Lying in the heart of Amsterdam’s infamous red light district, Oude Kerk – which translates as ‘old church’ – seems somewhat out of place for a religious building. Nearby female sex workers stand behind windows touting for trade by tapping on the glass as potential customers walk past. […]
Holy Trinity church in Rotherhithe knows how to provide a friendly welcome to visitors on a chilly November Saturday afternoon. With homemade cakes, coffees and hot soup on offer, it is the ideal spot to warm-up and take a break from exploring the surrounding area. The church is […]
If you have visited London Bridge station recently you will know it is one big building site right now. While half of the shiny new concourse is now open, there are still six platforms that remain out of use (most of which won’t be open again to 2018). […]
The spire of St Jude’s church – consecrated in 1911 – is a distinctive landmark on the north London skyline. Towering at precisely 178 feet on a hill in the centre of Hampstead Garden Suburb, it can be seen for miles around. And entering the church itself is […]
Soon after moving to London five years I took a boat trip down the Thames and, from the breezy open deck, the capital’s blockbuster sights flashed before my eyes. The Houses of Parliament, the South Bank Centre, Tower Bridge and Maritime Greenwich were the places that stood out. […]
The Industrial Revolution was “a storm that passed over London and broke elsewhere,” suggested J R Hammond, writing in 1925. And the author wasn’t alone in this view: “The capital cities would be present at the forthcoming industrial revolution, but in the role of spectators. Not London, but […]
The George Inn on Borough High Street is a busy place on Friday evenings as office workers, holding a pint or two in their hands, fill the rooms inside and outdoor courtyard. But this is nothing new – this pub has a history of being hectic. Writing in […]
The name ‘Southwark Cathedral’ may not roll off the tongues of tourists in the same way that St Paul’s cathedral and Westminster Abbey do, yet it still pulls in a sizeable number of visitors each year. On hot sunny days in the summer, people pour over from neighbouring […]
For the Evening Standard Canonbury Square was, in the 1950s, “London’s most beautiful square”. But not everyone at the time would have agreed, turning their noses up at the prospect of living in what are today pleasant Georgian-built terraces facing onto communal gardens. The area then was dirty, […]
Whatever day of the week you visit Canary Wharf, it seems to be busy. On weekdays, the 100,000 office workers that commute here make good use of the shopping mall, where they can pick up a sandwich at lunch and perhaps also a last minute birthday present for […]
Past In The Present 