Fleet Street, on the fringes of the City, has to be one my favourite places to head to for an evening out with friends. Pubs like Ye Olde Cheshire Cheese, tucked away down a narrow alley, are oozing in character. Here you’ll find a maze of cosy rooms […]
Taking a stroll along the promenade at Blackpool is always bracing. No matter what the month there always seems to be a constant gale and, if my own experiences are anything to go by, the sun never shines. Yet despite the unreliable weather, I love this northern seaside […]
Dancing to the lively sounds of the Africa stage at the River of Music festival on Saturday evoked happy memories. The infectious rythms and energy of the performances at London Pleasure Gardens, in the shadow of the ExCeL centre, reminded me of the happy sounds I heard last […]
The breadth of history on show in London for all to see never ceases to amaze me. Last week I saw the remains of a Roman bathhouse hidden below a City office block. This weekend I viewed, beneath another modern building, traces of the first theatre to be […]
It’s getting trendy these days for museum exhibitions to examine the world that famous historic figures would have seen. ‘Dickens and London’ which ran at the Museum of London earlier this year for example was an excellent portrayal of the Victorian capital, timed to coincide with the 200th […]
What is in a street name? Residents in Primrose Hill have won an important victory blocking Dumpton Place being given a more “upmarketket” name. Developers building luxury flats had wanted to change it to Jasmin Mews, a name they believed was amenable to buyers – and something which […]
London’s Livery Companies, which today boast a membership of over 26,000, have played a big part in this weekend’s Celebrate the City festival. They’ve been selling their wares at a market outside Guildhall and many have also opened their doors to the public. But what, in the free […]
“The next station is Caledonian Road,” is one of the announcements I hear every day as I trundle into work on the Piccadilly Line. Then a few minutes later the doors open so a few people can get out and others get on. And in no time at […]
With a host of exhibitions, TV programmes and special events on right now, the Thames is the talk of London. And as the sole reason as to why London is what it is and where it is today, it is only proper that this important river gets the […]
Past In The Present 