diamond geezer
Rayners Lane
Four tube stations are named after country lanes, the longest of which is Rayners Lane in Harrow....
a month ago
Four tube stations are named after country lanes, the longest of which is Rayners Lane in Harrow. What's more it still follows exactly the same meandering path across two miles of suburbia as it did when everything was fields. So I've walked it.
entirely undeveloped agricultural...
diamond geezer
Central line upgrade
#10002 ✅ Journeys
January 2020 TfL started withdrawing rolling stock from the Central line as part...
a year ago
#10002 ✅ Journeys
January 2020 TfL started withdrawing rolling stock from the Central line as part of an ongoing programme of refurbishment. All the motors need replacing, plus this offered the additional opportunity to add wheelchair spaces, LED lighting, CCTV and improved...
Spoon & Tamago
Whale Butter Dish Designed by Akira Yoshimura
This whimsical butter dish is sure to bring a sea of change to your kitchen. Designed by Akira...
a year ago
This whimsical butter dish is sure to bring a sea of change to your kitchen. Designed by Akira Yoshimura (previously) and lovingly produced by the metal artisans of Takaoka-based Sanomasa, the Whale Butter Dish is made in the likeness of a whale that has swallowed a stick of...
One from Nippon
$450 for a School Bag?!
Every year, around March, a curious social custom occurs in Japanese families.
Parents of kids...
11 months ago
Every year, around March, a curious social custom occurs in Japanese families.
Parents of kids entering elementary school visit the grandparents and gingerly tread the topic of buying the kids a very expensive item: a randoseru.
And gingerly they must tread. The randoseru, a...
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
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.
Londonist
Things To Do This Weekend In London: 20-21 January 2024
Two words: cheese market.
11 months ago
Two words: cheese market.
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.
Spoon & Tamago
Death Fes in Shibuya Asks Visitor to Embrace Their End
images courtesy Death Fes April 14th is the unofficial “day of good death” in Japan. The date 4-1-4...
8 months ago
images courtesy Death Fes April 14th is the unofficial “day of good death” in Japan. The date 4-1-4 can be pronounced yo-i-shi, or good death, making today the perfect day to kick-off the Death Fes, an event aimed at encouraging people to think and talk about their inevitable...
Londonist
Conkers In London: Where To Find Them, Where To Play
Our hard-hitting guide.
a year ago
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.
diamond geezer
Opening up the Thames Path
I'm indebted to Ian Visits for alerting me that a new stretch of the Thames Path has just opened up....
3 months ago
I'm indebted to Ian Visits for alerting me that a new stretch of the Thames Path has just opened up. It's alongside Craven Cottage, the home of Fulham FC, where previously you had to divert inland around three sides of the stadium. That's no longer necessary because a new...
AFAR Media - Travel...
5 Excursions With Afar and Atlas Ocean Voyages
6 months ago
Londonist
Part Of The Piccadilly Line Is Closing For 5 Days This Month
Heathrow will be off the cards.
10 months ago
Heathrow will be off the cards.
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...
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...
AFAR Media - Travel...
4 Reasons to Plan a Vacation at The Blake Hotel in Taos
a year ago
diamond geezer
Bourneview
London has eight public footpath level crossings, and today I'm going to walk you across another of...
8 months ago
London has eight public footpath level crossings, and today I'm going to walk you across another of them.
Bourneview (CR8 5AD)
Kenley in the London borough of Croydon, a couple of miles southeast of Purley. Two railway lines wend down this dry chalk valley but we want the line...
Londonist
The Top Exhibitions To See In London: January 2024
Cuteness overload and a light show to kick off a capital year of culture.
a year ago
Cuteness overload and a light show to kick off a capital year of culture.
AFAR Media - Travel...
Travel by Sea With Luxury, Sustainability, and Adventure
3 months ago
AFAR Media - Travel...
Driving Across Norway, the Most Electric Car-Friendly Country in the World
a year ago
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.
diamond geezer
TfL FoI requests in October 2024
20 things we learnt from TfL FoI requests in October 2024
1) The five road junctions with the most...
a month ago
20 things we learnt from TfL FoI requests in October 2024
1) The five road junctions with the most casualties and collisions over the last three years (specifically the greatest 'casualty harm') are the Redbridge Roundabout, Seven Sisters, Elephant & Castle, the foot of Ilford...
AFAR Media - Travel...
United To Fly New Nonstop Flights to East Asia This Fall
a year 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...
diamond geezer
339 Rerouting Implementation Assessment Report
Rerouting of bus route 339 on Fish Island
November 2023
rerouted in the Fish Island area of East...
a year ago
Rerouting of bus route 339 on Fish Island
November 2023
rerouted in the Fish Island area of East London to serve emerging residential areas previously remote from the bus network. This report from the Independent E3 Inspectorate analyses the build-up to implementation and...
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
Explore Notre-Dame Cathedral... From Westminster Abbey
Hit augmented reality experience comes to London.
11 months ago
Hit augmented reality experience comes to London.
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...
Spoon & Tamago
Icoma Foldable Electric Bike Inspired by Japanese Transformable Toys
The moment we saw this foldable electric bike, something awakened our inner child. We couldn’t quite...
a year ago
The moment we saw this foldable electric bike, something awakened our inner child. We couldn’t quite put our finger on it bit it was a feeling akin to seeing a brand new toy in a toy shop. It turns out that the origin story of the Icoma Electric Bike is very much a part of...
Londonist
Dozens Of Vintage Boats Moor Up In Central London This September
The (free!) Classic Boat Festival is back at St Katharine Docks.
a year ago
The (free!) Classic Boat Festival is back at St Katharine Docks.
Londonist
13 Of The Best Irish Pubs In London
Guinness, rugby, oysters and craic.
10 months ago
Guinness, rugby, oysters and craic.
Londonist
Ice Hockey In London: Who Are The Teams, Where To Watch And When's It On?
Puck up your ideas.
a year ago
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
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.
Spoon & Tamago
The Evolution of Meiji Era Craftsmanship, On Full Display in Tokyo
It’s hard to overstate the cataclysmic impact that the Meiji Restoriation had on Japan. The Meiji...
a year ago
It’s hard to overstate the cataclysmic impact that the Meiji Restoriation had on Japan. The Meiji period, defined as the period between 1868 and 1912, followed what was nearly 300 years of almost complete isolation from the globe. Craftsmen and artists who had previously served...
diamond geezer
LNER 70min Flex Tickets
Long distance rail travel can be both complicated and expensive.
fare pilot to tackle one of these...
11 months ago
Long distance rail travel can be both complicated and expensive.
fare pilot to tackle one of these issues.
LNER's innovation is 70min Flex, a flexible ticket which allows you to travel within a specific window either side of your booked train. Up to 70 minutes before, up to 70...
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
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
Pall Mall
PALL MALL
£140
London's Monopoly Streets
PALL MALL
Colour group: pink
Purchase price:...
8 months ago
PALL MALL
£140
London's Monopoly Streets
PALL MALL
Colour group: pink
Purchase price: £140
Rent: £10
Length: 500m
Borough: Westminster
Postcode: SW1
Pall Mall is the first of the pinks, all of which lead off Trafalgar Square, and a classically posh street to boot. At less...
diamond geezer
Walking on Canada Water
It's now quicker to walk from Canada Water station to the big Tesco. This is because British Land...
a month ago
It's now quicker to walk from Canada Water station to the big Tesco. This is because British Land are trying to sell flats.
swooshy timber boardwalk has just opened and it's red. Very red.
It starts from the dock edge by the library and ends at the far end of what used to be...
Spoon & Tamago
Repurposing Japan’s Glut of Empty Homes as Greenhouses
The coronavirus pandemic had a drastic and immediate impact on Yuichiro Shimizu’s taxi business. As...
a year ago
The coronavirus pandemic had a drastic and immediate impact on Yuichiro Shimizu’s taxi business. As early as January 2020, Nichiei Taxi, a local business that has been servicing Saitama prefecture for over 50 years, saw their revenue drop by a staggering 80%. To save the company,...
Londonist
Where To Go Ice Skating In London For Christmas 2023
London's best festive ice rinks this year - including a couple of brand new ones!
a year ago
London's best festive ice rinks this year - including a couple of brand new ones!
AFAR Media - Travel...
The Best Winter Resorts and Activities in Central Minnesota
a month ago
Londonist
London's New Women's Museum Opens This March
Launching on International Women's Day.
9 months ago
Launching on International Women's Day.
AFAR Media - Travel...
Why Madeira, Portugal Is the Ideal Stopover Destination
a month ago
diamond geezer
Unblogged December
28 unblogged things I did in December
Fri 1: My monthly electricity bill arrived and it was an...
12 months ago
28 unblogged things I did in December
Fri 1: My monthly electricity bill arrived and it was an estimate, except that after several months of them assuming I'd used 40 kWh they'd suddenly decided I'd used 192 kWh. The bloke on the helpline couldn't explain the massive hike ("no, I...
Londonist
Where To Go Pumpkin Picking Near London This Autumn
Oh. My. GOURD.
a year ago
Spoon & Tamago
An Exhibition of Plushie, Small Disappointments
An onigiri smushed at the bottom of your bag. Water splashing off a spoon. Burnt toast. Life is full...
2 months ago
An onigiri smushed at the bottom of your bag. Water splashing off a spoon. Burnt toast. Life is full of small disappointments. But helping us see the humor in it all is Makosun, a Japanese maker of weird plushies—their words, not ours—who renders all these small disappointments...
diamond geezer
Mansfield Park
Some buses terminate at the most evocative literary destinations.
K4 to Mansfield Park
Location:...
6 days ago
Some buses terminate at the most evocative literary destinations.
K4 to Mansfield Park
Location: London southwest, outer
Length of bus journey: 7 miles, 45 minutes
It is a truth universally acknowledged that a single man in possession of an Oyster card must be in want of a...
Londonist
London's Curious Collection Of Golden Statues
Golden wonders.
a year ago
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...
diamond geezer
Unblogged 1984
31 unblogged things I did in December 1984
They didn't have blogs or the internet forty years ago,...
3 days ago
31 unblogged things I did in December 1984
They didn't have blogs or the internet forty years ago, indeed my Sinclair ZX81 wasn't capable of much, but here are 31 things I didn't digitally publish at the time. To help you get your bearings I was 19 and December featured one week...
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...
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...
Londonist
Check Out This Hand-Drawn Culture Map Of London
ALL the culture. Well, a lot of it.
a year ago
ALL the culture. Well, a lot of it.
Cheese and Biscuits
Pied à Terre, Fitzrovia
Since the closure of Le Gavroche, Pied à Terre is now the London restaurant which has held at least...
6 months ago
Since the closure of Le Gavroche, Pied à Terre is now the London restaurant which has held at least one Michelin star for the longest time. It first won the accolade shortly after it opened back in 1991, a time when fine dining meant French dining, and the term "gastropub" was...
Spoon & Tamago
A New Brewery in Yobuko Wants to Revive the Former Whaling Town
Photos by Hiroshi Mizusaki courtesy Case-Real Architects The Town of Yobuko, located at the tip of...
a year ago
Photos by Hiroshi Mizusaki courtesy Case-Real Architects The Town of Yobuko, located at the tip of North-Western Kyushu, is named after the migratory path that whales swam. Beginning in the 1700s, Yobuko prospered as a whaling town, birthing the idiom, a single whale flourishes...
Londonist
A Farewell To Wilko
"I thought this was the new Woolworths to be honest."
a year ago
"I thought this was the new Woolworths to be honest."
Londonist
Free And Cheap Things To Do This Week In London: 4-10 December 2023
Things to do for under a fiver.
a year ago
Things to do for under a fiver.
Londonist
We Talk To John Rogers, Filmmaker And Author Of Welcome To New London
A true London legend.
a year ago
Cheese and Biscuits
Bouchon Racine, Farringdon
Such is the cyclical nature of these things, trends in food or clothing or plenty of other areas...
a year ago
Such is the cyclical nature of these things, trends in food or clothing or plenty of other areas besides will, given long enough, find themselves fading in and out of favour. There was a time, within living memory, when French cuisine was considered the gold standard of...
AFAR Media - Travel...
A Guide to D.C. for Music Lovers by Local Musician Neffy
7 months ago
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...
AFAR Media - Travel...
New Luxury Cruises in the Adriatic and Baltic Seas
3 months 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...
Cheese and Biscuits
Speedboat Bar, Soho
It's been a very long time since I did my post-University trip to SE Asia (yes, I am a cliché, I...
over a year ago
It's been a very long time since I did my post-University trip to SE Asia (yes, I am a cliché, I know) and although this was 2001 (I am also old) and years before I thought about starting a food blog (in fact probably years before the first blog even existed) I remember being...
Londonist
A Major Festival Of Czech Culture Is Returning To London
Made in Prague runs 3 Nov-10 Dec.
a year ago
Made in Prague runs 3 Nov-10 Dec.
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...
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
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.
diamond geezer
Whitehall
WHITEHALL
£140
London's Monopoly Streets
WHITEHALL
Colour group: pink
Purchase price:...
8 months ago
WHITEHALL
£140
London's Monopoly Streets
WHITEHALL
Colour group: pink
Purchase price: £140
Rent: £10
Length: 500m
Borough: Westminster
Postcode: SW1
Whitehall is one of the most famous and historic streets in London but has been tucked away on the cheap-to-middling side of...
Spoon & Tamago
Japanese Designer New Year’s Cards of 2024
It’s been a rough start to the new year for Japan as one disaster begets another. We are of course...
11 months ago
It’s been a rough start to the new year for Japan as one disaster begets another. We are of course talking about the evolving situation at Haneda airport, as well as the Noto Peninsula. Our hearts go out to everyone affected but we also want to highlight the many heroes of the...
Londonist
Where To Watch Fireworks On Bonfire Night In London 2023
Mark Guy Fawkes Night with a bang.
a year ago
Mark Guy Fawkes Night with a bang.
Londonist
Free And Cheap Things To Do This Week In London: 11-17 September 2023
Things to do for under a fiver.
a year ago
Things to do for under a fiver.
diamond geezer
S2
This is the S2, a bus which ran between Clapton and my neck of the woods between 1970 and 2008, back...
9 months ago
This is the S2, a bus which ran between Clapton and my neck of the woods between 1970 and 2008, back when 'S' meant Stratford.
It now means Sutton, there already being an S1, S3 and S4 threading across the borough, but it's taken until 2024 for the gap to be filled with an...
Londonist
Bush Hall: Live Music At Historic West London Venue Under Immediate Threat
Four months to save the Shepherd's Bush icon.
9 months ago
Four months to save the Shepherd's Bush icon.
Londonist
Two 24-Hour Tube Strikes Planned For April And May 2024
Aslef members say they're 'working harder and longer for less'.
9 months ago
Aslef members say they're 'working harder and longer for less'.
diamond geezer
Not the Metropolitan line extension
Eight years ago the Metropolitan line extension to Watford Junction was cancelled when the incoming...
9 months ago
Eight years ago the Metropolitan line extension to Watford Junction was cancelled when the incoming Mayor chose to ditch the outgoing Mayor's underfunded project. The people of London barely noticed - they had no desperate need to go to west Watford and the money saved went on...
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,...
Herbert Lui
Confidence vs. trusting the process
“This might not work,” Seth Godin writes in his blog post, “Out on a limb.” (It’s one of my...
2 weeks ago
“This might not work,” Seth Godin writes in his blog post, “Out on a limb.” (It’s one of my favorites, alongside “Talker’s Block.” ) It’s fascinating to see this idea make it into a key part of his book The Practice, which I recently picked up and find myself liking a lot. If you...
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...
The Biltmore Arizona: an Iconic Southwest Resort
5 months ago
diamond geezer
RP1
London's Free Buses
RP1: Richmond Park circular
Length of journey: 12 miles, 90 minutes
the RP1, a...
2 months ago
London's Free Buses
RP1: Richmond Park circular
Length of journey: 12 miles, 90 minutes
the RP1, a minibus service organised by the Royal Parks to provide accessible transport through and around Richmond Park. Just because you can't get around easily any more, why should you miss...
diamond geezer
The University Challenge
The University Challenge
My university adventure started with a car journey to destiny, and a...
a year ago
The University Challenge
My university adventure started with a car journey to destiny, and a selection of my worldly belongings packed into the boot. It had looked like a reasonable number of belongings when piled up in my bedroom, a stack of clothes and books and gadgets I...
Londonist
Best Of Londonist: 1-7 April 2024
Our top stories from the last seven days.
8 months ago
Our top stories from the last seven days.
diamond geezer
Bakerloo 40
Happy 40th Birthday to the Bakerloo line.
that's 118, but the current extent of the line with...
6 months ago
Happy 40th Birthday to the Bakerloo line.
that's 118, but the current extent of the line with trains operating between Harrow & Wealdstone and Elephant & Castle. Elephant's been the southern terminus since 1906, despite umpteen attempts at an extension. But the northern terminus...
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...
diamond geezer
Silver Jubilee
In May 2004 I wrote a month-long series called Silver Jubilee to celebrate the 25th anniversary of...
7 months ago
In May 2004 I wrote a month-long series called Silver Jubilee to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the Jubilee line. I believe in playing the long game, so today I'm reviving the feature to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the Jubilee line extension.
So here's what I wrote...
Londonist
Things To Do In London On New Year's Day 2024
The best events in London on 1 January.
a year ago
The best events in London on 1 January.
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.
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
Tate Britain Reveals Grenfell-Inspired Staircase
Chris Ofili's Requiem unveiled.
a year ago
Chris Ofili's Requiem unveiled.
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
30 Beautiful Giraffe Sculptures To Discover On This Croydon Art Trail
Done the gorillas? Now do these.
a year ago
Done the gorillas? Now do these.
Londonist
How To Spend A Weekend In Dublin
48 hours of pubs, literature and galleries.
12 months ago
48 hours of pubs, literature and galleries.
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
Hyperlocal History Month
August is often Local History Month on diamond geezer. I thought this year I might go hyperlocal and...
4 months ago
August is often Local History Month on diamond geezer. I thought this year I might go hyperlocal and bring you historical details of objects and places particularly close to home. We'll see how it goes.
HYPERLOCAL HISTORY MONTH: My fridge
My fridge is four years old, having...
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
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
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
Burns Night 2024 In London: Parties, Suppers And Ceilidhs To Celebrate This Year
Kilt up and raise a dram to Robert Burns on 25 January.
11 months ago
Kilt up and raise a dram to Robert Burns on 25 January.
AFAR Media - Travel...
Reasons Why Gulf Shores & Orange Beach Are the Getaway Destinations
a year ago
Herbert Lui
Just do the real thing (again)
If you want to get good at something, just start by doing it. Today. Sam Altman writes an important...
a week ago
If you want to get good at something, just start by doing it. Today. Sam Altman writes an important reminder on this: don’t outsmart yourself and spend precious time and energy working on fake prerequisites. Here’s an example, from my life, that I write about in Creative Doing:...
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
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...
Spoon & Tamago
Download Over 30 Butterfly Designs by Meiji-Era Artist Yuho Tanaka
Yuho Tanaka (田中幽峰) was an accomplished artist and draughtsman active in Kyoto during the late-1800s....
a year ago
Yuho Tanaka (田中幽峰) was an accomplished artist and draughtsman active in Kyoto during the late-1800s. At the height of his career in the 1890s he created numerous graphic patterns inspired by butterflies that were eventually compiled into a book titled hyaku-cho-zuan, or One...
Cheese and Biscuits
Papi, London Fields
"We'll need your table back in an hour and a half, is that OK?"
Still, there's a lot to like...
a year ago
"We'll need your table back in an hour and a half, is that OK?"
Still, there's a lot to like about Papi. It's one of those places where you want to order everything on the menu, and as the menu isn't that huge, if you take a couple of friends along you probably can. We...
Londonist
Dozens Of Well-Dressed Dandies Saunter Through Central London In May
What Londoner doesn't like a good flan?
8 months ago
What Londoner doesn't like a good flan?
diamond geezer
Open House (3)
Yesterday's Open House tally was seven.
• The repurposed building indelibly associated with a star...
a year ago
Yesterday's Open House tally was seven.
• The repurposed building indelibly associated with a star architect where everyone had to wear a name badge in case the over-excitable staff wanted to make conversation, but there was in fact hardly anything to see and I was out of there...
Londonist
Support Great Ormond Street Hospital - By Climbing The Walkie Talkie!
Up for a challenge?
11 months ago
Londonist
On 29 February Do One Of These Things A Londoner Would Never Do
From rickshaws to Angus Steakhouses.
10 months ago
From rickshaws to Angus Steakhouses.
Spoon & Tamago
Exploring Tokyo’s Hidden Shrines
According to statistics, Tokyo is home to over 1800 Shinto shrines. You have your major shrines like...
a year ago
According to statistics, Tokyo is home to over 1800 Shinto shrines. You have your major shrines like Meiji-Jingu and Hie Shrine but there are many other tiny shrines, often unstaffed and nestled in the depths of back streets and behind buildings. Tearing down a shrine would be...
diamond geezer
Gaps between Easters
You've probably noticed that Easter Day moves around a lot. Yes, it can fall on any date between...
8 months ago
You've probably noticed that Easter Day moves around a lot. Yes, it can fall on any date between 22nd March and 25th April, but it never seems to end up on the same weekend it did last year. And indeed it never can.
Let's take a look at how the date jumps around during the...
Spoon & Tamago
Director Ryota Nakano to be Special Guest at Japan Society’s Family Portrait: Japanese Family in...
this post is sponsored by Japan Society Agency for Cultural Affairs, Government of Japan and Japan...
10 months ago
this post is sponsored by Japan Society Agency for Cultural Affairs, Government of Japan and Japan Society are proud to announce the eighth installment of the ACA Cinema Project film series, Family Portrait: Japanese Family in Flux. The series examines the shifting dynamics and...
diamond geezer
What if the world ended?
What if the world ended? It could happen.
var randno = Math.floor(Math.random() * 199) + 2100;...
10 months ago
What if the world ended? It could happen.
var randno = Math.floor(Math.random() * 199) + 2100; document.write(randno );. Or var randno = Math.floor(Math.random() * 49) + 2050; document.write(randno );. Perhaps var randno = Math.floor(Math.random() * 19) + 2030;...
Londonist
Things To Eat And Drink In London This Halloween
From pumpkin-spiced crumble to a sinful supper club.
a year ago
From pumpkin-spiced crumble to a sinful supper club.
Spoon & Tamago
Uenosuke Shitanosuke: Twin Tumblers that Fit Perfectly Together
For all the preaching on the health benefits of drinking more water, very few tools help us actually...
a year ago
For all the preaching on the health benefits of drinking more water, very few tools help us actually achieve this. So when Taro Mukasa, an illustrator and toy designer at creative agency Zariganiworks came across a manga panel in which the protagonist declares that his hobby is...
Spoon & Tamago
Abstract Paintings by Yuna Ogina Depict Intimate Human Connections
Tokyo-based artist Ogino Yuna creates semi-abstract paintings using motifs of living things that are...
4 months ago
Tokyo-based artist Ogino Yuna creates semi-abstract paintings using motifs of living things that are familiar to her, such as flowers and people. But for her latest exhibition, which just opened in Tokyo, the artist has pointed her brush at one of the most basic yet intimate...
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.
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...
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.
diamond geezer
In Jail
After Pentonville Road the next square on the Monopoly board is Jail. It's not assigned a location -...
9 months ago
After Pentonville Road the next square on the Monopoly board is Jail. It's not assigned a location - the corner squares never are - but I wonder if they had Pentonville Prison in mind when placing Pentonville Road beside the Jail. The two aren't close in real life, Pentonville...
Londonist
Free And Cheap Things To Do This Week In London: 2-8 October 2023
Things to do for under a fiver.
a year ago
Things to do for under a fiver.
diamond geezer
Gridmaps
London in 1
Charing
Cross
London in 2
Westminster
City
London in...
a year ago
London in 1
Charing
Cross
London in 2
Westminster
City
London in 3
Westfield
Oxford
StreetWestfield
London in 4
Harefield
Harold
Hill
HeathrowOrpington
London in 6
M1
A10A12
M4
A3A2
London in...
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...
Londonist
Things To Do This Weekend In London: 6-7 April 2024
Last-chance exhibitions, an ice hockey weekender, and a miniature railway.
8 months ago
Last-chance exhibitions, an ice hockey weekender, and a miniature railway.
diamond geezer
dg Q&A
dg Q&A
Thank you for your questions.
How many spoons do you have?
Have you ever milked a...
6 months ago
dg Q&A
Thank you for your questions.
How many spoons do you have?
Have you ever milked a cow?
What did you have for lunch on 30th July 1989?
What's the most northerly object in your flat?
Which is the most-read Diamond Geezer post?
Does the UK have the worst pedestrian...
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
Hayling Island
Seaside postcard: Hayling Island
Hayling Island lies just off the south coast near the mouth of the...
4 months ago
Seaside postcard: Hayling Island
Hayling Island lies just off the south coast near the mouth of the Solent, just east of Portsmouth. It's England's 7th largest offshore island and 5th most populous, some way behind Wight and Portsea respectively, both of which are nextdoor. It...
Londonist
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
A VHS Cafe is Opening in Tokyo’s Shimokitazawa Neighborhood
Despite it’s image of neon lights and cyberpunk mystique propagated by the west, Tokyo is very much...
a year ago
Despite it’s image of neon lights and cyberpunk mystique propagated by the west, Tokyo is very much a mash-up of old and new. It’s a city where Tower Records is still alive and well. Where vinyl record and vintage clothing shops have to employ crowd control measures. And where a...
AFAR Media - Travel...
Myrtle Beach’s Sensory-Friendly Hotels, Spots, Restaurants
3 months ago
AFAR Media - Travel...
How to Redeem AmEx Membership Rewards Points for Top Value
a year ago
Londonist
RAF Hornchurch: Visit The Fascinating Museum Of This East London Airfield
Zeppelins, Guinea Pigs and the Great Escape.
a year ago
Zeppelins, Guinea Pigs and the Great Escape.
Herbert Lui
Disorientation
When you first land in a new place, where you don’t speak the language, you’re probably going to...
2 weeks ago
When you first land in a new place, where you don’t speak the language, you’re probably going to make some mistakes. You’ll get in the wrong line at the airport. Queue on the wrong side of the escalator. Realize you’ve unintentionally broken etiquette or convention of some sort....
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...
diamond geezer
We're drinking less tea
Yesterday the BBC website had a story about the amount of tea people aren't drinking any more.
do...
a week ago
Yesterday the BBC website had a story about the amount of tea people aren't drinking any more.
do drink tea it's often green tea, herbal tea or bubble tea, not traditional black tea. 18 year-old Sharma, for example, said she prefers herbal tea and hasn't even heard of Typhoo...
diamond geezer
The suddenest bank holidays
Had England won the Euros, our new PM said "we should certainly mark the occasion". He stopped short...
5 months ago
Had England won the Euros, our new PM said "we should certainly mark the occasion". He stopped short of confirming there'd be a bank holiday saying he didn't want to "jinx it", but an extra day off work was always a possibility. It didn't happen because Spain scored more goals...
AFAR Media - Travel...
How to Explore Innsbruck, the Capital of the Alps
6 months ago
Londonist
20 Pithy Ian Nairn Quotes About Modern London Buildings
"A joke title for a joke of a building."
a year ago
"A joke title for a joke of a building."
Londonist
Where To Celebrate Lunar New Year And Chinese New Year 2024 In London
Events and celebrations to welcome 2024's Year of the Dragon.
11 months ago
Events and celebrations to welcome 2024's Year of the Dragon.
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.
Londonist
Another Free Quentin Blake Exhibition In April
The master illustrator is back.
9 months ago
The master illustrator is back.
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.
Herbert Lui
Invest in your stories
My friend Peter started posting at LinkedIn a couple of years ago. He noticed that while people who...
2 weeks ago
My friend Peter started posting at LinkedIn a couple of years ago. He noticed that while people who followed him appreciated his advice, what they remembered most were his stories—about how he met his co-founder and started an agency, how they spun out new companies, and his move...
diamond geezer
Summing up 2023
The last day of the year is an excellent time to tot up what you've been doing all year... assuming...
11 months ago
The last day of the year is an excellent time to tot up what you've been doing all year... assuming you've been counting, which obviously I have. Cue my Counts of 2023.
(If you don't count these kinds of thing, look at all the fun you're missing out on)
the number of London...
diamond geezer
London Commonwealth Walkway
A Nice Walk: London Commonwealth Walkway (1½ miles)
Sometimes you just want to go for a nice walk,...
10 months ago
A Nice Walk: London Commonwealth Walkway (1½ miles)
Sometimes you just want to go for a nice walk, nothing too taxing, a bit of a stroll, lots to see, centrally located, historic buildings, an international frisson, royally approved, multiple refreshment opportunities, entirely...
Spoon & Tamago
120 Koinobori Flutter in Sabagawa River
photo courtesy Sabogawa Koinobori Kawanagashi Association Around this time of year, Japan becomes...
a year ago
photo courtesy Sabogawa Koinobori Kawanagashi Association Around this time of year, Japan becomes decorated with scenes of fish fluttering in the sky. Known as koinobori, the carp streamers are an important celebration of Children’s Day, which is on May 5th, and is one of the...
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...
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
Kawazu Cherry Blossoms in Shizuoka Now in Full Bloom
The Kawazu-Zakura cherry blossoms If you’re sick of winter and ready for spring, head to Shizuoka’s...
10 months ago
The Kawazu-Zakura cherry blossoms If you’re sick of winter and ready for spring, head to Shizuoka’s Kawazu City, the host of one of Japan’s earliest cherry blossom festivals. The Kawazu-zakura cherry blossoms are known for blossoming early and some trees are already beginning to...
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 🙂
Londonist
Street Art Hopscotch Appears In London, With A Potent Anti-War Message
“Stop talking about the politics of war and think more about the children suffering from conflict."
a year ago
“Stop talking about the politics of war and think more about the children suffering from conflict."
Londonist
Best Of Londonist: 2-8 October 2023
The best articles from the past week.
a year ago
The best articles from the past week.
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).
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....
diamond geezer
Everyman Stratford International
Stratford has a new cinema.
Everyman and can be found in the highrise nomansland that separates...
4 days ago
Stratford has a new cinema.
Everyman and can be found in the highrise nomansland that separates Westfield from the Olympic Park, now officially known as Stratford Cross. It's housed in a brushed metal box tucked beneath 20 floors of Grade A office space. It has three screens,...
diamond geezer
Draw-Off
For a few weeks every November the water level in the Thames in west London is deliberately...
a month ago
For a few weeks every November the water level in the Thames in west London is deliberately lowered.
Draw-Off and it exposes more of the riverbed than usual.
In order to carry out essential maintenance works on Richmond lock, weirs and sluices, it is necessary to hold up the...
Londonist
The London Of Doctor Who, Mapped
All the key locations from Hartnell onwards.
a year ago
All the key locations from Hartnell onwards.
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
Best Of Londonist: 22-28 January 2024
The best Londonist articles from the past week.
10 months ago
The best Londonist articles from the past week.
Spoon & Tamago
A Spoon & Tamago Guide to Ishikawa Prefecture
this post was sponsored by the Tokyo Convention & Visitors Bureau This travel guide originally...
11 months ago
this post was sponsored by the Tokyo Convention & Visitors Bureau This travel guide originally appeared in February 2023 and ever since Covid restrictions were lifted, Ishikawa prefecture has seen a steady climb in tourism. However, the tragic Noto Earthquake at the beginning of...
diamond geezer
TfL FoI requests in July 2024
20 things we learnt from TfL FoI requests in July 2024
1) TfL will not reveal the maximum speed on...
4 months ago
20 things we learnt from TfL FoI requests in July 2024
1) TfL will not reveal the maximum speed on each tube line because "disclosure of the information you have requested would be likely to adversely affect the safety and security of TfL employees and members of the general...
AFAR Media - Travel...
How to Plan a Relaxing Getaway in the Austrian Alps
6 months ago
diamond geezer
Unblogged July
31 unblogged things I did in July
Mon 1: "Oooh," I thought, "I bet that's the last London park in...
4 months ago
31 unblogged things I did in July
Mon 1: "Oooh," I thought, "I bet that's the last London park in alphabetical order, I wonder what the first is." So if you see a post one day called The A-Z of London Parks, that's where the idea came from.
Tue 2: Unblogged follow-up to my Free...
Cheese and Biscuits
64 Goodge Street, Fitzrovia
The first thing we were given to eat at 64 Goodge Street was a little plate of truffle-cream...
5 months ago
The first thing we were given to eat at 64 Goodge Street was a little plate of truffle-cream gougères topped with shaved Comté. These turned out to be important for two reasons - firstly, they weren't on the menu and as unannounced bonus extra dishes go you could hardly do more...
diamond geezer
Preparing rail fares for contactless
The cost of travelling by train between London and Southend is changing.
In today's post I'm going...
a year ago
The cost of travelling by train between London and Southend is changing.
In today's post I'm going to focus on fares between Southend Central and Fenchurch Street to keep things simple but similar changes apply to other journeys. Also this kind of model is rolling out on other...
Londonist
Things To Do In The Borough Of Bexley
Sound baths, Pre-Raphaelites and a gorgeous sewage pumping station.
9 months ago
Sound baths, Pre-Raphaelites and a gorgeous sewage pumping station.
Londonist
12 (Fairly) Festive Things To Do Near London: December 2023
Charming events within easy reach of London.
a year ago
Charming events within easy reach of London.
Londonist
Review: Blockbuster Disney Exhibition Digs Deep To Deliver The Magic
Fans will love this centenary show.
a year ago
Fans will love this centenary show.
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.
AFAR Media - Travel...
Kid-Friendly Historic Sites and Attractions to Visit in Germany
6 months ago
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.
diamond geezer
The Secret Life of the Home
As science evolves, so does the Science Museum.
The Secret Life of the Home.
This much-loved...
7 months ago
As science evolves, so does the Science Museum.
The Secret Life of the Home.
This much-loved corner of the basement, where the life of the domestic appliance is quirkily celebrated, closes forever on Sunday 2nd June. I went for a last look round with a wall-to-wall smile,...
AFAR Media - Travel...
Turkish Airlines Launches New Flights to Istanbul From Detroit
a year ago
diamond geezer
Carpenters Road
Carpenters Road has reopened again. It has a habit of doing this.
2007 so its rundown automotive...
6 months ago
Carpenters Road has reopened again. It has a habit of doing this.
2007 so its rundown automotive industries could be snuffed out in readiness for the Olympics. It took until 2014 to reopen, freshly sanitised, as a link road round the back of the Olympic Park. It then closed...
Londonist
Happisburgh: Where People Lived On The Thames A Million Years Ago
The Thames had history 40,000 generations before the Romans.
a year ago
The Thames had history 40,000 generations before the Romans.
Londonist
Take A Tour Of The Magnificent Palace Of Westminster This Autumn
Ahead of the State Opening in November.
a year ago
Ahead of the State Opening in November.
Londonist
A Brief History Of The Central Line
A chronology of the red line.
a year ago
A chronology of the red line.
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,...
diamond geezer
Six free exhibitions in north central London
Six free temporary exhibitions in north central London
(I'll rank these at the end, but the best...
2 weeks ago
Six free temporary exhibitions in north central London
(I'll rank these at the end, but the best one comes first)
Difficult Sites: Architecture Against the Odds
at: RIBA, Portland Place
from: 10am to 5pm (not Sunday)
until: 29 March
cottage melded into a rocky Leicestershire...
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...
Londonist
The Top Exhibitions To See In London In October 2023
Beauty, Manga, miniatures and a whole load of art fairs.
a year ago
Beauty, Manga, miniatures and a whole load of art fairs.
Londonist
Tips For Australians In London - From An Australian In London
Zoë Coombs Marr advises.
a year ago
Londonist
Epping Ongar Lights Express - The Fairy Light-Covered Christmas Steam Train Ride Is Back!
Most festive train EVER.
a year ago
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
Things To Do This Weekend In London: 2-3 December 2023
It's beginning to look a lot like Chr...
a year ago
It's beginning to look a lot like Chr...
Londonist
"Wretched, Frightful, Monstrous" - How London's Iconic Landmarks Were First Reviewed
Inc. some serious shade thrown on Tower Bridge.
8 months ago
Inc. some serious shade thrown on Tower Bridge.
Londonist
12 Predictions For London In 2024
What can we expect from the next 12 months?
11 months ago
What can we expect from the next 12 months?
The Forney Flyer
Flood Relief Flying
You may remember that I mentioned in a previous blog post a few weeks ago, that there had been...
over a year ago
You may remember that I mentioned in a previous blog post a few weeks ago, that there had been severe floods in Western Uganda (and other parts of the country) in early-mid May. Well, several weeks later, we were given special permission by various authorities to fly relief...
diamond geezer
An A-Z of London post offices
I wanted to buy a dozen stamps.
For this alphabetical challenge I needed a list of London's post...
a year ago
I wanted to buy a dozen stamps.
For this alphabetical challenge I needed a list of London's post offices, which is awkward because the Post Office's branch finder doesn't do lists, only "closest to"s. Thankfully this is a problem other people also have, and volunteers at...
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...
7 Music-Themed Museums to Visit in Washington D.C.
7 months ago
Spoon & Tamago
Travelling Through Eizan Railway’s Picturesque ‘Momiji Tunnel’
all photos courtesy Eizan Electric Railway Along Kyoto’s Eizan Electric Railway is a section known...
a year ago
all photos courtesy Eizan Electric Railway Along Kyoto’s Eizan Electric Railway is a section known as “Maple Tree Tunnel” (momiji tunnel, in Japanese) that is lined with hundreds of maple trees. They are, of course, beautiful any time of year. But maple trees are particularly...
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
Bow Roundabout update #6
The first full week of roadworks at the Bow Roundabout has seen lengthy queues and a bit more...
2 months ago
The first full week of roadworks at the Bow Roundabout has seen lengthy queues and a bit more drilling. The queues were at their worst on Wednesday when an additional set of roadworks temporarily afflicted Tredegar Road, at one point stretching over three quarters of a mile along...
Londonist
Big Improvement In London's Roadside Pollution, Says Report
NO2 levels plummet, but more to be done.
9 months ago
NO2 levels plummet, but more to be done.
Londonist
Delightful Literary Days Out Near London That All Book Lovers Should Do
Immerse yourself in the worlds of famous authors, from Charles Dickens to AA Milne.
a year ago
Immerse yourself in the worlds of famous authors, from Charles Dickens to AA Milne.
diamond geezer
The 47th President
Two months ago I asked you the following question.
Who do you think will be the next American...
a month ago
Two months ago I asked you the following question.
Who do you think will be the next American President? (poll closed)
Kamala
HARRIS
comments (71)
Donald
TRUMP
comments (29)
And now here we are the morning after the election. A red dawn is rising.
10 comments from readers...
Londonist
Things To Do This Week In London: 6-12 November 2023
Diwali celebrations, new karting and curling venues, and the Lord Mayor's Show.
a year ago
Diwali celebrations, new karting and curling venues, and the Lord Mayor's Show.
diamond geezer
Bus of the day 177
Bus Route Of The Day
177: Peckham to Thamesmead
Quadrant: London southeast
Length of journey: 12...
5 months ago
Bus Route Of The Day
177: Peckham to Thamesmead
Quadrant: London southeast
Length of journey: 12 miles, 75 minutes
Because it's 17th July I've been out riding the 177, because that's the Bus Route Of The Day. There are more glamorous ways to travel.
177 is your friend, and...
Londonist
Best Of Londonist: 25-31 March 2024
Catch up with the best Londonist articles from the past week.
8 months ago
Catch up with the best Londonist articles from the past week.
Spoon & Tamago
MUJI Fans Can Now Rent this Countryside MUJI Kominka
MUJI’s new rentable townhouse in Kamogawa MUJI, everyone’s favorite Japanese lifestyle retailer, has...
a year ago
MUJI’s new rentable townhouse in Kamogawa MUJI, everyone’s favorite Japanese lifestyle retailer, has been in the homebuilding business for over 15 years. But in a new initiative they’re calling MUJI Base, the company has begun restorring, renovating and renting countryside...
AFAR Media - Travel...
Places to Visit in Asheville that Cater to Dogs
11 months ago
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...
Londonist
A Brief History Of The Waterloo & City Line
A very peculiar line.
a year ago
Londonist
Guess What Our Most-Read Article Of 2023 Was...
You love Christmas and the tube - but what was numero uno?
12 months ago
You love Christmas and the tube - but what was numero uno?
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
Tiddles - The Fat Cat Of Paddington Station
He even had his own fridge.
10 months ago
He even had his own fridge.
Londonist
Things To Do This Weekend In London: 23-24 March 2024
Charity gigs, a glamorous speakeasy, and a boat race on the river.
9 months ago
Charity gigs, a glamorous speakeasy, and a boat race on the river.
Londonist
Kong And Godzilla Appear By/In The Thames For Epic Selfie Op!
They're only here till tonight.
9 months ago
They're only here till tonight.
diamond geezer
Asda Express Bow Petrol
Most days I walk past the Co-op on Bow Road - Bow Road's Co-op. I don't shop there, it's only a...
10 months ago
Most days I walk past the Co-op on Bow Road - Bow Road's Co-op. I don't shop there, it's only a garage forecourt store, nothing large or special. But it's well stocked - plenty of chiller choice, all the cereals, lots of booze.
Co-op had suddenly metamorphosed into an Asda...
diamond geezer
Your guide to the new Overground line names
Your guide to the new Overground line names
individual names in 2015, mostly geographically-based,...
10 months ago
Your guide to the new Overground line names
individual names in 2015, mostly geographically-based, but Boris Johnson swiftly vetoed the proposal. Then in 2021 Sadiq Khan's manifesto pledged to rename the lines if he got elected.
"TfL’s London Overground network has grown...
Londonist
Things To Do In London On Christmas Day
Guided tours, river trips and Christmas lunch.
a year ago
Guided tours, river trips and Christmas lunch.
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
When A Tube Train Full Of Passengers Was Abandoned In The Tunnel
The stuff of nightmares.
a year ago
Londonist
The Best Horror Film Screenings In London For Halloween 2023
Do you like scary movies?
a year ago
Do you like scary movies?
The Forney Flyer
Making the Most of Being Stuck
I'm taking a quick break from the series I was doing about our past, to update you on what's going...
over a year ago
I'm taking a quick break from the series I was doing about our past, to update you on what's going on here right now.
I mentioned a while back that I would update you regarding our summer plans when we knew more. Well, the uncertainty has persisted throughout the summer, so I...
Londonist
Where To Celebrate Diwali 2023 In London
Including the huge, free Diwali Festival.
a year ago
Including the huge, free Diwali Festival.
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
15 Things You Never Knew About Wembley Park
Steeped in history.
a year ago
diamond geezer
Extremities of extremities
For today's post I've visited the least extreme points in London's most extreme boroughs.
As...
9 months ago
For today's post I've visited the least extreme points in London's most extreme boroughs.
As posts go it's a lot of effort for scant reward.
Hillingdon East [map]
Borderline with: Ealing
Location: Yeading/Southall
Specifically: bend on Grand Union towpath
Distance from...
AFAR Media - Travel...
Where to Ski, Stay, & Explore Outdoors in Alberta's Winter
a month ago
Londonist
London Gets A New Station As Brent Cross West Opens
Handy for Brent Cross shopping centre.
a year ago
Handy for Brent Cross shopping centre.
Londonist
The Elysian Arcs: Giant Rainbows And Bubbles Appear Beneath Cheesegrater
Free installation bring colour to City.
9 months ago
Free installation bring colour to City.
Londonist
New 'Eurostar Snow' Service Will Whisk Londoners To Ski Resorts This Winter
News comes after rumours that ski trains would end.
a year ago
News comes after rumours that ski trains would end.
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
Which Tube Station Is Furthest From Its Namesake?
How far is it from Kew Gardens to Kew Gardens?
a year ago
How far is it from Kew Gardens to Kew Gardens?
diamond geezer
Mildmay Weaver Windrush
We're still a couple of weeks away from the renaming of the Overground lines.
On the left is the...
3 months ago
We're still a couple of weeks away from the renaming of the Overground lines.
On the left is the list of Overground line closures displayed at every station this week...
It may look unfamiliar, and the line names may not mean much to you yet.
But I'd hope we can agree it's...
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...
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
Supperclub.Tube: The Tube Carriage Serving A Six-Course Tasting Menu
Definitely the best way to spend three hours on the tube.
a year ago
Definitely the best way to spend three hours on the tube.
Londonist
Christmas Carol Concerts In London To Make You Feel All Warm And Fuzzy Inside This December
Including one with dogs. Woof!
a year ago
Including one with dogs. Woof!
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
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.
AFAR Media - Travel...
5 Trip Ideas Around the World for Adventurous Travelers
a year ago
diamond geezer
perhaps your most incredibly dull post
According to a reader, my investigation of the five smallest parks in Barking and Dagenham was...
2 weeks ago
According to a reader, my investigation of the five smallest parks in Barking and Dagenham was "perhaps your most incredibly dull post".
All the buses in Barking and Dagenham in alphabetical order
What I had for dinner on December 4th for the last 45 years
1980 roast
1981...
Londonist
The Biggest Exhibitions To See In London This Winter
Over 30 excellent exhibitions to choose from
a year ago
Over 30 excellent exhibitions to choose from
diamond geezer
Splitting lines
Now that the Overground lines are being separately named, some people are asking whether other TfL...
10 months ago
Now that the Overground lines are being separately named, some people are asking whether other TfL services should follow suit.
n.b. The answer to this question is 'No', but stay with me as we go through the motions.
n.b. These days the Circle line shadows the Hammersmith &...
Londonist
That Time Lord Onslow's Monkey Escaped Onto The Tube
Simian crisis at Barbican.
a year ago
Simian crisis at Barbican.
Londonist
Where To Volunteer In London At Christmas 2023
Make someone else's Christmas special.
a year ago
Make someone else's Christmas special.
Londonist
57 Magnificent Things To Do In London This Month: March 2024
Art fairs, Comic Con, the Boat Races, and other March events.
9 months ago
Art fairs, Comic Con, the Boat Races, and other March events.
AFAR Media - Travel...
Top Local Spots to Eat, Shop, & Après Ski in Park City, Utah
3 days ago
Cheese and Biscuits
Baudry Greene, Covent Garden
There are few things more important in the success of a restaurant than pedigree. If you are able to...
7 months ago
There are few things more important in the success of a restaurant than pedigree. If you are able to launch one good restaurant, you're more than likely to be able to make a good go of a second. And then a third, and so on. Well, up to a point. You don't want to spread yourself...
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
There Are So Many Swan Lakes Coming To London This Summer
The Year of the Swan.
8 months ago
Londonist
Things To Do In London In The Christmas Holidays With Kids
Theatre shows, exhibitions and Christmas events.
a year ago
Theatre shows, exhibitions and Christmas events.
diamond geezer
Borough visitor websites
Some London boroughs like to have a web presence that draws tourists in, should anyone be...
2 months ago
Some London boroughs like to have a web presence that draws tourists in, should anyone be interested, or highlights places of interest for the benefit of local residents. These websites attempt to reinforce the idea that a borough has history, or culture, or some sort of life,...
diamond geezer
Mayoral hustings
In precisely two weeks' time Londoners get their chance to vote for a new Mayor. They won't, they'll...
8 months ago
In precisely two weeks' time Londoners get their chance to vote for a new Mayor. They won't, they'll vote for the old Mayor because Sadiq Khan is so far ahead in the polls he's effectively unstoppable. But we do know the 12 people who won't replace him, most of whom are destined...
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
Random Grid Square TQ2492
Greater London contains around 2000 National Grid squares, each 1km by 1km in size. What I like to...
4 months ago
Greater London contains around 2000 National Grid squares, each 1km by 1km in size. What I like to do, very occasionally, is pick one at random, visit it and write about what's there.
Which random grid square did I pick? TQ2492
Where is it? Frith Manor in the borough of Barnet,...
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.
AFAR Media - Travel...
The Best Architectural Wonders: 5 Cities You Must See
6 months ago
diamond geezer
Count 2024
During February 2003 on diamond geezer I kept myself busy by counting things. Ten different counts,...
9 months ago
During February 2003 on diamond geezer I kept myself busy by counting things. Ten different counts, to be precise, in a none-too thrilling daily feature called The Count. My 28-day tally chart may have been deathly dull to the rest of you, but I've continued to count those...
Cheese and Biscuits
Jacuzzi, Kensington
If you've been to Gloria, or Circo Popular, or Ave Mario, you'll know the drill by now. Big Mamma...
a year ago
If you've been to Gloria, or Circo Popular, or Ave Mario, you'll know the drill by now. Big Mamma group restaurants are ludicrous, overblown chintz-fests where decent if overpriced food plays second fiddle to people watching and celeb-spotting. And don't get me wrong, there's...
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
5 Historic Castles To Visit In Essex
Including one that's a fake.
8 months ago
Including one that's a fake.
Londonist
The Gingerbread City 2023: London's Tastiest Exhibition Returns For Christmas
Buildings made of biscuits, decorated with icing and sweets.
a year ago
Buildings made of biscuits, decorated with icing and sweets.
diamond geezer
Five years of new stations
Today it's five years since the day Crossrail was supposed to open but didn't.
three and a half...
a year ago
Today it's five years since the day Crossrail was supposed to open but didn't.
three and a half years to run the first train. People in high places must have been lying their socks off.
• Battersea Power Station, Nine Elms and the Northern line extension
Brent Cross...
Londonist
St Paul's Lorrimore Square: London's Magnificent Modernist Church
Now THAT's a roof.
a year ago
diamond geezer
Your Social Media Calendar for November
Your Social Media Calendar for November
Hurrah it's November which can mean only one thing.......
a year ago
Your Social Media Calendar for November
Hurrah it's November which can mean only one thing.... Christmas is here! It's time once again to pimp up your feeds, boost the brands and push the festive content. But have you remembered all the important marketing angles and have you...
Londonist
A (Free) Newsletter For Everybody Excited About The London Art World
It's going to be a masterpiece.
10 months ago
It's going to be a masterpiece.
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.
diamond geezer
The village quiz
From: Diamond Geezer Content Producing Minion 4
To: Diamond Geezer Content Coordination Tsar
As a...
a year ago
From: Diamond Geezer Content Producing Minion 4
To: Diamond Geezer Content Coordination Tsar
As a result of my unexpected overnight stay I ended up being pressganged into the village quiz instead. This annual event brings the whole community together as teams of six from the...
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...
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...
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.
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
Stratford Sphere Nixed By Mayor: But Where Else Could They Build It?
Where to put a giant glowing sphere?
a year ago
Where to put a giant glowing sphere?
Cheese and Biscuits
The Urchin, Hove
As soon as the sun comes out on a bank holiday, it feels like half of London heads down to the south...
7 months ago
As soon as the sun comes out on a bank holiday, it feels like half of London heads down to the south coast, and Brighton in particular. And though that town certainly has a lot going for it, not least a thriving restaurant and pub/wine scene that can show you a great time at all...
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
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:...
Londonist
Best Of Londonist: 29 January-4 February 2024
The best Londonist articles from the past week.
10 months ago
The best Londonist articles from the past week.
Londonist
High Rocks: Stunning Views, Steam Trains And 18th Century Graffiti
Oh, and a top-notch pub right across the road.
a year ago
Oh, and a top-notch pub right across the road.
Londonist
How To Spend A Weekend In Gibraltar
The best things to see and do on 'the Rock'.
11 months ago
The best things to see and do on 'the Rock'.
Londonist
Best Of Londonist: 25-31 December 2023
The best articles from the past week.
11 months ago
The best articles from the past week.
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