Sunday morning and the towpath of the Regent’s Canal was a hectic place to be. Joggers – headphones plugged in and sweating from the heat of the sun – and cyclists fought for their share of the narrow space between the water’s edge and towering brick-built buildings. Things […]
If a proposed scheme had gone the way a group of businessmen had wanted 170 years ago, there wouldn’t be a Regent’s Canal today. The eight and a half mile stretch of water between Little Venice, near Paddington, and Limehouse Basin would have been drained and converted to […]
James Stephenson has had so much positive press over the years for his efforts helping launch the modern railway – first on the Stockton & Darlington Railway and then on the Liverpool & Manchester Railway – that you could be forgiven for thinking there weren’t any other pioneers. […]
Whatever time of day you emerge from Angel tube station in Islington, the surrounding streets always seem hectic. People rush from cafe to cafe to grab their morning coffee and then later on move from bar to bar as they unwind after work. This area – like many […]
As far as places to enjoy a post work beer on Friday night go, sitting on a wooden bench at a trestle table in a yard in the middle of an industrial estate is pretty unusual. We are surrounded by warehouses, crates and, beneath our feet, it’s solid […]
There is no shortage of coffee shops in Stoke Newington. I counted at least 10, before settling on a café set at the back of a flower shop with a large peaceful courtyard garden. Away from the hustle and bustle, it seemed the perfect place to reflect – […]
Saturday morning joggers huff and puff as they rattle along the Parkland Walk – the capital’s longest nature reserve – in north London. But once it was trains that let off steam on this urban, yet green, route connecting Highgate and Finsbury Park (there is also a northern […]
Harrow is an area of north London in the shadow of Wembley Stadium that’s full of contrasts. Step out of the station at Sudbury Hill and you are greeted by a shabby high street with bookies and fried chicken shops, but a mere 10 minutes walk up the […]
Before the railways, canals brought a transport revolution to Britain in the 18th century. In 1793-4 alone, some 30 new canal projects were started and some towns – particularly in the Midlands close to coal supplies – were criss-crossed by were a number of competing companies. Built by […]
Walking across the wilds of Wimbledon Common, four white sails at the top of a wooden tower and red brick building glimmer in the afternoon sun. Even though Wimbledon Windmill ceased to function long ago, the distinctive structure –which is now a museum dedicated to windmills – remains […]
Past In The Present 