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...
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
Election results 2024
Vote2024: Election stats
1a) 2024 election: votes cast
Lab
34%Con
24%Ref
14%LD
12%Gr
7%S
Oth
1b)...
5 months ago
Vote2024: Election stats
1a) 2024 election: votes cast
Lab
34%Con
24%Ref
14%LD
12%Gr
7%S
Oth
1b) 2024 election: seats won
Lab
412Con
121LD
72S
9Oth
22
2) 21st century elections: votes...
diamond geezer
Options for improving Stratford station
Stratford station can be a nightmare to get around, having grown over the years to become an...
a year ago
Stratford station can be a nightmare to get around, having grown over the years to become an impenetrable monster of an interchange. It needed a major rebuild in the late 90s before the Jubilee line arrived, fronted by the steel and glass concourse we see today. It needed another...
Londonist
Those Horse-Drawn Carriage Rides Through London Parks Are Back For Winter
The mane event.
a year ago
Londonist
The Absolute Worst Things You Can Say To A Londoner
"I bought my flat in the early 2000s for 150k."
a year ago
"I bought my flat in the early 2000s for 150k."
diamond geezer
The Taylor Swift tube map
The most important event of the summer, if publicity is to be believed, is the arrival of Taylor...
6 months ago
The most important event of the summer, if publicity is to be believed, is the arrival of Taylor Swift to play eight gigs at Wembley Stadium. Taylor, as you'll be aware, is a billionaire singer from West Pennsylvania whose hit canon includes Shake It Off and several lesser known...
Londonist
Exciting News For London Art Lovers!
A special offer just in time for the Easter holidays
9 months ago
A special offer just in time for the Easter holidays
AFAR Media - Travel...
Five Great Places to Visit on Your Next Vacation to Florida
8 months ago
diamond geezer
Majority Sweepstake
On polling day, let's have a sweepstake on the size of the Labour majority.
comments...
5 months ago
On polling day, let's have a sweepstake on the size of the Labour majority.
comments if(postComments['51253209151424'] != null){document.write(' (' + postComments['51253209151424'] + ')')}else{document.write(' (0)')};
n.b. If you don't think Labour are going to get a majority, go...
Londonist
Best Of Londonist: 16-22 October 2023
The best articles from the past week.
a year ago
The best articles from the past week.
diamond geezer
Random Remembrance
Every London borough hosts a Remembrance event, maybe several.
The parade lines up outside the...
a month ago
Every London borough hosts a Remembrance event, maybe several.
The parade lines up outside the museum and awaits the signal. Everyone important's here, all the civic dignitaries apart from those who've been delegated to officiate at the borough's three other memorials. The...
Londonist
Ticket Alert: Beyoncé's Renaissance Tour Film Is Coming To London
Welcome to the Renaissance.
a year ago
Welcome to the Renaissance.
diamond geezer
Friday transport news
Friday transport news
n.b. London Reconnections does a longer list every Friday
Ian Visits does a...
10 months ago
Friday transport news
n.b. London Reconnections does a longer list every Friday
Ian Visits does a longer list every Friday
Raildate does a longer list every Friday
Overground news
recently restored, and it's one of the latter.
It's the original waiting room from 1872 which...
diamond geezer
Pudding Mill Lane 10
The DLR's youngest station is ten years old today.
Pudding Mill Lane opened on 28th April 2014...
7 months ago
The DLR's youngest station is ten years old today.
Pudding Mill Lane opened on 28th April 2014 and remains unnecessarily enormous.
Caveat: The station which opened 10 years ago was a rebuild paid for by Crossrail, because the original sat on the precise site where purple...
diamond geezer
Go To Jail
The square after Piccadilly on the Monopoly board is GO TO JAIL. The accompanying picture may show a...
2 months ago
The square after Piccadilly on the Monopoly board is GO TO JAIL. The accompanying picture may show a police officer blowing a whistle but the person who actually sends you to jail is a judge in a court room, so today's post is about criminal courts in London.
Criminal courts in...
The Forney Flyer
Latest from Uganda
Here's a picture taken while I was doing an early morning pre-flight inspection 2 days ago, on...
over a year ago
Here's a picture taken while I was doing an early morning pre-flight inspection 2 days ago, on Sunday, on a remote strip in South Sudan.
It's not normal for us to do flights on Sundays, but we've had an aircraft stuck in that location for a long time now, requiring some TLC...
AFAR Media - Travel...
Tips for Exploring L.A.'s Northern Shopping Districts
2 months ago
diamond geezer
Decorations up
It was St Nicholas Day yesterday so I put my Christmas decorations up.
It's not a date-related...
a year ago
It was St Nicholas Day yesterday so I put my Christmas decorations up.
It's not a date-related tradition or anything, certainly not my tradition, but this year the day I spotted the box of decorations was 6th December so out they came and up they went. It would've been more...
AFAR Media - Travel...
9 Greek Travel Experiences for a Luxurious Escape
a month ago
AFAR Media - Travel...
Embark on Epic Adventures in the British Virgin Islands
a year ago
diamond geezer
Theobalds Grove
One Stop Beyond: Theobalds Grove
In this series I'm taking the train one stop beyond the Greater...
3 months ago
One Stop Beyond: Theobalds Grove
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 Theobalds Grove, one stop beyond Turkey Street on the Southbury Loop, better known these days as the Weaver...
Spoon & Tamago
Post-Apocalyptic Illustrations of Tokyo in Ruins
Shinjuku Station – the road has collapsed on the South side of the station, revealing pools of blue...
a year ago
Shinjuku Station – the road has collapsed on the South side of the station, revealing pools of blue water that have formed on the train tracks Stories about the collapse of civilization and order—apocalyptic stories—endlessly seduce us. As terrifying as the real thing would...
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
The Bridge To Somewhere
In the middle of Burgess Park is an old and seemingly pointless bridge. It's red, it crosses nothing...
a year ago
In the middle of Burgess Park is an old and seemingly pointless bridge. It's red, it crosses nothing worse than a footpath and you can walk/scoot/cycle past at ground level alongside its entire length. It need not be here and yet it is, and what's more it's just been repaired,...
Londonist
The City Street With FOUR Names
What do you call the road between Millennium Bridge and St Paul's?
a year ago
What do you call the road between Millennium Bridge and St Paul's?
The Forney Flyer
View From My Office Window
I never cease to be awed by the beauty and diversity of God's creation. Over the years, I've...
over a year ago
I never cease to be awed by the beauty and diversity of God's creation. Over the years, I've flown/worked in quite a number of regions/countries, and had the unique privilege of enjoying many awesome landscapes in some of the most remote and isolated parts of the world... and...
The Forney Flyer
South Sudan Photo Archives
Here's some shots from South Sudan from the archives. These first three shots were taken just a few...
over a year ago
Here's some shots from South Sudan from the archives. These first three shots were taken just a few months ago, when I flew a Caravan load of medicines up to a remote health clinic in South Sudan. This is the only clinic that offers actual medicine and medical treatment in that...
AFAR Media - Travel...
4 Outdoor Adventures Near Marriott Hotels in Florida
5 months ago
AFAR Media - Travel...
An In-Depth Restaurant Review of HAGS in New York City
a year ago
Londonist
Petition Launched As Stratford's Beloved Market Village Suddenly Closes
It'd been going for over 30 years.
11 months ago
It'd been going for over 30 years.
diamond geezer
Let's vote again (Bow East version)
HYPERLOCAL HISTORY MONTH: Let's vote again
Bow East you're about to get another chance to place a...
4 months ago
HYPERLOCAL HISTORY MONTH: Let's vote again
Bow East you're about to get another chance to place a cross on a ballot paper, and all because 15302 voters put their cross on a ballot paper somewhere else.
by-election is being held in Bow East ward for a seat on Tower Hamlets...
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
Londonist
"As Long As 13 London Buses": The Curious, Spurious Comparisons We Find In The Media
What as tall as six Nelson's Columns?
9 months ago
What as tall as six Nelson's Columns?
Spoon & Tamago
‘Mirai No Table’ Brings Childcare and Dining Together As One
All images © Atelier Air Flo Nukasawa courtesy of Harema Design Office At the crossroads of...
a year ago
All images © Atelier Air Flo Nukasawa courtesy of Harema Design Office At the crossroads of childcare and dining, ‘Mirai no Table‘ (Table of the Future) is a café conceived from the dual perspectives by Harema Design Office. The café embodies the idea that our food choices shape...
Londonist
Where To Celebrate St Patrick's Day 2024 In London
Parties, parades and other craic on and around 17 March.
9 months ago
Parties, parades and other craic on and around 17 March.
Londonist
Support A Great Cause At The Guildhall's Spectacular Christmas Market!
Festive feasting, fantastic gifts, and medieval grandeur.
a year ago
Festive feasting, fantastic gifts, and medieval grandeur.
AFAR Media - Travel...
A Local Baker’s Top Picks to Maine’s Best Winter Adventures
4 months ago
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...
AFAR Media - Travel...
The Best Winter Resorts and Activities in Central Minnesota
a month ago
Londonist
These Are The London Boroughs With The Most Public CCTV Cameras
And they're not the ones you might think.
a year ago
And they're not the ones you might think.
AFAR Media - Travel...
Visit Corpus Christi, TX for Beaches and Outdoor Adventure
5 months ago
Londonist
Punk Bands In 1970s London: Rescued And Never-Before-Seen-Photos
Free exhibition only on for a month.
a year ago
Free exhibition only on for a month.
Londonist
Sadiq Stops The Ball Rolling On Controversial Stratford Sphere
Massive Vegas-style venue would be " bulky, unduly dominant and incongruous".
a year ago
Massive Vegas-style venue would be " bulky, unduly dominant and incongruous".
diamond geezer
Dunton Green
One Stop Beyond: Dunton Green
In this series I'm taking the train one stop beyond the Greater...
a month ago
One Stop Beyond: Dunton Green
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 Dunton Green, one stop beyond Knockholt on the Sevenoaks line, a disparate village at the foot of the North Downs...
Londonist
Skyscraper Bagging: How Many Of London's 20 Tallest Buildings Have You Been Up?
Ticking off the towers.
10 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...
Londonist
The No Trousers Tube Ride Returns To London This Weekend
It's January. Let's get half-naked on public transport.
11 months ago
It's January. Let's get half-naked on public transport.
diamond geezer
Vine Street
VINE
STREET
£200
London's Monopoly Streets
VINE STREET
Colour group: orange
Purchase price:...
5 months ago
VINE
STREET
£200
London's Monopoly Streets
VINE STREET
Colour group: orange
Purchase price: £200
Rent: £16
Length: 40m
Borough: Westminster
Postcode: W1
In this year-long feature my aim has been to write just over 1000 words about each of the properties on the Monopoly...
diamond geezer
The Big London Airports Race
Nobody wants to read boring old text any more, the moving image is where it's at.
video and bringing...
8 months ago
Nobody wants to read boring old text any more, the moving image is where it's at.
video and bringing you my first thrilling dynamic transport content.
For those of you without playback capability, I've included a transcript below.
THE BIG LONDON AIRPORTS RACE
Scene - outside...
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
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
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
Warm Your Cockles At London's Best Winter Drinks Pop-Ups And Cosy Bars
Igloos, rooftops, ski lodges and trains.
a year ago
Igloos, rooftops, ski lodges and trains.
Spoon & Tamago
Japan’s Stationery Award Offers a Return to the Primitive
Early civilizations had it all figured out. At least according to the Kokuyo Design Awards, arguably...
8 months ago
Early civilizations had it all figured out. At least according to the Kokuyo Design Awards, arguably Japan’s most-influential stationery design award, which this year asked designers to look to the past. “If we return to the idea of ‘primitive’ in order to create the future,”...
diamond geezer
Our new coins
The News For Those Who Are No Longer Looking
An increasing number of my acquaintances no longer...
a year ago
The News For Those Who Are No Longer Looking
An increasing number of my acquaintances no longer follow the news in mainstream media, for whatever reason, avoiding all the bad news but simultaneously missing the good. So I thought I'd perform a public service by blogging about...
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...
9 months ago
Artist Yukihiro Akama is set to unveil his largest exhibition to date, ‘Basho no Kankaku – A Sense of Place,’ at Yorkshire Sculpture Park (YSP).
Related posts:
Whimsical Wooden Automata by Kazuaki Harada
A Wooden Cabin Constructed Locally in the Mountains of Japan Using a 3D...
Londonist
Things To Do This Weekend In London: 30 September-1 October 2023
A drag brunch, a mudlarking festival, art markets, Oktoberfest and more.
a year ago
A drag brunch, a mudlarking festival, art markets, Oktoberfest and more.
One from Nippon
A peek into Japan’s Hot Springs
Editor’s Note: Due to the sheer amount of interesting material here we decided to break this into a...
a year ago
Editor’s Note: Due to the sheer amount of interesting material here we decided to break this into a three-part article.
We thank our avid reader “S” who suggested this topic and graciously helped with our research.
Could a nation’s bathing culture be influenced by
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
Miracle At Henrietta: The Christmassiest Bar In London
It's Kiiiiiiiitschmas!
a year ago
diamond geezer
London Heritage Quarter Summer Trail
What is this bolx?
London Heritage Quarter 'Journey Through Time' Summer Trail and it's bolx. It's...
6 months ago
What is this bolx?
London Heritage Quarter 'Journey Through Time' Summer Trail and it's bolx. It's been organised not to inspire and delight but to drive footfall to four commercial districts. It kicked off last week and runs all summer. It's lowest common denominator art. It's...
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
Things To Do In The Borough Of Kingston Upon Thames
Or ROYAL Kingston upon Thames, if you insist.
10 months ago
Or ROYAL Kingston upon Thames, if you insist.
diamond geezer
London's highest lettered house
What's London's highest lettered house?
Sorry, that's a bad question. I don't mean the highest...
a year ago
What's London's highest lettered house?
Sorry, that's a bad question. I don't mean the highest above sea level, not like the highest station I blogged about on Thursday. And letters aren't generally higher than other letters, F isn't higher than E, it's more an alphabetical...
AFAR Media - Travel...
Vacation Ideas for Families with Neurodivergent Children
a year ago
diamond geezer
Blogged September
30 blogged things I did in September
Fri 1: I've now been publishing my 'unblogged' posts for 5...
a year ago
30 blogged things I did in September
Fri 1: I've now been publishing my 'unblogged' posts for 5 years, i.e. I've done 60 of them, so to still be getting 50 comments on the latest one is quite something, thanks.
Sat 2: I broke the news that tube platform tickets were being...
Londonist
A Brief History Of The Bakerloo Line
A chronology of the brown line.
a year ago
A chronology of the brown line.
Londonist
Things To Do This Weekend In London: 17-18 February 2024
VAULT Festival returns, plus a cheese market and a day of Lego.
10 months ago
VAULT Festival returns, plus a cheese market and a day of Lego.
diamond geezer
On multiple OS maps
This is the town of Purley.
three OS Landranger maps.
Landranger maps, each drawn to a scale of...
4 months ago
This is the town of Purley.
three OS Landranger maps.
Landranger maps, each drawn to a scale of 1:50000, and between them they cover the whole of Great Britain and its islands.
maps tend to align precisely with their neighbours so places appear on one or the other. But...
diamond geezer
Tower Hamlets Town Hall
Over the years I've been round ten London borough town halls as part of Open House but never my own....
a year ago
Over the years I've been round ten London borough town halls as part of Open House but never my own. That's because Tower Hamlets' was a hired fortress close to the mouth of the Blackwall Tunnel and no great architectural shakes. But the council's just moved into a new base in...
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.
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
Battersea Power Station And Nine Elms Tube Stations Just Got Mark Wallinger Labyrinths
Great news for Labyrinth hunters!
a year ago
Great news for Labyrinth hunters!
Spoon & Tamago
Kumu in Kanazawa Connects People and Places
all photos by takumi ota The Japanese word kumu is a verb with many nuances. Depending on the...
11 months ago
all photos by takumi ota The Japanese word kumu is a verb with many nuances. Depending on the context, kumu can mean “to join,” “to draw out,” or “to pour.” In that sense, it was the perfect name for a hotel that embodies connection and hospitality: connecting people with a...
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
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...
Londonist
London's Best Whisky Bars
Fancy a wee dram?
11 months ago
AFAR Media - Travel...
5 Trip Ideas Around the World for Adventurous Travelers
a year ago
Spoon & Tamago
Kenji Yanobe’s BIG CAT BANG is Now on Display at Ginza Six
Space cats in astronaut suits, ultraman figurines reenacting the beginning of the universe, and a...
8 months ago
Space cats in astronaut suits, ultraman figurines reenacting the beginning of the universe, and a tribute to Taro Okamoto’s iconic Statue of the Sun sculpture. There’s a lot to love about artist Kenji Yanobe’s new installation, BIG CAT BANG, and it’s now on view to the public...
diamond geezer
Almost Oxford Street
A Nice Walk: Almost Oxford Street (1½ miles)
Crowds throng the length of Oxford Street, especially...
a year ago
A Nice Walk: Almost Oxford Street (1½ miles)
Crowds throng the length of Oxford Street, especially at this time of year, in search of gifts and for a gander at the sparkly lights. But sometimes you just want to go for a nicer walk, nothing too busy, a bit of a stroll, lots to...
Cheese and Biscuits
Lulu's, Herne Hill
Thank the lord for the lengthening days, for lifting the spirits and lightening the mood and - most...
a year ago
Thank the lord for the lengthening days, for lifting the spirits and lightening the mood and - most importantly from my point of view - dramatically improving the quality of food photography on this blog. I'm sure Lulu's would be a lovely, cozy little spot even in the depths of...
Londonist
Nostalgic For The Elephant And Castle Underpass? You Will Be After Watching This Maccabees Video
The ending almost had us weeping...
a year ago
The ending almost had us weeping...
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...
Londonist
Bold New Look For Old City Hall
Plans teased for a more open, green look.
a year ago
Plans teased for a more open, green look.
Londonist
Best Of Londonist: 12-18 February 2024
Copycat tube stations, odd benches and SIX new lines on the tube map.
10 months ago
Copycat tube stations, odd benches and SIX new lines on the tube map.
Londonist
Greek Things To Do In London: Cuisine, Culture, History And More
As picked by experts.
a year ago
AFAR Media - Travel...
Five Destinations to Explore Beyond the Ordinary on Your Next Journey
a year ago
AFAR Media - Travel...
Myrtle Beach’s Sensory-Friendly Hotels, Spots, Restaurants
3 months ago
Spoon & Tamago
Spoon & Tamago’s Most-Popular Posts of 2023
It’s an annual tradition at casa Spoon & Tamago to reflect on the year that was by taking a look...
12 months ago
It’s an annual tradition at casa Spoon & Tamago to reflect on the year that was by taking a look back at the posts that resonated the most with our readers. In doing so, we try to make sense of the year which, for Japan, was very much a year of homecoming. Japan felt like...
diamond geezer
Postcards from Norwich
Postcards from Norwich
✉ Goldsmith Street
five years ago it went to council housing in Norwich....
2 months ago
Postcards from Norwich
✉ Goldsmith Street
five years ago it went to council housing in Norwich. They could have built flats but instead they packed 105 energy-efficient houses into a handful of dense terraced streets, aligned east-west to maximise solar gain. Extra-thick walls...
Spoon & Tamago
Wakuni Cafe: New Tokyo Cafe Made from 700 Bronze Plates Salvaged from Hayatani Shrine
the wakuni cafe, which opens January 19, 2024, is inside a 50-year old renovated building Opening in...
11 months ago
the wakuni cafe, which opens January 19, 2024, is inside a 50-year old renovated building Opening in the Tokyo neighborhood of Higashimurayama this month is Wakuni Cafe, a new destination that embodies history, craftsmanship and a spirit of reusing old materials. The exterior of...
Londonist
Things To Do In London On Christmas Eve 2023
Ice skating, festive films and Christmas carols.
a year ago
Ice skating, festive films and Christmas carols.
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...
Londonist
Brixton Academy Is Reopening In April
First gigs announced since December 2022.
9 months ago
First gigs announced since December 2022.
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...
Herbert Lui
Greatness means avoiding stupid mistakes consistently
Shane Parrish writes at Brain Food, “Moments don’t make legends. Consistency does. And the hardest...
a week ago
Shane Parrish writes at Brain Food, “Moments don’t make legends. Consistency does. And the hardest consistency isn’t in doing brilliant things but avoiding stupid ones. Every mistake puts you in hard mode, forcing you to make up lost ground.” In some lines of work, a person must...
Londonist
Artist Will Lie On Tower Bridge's Glass Walkway All Day This Saturday
Thought-provoking work from Anahita Harding.
9 months ago
Thought-provoking work from Anahita Harding.
Londonist
There Are So Many Swan Lakes Coming To London This Summer
The Year of the Swan.
8 months ago
Spoon & Tamago
Photographer Meticulously Recreates Images of Chickens Painted by Edo-Era Artist Ito Jakuchu
Edo-era painter Ito Jakuchu (1716-1800) excelled at capturing the flora and fauna of the natural...
6 months ago
Edo-era painter Ito Jakuchu (1716-1800) excelled at capturing the flora and fauna of the natural world, a skill that extended to remarkable depictions of birds. In particular, chickens were a common theme for the artist and it was said that Jakuchu owned many of them, and allowed...
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
"Displeasing And Absurd": A Hatchet Job Review Of A Christmas Carol From 1843
There's always one.
a year ago
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
Review: V&A Shows Tropical Modernism Was So Much More Than An Architectural Movement
Politics, people, environment - all rolled into beautiful buildings.
9 months ago
Politics, people, environment - all rolled into beautiful buildings.
Londonist
Where To Watch The Rugby World Cup 2023 In London
Pubs and bars screening the action.
a year ago
Pubs and bars screening the action.
diamond geezer
Inconsequential transport news
Inconsequential transport news
The graphic shows a child standing beside an adult, well away...
a year ago
Inconsequential transport news
The graphic shows a child standing beside an adult, well away from the teeth at the edge. But it also breaks the cardinal rule of "standing on the right", indeed if every parent chose to behave this way it'd block walker-uppers and...
diamond geezer
Langley Vale WW1 Centenary Wood
Yesterday a 12 mile walk from Redhill to Epsom morphed abruptly into a 13 mile walk from Redhill to...
11 months ago
Yesterday a 12 mile walk from Redhill to Epsom morphed abruptly into a 13 mile walk from Redhill to Leatherhead. And so I found myself blundering unexpectedly through Langley Vale, England's WW1 Centenary Wood.
a mile to the south of Epsom racecourse. It's one of four Centenary...
diamond geezer
The Watling Street divide
Watling Street runs for over ten miles from the heart of the West End to the very edge of the...
2 weeks ago
Watling Street runs for over ten miles from the heart of the West End to the very edge of the capital, nigh straight and essentially roundaboutless. Not only is today's Edgware Road a Roman survivor but it's also probably London's most influential road democracywise. That's...
diamond geezer
Losing our marbles
I went to see the Elgin Marbles in the British Museum yesterday.
Greece can't have them back.
This...
a year ago
I went to see the Elgin Marbles in the British Museum yesterday.
Greece can't have them back.
This whole controversy thing is just a ploy by the British Museum to drum up more visitors. It worked with me anyway, I went yesterday, and their devious marketing strategy deserves to...
Spoon & Tamago
The New 12 Kanda Co-Working Space Supports Small Businesses
all photos by Toshiyuki Yano Right across the Kanda River from Akihabara Station is 12 Kanda, a new...
2 months ago
all photos by Toshiyuki Yano Right across the Kanda River from Akihabara Station is 12 Kanda, a new co-working space dedicated to supporting small businesses and startups. A visually eye-catching building, it features multiple stories with different forms and functions stacked on...
diamond geezer
Going unitary
Local government organisation in England is complicated, always has been, which is why the...
5 days 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...
diamond geezer
I wish it could be every day
I wish it could be Christmas Eve every day
• Shopping would always be madness.
• No more Countdown...
12 months ago
I wish it could be Christmas Eve every day
• Shopping would always be madness.
• No more Countdown on C4, just endless reruns of The Snowman.
• You'd forever be wrapping presents but not opening them.
• You'd soon run out of sellotape.
• Christmas jumpers would no longer be a...
diamond geezer
grumpytutters
Modern life, eh, it's not what it was. People are so badly behaved these days, they get away with so...
a year ago
Modern life, eh, it's not what it was. People are so badly behaved these days, they get away with so much and it's incredibly irritating. So many things aren't as good as they should be because rules are ignored, adults are selfish, children have no respect, officials are...
diamond geezer
The Ivers
Today is Buckinghamshire Day, a celebration of all things Northwest Home Counties, or at least it is...
4 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
Fundraising Events In London For Medical And Humanitarian Aid In Gaza
Some ways to support emergency response efforts.
a year ago
Some ways to support emergency response efforts.
diamond geezer
Electric 358
A new bus has started running on route 358 between Crystal Palace and Orpington. They call it the...
a month ago
A new bus has started running on route 358 between Crystal Palace and Orpington. They call it the tram bus.
It's not really a tram, it's "a bus with tram styling" according to the manufacturers, Spanish company Irizar. They make two lengths of vehicle and to be fair the 18m...
diamond geezer
Last week unblogged
10 things I've seen/done/read over the last week
Tuesday (a): Last week I wrote a post about...
10 months ago
10 things I've seen/done/read over the last week
Tuesday (a): Last week I wrote a post about housing built on former airfields. Today I found myself standing outside some housing built on a former airfield, a fact made plain by someone mounting a model plane on the front of one...
AFAR Media - Travel...
You Can See the 2024 Solar Eclipse During This 22-Day Cruise
a year ago
AFAR Media - Travel...
Soon, TSA Security Screenings Will Be Self-Service
a year ago
diamond geezer
847
London's Free Buses
847: Stratford to Here East
Length of journey: 1 mile, 7 minutes
shuttle bus...
2 months ago
London's Free Buses
847: Stratford to Here East
Length of journey: 1 mile, 7 minutes
shuttle bus that runs up and down the Olympic Park and has done since May 2017. It may therefore come as a surprise to hear that I've never previously ridden it, especially as it's very close to...
Londonist
Things To Do In London Over Easter Weekend 2024
Eggs, bunnies and the Passion of Jesus.
9 months ago
Eggs, bunnies and the Passion of Jesus.
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...
Spoon & Tamago
Osaka Celebrates Star Festival with River of 40,000 LED Lights Evoking the Milky Way
The Okawa River, which runs through central Osaka, was lit up on Friday with 40,000 LED lights...
a year ago
The Okawa River, which runs through central Osaka, was lit up on Friday with 40,000 LED lights floating down the river as they evoked the celestial milky way. The surreal scene was part of a celebration of Tanabata, or the Star Festival, which is a major summer festival in Japan...
Londonist
Best Of Londonist: 13-19 November 2023
The very best of Londonist from the past week.
a year ago
The very best of Londonist from the past week.
Londonist
12 Spring Day Trips From London: March 2024
Daffodils, dinosaurs and British fashion icons.
9 months ago
Daffodils, dinosaurs and British fashion icons.
Londonist
London Hotel Rooms With A Serious View
Penthouse suites, balconies, and the city spread at your feet.
a year ago
Penthouse suites, balconies, and the city spread at your feet.
AFAR Media - Travel...
Grand Hotel Timeo Launches Pop-Up Treehouse Suites by Dior
a year ago
Spoon & Tamago
A Temporary Rooftop Forest Replaces Fukuoka’s Dazaifu Tenmangu Shrine During Renovations
Dazaifu Tenmangu Shrine, one of Japan’s most-historically and culturally significant shrines, will...
a year ago
Dazaifu Tenmangu Shrine, one of Japan’s most-historically and culturally significant shrines, will undergo a massive renovation beginning in May of 2023. And for three years the honden main hall will be completely closed off to the roughly 10 million visitors who come to the...
Londonist
Best Of London 2023: It's The Annual Londonist Awards!
Dust off your tux - it's trophy time!
12 months ago
Dust off your tux - it's trophy time!
diamond geezer
Sharpenhoe Clappers
Over the weekend I went to Sharpenhoe Clappers.
The Canine Activity paragraph
memorial stone at...
8 months ago
Over the weekend I went to Sharpenhoe Clappers.
The Canine Activity paragraph
memorial stone at Sharpenhoe Clappers because just before I reached it I encountered a group of young people with two dogs. I wasn't at all pleased when the bull terrier looked up and started running...
diamond geezer
Donkey Lane
To continue this year's Christmas perambulations, three little donkeys.
Donkey Lane EN1
just off...
a year ago
To continue this year's Christmas perambulations, three little donkeys.
Donkey Lane EN1
just off the Great Cambridge Road in the London borough of Enfield. Locally the local area is known as Carterhatch, and might be known more widely had the potential Overground station not...
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.
Londonist
The West London Zoo You've Probably Never Heard Of
Where the art is as impressive as the animals.
a year ago
Where the art is as impressive as the animals.
AFAR Media - Travel...
4 Kessler Collection Hotels with Art in the Southern U.S.
4 months ago
diamond geezer
London's biggest power stations
The square after Pall Mall on the Monopoly board is the Electric Company. It would be too...
8 months ago
The square after Pall Mall on the Monopoly board is the Electric Company. It would be too overfamiliar to visit Tate Modern and Battersea Power Station, plus neither of them still generate electricity, so I'm not going there. Instead I've identified the five largest power...
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...
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...
AFAR Media - Travel...
Why you should visit Story Parlor in Asheville, NC
11 months ago
Londonist
Things To Do This Weekend In London: 21-22 October 2023
Exhibitions, tours, live music, and half term fun.
a year ago
Exhibitions, tours, live music, and half term fun.
diamond geezer
Consequential
Some weeks are consequential.
a) Today is the Budget.
This budget also feels like it's been...
a month ago
Some weeks are consequential.
a) Today is the Budget.
This budget also feels like it's been coming for ages, the General Election being 17 weeks ago, but it takes time to check the nation's finances, develop a plan and balance strategic gains with individual pain. There has...
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.
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...
Londonist
Things To Do In London On Boxing Day 2023
There's more to Twixtmas than Monopoly and mulled wine.
a year ago
There's more to Twixtmas than Monopoly and mulled wine.
Londonist
An 'Accidentally Wes Anderson' Exhibition Is Coming To West London
So. Much. Pastel.
a year ago
AFAR Media - Travel...
10 Best, Most Beautiful Places to Visit in Portugal
a year ago
AFAR Media - Travel...
4 Kessler Collection Hotels with Art in the Southern U.S.
4 months ago
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...
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
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
Christmas In London 2023: A Guide To Festive Events, Food And Drink In The Capital This Winter
Top tips for spending Christmas in the capital.
a year ago
Top tips for spending Christmas in the capital.
Londonist
Revised Skyscraper Plans Could Make It Centimetres Taller Than The Shard
One Undershaft is going up in the world.
a year ago
One Undershaft is going up in the world.
Spoon & Tamago
Noriko Sugiyama Transforms Old Kimono Into Luxurious Landscapes
all images courtesy Noriko Sugiyama Noriko Sugiyama is a self-taught artist who works with discarded...
10 months ago
all images courtesy Noriko Sugiyama Noriko Sugiyama is a self-taught artist who works with discarded kimono and obi, which she masterfully upcylces to create landscapes brimming with energy and hope. But her path to artistry has been anything but conventional. Now at the age of...
Londonist
'Eatalong' With Kevin Mac Allister At These Special Home Alone Screenings
Including a dish called a 'Filthy Animals'.
a year ago
Including a dish called a 'Filthy Animals'.
Londonist
How (And Why) To Get Tickets To The London Railway Station You've Never Heard Of
London International (CIV).
10 months ago
London International (CIV).
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.
diamond geezer
SL3
Route SL3: Thamesmead - Bromley North
Length of journey: 14 miles, 75 minutes
SPOD CLUB...
10 months ago
Route SL3: Thamesmead - Bromley North
Length of journey: 14 miles, 75 minutes
SPOD CLUB MEET-UP
Location: Thamesmead Town Centre
Date: Saturday 24th February 2024
Time: 10:30am
Purpose: To ride the SL3!!!!!
In attendance: BusTokker09, Ian, Jings, Markie, Rizzo, Tim
Apologies:...
diamond geezer
BL1
London's Free Buses
BL1: Bedfont Lakes - Feltham
BL2: Bedfont Lakes - Hatton Cross
Length of...
2 months ago
London's Free Buses
BL1: Bedfont Lakes - Feltham
BL2: Bedfont Lakes - Hatton Cross
Length of journey: 2 miles, 12 minutes
It's a strange place, a 1990s commercial development built across former gravel pits, originally with IBM as the lead tenant. It's a bit like Stockley Park...
diamond geezer
Lambeth NEWS
Lambeth North
northernmost point in the borough of Lambeth. Which is here in the middle of Waterloo...
a year ago
Lambeth North
northernmost point in the borough of Lambeth. Which is here in the middle of Waterloo Bridge.
Officially it's quarter of a mile downstream in the middle of the River Thames, but you can't stand there. The furthest north you can go in Lambeth without resorting to...
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...
Londonist
The Secretive Eel Pie Island Is Open To Visitors This Weekend
Explore the usually off-limits oddball artistic enclave.
a year ago
Explore the usually off-limits oddball artistic enclave.
Londonist
Quobna Ottobah Cugoano: 18th Century Abolitionist Celebrated In Permanent Artworks
Che Lovelace canvasses bring Trinidadian colour to St James's Piccadilly.
a year ago
Che Lovelace canvasses bring Trinidadian colour to St James's Piccadilly.
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.
Spoon & Tamago
Tamiya’s New Plamodel Factory in Tokyo is a Model Maker’s Paradise
Photos by Daici Ano and Tomoyuki Kusunose, courtesy Torafu Architects Tamiya, perhaps the most...
5 months ago
Photos by Daici Ano and Tomoyuki Kusunose, courtesy Torafu Architects Tamiya, perhaps the most recognized brand name in the modeling industry, recently opened a new flagship facility in the Shimbashi Toranomon area of Tokyo. Dubbed the Tamiya Plamodel Factory, the shiny new...
Londonist
Tower Bridge Will Be Stuck In The Raised Position, As It Closes Over Bank Holiday
It's supposed to be like that.
a year ago
It's supposed to be like that.
diamond geezer
Unofficial tube map news 1
Three weeks ago a pasta-delivery company announced they'd be giving away free pasta outside five...
a year ago
Three weeks ago a pasta-delivery company announced they'd be giving away free pasta outside five tube stations on October 25th to celebrate World Pasta Day. This is the kind of marketingbolx that various media platforms adore, and Time Out, Metro, Secret London, AOL, MSN and the...
Londonist
Things To Do This Weekend In London: 24-25 February 2024
A Saltburn ball, a Spider-Man concert, and a mystery movie marathon.
10 months ago
A Saltburn ball, a Spider-Man concert, and a mystery movie marathon.
Londonist
20+ Cheery Things To Do In London In January 2024
Events to get you through the dark winter days.
11 months ago
Events to get you through the dark winter days.
Spoon & Tamago
Tan Yamanouchi’s New House Speaks to His Cats’ Desires
Ever wondered what your home might look like if it were custom-designed to cater to the tastes of...
a year ago
Ever wondered what your home might look like if it were custom-designed to cater to the tastes of your beloved feline companions? Well, the architect Tan Yamanouchi of AWGL has designed a purr-fect home, prioritizing his two cats over himself and his partner.
Related posts:
a...
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...
Londonist
See A Flock Of 50 Sheep Herded Over Southwark Bridge This September
By a celebrity.
a year ago
Londonist
Best Of Londonist: 11-17 March 2024
Our best articles from the past week.
9 months ago
Our best articles from the past week.
diamond geezer
Unblogged March
31 unblogged things I did in March
Fri 1: I always have to reset my ancient Casio digital watch...
8 months ago
31 unblogged things I did in March
Fri 1: I always have to reset my ancient Casio digital watch after a leap day because it thinks today is the 2nd, but this year the already-somewhat-dodgy button jammed through over-use and I fear I'm going to be stuck with the wrong date...
Londonist
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.
Londonist
Review: Fantasy: Realms Of The Imagination At The British Library
The genre finally gets the exhibition it deserves.
a year ago
The genre finally gets the exhibition it deserves.
Londonist
Things To Do In London On New Year's Eve
31 December events and parties in London.
a year ago
31 December events and parties in London.
AFAR Media - Travel...
Nordstrom Anniversary Sale 2023: Best Deals for Travelers
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.
AFAR Media - Travel...
Away Just Updated its Classic Suitcases With a New Design
a year ago
Londonist
Around London In 11 Fish
Sculptures, puns and some actual real fish.
11 months ago
Sculptures, puns and some actual real fish.
Londonist
Earth Hour 2024: London To Be Plunged Into Darkness Again
Switch the lights off for an hour, for the good of the planet.
9 months ago
Switch the lights off for an hour, for the good of the planet.
diamond geezer
Bow Roundabout update #4
Four months of major roadworks were supposed to begin at the Bow Roundabout on Monday. So how's that...
2 months ago
Four months of major roadworks were supposed to begin at the Bow Roundabout on Monday. So how's that going?
Monday 30th September
Tuesday 1st October
I popped up to Old Ford to see what's happened with route 8 terminating one stop early. A temporary stand has been created...
Londonist
Things To Do This Weekend In London: 27-28 January 2024
A frost fair, snowdrops and an Australia Day party.
11 months ago
A frost fair, snowdrops and an Australia Day party.
Londonist
Best Of Londonist: 26 February-3 March 2024
Our top stories from the last seven days.
9 months ago
Our top stories from the last seven days.
Londonist
TfL Releases Treasure Trove Of Historic Tube Maps, Photos And More
The transport motherlode via Google Arts & Culture.
10 months ago
The transport motherlode via Google Arts & Culture.
diamond geezer
NewsBites From Norfolk
NewsBites From Norfolk
(It's been a busy week)
n.b. one of these didn't actually happen, sorry.
5 months ago
NewsBites From Norfolk
(It's been a busy week)
n.b. one of these didn't actually happen, sorry.
diamond geezer
Park Lane
PARK
LANE
£350
London's Monopoly Streets
PARK LANE
Colour group: dark blue
Purchase price:...
a week ago
PARK
LANE
£350
London's Monopoly Streets
PARK LANE
Colour group: dark blue
Purchase price: £350
Rent: £35
Length: 1200m
Borough: Westminster
Postcode: W1
Park Lane, a seething dual carriageway that somehow retains a luxury cachet. One side is a wall of superior hideaways and...
Londonist
"My Obsession With London's Modernist Council Estates"
The beauty of the capital's social housing.
9 months ago
The beauty of the capital's social housing.
diamond geezer
Pentonville Road
PENTONVILLE
ROAD
£120
London's Monopoly Streets
PENTONVILLE ROAD
Colour group: light...
9 months ago
PENTONVILLE
ROAD
£120
London's Monopoly Streets
PENTONVILLE ROAD
Colour group: light blue
Purchase price: £120
Rent: £8
Length: ¾ mile
Borough: Islington
Postcode: N1
Euston Road and the Angel Islington. That's because it's another segment of the New Road, London's first...
AFAR Media - Travel...
The British Virgin Islands Is Your Ultimate Vacation Destination
a year ago
AFAR Media - Travel...
The 10 Least Visited U.S. National Parks and How to Visit
a year ago
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...
Spoon & Tamago
3D Printing and Traditional Wood Joinery Techniques Give Life to the Tsuginote Tea House
all photos by Eiichi Yoshioka courtesy Kei Atsumi Japanese wood joinery dates back to the seventh...
a year ago
all photos by Eiichi Yoshioka courtesy Kei Atsumi Japanese wood joinery dates back to the seventh century and is a craftsmanship technique that involves complicated, interlocking wooden joints that form bonds without the use of nails, screws or adhesives. Practical use of these...
Spoon & Tamago
Undercover’s Jun Takahashi Lights up Paris Fashion Week with Glowing Terrarium Dresses
images courtesy Undercover Flora and fauna were abound as designer Jun Takahashi’s fertile...
a year ago
images courtesy Undercover Flora and fauna were abound as designer Jun Takahashi’s fertile creativity was unleashed during Paris Fashion Week 2023. The designer’s iconic brand Undercover, equally revered as a cult name in streetwear and as a fixture on Paris’ haute couture...
Londonist
The Shard Is Lighting Up With The St George's Cross For The Lionesses
Turns out The Shard is an England supporter.
a year ago
Turns out The Shard is an England supporter.
Londonist
Pick Your Own Christmas Tree At These Festive Farms In And Around London
Christmas jumpers optional. Wellies recommended.
a year ago
Christmas jumpers optional. Wellies recommended.
Spoon & Tamago
The 2023 Spoon & Tamago Gift Guide
2023 felt like a turning point for Japan. After several years of covid-induced seclusion, tourism...
a year ago
2023 felt like a turning point for Japan. After several years of covid-induced seclusion, tourism rebounded to pre-pandemic levels. And although just anecdotal, so many people we spoke to who previously had no connection to Japan, were planning trips and honeymoons that it truly...
Londonist
Panto In London - Where To Watch The Best Pantomimes This Festive Season
Panto is back for 2023 - oh yes it is!
a year ago
Panto is back for 2023 - oh yes it is!
Londonist
BFI Flare: Huge LGBTQIA+ Film Festival Lands In London This March
Feat. Layla, Close To You and All Of Us Strangers.
10 months ago
Feat. Layla, Close To You and All Of Us Strangers.
Londonist
Croydon Plans Spectacular Mic Drop For Borough Of Culture Closing Weekend
Light shows, punk marble runs and the world's smallest nightclub.
9 months ago
Light shows, punk marble runs and the world's smallest nightclub.
diamond geezer
Coventry Street
COVENTRY
STREET
£260
London's Monopoly Streets
COVENTRY STREET
Colour group: yellow
Purchase...
3 months ago
COVENTRY
STREET
£260
London's Monopoly Streets
COVENTRY STREET
Colour group: yellow
Purchase price: £260
Rent: £22
Length: 200m
Borough: Westminster
Postcode: W1/WC2
Coventry Street owes its name to Charles II's secretary of state, Henry Coventry, who'd built a house here...
diamond geezer
Ten apologies
I'd like to apologise for the ten posts I could have brought you today but haven't written.
1)...
a month ago
I'd like to apologise for the ten posts I could have brought you today but haven't written.
1) Visit London have opened a temporary Ticket Shop in Covent Garden
flogging stuff, mainly tickets to attractions and shows, and it looks hugely superfluous but it's not aimed at...
Londonist
Another Dazzling Light Show Comes To This Central London Church This Winter
Luxmuralis work their magic at St Martin-in-the-Fields.
a year ago
Luxmuralis work their magic at St Martin-in-the-Fields.
AFAR Media - Travel...
A Travel Itinerary Exploring the Roman Empire in Germany
6 months ago
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
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...
Spoon & Tamago
You’ll Soon Be Able to Stay in One of Japan’s Most Beautifully Designed Prisons
photos by Masashi Mizowaki and Takaharu Yagi Spending the night in jail is usually not a good thing....
a year ago
photos by Masashi Mizowaki and Takaharu Yagi Spending the night in jail is usually not a good thing. Unless of course you’re staying in Japan’s Nara Prison, a historic red-brick structure built in 1908 with western archways and onion domes that lend an air of castle more than...
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...
Cheese and Biscuits
Hainan House, Angel
Hainan is an island off the south coast of China about the size of Vancouver Island - that makes it...
3 months ago
Hainan is an island off the south coast of China about the size of Vancouver Island - that makes it bigger than Sicily and Sardinia and twice the size of Hawaii, with a population of over 10 million people (more than London). And yet inevitably until last week I'd never heard of...
diamond geezer
The 20 year-old 2016 tube map
20 years ago this week TfL published a map of what their transport network might look like in...
5 months ago
20 years ago this week TfL published a map of what their transport network might look like in 2016.
(technically it was 20 years ago last week, but the actual anniversary was election day and we were all otherwise occupied)
The map has obviously disappeared from the TfL...
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...
Londonist
The Barbi-Ken Line? The Ickeypoo Line? What If All Tubes Were Named Like Bakerloo?
Waterloo to Bank presents some options.
a year ago
Waterloo to Bank presents some options.
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.
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.
diamond geezer
Whitechapel Road
WHITECHAPEL
ROAD
£60
London's Monopoly Streets
WHITECHAPEL ROAD
Colour group: brown
Purchase...
11 months ago
WHITECHAPEL
ROAD
£60
London's Monopoly Streets
WHITECHAPEL ROAD
Colour group: brown
Purchase price: £60
Rent: £4
Length: 1 kilometre
Borough: Tower Hamlets
Postcodes: E1
Whitechapel Road would be the first square. Instead it's the second brown, the more expensive of the...
Londonist
Valentine's Day 2024 In London: Events For Dates, Mates And Flying Solo
Romance-themed things to do on and around 14 February.
10 months ago
Romance-themed things to do on and around 14 February.
diamond geezer
The beetle
After I boarded my train home from Surrey on Sunday I noticed that a beetle had hitched a ride on my...
a year ago
After I boarded my train home from Surrey on Sunday I noticed that a beetle had hitched a ride on my rucksack. It could have jumped from a bush I'd brushed against, it could have worked its way up from my boots or it could have crawled on when I put my rucksack down on the...
diamond geezer
Fleet Street
FLEET
STREET
£220
London's Monopoly Streets
FLEET STREET
Colour group: red
Purchase price:...
5 months ago
FLEET
STREET
£220
London's Monopoly Streets
FLEET STREET
Colour group: red
Purchase price: £220
Rent: £18
Length: 500m
Borough: City of London
Postcode: EC4
Fleet Street precisely links the edge of the ancient walled city (at Ludgate) to the edge of the expanded medieval...
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.
One from Nippon
From the Ashes of the World's First App Store
Editor’s Note: This is the second of a two-part article. Read Part 1 here.
Part 1 Summary: Brother...
a year ago
Editor’s Note: This is the second of a two-part article. Read Part 1 here.
Part 1 Summary: Brother Industries built Takeru, the world's first software vending machine that let users download software from a server. While revolutionary, it wasn't as huge a success as
Londonist
Things To Look Forward To In London In 2024
The biggest things happening in the capital over the next 12 months.
12 months ago
The biggest things happening in the capital over the next 12 months.
Londonist
London Almost Had Another Public Aquarium - In Silvertown Docks
Ever heard of 'Biota!'?
a year ago
Londonist
Best Of Londonist: 9-15 October 2023
The best articles from the past week.
a year ago
The best articles from the past week.
diamond geezer
A nice walk
A Nice Walk: Suburban circuit (¾ mile)
Sometimes you just want to go for a nice walk, nothing too...
7 months ago
A Nice Walk: Suburban circuit (¾ mile)
Sometimes you just want to go for a nice walk, nothing too taxing, a bit of a stroll, easily reached, pretty flowers, running water, hidden secrets, occasional benches, refreshment opportunity, entirely step-free, won't take long. So here's...
AFAR Media - Travel...
Esquelbecq Is Named France’s Favorite Village of 2023
a year ago
diamond geezer
Climbing Campden Hill
A Nice Walk: Campden Hill (¾ mile)
Campden Hill, a full 42 metres above sea level. Here it is on a...
3 months ago
A Nice Walk: Campden Hill (¾ mile)
Campden Hill, a full 42 metres above sea level. Here it is on a topographic map, a raw bruise to the east of Holland Park, entirely untroubled by public transport. [1872 map] [2024 map]
Campden Hill rises to the south of Notting Hill Gate,...
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...
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...
diamond geezer
Wimbledon expands
Last week the Deputy Mayor approved the All England Club's planning application to build 39 new...
2 months ago
Last week the Deputy Mayor approved the All England Club's planning application to build 39 new tennis courts across Wimbledon Park. But was that decision right or was it wrong?
extend across the road with a new show court and dozens of practice courts, and throw in a new...
diamond geezer
The Brockley Three Peaks
A Nice Walk: The Brockley Three Peaks (5 miles)
Sometimes you just want to go for a nice walk,...
6 months ago
A Nice Walk: The Brockley Three Peaks (5 miles)
Sometimes you just want to go for a nice walk, triple-summited, great views, waterside stretches, plenty of up and down, easily reached, all-weather surfaces, a bit of history, occasional dead people, refreshment opportunities, two...
diamond geezer
Paddington plus
Paddington tube station has another entrance. I know, another one.
It already has a...
2 months ago
Paddington tube station has another entrance. I know, another one.
It already has a District/Circle/Bakerloo entrance on the mainline concourse, a separate District/Circle entrance across the road on Praed Street, a completely separate Circle/Hammersmith & City entrance over...
AFAR Media - Travel...
Why The Sagamore Pendry Baltimore is The City's Best Hotel
a year ago
Londonist
London's Christmas Lights 2023: Where, When And How To See Them This Year
A complete guide to London's glittering festive displays.
a year ago
A complete guide to London's glittering festive displays.
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
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.
diamond geezer
60-odd years of game show debuts
60-odd years of UK game show debuts
1962 University Challenge
1963 Password
1964 Mr and Mrs
1965...
a year ago
60-odd years of UK game show debuts
1962 University Challenge
1963 Password
1964 Mr and Mrs
1965 Call My Bluff
1966 It's A Knockout
1967 Ask The Family
1968 Just A Minute
1969 Jokers Wild
1970 A Question of Sport
1971 Sale of the Century
1972 Mastermind
1973 We Are The...
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...
diamond geezer
Nazareth Gardens and Bethlehem House
To conclude this year's selection of festive streets, here are both ends of the donkey's...
12 months ago
To conclude this year's selection of festive streets, here are both ends of the donkey's journey.
Nazareth Gardens SE15
Nazareth Gardens. I realised none of this when I turned up.
Round the corner is a large space given over to parking surrounded by old flats and two...
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.
Londonist
Plunge Into An Icy Brockwell Lido For Charity This Christmas
The Icebreaker challenge is back.
a year ago
The Icebreaker challenge is back.
Londonist
Best Of Londonist: 28 August-3 September 2023
Escaped monkeys, the Great Fire, and a new Eurostar service.
a year ago
Escaped monkeys, the Great Fire, and a new Eurostar service.
Londonist
That Time Someone Rode A Lambretta Down The Thames
Spoiler alert: it later sank.
a year ago
Spoiler alert: it later sank.
Londonist
Best Of Londonist: 25 September-1 October 2023
The best articles from the past week.
a year ago
The best articles from the past week.
Londonist
Crown And Coronation: Regal Light Show To Be Projected Onto Tower Of London
This one will be popular - and tickets are available now!
a year ago
This one will be popular - and tickets are available now!
Londonist
Previously Off-Limits Areas Of Buckingham Palace To Open To The Public
Including the room behind that world-famous balcony.
8 months ago
Including the room behind that world-famous balcony.
The Forney Flyer
Subsistence Living, Way Back When
Well, it's been forever since I've posted and I won't even begin to make excuses. But before I try...
over a year ago
Well, it's been forever since I've posted and I won't even begin to make excuses. But before I try to start posting stuff from East Africa, I figured I'd finish that series I had started over a year ago about Way Back When we used to live just north of the Arctic Circle in...
Londonist
Christmas Gift Guide: London Themed Presents To Buy For London Lovers!
Books, booze and unique stocking fillers.
a year ago
Books, booze and unique stocking fillers.
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.
Cheese and Biscuits
Nord, Liverpool
In a town that already plays host to wonderful places like Wreckfish and Manifest, you'd think that...
a year ago
In a town that already plays host to wonderful places like Wreckfish and Manifest, you'd think that the opening of another reasonably-priced, seasonal modern British restaurant in the centre of Liverpool would be a shoo-in for success. With demand already proven for this kind of...
diamond geezer
The best value London sightseeing bus
The best value London sightseeing bus
It's hard to get an objective opinion. If you head to the...
4 months ago
The best value London sightseeing bus
It's hard to get an objective opinion. If you head to the Visit London website it turns out they have an affiliate deal with Golden Tours and promote them heavily at the top of their list, with two other operators tucked a long way down and...
Cheese and Biscuits
Little Cellars, Camberwell
Having enjoyed the original Peckham Cellars very much, I eagerly jumped on a very kind invitation to...
a year ago
Having enjoyed the original Peckham Cellars very much, I eagerly jumped on a very kind invitation to their new Camberwell offshoot. Little Cellars is aptly named - there's a couple of high tables for 6 in the middle of the room and 8 lower seats arranged looking out of the two...
AFAR Media - Travel...
Kid-Friendly Historic Sites and Attractions to Visit in Germany
6 months ago
Londonist
London's Cosiest Hotels
Because baby it's cold outside.
a year ago
Because baby it's cold outside.
diamond geezer
Random borough 3
Twenty years ago, on my first Random Borough trip, my jamjar took me to Merton and I only gave it a...
9 months ago
Twenty years ago, on my first Random Borough trip, my jamjar took me to Merton and I only gave it a one-day write-up. Two decades later I'm doing Merton justice by giving it three days, of which this is the last, so buckle down to learn about fertiliser, philanthropy and phone...
diamond geezer
High Streets
My High Streets post got a lot of attention over the weekend.
How many High Streets are there in...
6 months ago
My High Streets post got a lot of attention over the weekend.
How many High Streets are there in London?
Twitter and got 20 more comments.
Hacker News, the behemoth American syndicator, and got 80 more comments.
diamond geezer.
a) not realising the significance of capital...
diamond geezer
Renaming the Overground, step by step
The introduction of the six new London Overground names is finally, tangibly, underway. But the...
4 weeks ago
The introduction of the six new London Overground names is finally, tangibly, underway. But the changes are being phased in, as befits a seriously complex operation, with some happening now, some delayed until next month or next year, and some kicked far into the future because...
The Forney Flyer
Northern Scenery, Way Back When...
Today I'm returning to the "Way Back When..." series, highlighting some of the surreal beauty we...
over a year ago
Today I'm returning to the "Way Back When..." series, highlighting some of the surreal beauty we enjoyed in the boreal forests of the far north.
Obviously most of these photos feature frigid beauty. That's because it was cold and snowy/icy much of the year. Also, there were...
Londonist
TfL Moves To A Bigger Lost Property Office
The network's only getting bigger, after all.
a year ago
The network's only getting bigger, after all.
Londonist
Tube And Trains Will Be Off-Peak All Day Friday For 3-Month Trial
Drive to revive Fridays.
10 months ago
diamond geezer
Unblogged October
31 unblogged things I did in October
Tue 1: Two new developments in Barking & Dagenham are...
a month 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
Substacks
For those who like writing online, the blogging platform of choice continues to evolve.
Substack,...
a week ago
For those who like writing online, the blogging platform of choice continues to evolve.
Substack, founded in 2017, which has been picking up more and more top writers of late. I have no intention of jumping ship, let's make that clear at the start, but I thought I'd take a...
diamond geezer
Pig Farm Alley
Underwhelming London: Pig Farm Alley, Worcester Park
Pig Farm Alley is a long straight path, off...
3 months ago
Underwhelming London: Pig Farm Alley, Worcester Park
Pig Farm Alley is a long straight path, off limits to traffic, in the London borough of Sutton. It runs from Trafalgar Avenue, off Stonecot Hill, to an edgeland nomansland by the Lower Morden Equestrian Centre. It's about a...
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...
Londonist
Theatreship: London's Newest Cultural Venue Is On A Boat
Cinema, theatre, lecture hall, bar...
11 months ago
Cinema, theatre, lecture hall, bar...
Londonist
A Brief History Of The Metropolitan Line
The world's first underground railway.
a year ago
The world's first underground railway.
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
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...
diamond geezer
Energen Close
While I was in Willesden, round the back of Taylors Lane Power Station, I came across this...
8 months ago
While I was in Willesden, round the back of Taylors Lane Power Station, I came across this oddly-named cul-de-sac. That's an odd name for a cul-de-sac, I thought. Why was Energen Close named after a private company?
Powergen, not Energen, although they were founded in 1989 so...
diamond geezer
Anorak Corner - bus edition
Anorak Corner [bus edition] (annual update)
Once again TfL have silently published their annual...
a year 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 2022 - March 2023. Comparisons are with the...
diamond geezer
Walking between Heathrow Terminals 2 and 3
A Nice Walk: Heathrow T2 to T3 (500m)
Sometimes you just want to go for a nice walk, nothing too...
6 months ago
A Nice Walk: Heathrow T2 to T3 (500m)
Sometimes you just want to go for a nice walk, nothing too taxing, a bit of a stroll, world class transport connections, dry in all weathers, popular with tourists, moving walkways, duty free opportunities, entirely step-free, won't take...
diamond geezer
The greatest sport
Why is football the world's greatest sport?
It might not be your favourite sport but that's not...
5 months ago
Why is football the world's greatest sport?
It might not be your favourite sport but that's not relevant here - on a global stage football dominates all.
One reason is that football's so simple to play. It's just you and a ball and all you have to do is kick it. Most other...
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
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.