey: 10 miles, 50 minutes
• The SL1 is the second new Superloop route, as opposed to a rebrand. It's also the first, numerically speaking, although nobody has ever satisfactorily explained why...
Londonist
The Dreamlike Tower Bridge From Poor Things Was Almost Real
Yorgos Lanthimos revives Horace Jones' original design.
9 months ago
Yorgos Lanthimos revives Horace Jones' original design.
AFAR Media - Travel...
Alberta’s Best Nature Escapes for Adventurous Travelers
a month ago
diamond geezer
2025 fares
-->TfL's annual fare rise was announced yesterday. It's good news for buses and bad news for...
2 weeks ago
-->TfL's annual fare rise was announced yesterday. It's good news for buses and bad news for trains.
GOOD: "The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, has today announced that he will freeze bus and tram fares for an historic sixth time next year, meaning Londoners continue to pay the...
Londonist
Trafalgar Square Christmas Tree: Where's It From? What's Its History? When's The Switch-On?
Spruce up on your arboreal knowhow.
a year ago
Spruce up on your arboreal knowhow.
AFAR Media - Travel...
Discover Portugal’s Wellness Havens with TAP Air’s Stopover
a month ago
Cheese and Biscuits
Maresco, Soho
Shall we get the inevitable comparisons out of the way first? Yes, there's more than a little...
a year ago
Shall we get the inevitable comparisons out of the way first? Yes, there's more than a little influence from the Hart Bros' Barrafina group of restaurants on display here at Maresco, a bright and bustling new arrival on the streets of Soho. There's a raw bar groaning with...
diamond geezer
The Wombles
April 1974 wasn't all about ABBA, it was also about the Wombles.
Top 5 singles, week ending 27...
8 months 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...
Spoon & Tamago
Tolerance Poster Show Debuts in Japan
The Tolerance traveling poster show is a socially driven initiative that asks prominent designers...
a year ago
The Tolerance traveling poster show is a socially driven initiative that asks prominent designers from around the world to create artworks with the word Tolerance in their language. The exhibition, which leverages art & design to spread its powerful message of respect for...
diamond geezer
Carpenters Road
Carpenters Road has reopened again. It has a habit of doing this.
2007 so its rundown automotive...
7 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...
One from Nippon
A peek inside Japan's largest Dagashi store
Every morning, 67-year Hideyuki Akiyama drives to his store along the rural roads of Okayama in...
a year ago
Every morning, 67-year Hideyuki Akiyama drives to his store along the rural roads of Okayama in Western Japan. Today is no different. A line of excited customers queuing up before the shutters are open.
“Disneyland isn’t our land of dreams, this is!” says one 20-something woman.
diamond geezer
TfL FoI requests in October 2024
20 things we learnt from TfL FoI requests in October 2024
1) The five road junctions with the most...
2 months ago
20 things we learnt from TfL FoI requests in October 2024
1) The five road junctions with the most casualties and collisions over the last three years (specifically the greatest 'casualty harm') are the Redbridge Roundabout, Seven Sisters, Elephant & Castle, the foot of Ilford...
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...
9 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...
diamond geezer
Algorithmic non-chronological
I'm delighted to announce that diamond geezer now has a new non-chronological algorithm.
From...
10 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
Hammersmith Bridge Is Reopening To Cyclists... But Only For 10 Weeks
And it's got something to do with West Ham fans.
10 months ago
And it's got something to do with West Ham fans.
diamond geezer
Moor Park
One Stop Beyond: Moor Park
In this series I'm taking the train one stop beyond the Greater London...
3 months ago
One Stop Beyond: Moor Park
In this series I'm taking the train one stop beyond the Greater London boundary, getting off and seeing what's there. Today that means Moor Park, one stop beyond Northwood on the Metropolitan line, a Hertfordshire halt which exists thanks to a golf...
diamond geezer
Empty dangling
Big news about the Dangleway!
Opening hours cutback proposed🚡
On weekdays that means an 8am...
a month ago
Big news about the Dangleway!
Opening hours cutback proposed🚡
On weekdays that means an 8am start rather than 7am.
🚡 🚡 🚡NowFrom Decembercut
Mon-Thu 07:00 to 22:00 08:00 to 22:001 hour
Friday 07:00 to 22:00 09:00 to 22:00 2 hours
Saturday08:00 to 22:0009:00 to 22:001...
diamond geezer
Walking With The Snowman
"Have you done the snowman sculpture trail yet?" my brother asked. He does like a good thematic...
a year ago
"Have you done the snowman sculpture trail yet?" my brother asked. He does like a good thematic painted fibreglass orienteering gadabout.
Walking With The Snowman and is spread across part of the City between Chancery Lane and St Paul's. There are a dozen snowmen altogether, and...
Spoon & Tamago
Manga Artist Hirohiko Araki Pays Tribute to Osaka Station’s History and Culture with New Public Art...
Osaka Station just got a little more bizzare. Manga artist Hirohiko Araki, known best for his epic...
5 months ago
Osaka Station just got a little more bizzare. Manga artist Hirohiko Araki, known best for his epic saga Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure, has installed his first-ever public art piece at Osaka Station’s West Gate. Titled “Fountain Boy,” the circular, back-lit sculpture pays homage to the...
Londonist
15 Things You Never Knew About Wembley Park
Steeped in history.
a year ago
Londonist
5 Historic Castles To Visit In Essex
Including one that's a fake.
9 months ago
Including one that's a fake.
Londonist
Plans For Redevelopment Of Waterloo Station Revealed
New entrances and concourses are among the ideas.
9 months ago
New entrances and concourses are among the ideas.
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...
7 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
The Legendary India Club Is Closing Next Month
Restaurant owners are "heartbroken".
a year ago
Restaurant owners are "heartbroken".
diamond geezer
Carpenders Park
One Stop Beyond: Carpenders Park
In this series I'm taking the train one stop beyond the Greater...
a month ago
One Stop Beyond: Carpenders Park
In this series I'm taking the train one stop beyond the Greater London boundary, getting off and seeing what's there. Today that means Carpenders Park, one stop beyond Hatch End on what will next week be the Lioness line. For positioning purposes...
One from Nippon
A peek into Japan’s Hot Springs (Part 3)
Editor’s note: This is the third of a three-part article. Part 1 and Part 2 painted the history of...
a year ago
Editor’s note: This is the third of a three-part article. Part 1 and Part 2 painted the history of onsens and the science behind them. In this article we take a deep-dive into the business of onsens.
Onsen as a Business
Despite all the hype in Part 1
AFAR Media - Travel...
An In-Depth Restaurant Review of HAGS in New York City
a year ago
Londonist
London Transport Museum Is Throwing A Special Friday Late For Students
London Calling takes place on 6 October.
a year ago
London Calling takes place on 6 October.
diamond geezer
Weather 2024
the dg weather review of the year
used to do this with big colourful monthly tables but that's too...
6 days 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.
temperature rainfall sunshine
Jancold snapaveragesunny
Febvery...
AFAR Media - Travel...
5 Trip Ideas Around the World for Adventurous Travelers
a year ago
Londonist
Get A First Look At The New King Charles Banknotes At This New Exhibition
Find out what the future of money will be.
11 months ago
Find out what the future of money will be.
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...
diamond geezer
B2024
This is the road of the year, the B2024.
There was once an A2024 heading east out of Chichester,...
12 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
Londonist Speaks To Aunty Donna About Mayors, Theft... And The Word 'Piccadilly'
Comic Aussie surrealists are in town.
a year ago
Comic Aussie surrealists are in town.
diamond geezer
St Paul's Cathedral
On Lord Mayor's Show day entrance to St Paul's Cathedral is free.
Today's post comes free with 30...
a year ago
On Lord Mayor's Show day entrance to St Paul's Cathedral is free.
Today's post comes free with 30 photos on Flickr.
n.b. Doors open at 8.30am, so if you get there early you can get minimal people in your photos.
20 things to see inside St Paul's Cathedral
Nave
1) The font...
diamond geezer
Whitehall
WHITEHALL
£140
London's Monopoly Streets
WHITEHALL
Colour group: pink
Purchase price:...
8 months ago
WHITEHALL
£140
London's Monopoly Streets
WHITEHALL
Colour group: pink
Purchase price: £140
Rent: £10
Length: 500m
Borough: Westminster
Postcode: SW1
Whitehall is one of the most famous and historic streets in London but has been tucked away on the cheap-to-middling side of...
Londonist
Things To Do This Weekend In London: 28-29 October 2023
London's newest exhibitions, plus Halloween events, rugby screenings and more.
a year ago
London's newest exhibitions, plus Halloween events, rugby screenings and more.
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
Westminster 25
Silver Jubilee: Westminster
Westminster's Jubilee line platforms opened 25 years ago today on 22nd...
a week ago
Silver Jubilee: Westminster
Westminster's Jubilee line platforms opened 25 years ago today on 22nd December 1999.
Westminster station - a clickable choose-your-own adventure
(it is genuinely clickable - give it a go!)
(1) You have arrived on the westbound Jubilee line...
Londonist
Seek Out 25 Colourful Guide Dog Sculptures In Canary Wharf
We've heard of a glossy coat but this is ridiculous...
9 months ago
We've heard of a glossy coat but this is ridiculous...
Londonist
Explore Holborn's Two 'Secret' Platforms On This New Hidden London Tour
Torches at the ready.
10 months ago
diamond geezer
Bus of the day 157
Bus Route Of The Day
157: Crystal Palace to Morden
Quadrant: London southwest
Length of journey: 12...
5 months ago
Bus Route Of The Day
157: Crystal Palace to Morden
Quadrant: London southwest
Length of journey: 12 miles, 70 minutes
Because it's 15th July I've been out riding the 157, because that's the Bus Route Of The Day. Be warned I have a few of these up my sleeve as the week progresses,...
One from Nippon
A peek into Japan's Convenience Stores (Part 2)
Editor’s note: This is the second of a two-part article. It will mostly make sense even without...
a year ago
Editor’s note: This is the second of a two-part article. It will mostly make sense even without reading Part 1, but you would be missing out on a lot of context!
Before we start, let's take a quick detour to talk about that word in the
diamond geezer
Stratford station has a new entrance
Stratford station has a new entrance.
Gibbins Road entrance and for most passengers it's of no use...
5 months ago
Stratford station has a new entrance.
Gibbins Road entrance and for most passengers it's of no use whatsoever.
Stratford station has a new entrance.
by the end of March but it didn't. It was due to open in May but it didn't. It's looked finished for ages but it clearly wasn't...
Londonist
Best Of Londonist: 4-10 December 2023
Our best articles from the past week.
a year ago
Our best articles from the past week.
Spoon & Tamago
All Aboard the Deer Train to Nara
all photos by mareiii04 Nara is known for several things including their gorgeous temples and...
a year ago
all photos by mareiii04 Nara is known for several things including their gorgeous temples and exquisite parks. But the historic Japanese city has another major tourist attraction: their devious deer. If you’re heading to Nara, be sure to try and board Kintetsu Railway’s new Deer...
Londonist
Rare Chelsea Books: Memories Of A Bookshop On The King's Road
"We discouraged visitors from bringing in galettes, to prevent sticky fingers."
a year ago
"We discouraged visitors from bringing in galettes, to prevent sticky fingers."
Spoon & Tamago
All 54 Playing Cards Reinterpreted Through Still Life Photography by Yuni Yoshida
Flower petals, leaves, foods and other objects have all been meticulously arranged and then...
a year ago
Flower petals, leaves, foods and other objects have all been meticulously arranged and then photographed to create a set of 54 playing cards, including 2 jokers. It’s the latest work by art director Yuni Yoshida (previously), who’s penchant for analog techniques that shun digital...
diamond geezer
Bow Roundabout update #7
The second full week of roadworks at the Bow Roundabout has seen drilling continue on the Stratford...
2 months ago
The second full week of roadworks at the Bow Roundabout has seen drilling continue on the Stratford side, both under and beside the flyover. A third lane is already substantially carved out at the end of Stratford High Street. Below we see a broad curve where grey concrete block...
Londonist
Things To Do In London Between Christmas And New Year
For when you can't take any more festive TV.
a year ago
For when you can't take any more festive TV.
The Forney Flyer
Nineteen Years of Joy, and Counting!
Nineteen years ago today, I married my best friend, Joy.
One year later our first child was...
over a year ago
Nineteen years ago today, I married my best friend, Joy.
One year later our first child was born...
... and well before his first birthday, we were commissioned by our church to head to the mission field. That was 17 years ago, and we've spent the vast majority of our...
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.
Londonist
Even More Of London's Crappiest Benches
When London's seats fail to bring their A game.
a year ago
When London's seats fail to bring their A game.
Londonist
Santa's Grottos 2023: Where To Meet Father Christmas In London This Year
The man in red is popping up all over town.
a year ago
The man in red is popping up all over town.
Londonist
It Wasn't Fun Unwrapping Christmas Parcels At Mount Pleasant In 1927
"We are absolutely fed up with Christmas" complained staff.
a year ago
"We are absolutely fed up with Christmas" complained staff.
Londonist
When A Plague Of Millions Of Rats Gnawed Its Way Through Central London
They even ate the window frames...
a year ago
They even ate the window frames...
diamond geezer
Your Social Media Calendar for November
Your Social Media Calendar for November
Hurrah it's November which can mean only one thing.......
a year ago
Your Social Media Calendar for November
Hurrah it's November which can mean only one thing.... Christmas is here! It's time once again to pimp up your feeds, boost the brands and push the festive content. But have you remembered all the important marketing angles and have you...
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.
diamond geezer
Transport Freedom
I love my Travelcard because it allows me to take multiple journeys anywhere I like whenever I like....
12 months ago
I love my Travelcard because it allows me to take multiple journeys anywhere I like whenever I like. For a one-off fee I can roam on all TfL modes of transport in my chosen zones. I can go to Woolwich, then West Ealing, then Wood Green if I so choose. I can change my mind mid...
diamond geezer
Mayday Mayday
London has just two streets called Mayday Something. I've been to both.
Mayday Road Thornton Heath...
8 months 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...
AFAR Media - Travel...
Amazing Things to Do in Puerto Rico, According to Locals
a year ago
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
Cricket Cornish Pasty Anyone? London's Bug Restaurant Has Just Gone Permanent
Hop to it!
10 months ago
diamond geezer
Anorak corner (rail edition)
Anorak Corner [National Rail edition]
passenger data from across Britain's railway network, this...
a month ago
Anorak Corner [National Rail edition]
passenger data from across Britain's railway network, this batch covering the period April 2023 to March 2024.
The UK's ten busiest National Rail stations (2023/24) (with changes since 2022/23)
1) -- Liverpool Street (95m)
2) -- Paddington...
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...
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
Push Your Luck
New campaign to make your Tube journey cheaper
The Off Peak Fridays trial ends this Friday, after...
7 months ago
New campaign to make your Tube journey cheaper
The Off Peak Fridays trial ends this Friday, after which pay as you go single fares will return to their original peak values every weekday. But cheaper travel for deserving Londoners remains one of the key mission goals of the...
Londonist
New York Had A Crystal Palace And It Also Burned Down
Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery.
11 months ago
Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery.
diamond geezer
Eversleigh Road
At this time of year I like to blog about a festively-named London street, however mundane it might...
a week ago
At this time of year I like to blog about a festively-named London street, however mundane it might be. In the past I've taken you to Noel Street, Noel Square, three Noel Roads, Noel Park Road, Turkey Street, Christmas Street, Yuletide Close, Shepherds Hill, Angel Road, Stables...
diamond geezer
Anorak corner - bus edition
Anorak Corner [bus edition] (annual update)
Once again TfL have silently published their annual...
a month ago
Anorak Corner [bus edition] (annual update)
Once again TfL have silently published their annual spreadsheet listing the number of passengers using every London bus route and how many kilometres those buses travelled. Data is for April 2023 - March 2024. Comparisons are with the...
AFAR Media - Travel...
Upgrading to Lufthansa Allegris’ New Business Class
5 months ago
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...
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.
diamond geezer
Bow Roundabout update #1
Roadworks have yet to start at the Bow Roundabout but buses on route 8 have already been curtailed...
3 months ago
Roadworks have yet to start at the Bow Roundabout but buses on route 8 have already been curtailed so they no longer start at Bus Stop M. Unfortunately nobody's told the passengers yet. They're still standing around waiting for buses that aren't coming, some for ages until the...
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...
AFAR Media - Travel...
Inside Marie Antoinette’s Reopened Apartment At Versailles
a year ago
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.
diamond geezer
Hyperlocal History Month
August is often Local History Month on diamond geezer. I thought this year I might go hyperlocal and...
5 months ago
August is often Local History Month on diamond geezer. I thought this year I might go hyperlocal and bring you historical details of objects and places particularly close to home. We'll see how it goes.
HYPERLOCAL HISTORY MONTH: My fridge
My fridge is four years old, having...
AFAR Media - Travel...
4 Outdoor Adventures Near Marriott Hotels in Florida
5 months ago
Londonist
Paws On The Wharf: Free Guide Dogs Sculpture Trail Coming To London
Another free art trail for a fantastic cause.
10 months ago
Another free art trail for a fantastic cause.
diamond geezer
Going unitary
Local government organisation in England is complicated, always has been, which is why the...
2 weeks ago
Local government organisation in England is complicated, always has been, which is why the government are keen to reorganise it.
There are 317 councils in England:
(upper-tier)
(lower-tier)
(unitary)
(unitary)
(unitary)
(unitary)
Logically it makes no sense that some shire...
Londonist
Places That Closed Down In London In 2024
Rooftop bars, kids' attractions and a beloved market.
9 months ago
Rooftop bars, kids' attractions and a beloved market.
Londonist
Free And Cheap Things To Do This Week In London: 8-14 January 2024
Things to do for under a fiver.
12 months ago
Things to do for under a fiver.
diamond geezer
The Wrythe
Today we're off to the only south London suburb that starts with The, namely The Wrythe which is a...
7 months ago
Today we're off to the only south London suburb that starts with The, namely The Wrythe which is a significant part of Sutton. Essentially it's North Carshalton but has had a separate identity since medieval times, actual residents since Victorian times and today forms a...
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