Londonist
London's 2023 Christmas Lights Bitchily Reviewed
Throwing shade on the city's illuminations.
a year ago
Throwing shade on the city's illuminations.
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
See Alan Turing... The Musical!
Riverside Studios celebrates the great genius.
a year ago
Riverside Studios celebrates the great genius.
diamond geezer
Dangleway Week (1)
Danglewatch (2) Art on the Dangleway
The Line, a meridian-based public art walk (which doesn't truly...
a year ago
Danglewatch (2) Art on the Dangleway
The Line, a meridian-based public art walk (which doesn't truly follow the meridian but it makes for a good name). Squatting on a small pontoon beside the northern terminal is the quirky sculpture Bird Boy by Laura Ford, a figure of a lost...
Cheese and Biscuits
Med Salleh Viet, Earl's Court
It's a funny old part of town is Earl's Court. Not quite Kensington, not quite Chelsea, not many...
a month ago
It's a funny old part of town is Earl's Court. Not quite Kensington, not quite Chelsea, not many reasons to visit (certainly not since the conference center/arena got pulled down), it's these days little more than a fairly ordinary provincial high street dumped in West London,...
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
Stratford Market Village To Reopen - Following Shock Closure In January
"We are so glad to be back."
8 months ago
"We are so glad to be back."
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.
Spoon & Tamago
Breeze Bird Cafe & Bakery in Kamakura is Situated Along the Enoden Train Line
photos by Katsuhiro Aoki courtesy Same Picture Company For all that’s written and said about the...
a year ago
photos by Katsuhiro Aoki courtesy Same Picture Company For all that’s written and said about the difficulty of starting a business in Japan, there is one exception. The country’s lax zoning laws make it particularly easy to convert a section of your home into a cafe or eatery....
diamond geezer
Denham Green
As unexpected street names go, this is right up there.
n.b. there are four...
7 months ago
As unexpected street names go, this is right up there.
n.b. there are four Denhams.
Specifically Stanley Kubrick Road is in Denham Green.
Three things to see in Denham Green
1) Denham Film Studios
Alexander Korda opened his film studios just north of Denham in 1935. Some...
Cheese and Biscuits
Ploussard, Battersea
As much as I complained on these pages that all the exciting new restaurants were opening up not...
a year ago
As much as I complained on these pages that all the exciting new restaurants were opening up not handily close to where I live in SW11, but in far-flung places like Dalston or Shoreditch or Highgate, part of me still hoped that something would eventually come along to prove me...
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
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
Open House (2)
Yesterday's Open House tally was six.
• The dazzling property where the volunteer arrived with a...
a year ago
Yesterday's Open House tally was six.
• The dazzling property where the volunteer arrived with a key one minute before the official opening time and asked if we wouldn't mind going somewhere else for quarter of an hour.
Let's do four of those in more detail (not necessarily...
AFAR Media - Travel...
United Becomes First U.S. Airline to Add Braille to Planes
a year ago
Londonist
Things To Do This Weekend In London: 18-19 November 2023
Chocolate tasting, a wine festival, Winter Wonderland and more.
a year ago
Chocolate tasting, a wine festival, Winter Wonderland and more.
AFAR Media - Travel...
You Can See the 2024 Solar Eclipse During This 22-Day Cruise
a year ago
diamond geezer
with a 9 on the end
Birthdays are often great, but a birthday with a 9 on the end can give cause to ponder as the end of...
9 months ago
Birthdays are often great, but a birthday with a 9 on the end can give cause to ponder as the end of another decade grows uncomfortably close.
So I thought I'd look back at my previous birthdays ending in 9, the moments I found myself on final approach to another decade's end,...
Londonist
70+ Spectacular Things To Do In London This Month: September 2023
Open House London! Plus a new music festival, fashion exhibitions, pole dancing, and sheep on the...
a year ago
Open House London! Plus a new music festival, fashion exhibitions, pole dancing, and sheep on the loose.
AFAR Media - Travel...
5 Excursions With Afar and Atlas Ocean Voyages
6 months ago
Londonist
Things To Do This August Bank Holiday Weekend In London: 26-28 August 2023
Carnival! Concerts! A food festival! Dog shows!
a year ago
Carnival! Concerts! A food festival! Dog shows!
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
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.
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
Things To Keep You Busy For LGBT+ History Month 2024 In London
Museums, guided walks, cabaret and kids events.
11 months ago
Museums, guided walks, cabaret and kids events.
diamond geezer
Unblogged August
31 unblogged things I did in August
Thu 1: A new coffee shop has opened just inside the gateline at...
3 months ago
31 unblogged things I did in August
Thu 1: A new coffee shop has opened just inside the gateline at Whitechapel station (or at least I assumed it was new because it didn't have a name displayed anywhere, whereas apparently it opened in June). It turns out they're called Yellow...
AFAR Media - Travel...
4 Kessler Collection Hotels with Art in the Southern U.S.
4 months ago
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...
AFAR Media - Travel...
United Airlines Credit Cards Increase Sign-Up Bonuses
a year ago
Londonist
Support Great Ormond Street Hospital - By Climbing The Walkie Talkie!
Up for a challenge?
11 months ago
Londonist
Best Of Londonist: 11-17 September 2023
Doctor Who, a child called Hyde Park, and some ace Ian Nairn quotes.
a year ago
Doctor Who, a child called Hyde Park, and some ace Ian Nairn quotes.
diamond geezer
The News From Norfolk
I'm in Norfolk all this week, so expect a mild dose of
The News From Norfolk
Norfolk has more...
5 months ago
I'm in Norfolk all this week, so expect a mild dose of
The News From Norfolk
Norfolk has more Labour MPs than Conservative MPs. That's very unusual in what's normally true blue territory, indeed it hasn't happened since 1945. What's even more unusual is that Norfolk now has MPs...
Londonist
Free And Cheap Things To Do This Week In London: 15-21 January 2024
Things to do for under a fiver.
11 months ago
Things to do for under a fiver.
diamond geezer
Bus stops served by the most buses
Sunday was the 5th best day ever on diamond geezer, visitornumberswise, and came within a smidge of...
6 months ago
Sunday was the 5th best day ever on diamond geezer, visitornumberswise, and came within a smidge of being the 4th. As usual it had nothing to do with something I'd just written, just thousands of people piling onto an old post which just happened to answer a question someone had...
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...
One from Nippon
The shoe that became a sock. And then a shoe again.
Stockholm, 1912
At 35° C it was an unusually hot day for Stockholm. Shizo Kanakuri stood at the...
a year ago
Stockholm, 1912
At 35° C it was an unusually hot day for Stockholm. Shizo Kanakuri stood at the start line of the marathon in the 1912 Stockholm Olympics. Shizo was carrying the hopes, dreams, and pride of Japan, a country attempting to become a “modern” nation.
There
Londonist
How Aldwych Tube Station Could Have Become A Heritage 'Theme Park'
A subterranean heritage railway.
9 months ago
A subterranean heritage railway.
Londonist
Policing Brixton: An Insider's Account
Book reveals what it's like to patrol the streets of Brixton, Clapham and Stockwell.
9 months ago
Book reveals what it's like to patrol the streets of Brixton, Clapham and Stockwell.
diamond geezer
CIIIR 75
Today is the King's 75th birthday.
Nationwide to celebrate his 30th, but here we are.
His mother...
a year ago
Today is the King's 75th birthday.
Nationwide to celebrate his 30th, but here we are.
His mother had a hospital, a bridge, an Olympic Park, a reservoir, a conference centre, an airport terminal, a parliamentary tower, a concert hall and a railway line, to mention but a few....
AFAR Media - Travel...
Amazing Things to Do in Puerto Rico, According to Locals
a year ago
diamond geezer
September events diary 2024
It's almost September again but never fear, London's putting on a last flurry of events, activities...
3 months ago
It's almost September again but never fear, London's putting on a last flurry of events, activities and happenings before the nights draw in and we're all invited. Here's my weekend-by-weekend guide to free September delights.
All month
Totally Thames (Sep 1-30): Once again a...
diamond geezer
Algorithmic feed
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
In Pictures: Notting Hill Carnival 2023
Relive the magic, or see what you missed out on.
a year ago
Relive the magic, or see what you missed out on.
diamond geezer
Unwritten
Seven posts that I considered writing today but they were going nowhere so I didn't finish...
a year ago
Seven posts that I considered writing today but they were going nowhere so I didn't finish them
What's the lowest numbered A road you've never driven on?
Wow didn't it just get cold?
the temperature in my living room for three years. I note the indoor temperature first thing...
Londonist
The Glass Heart: A Smashing Exhibition At Two Temple Place
Intriguing artwork in a stunning building.
10 months ago
Intriguing artwork in a stunning building.
diamond geezer
Bus of the day - 146
Bus Route Of The Day
146: Bromley North to Downe
Location: Outer London south
Length of journey: 6...
6 months ago
Bus Route Of The Day
146: Bromley North to Downe
Location: Outer London south
Length of journey: 6 miles, 25 minutes
Because it's 14th June I've been out riding the 146, because that's the Bus Route Of The Day.
The 146 is one of TfL's handful of hourly buses, and by far the...
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...
Londonist
TfL Raises Penalty Fare To £100
£130m-£150m lost a year thanks to fare dodgers.
9 months ago
£130m-£150m lost a year thanks to fare dodgers.
diamond geezer
Taking the piss
In an ideal world every TfL station would have toilet facilities but the truth is you're more likely...
a month ago
In an ideal world every TfL station would have toilet facilities but the truth is you're more likely to be caught short.
announce "bold plans to grow and improve toilet provision" because that'd be a very good thing. The press release promised "investment totalling £3m per year...
diamond geezer
The news from Barking and Dagenham
Yesterday I went to the Becontree estate to take some photos of its churches. Then I added those...
5 months ago
Yesterday I went to the Becontree estate to take some photos of its churches. Then I added those photos to yesterday's post about churches on estates. I didn't add this photo, even though it was my favourite.
This is St Cedd's in Becontree. It has a lovely postwar copper roof...
Londonist
Tower Bridge: Rare Behind-The-Scenes Tours Now On Sale
Including a chance to explore the bascule chambers.
a year ago
Including a chance to explore the bascule chambers.
diamond geezer
Ruby Tuesday Drive
As unexpected street names go, this is right up there.
And there are ten more where that came...
7 months ago
As unexpected street names go, this is right up there.
And there are ten more where that came from.
Dartford not far from the QE2 Bridge. We're in Dartford because that's where Mick Jagger and Keith Richards grew up, met and went on to form the Rolling Stones. And we're here...
Londonist
Dive Into This Astoundingly Detailed Illustration Of Somerset House
Adam Dant is at it again.
9 months ago
Adam Dant is at it again.
diamond geezer
The exclaves of Sutton
This is Saffron Close, one of the exclaves* of Sutton.
exclave, noun (plural exclaves)
A portion...
4 months ago
This is Saffron Close, one of the exclaves* of Sutton.
exclave, noun (plural exclaves)
A portion of a country's territory not connected to the main part.
It's a very ordinary late 20th century cul-de-sac, not far from the tram stop at Therapia Lane in the vicinity of Mitcham...
AFAR Media - Travel...
Eight Must-See Places and Women-Owned Businesses in Kansas City
a year ago
AFAR Media - Travel...
Upgrading to Lufthansa Allegris’ New Business Class
4 months ago
Londonist
West End Tickets From £15 - London Theatre Week Has Launched
Slashed price seats available till 3 March.
10 months ago
Slashed price seats available till 3 March.
Londonist
Stooky Bill: The Sinister Puppet From Doctor Who Was Real
And where to see him in London.
a year ago
And where to see him in London.
AFAR Media - Travel...
Where to Ski, Stay, & Explore Outdoors in Alberta's Winter
a month ago
Cheese and Biscuits
The Rose, Deal
A stroll along the High Street in Deal reveals a town very much at the forefront of the wider...
a year ago
A stroll along the High Street in Deal reveals a town very much at the forefront of the wider Kentish food revolution. There seem to be more than the usual number of artisan butchers and fishmongers for what is otherwise a fairly small (albeit very quaint) seaside town. There's a...
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 Superloop Loop Completes This Weekend - With The Launch Of SL2
(But yes, we know there's a gap in the loop.)
9 months ago
(But yes, we know there's a gap in the loop.)
diamond geezer
Unblogged November
30 unblogged things I did in November
Wed 1: I went to peripheral Hadley Wood and walked the length...
a year ago
30 unblogged things I did in November
Wed 1: I went to peripheral Hadley Wood and walked the length of peripheral Waggon Road, having climbed the peripheral footpath over the tunnel portal. In the process I spent 30 seconds in Hertfordshire, which it turns out is the last time I...
Cheese and Biscuits
Chungdam, Soho
I generally try and avoid focusing too much on service on invited meals. If the front of house know...
a year ago
I generally try and avoid focusing too much on service on invited meals. If the front of house know you're in to review they usually try and be that extra bit more attentive, and occasionally too much so, and either way it's rarely an accurate reflection of the average punter's...
Londonist
13 Of The Best Irish Pubs In London
Guinness, rugby, oysters and craic.
10 months ago
Guinness, rugby, oysters and craic.
Londonist
Festival of Railway Modelling Returns To Alexandra Palace
Hundreds of mini trains steam into town.
9 months ago
Hundreds of mini trains steam into town.
Londonist
Best Of Londonist: 19-25 February 2024
7 days of London wrapped up in a neat little package.
10 months ago
7 days of London wrapped up in a neat little package.
AFAR Media - Travel...
Vacation Ideas for Families with Neurodivergent Children
a year ago
Cheese and Biscuits
Camille, Borough Market
Some restaurants just make it look so easy, don't they? The menu at Camille is so enticing, with...
2 months ago
Some restaurants just make it look so easy, don't they? The menu at Camille is so enticing, with unusual eye-catching ingredients prepared in exciting and distinctive ways, that it's almost enough to spoil any other dining experience by default, and it makes you wonder if they...
One from Nippon
Japan's Comfort Food: The Onigiri
Walk into any Japanese convenience store and you will always find a shelf dedicated to one item:...
11 months ago
Walk into any Japanese convenience store and you will always find a shelf dedicated to one item: onigiri.
The onigiri, often translated as “rice ball”, literally means “grasping a fistful” and is in many ways Japan's original fast food, before fast food. Quick to
Londonist
Events For Book Lovers In London This Winter
Christmas book fairs, winter book swaps and an exhibition on fantasy.
a year ago
Christmas book fairs, winter book swaps and an exhibition on fantasy.
diamond geezer
Free Parking
FREE
🚗
PARKING
As my tour of London's Monopoly board
reaches the halfway...
5 months ago
FREE
🚗
PARKING
As my tour of London's Monopoly board
reaches the halfway point,
halfway through the year,
let's go in hunt of Free Parking.
Parking in central London is difficult, deliberately so, and generally not free. Yellow lines are everywhere, invisible...
diamond geezer
50 posts I won't be writing
50 posts I won't be writing
• January's fried chicken launches
(except that's actually 51, so I...
11 months ago
50 posts I won't be writing
• January's fried chicken launches
(except that's actually 51, so I will be writing one of them... here later)
Retracing Terry and June
Happy Ever After evolved into Terry and June in 1979, for copyright reasons. Both featured Terry Scott and June...
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...
diamond geezer
Hidden Overground Histories
Hidden Overground Histories
“There are so many fascinating, and often forgotten, stories from our...
10 months ago
Hidden Overground Histories
“There are so many fascinating, and often forgotten, stories from our city that should be told and remembered. Naming the lines will not only help educate visitors about our amazing city and its incredible history but will also make it easier for...
Cheese and Biscuits
Caravel, Regent's Canal
It makes perfect sense that with London commercial property rents sky-high, wiley restaurateurs...
over a year ago
It makes perfect sense that with London commercial property rents sky-high, wiley restaurateurs should look further afield and towards quirkier, more unusual spaces to set up shop. I have had mixed experiences dining on a boat (the London Shell Company: great fun; our office Xmas...
Londonist
A Chance To Visit The 'Roman' Bath In Strand Lane
One of London's most lied-about attractions.
a year ago
One of London's most lied-about attractions.
Londonist
Is This The Oldest Surviving Poster On The Tube Network?
The Otrivine gnome is not to be sniffed at.
10 months ago
The Otrivine gnome is not to be sniffed at.
Cheese and Biscuits
The Silver Birch, Chiswick
It's a pleasant novelty to, for once, not be opening a post about an excellent neighbourhood...
a year ago
It's a pleasant novelty to, for once, not be opening a post about an excellent neighbourhood restaurant without a resigned grump about the lack of such places in my own particular neighbourhood. Until recently, my fellow SW11 residents had very little to be proud of (and even...
Spoon & Tamago
Go See 5.3 Million Baby Blue Eye Flowers at Hitachi Seaside Park in Japan
photo by teerayut hiruntaraporn Japan’s cherry blossoms usually get all the attention for their...
a year ago
photo by teerayut hiruntaraporn Japan’s cherry blossoms usually get all the attention for their short-lived beauty. But equally ephemeral are Japan’s Nemophila, or Baby Blue Eyes. And once a year, around late April to Early May, an astounding sea of 5.3 million of these little...
Londonist
Free And Cheap Things To Do This Week In London: 18-24 December 2023
Things to do for under a fiver.
a year ago
Things to do for under a fiver.
Londonist
Rude Tube: 160 Years Since First Naughty Graffiti On The Underground
What *did* he write?
9 months ago
Londonist
There Are So Many Swan Lakes Coming To London This Summer
The Year of the Swan.
8 months ago
diamond geezer
The Count 2024
For twenty-one consecutive Februaries on diamond geezer I've kept myself busy by counting things....
10 months ago
For twenty-one consecutive Februaries on diamond geezer I've kept myself busy by counting things. Ten different counts, to be precise, in a stats-tastic 28-day feature called The Count. You therefore won't be surprised to hear that I intend to do exactly the same again this year....
Londonist
London Overground Lines Get New Names And Colours
The Liberty line?
10 months ago
Londonist
A Map Of London Nicknames: From The Gherkin To The Silicon Roundabout
What would you add to the map?
a year ago
What would you add to the map?
Londonist
The Most Festive Christmas Afternoon Teas In London This Year
Scones and cakes with a seasonal twist.
a year ago
Scones and cakes with a seasonal twist.
diamond geezer
BustopMas
Now that December's here the festivity in London is palpable! And as Christmas grows closer our...
a year ago
Now that December's here the festivity in London is palpable! And as Christmas grows closer our appetite for seasonal treats grows ever stronger. It can mean only one thing: winter is upon us and Christmas has officially arrived.
This year's big ticket event is BustopMas, a...
Londonist
A Glimpse Of London's Future, From 1924
Trains over Tower Bridge, airships from Westminster...
11 months ago
Trains over Tower Bridge, airships from Westminster...
Londonist
Best Of Londonist: 18-24 December 2023
A handy roundup of Londonist articles from the past week.
12 months ago
A handy roundup of Londonist articles from the past week.
diamond geezer
Lower Lea Valley Bus Review
HYPERLOCAL BUS NEWS: Lower Lea Valley Bus Review
development papers focused on particular...
4 months ago
HYPERLOCAL BUS NEWS: Lower Lea Valley Bus Review
development papers focused on particular geographical areas. A recent set covers the Lower Lea Valley, an area of "historically relatively low trip-generating industrial land progressively transforming into higher trip-generating...
Londonist
16 Spring Day Trips From London: April 2024
Steam trains, flower festivals and a mysterious grotto.
9 months ago
Steam trains, flower festivals and a mysterious grotto.
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
Bow Roundabout update #9
The roadworks at the Bow Roundabout continue, and have a lot more continuing to go.
Bow side of...
a month ago
The roadworks at the Bow Roundabout continue, and have a lot more continuing to go.
Bow side of the flyover, although new kerbstones are now lined up along the new slightly-wider edge of the roundabout.
major roadworks.
For the last month one of these two lanes has been...
diamond geezer
Britain's Largest Clocks Going Back
Britain's Largest Clocks Going Back
That's largest by diameter.
'List of largest clock faces' (so...
a year ago
Britain's Largest Clocks Going Back
That's largest by diameter.
'List of largest clock faces' (so if that's wrong, this is wrong)
5) Manchester Town Hall
Diameter of clockface: 4.8m
Area of clockface: 18.1m²
Length of hands: 2.4m/1.8m
Number of clockfaces: 4
First operated: New...
Cheese and Biscuits
The Terrace, Yarmouth, Isle of Wight
The Terrace restaurant in Yarmouth on the Isle of Wight is situated not just handily near the ferry...
over a year ago
The Terrace restaurant in Yarmouth on the Isle of Wight is situated not just handily near the ferry terminal, but literally on top of it, the outside dining area (or Terrace, if you will) regularly enveloped in shade as the giant Lymington ferry pulls alongside. This means that...
AFAR Media - Travel...
9 Greek Travel Experiences for a Luxurious Escape
a month ago
Herbert Lui
Some notes on a return visit to Hong Kong
In late 2021, I moved to Hong Kong for six months. My partner and I enjoyed it so much that we ended...
2 weeks ago
In late 2021, I moved to Hong Kong for six months. My partner and I enjoyed it so much that we ended up staying nearly a year and a half. We moved to New York City shortly after that, and I started my job at Figma. I always thought I’d document the trip some other […]
The post...
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
2024 fares
TfL's annual fare rise was announced last yesterday. And it's no fare rise at all.
"The Mayor of...
11 months ago
TfL's annual fare rise was announced last yesterday. And it's no fare rise at all.
"The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, has today announced bold action to freeze TfL fares this year, to support Londoners struggling with the cost of living and London’s recovery from the pandemic....
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...
AFAR Media - Travel...
Why you should visit Story Parlor in Asheville, NC
11 months ago
AFAR Media - Travel...
What it's Like to Try an Adaptive Outdoor Recreation Tour
a year 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
It's Official - London Has Two Of The World's 10 Best Bars
But Barcelona's still the best place to booze.
a year ago
But Barcelona's still the best place to booze.
Londonist
Cricket Cornish Pasty Anyone? London's Bug Restaurant Has Just Gone Permanent
Hop to it!
10 months ago
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...
Londonist
Time Travel Back To 17th Century London - With This Royalist Reenactment Along The Mall
Commemorating the execution of Charles I.
11 months ago
Commemorating the execution of Charles I.
Londonist
Quirky Christmas Eats To Sink Your Teeth Into Around London
From mince pie doughnuts to spiced Aperol spritzes.
a year ago
From mince pie doughnuts to spiced Aperol spritzes.
Londonist
Multicultural Soho Shines In This AI-Enhanced Video From The 1950s
Super-sharp footage of 50s Soho.
9 months ago
Super-sharp footage of 50s Soho.
Cheese and Biscuits
The Square Peg, Tunbridge Wells
There was an opinion that did the rounds a few years ago, that any restaurant critic needs to have...
a year ago
There was an opinion that did the rounds a few years ago, that any restaurant critic needs to have spent at least some time in a professional kitchen or front of house to be able to pass judgement on anywhere charging the public for dinner. Personally, I think that's rubbish, but...
AFAR Media - Travel...
Inside the New Delta Sky Club Lounge at NY’s JFK Airport
a year ago
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...
diamond geezer
Rejigging the Bow Roundabout
(this is the first post written on my new laptop)
(Windows 11 remains very unfamiliar - a lot's...
3 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
TfL FoI requests in April 2024
20 things we learned from TfL FoI requests in April 2024
1) The annual operating cost for the...
7 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
Free And Cheap Things To Do This Week In London: 14-20 August 2023
Things to do for under a fiver.
a year ago
Things to do for under a fiver.
diamond geezer
Thames flooding
Several times a year, aligned to the full moon, the Thames sees some particularly high tides....
a year ago
Several times a year, aligned to the full moon, the Thames sees some particularly high tides. Sometimes, after particularly heavy spells of rain, much more water comes down the Thames than usual. And when these two events coincide various paths, piers and embankments that don't...
diamond geezer
Polygon Road
As a heads-up, this is the trajectory of today's post.
a) Ooh, a street with an interesting name.
b)...
10 months ago
As a heads-up, this is the trajectory of today's post.
a) Ooh, a street with an interesting name.
b) Hmmm, I suspect it's also an interesting street.
c) Ah, now I've walked it I see it's not interesting after all.
d) But this gives me an idea about similarly-named streets.
e) Ah,...
Londonist
Free And Cheap Things To Do In London This Week: 18-24 March 2024
Things to do for under a fiver.
9 months ago
Things to do for under a fiver.
diamond geezer
The last in alphabetical order
The last in alphabetical order
Ocean: PACIFIC
Month: SEPTEMBER
Angel Delight flavour: STRAWBERRY
EU...
a year ago
The last in alphabetical order
Ocean: PACIFIC
Month: SEPTEMBER
Angel Delight flavour: STRAWBERRY
EU member state: SWEDEN
Platonic solid: TETRAHEDRON
Quality Street: TOFFEE PENNY
Shakespeare play: TWELFTH NIGHT
Olympic host city: VANCOUVER
Planet: VENUS
Zodiac sign:...
AFAR Media - Travel...
What is a Dahabiya? A Guide to This Nile Cruise Option
a year ago
diamond geezer
Havant
Until yesterday I hadn't been to Havant.
Havant is a large town in southeast Hampshire on the way...
4 months ago
Until yesterday I hadn't been to Havant.
Havant is a large town in southeast Hampshire on the way to Portsmouth.
They Havant got many old buildings because most of the town burnt in a fire in 1760. Only the church and a row of cottages survived.
St Faith's and they found...
Herbert Lui
On lateness and imperfection
At my first job, I realized that I’d missed a meeting invite and my team had started without me. I...
a week ago
At my first job, I realized that I’d missed a meeting invite and my team had started without me. I was early in my career, and hesitant to join the meeting late in-person. I felt embarrassed and, without knowing it, I started beating myself up. How could I be so inept? If I could...
diamond geezer
Why did they say that?
This post is about announcements I’ve heard on TfL services recently.
The announcements split into...
9 months ago
This post is about announcements I’ve heard on TfL services recently.
The announcements split into two groups.
a) Why did they say that?
b) Why did they say that now?
Why did they say that?
"Customers using the escalators are advised to carry pets at all times"
[Whitechapel...
Londonist
The Woods At The End Of The Elizabeth Line Where You Can Take A Sound Bath
De-stress among the trees in east London.
10 months ago
De-stress among the trees in east London.
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
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...
3 weeks 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
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
13 Excellent Events Near London: February 2024
Snowdrops, cocktails and a special afternoon tea.
10 months ago
Snowdrops, cocktails and a special afternoon tea.
AFAR Media - Travel...
A Guide to D.C. for Music Lovers by Local Musician Neffy
7 months ago
Londonist
Things To Do This Weekend In London: 3-4 February 2024
New exhibitions, a flower show and a light festival in a church.
10 months ago
New exhibitions, a flower show and a light festival in a church.
diamond geezer
The great Banksy cover-up
I visited the new Banksy on Hornsey Road on Day 3, which proved the optimal time.
Days 1 and 2 it...
8 months ago
I visited the new Banksy on Hornsey Road on Day 3, which proved the optimal time.
Days 1 and 2 it had been rammed with people crowding round the railings, so getting a decent photo was difficult.
Day 4 someone chucked white paint over part of the artwork closest to the road and...
Londonist
Martin Luther King Gets A London Blue Plaque
The activist visited Bloomsbury in 1961.
11 months ago
The activist visited Bloomsbury in 1961.
Londonist
Just 18 Pictures Of Modernist Tube Stations Looking Dreamy
They don't make 'em like they used to.
a year ago
They don't make 'em like they used to.
diamond geezer
Waverley
This is Waverley, the world's last seagoing paddle steamer.
She's currently on a two week foray...
2 months ago
This is Waverley, the world's last seagoing paddle steamer.
She's currently on a two week foray up and down the Thames Estuary and adjacent coasts. And if you'd been in Gravesend on Sunday evening you could have enjoyed a two-hour voyage up the estuary to Tower Bridge for just...
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.
Londonist
See Three New Morphing Sculptures By Nick Hornby
Trio of incredible shape-changing sculptures hit town.
a year ago
Trio of incredible shape-changing sculptures hit town.
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.
diamond geezer
Cheam Charter Fair
Every year on May 15th the people of Cheam hold a charter fair.
Also much of the above may not be...
7 months ago
Every year on May 15th the people of Cheam hold a charter fair.
Also much of the above may not be true.
Firstly there is no evidence that Henry III granted a charter to Cheam in 1259 or in any other year. Tradition says he did but no historical records exist to confirm this,...
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
Close-up Photographs of Sumo Wrestlers Evoke Mountain Ranges Shrouded in Fog
Last month, the 107th High School Kanazawa City Sumo Tournament was held. The event has been held...
a year ago
Last month, the 107th High School Kanazawa City Sumo Tournament was held. The event has been held annually for over 100 years and attracts spectators locally but also from across Japan. But for the past 3 years, because of covid restrictions, the event had been held without...
AFAR Media - Travel...
A Weekend Guide to Skiing and Dining in Park City, Utah
a week 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.
10 months ago
Get booking for the newest afternoon tea menus in the capital.
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
First and last quiz
First and last quiz
All answers now in the comments box.
chemical
element
1) Ac
2) Be
3) Ce
4)...
a year ago
First and last quiz
All answers now in the comments box.
chemical
element
1) Ac
2) Be
3) Ce
4) Cn
5) Cr
6) Fe
7) Gd
8) In
9) Sn
tube
station
10) At
11) Ct
12) Fd
13) Hr
14) Ld
15) Mn
16) Ne
17) Rr
18) St
19) Tk
20) Ww
UK city
21) Ah
22) Bt
23) Cd
24) Dr
25) Ld
26) Nt
27)...
Londonist
Join The Race To Help Beat Childhood Cancer On A Family-Friendly Fun Run
RBC Race for the Kids returns.
a year ago
RBC Race for the Kids returns.
Londonist
45+ Action-Packed Things To Do In London In April 2024
The best events in London this month.
9 months ago
The best events in London this month.
One from Nippon
Coffee in a Can
Life’s inconveniences, when they happen to you and me, are just that. Inconveniences.
When they...
a year ago
Life’s inconveniences, when they happen to you and me, are just that. Inconveniences.
When they happen to some people though they end up becoming multi-billion dollar businesses.
This is the story of Japan’s canned coffee.
One finds at least one vending machine in almost every...
diamond geezer
Replacing Overground signage
The renaming of the Overground lines draws closer, indeed should be taking place next month. The...
3 months ago
The renaming of the Overground lines draws closer, indeed should be taking place next month. The original intention was for the changeover to be in August in conjunction with a new tube map, but that's not happened so technically it's late. That said, an awful lot of signage on...
Londonist
Pollock's Toy Museum Is Reopening... In Croydon
Six month pop-up arrives this January.
11 months ago
Six month pop-up arrives this January.
Londonist
Things To Do This Weekend In London: 9-10 September 2023
30+ events, including a new food festival, beautiful boats and Open House London.
a year ago
30+ events, including a new food festival, beautiful boats and Open House London.
diamond geezer
The fares post
The fares post
announcement yesterday about trialling off-peak fares on Fridays.
Here's the...
10 months ago
The fares post
announcement yesterday about trialling off-peak fares on Fridays.
Here's the start of the press release.
• Off-peak journeys on Fridays could transform the morning commute for Londoners and provide a welcome further boost to London’s economy
The plan is to...
Londonist
Olympic Park's East Bank Is Open, With Two Landmark Buildings To Visit
Just walk in: UCL East and London College of Fashion.
a year ago
Just walk in: UCL East and London College of Fashion.
Londonist
Brentford's Enchanting Musical Museum Is Under Threat - And You Can Help Save It
Uniquely quirky museum could close later this year.
10 months ago
Uniquely quirky museum could close later this year.
Londonist
Things To Do This Weekend In London: 6-7 April 2024
Last-chance exhibitions, an ice hockey weekender, and a miniature railway.
8 months ago
Last-chance exhibitions, an ice hockey weekender, and a miniature railway.
Londonist
Around London In 10 Foxes
Including the one who got up the Shard.
9 months ago
Including the one who got up the Shard.
AFAR Media - Travel...
Hotel Review: Penny Williamsburg in Brooklyn, New York
a year ago
Londonist
How London Underground Became The Coolest Brand In The World
From the first roundel to moquette trainers.
a year ago
From the first roundel to moquette trainers.
diamond geezer
The December 2024 tube map
The introduction of six Overground line names continues to have unfortunate repercussions.
It's...
a week ago
The introduction of six Overground line names continues to have unfortunate repercussions.
It's unfortunate because the last tube map was only released three weeks ago. Alas it included a typo so the decision was taken to withdraw the entire batch pending a reprint, and here...
Londonist
A Fantastically Festive Walk Through London's Christmas Lights And Decorations
A self-guided tour through lights, shop window displays, ice rinks and more.
a year ago
A self-guided tour through lights, shop window displays, ice rinks and more.
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...
diamond geezer
Horizon 22
These are great times for going up very tall buildings. Last month 8 Bishopsgate opened its rooftop...
a year ago
These are great times for going up very tall buildings. Last month 8 Bishopsgate opened its rooftop viewing platform to the public, free of charge, and on Wednesday 22 Bishopsgate followed suit. Its viewing platform is called Horizon 22, and at 254m above ground level it's two...
diamond geezer
Unblogged March (true)
31 unblogged things I did in March (true version)
Fri 1: I can't believe another constituency has...
8 months ago
31 unblogged things I did in March (true version)
Fri 1: I can't believe another constituency has elected George Galloway as its MP (actually I can, mine once did, because politics repeatedly proves you can fool enough of the people some of the time).
Sat 2: Yes I watched the...
Cheese and Biscuits
40 Maltby Street, Bermondsey
40 Maltby Street sits alongside places like Quality Chop House and the French House in that special...
over a year ago
40 Maltby Street sits alongside places like Quality Chop House and the French House in that special category of restaurants used as a kind of shorthand amongst food-obsessed types in order to prove they know what they're talking about. Like Quality Chop House and the French...
AFAR Media - Travel...
A Guide to Washington D.C. by Local Band Everyday Everybody
7 months ago
Londonist
20 Remarkable Photos Of London In 1992
Concorde, IRA bombs and the Chippendales.
a year ago
Concorde, IRA bombs and the Chippendales.
Londonist
Where To Recycle Or Dispose Of Your 2023 Christmas Tree In London
Which London boroughs recycle them?
11 months ago
Which London boroughs recycle them?
Cheese and Biscuits
Hong Kong Restaurant, Angel
London has never been the kind of place where you can just pick a restaurant at random and have at...
2 months ago
London has never been the kind of place where you can just pick a restaurant at random and have at least a decent dinner. There are too many tourist traps, dingy fast food joints, grim chains and bandwagon-jumping copycats (just see how many smash burger joints have appeared in...
Londonist
Thanksgiving In London 2023: Celebrate At American Restaurants, Special Meals And Thanksgiving...
Get booking for 23 November.
a year ago
Get booking for 23 November.
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.
Spoon & Tamago
Keisuke Oka’s Arimaston Building in Tokyo, Made Entirely by Hand
all photos by @husky_003 | used with permission Almost 15 years ago, on a tiny plot of land in...
a month ago
all photos by @husky_003 | used with permission Almost 15 years ago, on a tiny plot of land in eastern Tokyo, a young architect named Keisuke Oka began to construct a tower of concrete entirely by hand. Located just a short walk from Mita Station, the Arimaston Building (蟻鱒鳶ル) is...
diamond geezer
Bow Roundabout update #5
Four months of major roadworks were supposed to begin at the Bow Roundabout on Monday 30th...
2 months ago
Four months of major roadworks were supposed to begin at the Bow Roundabout on Monday 30th September. This did not happen. But they are now underway and - spoilers - it's bad news for local road users.
Monday 7th October
Tuesday 8th October
10 years ago.
However as a...
Londonist
Hyde Park Winter Wonderland 2023: A Guide To Visiting London's Huge Christmas Festival
When to go, what to see and how to save money.
a year ago
When to go, what to see and how to save money.
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...
Spoon & Tamago
Step Into a World of Contemporary Japanese Art at New Exhibition in New York
a series of washi paper prints by artist takayuki. o “Stepping Into A World” is a the 5th in a...
10 months ago
a series of washi paper prints by artist takayuki. o “Stepping Into A World” is a the 5th in a series of juried open call exhibitions aimed at showcasing undiscovered Japanese artists and integrating them into the forefront of the global art scene. The exhibition, which includes...
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...
AFAR Media - Travel...
NYC-Based Cocktail Bar, Death & Co, Opens D.C. Location
a year 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.
AFAR Media - Travel...
JetBlue to End American Pact—What This Means for Travelers
a year ago
AFAR Media - Travel...
How Washington, D.C. is Leading the Way in Accessible Travel
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...
6 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...
Cheese and Biscuits
Crispin at Studio Voltaire, Clapham Common
Although my useless photos hardly do it justice (let's just get that out of the way from the start),...
6 days ago
Although my useless photos hardly do it justice (let's just get that out of the way from the start), Crispin at Studio Voltaire is a lovely space to eat in. The candles on each table aren't the only source of light, but provide a romantic accessory to the tealights dangling above...
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
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...
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...
Spoon & Tamago
‘Ye Bakers’ is a New Bakery Nestled Inside an Aichi Home
In a residential neighborhood, a small bakery is designed to integrate seamlessly with its...
a year ago
In a residential neighborhood, a small bakery is designed to integrate seamlessly with its surroundings while maintaining its commercial purpose.
Related posts:
Noma’s New Pop Up by OEO Studio in Kyoto
Interior Designer Shigeru Uchida: 1943 – 2016
House Tour: Yoyogi Artist...
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...
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...
Londonist
Chelsea In Bloom 2024: Giant Floral Caterpillar To Take Over Sloane Square
Free flower festival returns... with a foodie theme.
10 months ago
Free flower festival returns... with a foodie theme.
Londonist
Free And Cheap Things To Do This Week In London: 29 January-4 February 2024
Things to do for under a fiver.
10 months ago
Things to do for under a fiver.
Londonist
Best Of Londonist: 8-14 January 2024
All our best articles from the past week.
11 months ago
All our best articles from the past week.
Londonist
Greenwich's Old Town Hall To Become Flats And Viewing Gallery
Art deco landmark gets green light for regeneration.
9 months ago
Art deco landmark gets green light for regeneration.
Londonist
Free And Cheap Things To Do This Week In London: 8-14 January 2024
Things to do for under a fiver.
11 months ago
Things to do for under a fiver.
Londonist
Latest Superloop Route Opens - With Another Due In December
SL10 is now running between Harrow and North Finchley.
a year ago
SL10 is now running between Harrow and North Finchley.
diamond geezer
2X 60Y 60Z
In my quest to find London's highest-lettered house I've already found a U, V and some Ws.
18U...
a year ago
In my quest to find London's highest-lettered house I've already found a U, V and some Ws.
18U Brondesbury Park (NW6 7DL)
55V The Bishops Avenue (N2 0BJ)
1W-51W Rosebery Square (EC1R 4PT)
2X Chesterford Gardens (NW3 7DE)
We're in Hampstead amid the leafy avenues on the...
AFAR Media - Travel...
Grand Hotel Timeo Launches Pop-Up Treehouse Suites by Dior
a year ago
Londonist
A Brief History Of The Waterloo & City Line
A very peculiar line.
a year ago
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,...
diamond geezer
Why are people wrong?
Why are people wrong?
There's no need to be wrong these days, all the facts are there. All you...
4 months ago
Why are people wrong?
There's no need to be wrong these days, all the facts are there. All you need to do is look.
It's not clear where all this wrongness comes from. Nobody's born with wrong opinions but many accrue them later in life. Could be nature, could be nurture,...
diamond geezer
London's largest common
What's London's largest common?
In particular it depends on what common land is. The Open Spaces...
11 months ago
What's London's largest common?
In particular it depends on what common land is. The Open Spaces Society says this.
"Common land is land that has an owner but over which other people have the right to use and take away certain natural produce. These people, known as commoners,...
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...
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...
AFAR Media - Travel...
A Guide to Guatemalan Food: 11 Essential Dishes to Try in Guatemala
a year ago
Spoon & Tamago
Not a Hotel: A Unique Timeshare Concept Redefining Luxury Travel
All images © Kenta Hasegawa courtesy Suppose Design Office “Buy a vacation home that doubles as a...
a year ago
All images © Kenta Hasegawa courtesy Suppose Design Office “Buy a vacation home that doubles as a hotel.” That’s the tagline for ‘Not A Hotel,’ a real estate start-up founded by Shinji Hamazu. The company challenges the traditional hotel model by treating it as a timeshare and...
diamond geezer
Some transport news
Some transport news
Overground news
It's only accessible via QR code so it's not that...
4 months ago
Some transport news
Overground news
It's only accessible via QR code so it's not that accessible, but I clicked through and discovered the URL is vin.cloud.gomedia.io/HOXTON so you can check it out too. The homescreen is a list of the next three departures and their expected...
diamond geezer
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...
Londonist
London Then And Now: Aerial Shots Show City Grow Over Past Two Decades
Our city's put on a bit of a growth spurt since the 2000s...
a year ago
Our city's put on a bit of a growth spurt since the 2000s...
diamond geezer
Where's Gail's?
The bakery chain Gail's has been busy spreading its sourdough tentacles across London over recent...
4 months ago
The bakery chain Gail's has been busy spreading its sourdough tentacles across London over recent years. It had been doing this successfully and also quietly until it dared to suggest opening a branch in Walthamstow Village whose residents promptly set up a petition to campaign...
diamond geezer
B2024
This is the road of the year, the B2024.
There was once an A2024 heading east out of Chichester,...
11 months ago
This is the road of the year, the B2024.
There was once an A2024 heading east out of Chichester, but a WW2 airfield severed that so the B2024 is now all we have.
It kicks off in the middle of Westerham, a proper Wealden town with a coaching inn, tea rooms and a historic high...
Londonist
Things To Do This Weekend In London: 23-24 December 2023
Events in the capital on Christmas Eve, and Christmas Eve Eve.
a year ago
Events in the capital on Christmas Eve, and Christmas Eve Eve.
Cheese and Biscuits
Archway, Battersea Park
Firstly, I have a confession to make. Many years ago I was very kindly treated to lunch at the River...
a year ago
Firstly, I have a confession to make. Many years ago I was very kindly treated to lunch at the River Café in Hammersmith, and I didn't like it. I think I was mainly intimidated - by the well-heeled crowd, the scale and the power of that vast dining room and open kitchen, and yes,...
diamond geezer
Open House (4)
Yesterday's Open House tally was eight.
• The pricey building where I carried on climbing past the...
a year ago
Yesterday's Open House tally was eight.
• The pricey building where I carried on climbing past the last public room and accidentally ended up in an attic space where a private group were celebrating something, so retreated rapidly.
Let's do five of those in more detail (not...
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...
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...
Spoon & Tamago
City and Forest Living in a Unique Concrete Log House
All images © Ichiro Mishima courtesy IKAWAYA Architects Merging the organic with the inorganic;...
a year ago
All images © Ichiro Mishima courtesy IKAWAYA Architects Merging the organic with the inorganic; walking the fine line between indoors and outdoors, is a predominant theme in contemporary Japanese architecture. One of the latest iterations is from architect Atsushi Ikawaya, who...
diamond geezer
London's shortest and longest High Streets
Having identified London's longest and shortest High Streets, I thought I'd better visit...
6 months ago
Having identified London's longest and shortest High Streets, I thought I'd better visit them.
London's shortest High Street
High Street (Wembley) [50 metres]
The first thing that strikes you about High Street is it's on a hill, indeed this is likely how the road originally...
Londonist
London Overground Strikes Announced For February And March
Plan ahead if you use the Ginger Line.
10 months ago
Plan ahead if you use the Ginger Line.
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...
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...
diamond geezer
Leap day
Leap day - 29 leap facts for February 29th
1) Leap years occur quadrennially, that's every four...
9 months ago
Leap day - 29 leap facts for February 29th
1) Leap years occur quadrennially, that's every four years. They're required because a solar year is almost exactly 365¼ days long, and over a four year period those four quarter-days add up to make one whole extra day.
2) Today is the...
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...
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...
Londonist
12 Spring Day Trips From London: March 2024
Daffodils, dinosaurs and British fashion icons.
9 months ago
Daffodils, dinosaurs and British fashion icons.
diamond geezer
Open House (1)
Yesterday's Open House tally was eight.
• The iconic building on the other side of London where it...
a year ago
Yesterday's Open House tally was eight.
• The iconic building on the other side of London where it looked like they were offering walk-up tours including a rooftop visit, so I went out of my way to attend only to find that the tour in fact required booking and was full, plus it...
Londonist
London Overground Strikes Next Week Cancelled
Normal service now planned.
10 months ago
Normal service now planned.
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
A Relic of the Past, Shibuya Green Tea is Leafing Out Once Again
Umeharaen, a green tea seller that once stood at the corner of Shibuya Crossing Shibuya typically...
11 months ago
Umeharaen, a green tea seller that once stood at the corner of Shibuya Crossing Shibuya typically conjures images of tall skyscrapers, neon lights, and the world’s busiest pedestrian crossings. Not tranquil tea plantations. But 150 years ago in the early Meiji era, Shibuya, as...
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...
Londonist
Win Tickets To The Glowing Land Of Lights Lantern Festival This Winter
Free entry for up to six people!
a year ago
Free entry for up to six people!
Londonist
At The Smithfield Memorial To Scottish Hero William Wallace
Still receiving flowers over 700 years on.
a year ago
Still receiving flowers over 700 years on.
diamond geezer
The news from your borough
The News From Your Borough
If I went to your borough yesterday, here's some news from...
a year ago
The News From Your Borough
If I went to your borough yesterday, here's some news from it.
Barnet
Brent
Camden
the same name for a pub they've rebranded on Camden High Street so I'm suddenly much less impressed. Also Tripadvisor reckons that Brondes Age is #14,524 of 15,760...
Londonist
The Iconic Harry Beck Map But Make It Aeroplanes
But is everything as it seems?
a year ago
But is everything as it seems?
diamond geezer
Piccadilly
PICCADILLY
£280
London's Monopoly Streets
PICCADILLY
Colour group: yellow
Purchase price:...
2 months ago
PICCADILLY
£280
London's Monopoly Streets
PICCADILLY
Colour group: yellow
Purchase price: £280
Rent: £22
Length: 1400m
Borough: Westminster
Postcode: W1/SW1
Piccadilly leads from the West End to the west of town and is one of London's older roads. The eastern half was...
diamond geezer
The Overground renaming story
The Overground renaming story
Sep 2006: The Mayor announced yesterday that he's found a cunning way...
3 weeks ago
The Overground renaming story
Sep 2006: The Mayor announced yesterday that he's found a cunning way of extending the tube network without forking out billions on new tunnels. He's taking a couple of existing rail services - namely Silverlink's North London line and TfL's East...
Londonist
This Glowing Garden Of 25,000 Illuminated Roses Has Returned
The Ever After Garden returns.
a year ago
The Ever After Garden returns.
Londonist
The Great Fire Of London: 10 Key Sites To See
Monument, Pudding Lane, the Golden Boy and more.
a year ago
Monument, Pudding Lane, the Golden Boy and more.
diamond geezer
Where in London?
It's Where in London? time again.
You can see the photos individually here: NW NE SW...
7 months ago
It's Where in London? time again.
You can see the photos individually here: NW NE SW SE
Answers
NW: ???Vanbrough Crescent, Lime Tree Park, Northolt UB5-->
NE: Stansgate Road shops, Dagenham RM10
SW: Heatherlea Grove, The Hamptons, Worcester Park KT4
SE: The Beck, High Broom...
Londonist
London's Fear Of The Number 13
Our triskaidekaphobia city.
a year ago
Our triskaidekaphobia city.
Londonist
The Passion Of Jesus: Free Play Returns To Trafalgar Square On Good Friday 2024
Crowds of 20,000 expected to watch a cast of 100.
9 months ago
Crowds of 20,000 expected to watch a cast of 100.
Cheese and Biscuits
Dream Xi'an, Tower Hill
There are lots of good Chinese restaurants in the Holborn/Bloomsbury area of London. Most seem to...
8 months ago
There are lots of good Chinese restaurants in the Holborn/Bloomsbury area of London. Most seem to have popped up in the last decade or so, I assume alongside an influx of Chinese students attending the many nearby high-profile universities and colleges, because I'm fairly sure...
Londonist
Hello Brain! At The Crick Probes Secrets Of The Mind... With Knitting
See the latest brain research while you wait for a train.
9 months ago
See the latest brain research while you wait for a train.
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...
Londonist
Free And Cheap Things To Do This Week In London: 20-26 November 2023
Things to do for under a fiver.
a year ago
Things to do for under a fiver.
AFAR Media - Travel...
4 Reasons to Plan a Vacation at The Blake Hotel in Taos
a year ago
Spoon & Tamago
New Tadao Ando-Designed Museum to Open on Naoshima in 2025
A new museum will open on the art island of Naoshima in 2025. Although the official name has yet to...
a year ago
A new museum will open on the art island of Naoshima in 2025. Although the official name has yet to be announced, the structure will be designed by architect Tadao Ando and will mark his 10th museum on the island. The ‘new museum’ will consist of 3 floors—2 underground and 1...
Spoon & Tamago
Discarded Tatami Mats are Reborn as Contemporary Furniture
Tatami mats are traditional Japanese flooring made from sewn-together igusa grass. But despite their...
a year ago
Tatami mats are traditional Japanese flooring made from sewn-together igusa grass. But despite their lovely aroma and natural resistance to mold, their usage has consistently declined as modern consumers opt for more contemporary living choices. The Tatami ReFab Project is an...
Londonist
Things To Do In London This Autumn
Your September to November 2023 calendar, sorted.
a year ago
Your September to November 2023 calendar, sorted.
diamond geezer
Extinguishing the 497
This post is about little-used buses on the eastern edge of Havering. If you've never ridden the...
11 months ago
This post is about little-used buses on the eastern edge of Havering. If you've never ridden the 346, 347 or 497 it may not be for you.
least frequent bus (speciality routes excepted), and Geoff's just made a video about it.
consultation to tweak/combine/withdraw these three...
diamond geezer
Littlehampton → Shoreham
Walking the coast of Britain can be a tortuous meandering slog round umpteen bays and inlets or it...
6 months ago
Walking the coast of Britain can be a tortuous meandering slog round umpteen bays and inlets or it can be a simple stroll along a gentle curving shoreline. The coast of Sussex is mostly the latter which makes it ideal for a good long coastal walk. At the weekend I headed to the...
Londonist
WrapUp London: Donate Your Unused Coat To Someone Who Needs It This Winter
A small gesture goes a long way 🙂
a year ago
A small gesture goes a long way 🙂
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
Festive Film Screenings: Where To Watch Christmas Movies In London This Year
Pop-up cinemas in palaces, rooftops and big tops.
a year ago
Pop-up cinemas in palaces, rooftops and big tops.
AFAR Media - Travel...
Reasons Why Gulf Shores & Orange Beach Are the Getaway Destinations
a year ago
Londonist
Things To Do This Weekend In London: 13-14 January 2024
Circus, comedy, drag, live music and more.
11 months ago
Circus, comedy, drag, live music and more.
The Forney Flyer
Rib Day - 2 Year Anniversary Celebration!
Two years ago, on October 17th, this happened...
Long story short, I got knocked off my...
over a year ago
Two years ago, on October 17th, this happened...
Long story short, I got knocked off my motorcycle by a drunk driver, and then a different vehicle, a large Toyota Landcruiser (SUV) promptly drove over me, right across my torso. I should have died right then and there, and...
diamond geezer
Victoria vents in Islington
One thing every underground railway needs is ventilation and the Victoria line needs it more than...
a year ago
One thing every underground railway needs is ventilation and the Victoria line needs it more than most. It runs fully underground from end to end and has lengthy distances between stations, so without atmospheric release would soon come unstuck. Engineers therefore had to include...
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
The Killer 1962 Smog Of London
And no, we don't mean 1952.
a year ago
And no, we don't mean 1952.
AFAR Media - Travel...
A Local Baker’s Top Picks to Maine’s Best Winter Adventures
4 months ago
Londonist
Things To Do This Weekend In London: 20-21 January 2024
Two words: cheese market.
11 months ago
Two words: cheese market.
diamond geezer
Football pre-season update
Football pre-season update
Olympic Men's Football, as of three minutes ago, it's time to look...
4 months ago
Football pre-season update
Olympic Men's Football, as of three minutes ago, it's time to look forward 11 minutes to the start of the new football season.
Championship at 8pm tonight with a pair of opening matches, one between title contenders Blackburn Rovers and title...
Londonist
Where To Celebrate Diwali 2023 In London
Including the huge, free Diwali Festival.
a year ago
Including the huge, free Diwali Festival.
Londonist
East London Could Be Getting This Flashy New Lido
What a beaut.
a year ago
Cheese and Biscuits
YiQi, Chinatown
As any self-respecting 2024 London restaurant-goer knows, the trend in Asian cuisine is towards...
7 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...
Londonist
Miracle At Henrietta: The Christmassiest Bar In London
It's Kiiiiiiiitschmas!
a year ago
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
Fourth Plinth Winning Artworks For 2026 And 2028 Announced
Say hello to Trafalgar Square's latest additions.
9 months ago
Say hello to Trafalgar Square's latest additions.
diamond geezer
The City Wall at Vine Street
Other Vine Streets are available.
The City Wall at Vine Street
Location: Vine Street, EC3N 2HT...
5 months ago
Other Vine Streets are available.
The City Wall at Vine Street
Location: Vine Street, EC3N 2HT [map]
Open: 9am - 6pm (bank holidays excepted)
Admission: free
Seven word summary: a very old wall and some rubbish
Website: citywallvinestreet.org
Time to set aside: half an hour
The...
diamond geezer
Trafalgar Square
TRAFALGAR
SQUARE
£240
London's Monopoly Streets
TRAFALGAR SQUARE
Colour group: red
Purchase...
4 months ago
TRAFALGAR
SQUARE
£240
London's Monopoly Streets
TRAFALGAR SQUARE
Colour group: red
Purchase price: £240
Rent: £20
Area: 3 acres
Borough: Westminster
Postcode: WC2
four streets on the Monopoly board (all the pinks plus Strand) and is also a property in its own right. I've...
AFAR Media - Travel...
New United Lounge in Newark Airport's Terminal A Now Open
a year ago
Londonist
Wish You Were (Still) Here: Euston Station's Great Hall
It would've been 175 years old this year... if it hadn't been reduced to rubble.
11 months ago
It would've been 175 years old this year... if it hadn't been reduced to rubble.
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
Where (And When) To See Cherry Blossom In London
The best spots for snapping sakura.
9 months ago
The best spots for snapping sakura.
diamond geezer
Stephens House and Gardens
Some of London's best small parks were once a rich man's garden.
It's called Stephens House and...
a year ago
Some of London's best small parks were once a rich man's garden.
It's called Stephens House and Gardens and it covers a dozen acres off East End Road, not far from Finchley central station. If what you need is a kickabout space and somewhere to exercise a big dog it's not for...
Londonist
See The '12 Days Of Christmas' Decorations In Duke Of York Square
"...And a partridge in a pear tree."
a year ago
"...And a partridge in a pear tree."
diamond geezer
Eden Dock
You know how when you come out of Canary Wharf tube station, main entrance, there's always been a...
2 months ago
You know how when you come out of Canary Wharf tube station, main entrance, there's always been a big empty dock in front of you? Well, not any more.
yesterday and is really very impressive. So long as you don't read anything about it.
island. Unsurprisingly it's already...
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