Jane's London

Grayson Perry: The Tomb of the Unknown Craftsman

2012-02-10T11:42:00.001Z

I finally got to see this earlier this week.
The exhibition is a mix of Grayson's own work married with items he has chosen from the British Museum's vast collection.
What can I say? Wonderful, interesting, inspiring, thought-provoking, beautiful etc etc...
No photos allowed inside the exhibition, but the bike he travelled through German is outside, complete with an Alan Measles stunt double. If you can't get get a ticket before it finishes on February 19th then the bike is well worth the climb up the stairs. It's a great example of craftsmanship in itself; covered in wonderful details, and words including Patience, Doubt and Chastity.
Sublime.
Love the man.

Gun salutes to mark the Queen's Diamond Jubilee

2012-02-06T10:35:00.004Z

Today is Accession Day and marks 60 years since Liz succeeded the throne after her father, George VI, died in 1952.
The main celebrations will take place in June but today there will be lots of noise at noon... there will be a 41 gun salute in Hyde Park followed by a 62 gun salute at the Tower of London...
Blimey! That's a lot of noise.
She's 85 you know. Eighty-five!
Here are some gun- and cannon-related things in London.
(I will save my diamond collection for June)

Merhaba, I've been in Turkey...

2012-02-02T08:55:00.000Z

And I had a lovely time; I always do.
Snow-covered roads, water parks, mountain views and gorgeous textures.
Coincidentally, here in Holloway, a lot of my local shops are turkish. But the weather's not the same.
A thought just occured... why is the large bird eaten at Thanksgiving so called?
I don't have any London pics with turkeys in them so here are some chickens and cocks:

The Year Of The Dragon

2012-01-23T09:16:00.027Z

It's the start of the Chinese New Year today, and this year it's the turn of the dragon.
More about chinese astrology signs etc here. I am a tiger... grr!!
For a a dragon with a difference, go to Spitalfileds Market and see Roger's wonderful balloon creation outside Giraffe restaurant.
I have put some images of dragon together before here and here, but I have since found some more firey beasts to add to my collection, and none are in Gerrard Street, Chinatown, where the main Chinese new year celebrations will be in full swing.

Top row: Cheapside, Holloway, West Hampstead and Smithfield
Middle row: London Bridge, Borough, Smithfield and Harley St
Bottom row: Fitzrovia, Piccadilly (RIP), Bermondsey and Kensington

Wood carving exhibition in Richmond

2012-01-20T13:00:00.008Z

My very talented sister will be featured in an exhibition at The Riverside Gallery's Good Wood / Wood Works: Contemporary Wooden Art & Craft show at Richmond's Old Town Hall from 21st January to 7th April.
Go... and be inspired. It's free.

Below are some carved wooden pieces from the streets of London (clockwise from top left): Bishopsgate, Bayswater, Kennington, Bishopsgate, Clapham, Kings Cross.

The 'Trafalgar Sun' art installation

2012-01-18T12:06:00.002Z

Here's a way to cheer up January....
On Monday 23rd giant ball of light, equivalent to that of 60,000 lightbulbs (or is it 260,000?), will be installed high above Trafalgar Square designed to brighten us up from dawn until dusk.
Weather permitting, it should look amazing at dawn break when the light effect will be at its most intense.
Sadly, I won't be around to see it this so please do get snapping and send me some links or photos.
Update:
Here's a video of the construction of the event
and here's another one of the 'sun' itself

Mixed up with images of Trafalgar Square:
Top row: Brixton, Albert Embankment, Cornhill,
Middle row: Liberty's, Albert Bridge, Marylebone
Bottom row: Tottenham Court Road

I have been discovered in LivingEtc

2012-01-17T13:12:00.001Z

Thanks to littletree designs for blogging about me after seeing the piece in LivingEtc magazine.

Celebrate Epiphany at The Connaught

2012-01-14T15:41:00.001Z

I am a little behind with this...
Hélène Darroze, head chef at the lovely Connaught Hotel has created a special Galette des Rois to celebrate Epiphany (6^th January) which marks the arrival of the Three Kings in the nativity story.
Hélène's Galette des Rois will be served with afternoon tea at the hotel during January and, if you are lucky, you may find a piece of French jewellery hidden within the puff pastry and frangipane making a lovely afternoon break even lovelier.
More information here.

Here are three British kings on London pubs in Leytonstone, Marylebone and Borough, plus a quirky alternative version in Clerkenwell:

What a boob! Breasts are go go go!

2012-01-09T20:43:00.001Z

News this week is that thousands of women are to get their fake boobs de-commissioned by the NHS because the private clinics who installed them (yes, installed) in the first place say it isn't it's their responsibility. Our money is about to be spent on (in the most part) self-obsessed vain women who wanted quick fixes.
I agree with the clinics; after all no one forced these women to have operations they didn't want to have. The women made free choices to spend their own money on something they thought was going to make them feel better.

I can't be the only one who isn't surprised that the breasty bags of seepy goo are starting to break down and infect these women's bodies.

A thought: if they fall over in their silly high heels and break their legs are they now going to expect the shoe shops to pay up for that too? And, whilst I am on the high shoe subject, what about the osteopaths they are going to need sometime soon too? It's gonna get really expensive...
Yes, there are women whose lives have been radically improved after the loss and then replacement of a breast after cancer treatment, but on the flip side, I have actually heard mothers encouraging their 18 year old daughters to have a boob job; girls that look absolutely lovely as they are and should not have someone, least of all their mother, suggesting that they are sub-standard. That's wrong on so many levels.
The money might be better spent getting these women into therapy to help them understand why they are being duped into thinking they 'need' this invasive surgery in the first place. As I write this I am reminded that when my mother was receiving radiotherapy the nurses told her that women were often coming in to the hospital to ask for the treatment because they had heard that it destroys the hair follicles and was therefore better than waxing.
It's all about quick fixes. Getting the latest look. And it's been going on for centuries – I bet these women with their gravity-defying chests would probably be outraged at the beauty regimes of the past...
To get that perfectly pale look Elizabethan women applied lead directly to their skin to lighten it (a practice that dates back to the Ancient Greeks) and they used mercuric sulphide for those must-have cherry lips. Finally, a dab of belladonna to brighten the eyes. Ooh lovely. But no pain, no gain.
The Egyptians used a variety of metals to keep them looking attractive including lead sulphite and copper. More recently the Victorians used arsenic for so many things its hard to believe they lived as long as they did.
These days the beauty industry is still enticing woman to part with their money in the most macabre of ways. What will future generations think when they look back at all this? When they remember the women who thought it was normal to have their faces injected with poison for that constantly surprised yet dim look. And had bits of cows put in too for the perfect fishy pout?
Is your arse not round or pert enough? Whack in a a few bags of silicon to get that bootylicious behind. Too fat? Eat a few pies and get a man with an oversized dirt devil to vacuum it out for you.
Luckily I don't need all this. I have perfect breasts and a fabulous arse. Yeah.
Fried eggs for breakfast anyone?

Breasts:
Top: Lime Street, Holloway, Dalston, Paddington
Middle: Isle of Dogs, Leon, Long Acre, Haymarket
Bottom: Bloomsbury, Paddington, Rotherhithe, Shaftesbury Ave

One Eye Grey now on Kindle

2012-01-07T11:20:00.031Z

The erudite, informative and entertaining Mr Chris Roberts has just informed me that his collection of strange London tales, collectively known as One Eye Grey and previously available in pamphlet form, is now available on Kindle.
I urge you Kindlers to get clicking and downloading.
Enough said, because I have written about these tales before.

The eyes have it:
Top: Battersea, Islington, Marble Arch, SE1
Middle: Acton, Haggerston, Battersea, Holloway
Bottom: Hoplloway, Harlesden, Islington, Spitalfields

Tired of London, Tired of Life

2012-01-06T09:45:00.003Z

The very lovely and lively Tom Jones has been suggesting a different thing to do in London every day on his site.
The book of the site is now available to buy. It's stuffed full of ideas so there'll be no more "what shall we do today?" moments.
Tom's been on The Robert Elms Show and on BBC London News promoting it (and, I am sure, many other promo opportunities that I missed).
I am chuffed to report that I am mentioned on the acknowledgements page within the same sentence as Samuel Johnson... praise indeed.
Well done Tom.

A little bit of what you fancy

2011-12-29T09:29:00.002Z

Walking past Angels in Shaftesbury Avenue Road the other week I stopped in my tracks. Didn't they only used to sell dance gear, ballet shoes etc? I am sure I remember their windows used to display tutus, satin pumps and tap shoes, but these days it's all about fancy dress. And you can see into the shop from the street. Am I going mad? I don't remember that either.
I am not a fancy dress party fan. Most of them are too 'organised' for me. By which I mean I like a party with a loose theme where you can invent something subtle, but I am not into the big dos full of the kind of people who never come out all year round but will splash out for a gorilla or Elvis costume for New Year's Eve so that they can pretend to be someone interesting for a change. These are the same people who think it's disgusting to wear second hand clothes yet they will gladly hire something that has been danced about in and dribbled down by 17 other people beforehand.

Ooh, got that off my chest!!
I am not sure yet what I will be doing for this New Year's Eve. I've got a few options. Last year I wandered up to Parliament Hill with my sister and a friend and we stood with hundreds of other like-minded souls and waved sparklers, quaffed champagne and ate chocolates whilst watching fireworks across London. It was really lovely.
Whatever you do, have a great time and here's looking forward to a happy and prosperous 2012.

Fancy ironwork. Now this I like:

Top row: Marylebone x2, Highgate, Queensway

Middle row: Piccadilly, Holloway, City, Kew

Bottom row: Belsize Park, Belgravia, Kings Cross, Bloomsbury

More metalwork here.

Christmas Day Walk 2011

2011-12-26T17:50:00.008Z

When most people were opening presents or stuffing turkeys I was walking around an almost deserted West End with Peter Berhold and a group of like-minded souls.

My walk started at 9.15am when I set off from Holloway, taking every opportunity to walk in the road. Because I could. People that passed me said 'hello' or 'merry Christmas'. How nice. It wasn't until about noon that tourists started emerging from their hotels.

I kept stopping to take photos on the way but still managed to be only five minutes late to meet Peter and the others under Admiralty Arch at 10.30am.

He led us up St Martin's Lane, into Covent Garden and Seven Dials, across to St Giles, over into Soho, a meander along the blissfully quiet and empty Oxford Street, then down Carnaby Street and Regent Street, across Piccadilly Circus and into Leicester Square, ending up with a few pints in the Bear and Staff.

Peter pointed out some things I had never spotted before such as little bits of street art and that donation pipe at the side of the House of St Barnabas on Soho Square – how on earth have I managed to miss that all these years? Ditto the story behind one of the statues on Trafalgar Square, and Renzo Piano's rationale for the colours of those bullying buildings at St Giles. I also spotted a few new things of my own along the way (fire alarm bells with old telephone codes etc, a bizarre green plaque etc).

All in all a really nice day. I met some lovely people and learned some new things. Then, when I'd tramped all the way home again, I made myself a bowl of comfort food and watched TV until I dozed off... lovely.

Peter says he enjoyed doing the three walks so much that he plans to do them again next year. Good on him!

More pictures on Flickr.

Coal hole covers as stars and snowflakes

2011-12-22T10:09:00.002Z

Walking through Bloomsbury the other day I had this seasonal idea...

Stars

Snowflakes

Keeping a diary

2011-12-18T13:56:00.005Z

From the age of about ten I started to write a diary. It became an obsession; I thought missing a day would be terrible – what if something amazing suddenly happened and I hadn't written it down?!

I continued the ritual until about eight years ago when I was finding it a bit silly, what with boyfriend, job and other commitments. It's not like anyone else ever cast an eye over my thoughts (not that I would have cared if anyone did read it; it was, of course sort of coded, with nothing specifically spelled out). If anyone had bothered to read any of my musings I doubt they would they have cared about what I'd had for lunch or what I thought of that woman in Safeways. Looking back on past writings now, I wonder who the hell was John/Jim/Mary in the pub that night who I thought was worthy of a mention for being so funny? They have been lost to me now.

I hated to miss a day and would sometimes play catch up, so I would scribble something down before I went to sleep most nights, so the funniest days to read back on are the almost indecipherable scribbles and rantings written when I got in at 3am rather the worse for alcohol.

I never took my real diary away with me on holidays because I was scared I would lose my it, so I would write in a notepad and then copy it all up when I got back. How bloody ridiculous is that?! What if the house burned down in my absence? So I just had to stop.

These days I just stick to keeping a day diary which I fill with notes of to dos and appointments. And I still prefer to write things down on paper. With a pen. Yes. Really. It's much faster than typing into an all-singing all-dancing do-it-all phone.

I used to get the wonderful Time Out diary because it's packed out with useful London info. But it took me about 12 years to realise I never really consulted said info. So I downsized to anything I could find in a pound shop. Sometimes I'd even find one with a free pen attached. Result.

But this year I have treated myself to the little gem that is Santoro's London Underground Pocket Diary with it's tube map on the outside (no flicking to some miniature thing on the inside back page) and tabbed months and planners in the colours of the tube lines.

I also have another diary which is really quirky but is really aimed at those people who don't really keep diaries – Keel's Simple Diary. Available in a range of gorgeous colours (mine's the lovely Dark Red), as they say on the blurb it "entertains, helps you focus and keeps you company". Every page is open for you to write in it as and when you please. There's no pressure to write every day. In fact you could take years to fill it in. Or not fill anything in at all because every page/day throws up thought-provoking suggestions, questions, ideas and quotes. It's really novel(!).

Here are some of my photos of London dates taken from my larger collection on Flickr. One of these was in the news earlier this year. . .

London street markets

2011-12-14T09:30:00.000Z

Mary Portas has been in the news lately talking about injecting some life into our ailing local high streets. Her solution is to (re)introduce street markets.

Well, nice one Mary – whilst I totally agree (hell, I do stalls myself; and let me tell you it ain't fun when it's raining or windy) it gets me thinking about all the markets that we don't have anymore and the dwindling sizes of some of the ones that are still clinging on. The ones that immediately pop into my mind are Lambeth Walk, Hoxton St, Chalton St, hey, even Chapel market in Angel is only half the size it used to be.

I grew up in Romford and the market was amazing when I was a child. You could spend a whole day there going up and down the aisles of stalls and buy everything from soap and vegetables to puppies and haberdashery. Mum told me stories of the cattle market that used to be there when she was young. But today it's a shadow of its former self, now being ignored by people who just want to shop in the adjacent air-conditioned covered homogenous shopping malls.

A while ago I took some photos of pages of a Picture Post from December 1938 showing Lambeth Walk how it was pre-war. Under one picture about the market it reads, 'There's all kinds of stalls including food and clothes and cats' meat . . . really more of a meeting place". I will type it all up post the whole lot up at some point in the future.

And now I recall that on a wall in a restaurant I go to in Turkey(!) there is a photo showing a bustling street market in Farringdon Road in the middle of the 20th century. I have no idea why it's there, and nor does the owner. To the left of it is another photo from the same period shows the main Britannia junction at Camden during the same period. Strange, and very out of place.

But, back to Mary; she's basically right... we're losing our town centres and our sense of community and something needs to be done to rectify this. Farmers' markets are proving popular (though perhaps their high prices deter most people on a budget), and more and more craft markets are springing up.... bring it on... more pitches for me! (it's all about me!).

Speaking of Mary, I recently went and had a look at her clothes outlet in Oxford Street's House of Fraser. I was very disappointed. Considering she is aiming at selling to women of 'a certain age' the boutique is swimming in man-made fibres; hardly appropriate for ladies who 'glow'. Where are the natural basics such as wool jumpers, silk scarves, simple cotton long-sleeved tops and Ts? It all looked like cheap rubbish to me. I left quickly and went to Uniqlo instead. Yes, that's a high street shop, not a market stall...

Top: Broadway, Shepherd, Exmouth, Columbia

Middle: Hoxton, Lambeth Walk 1938, Petticoat

Bottom: Middlesex, Church, Chapel, Portobello

Summer in the winter beer garden on the South Bank

2011-12-13T09:25:00.000Z

For 3 days we can forget winter, cold weather and Christmas, and instead hang out within the heated dome of the 'Corona Extra Summer' pop-up bar on the South Bank's Riverside Walkway (between Waterloo Bridge and Gabriel's Wharf) from Thursday 15th to Saturday 17th December.

Well, hell, why not? What's not to like?

Charles Dickens 200th anniversary

2011-12-09T09:12:00.000Z

Charles Dickens was born on 7th February 1812. Which mean next year is his 200th 'birthday'.

The wonderful Museum of London has put on a special exhibition to commemorate this much-loved story-teller. As well as lots of Dickens' personal items and effects, including manuscripts and paintings, the museum has recreated Victorian London using sound projections.

The exhibition runs from 9th December until 10th June. More info here.

Dickens and some of his characters and places. All are fairly self-explanatory excluding The Lord Clyde which is in Clennam Street.

Notting Hill Festive Shopping Night

2011-12-07T20:00:00.001Z

Oh gawd... you wait for ages and then they all come along at once...

Prior to Lamb's Conduit Street's Christmas event on Friday 9th there's another special shopping night on the eve of Thursday 8th in Notting Hill.

The area around the junction of Westbourne Grove and Ledbury Road is teeming with independent boutiques and eateries selling a wide range of fashion and lifestyle goods.

Between the hours of 6pm and 9pm on Thursday they will be offering all sorts of goodies, including festive treats, discounted products, carol singers and lots more.

So this week you have two good reasons to avoid the banality and homogeneity of Oxford Street and Westfield.

Happy St. Nicholas Day

2011-12-06T13:19:00.002Z

Today is the feast day of St Nicholas, patron saint of many countries and many things.

I'd write more, but it's all here in this fabulous site. I can't stop poking around in this site... I have things to do and this is distracting me... it's just too good.

Thank you Paul Bommer.

Lamb's Conduit Street

2011-12-04T00:25:00.000Z

Lamb's Conduit Street, for those of you who do not know, is situated in Bloomsbury between Holborn and Coram Fields. It continues north across Theobald's Road from Red Lion Street and roughly forms the western edge of some of the oldest Georgian Streets in London, namely Doughty Street, John Street, St James' Street and especially Bedford Row which, I am told, contains one of the oldest complete Georgian houses in London (or something like that – please feel free to put me right about this – I seem to recall either Dan Cruikshank or Maxwell Hutchinson talking about this on a TV programme years ago).

This area is great for those one-off gifts – a shopping experience very unlike Oxford Street. And nothing at all like Westfield (ech spit).

Ignoring the prescence of one of the major coffee chains (ech spit 2), Lamb's Conduit Street, and adjoining Rugby Street, boasts a range of independent shops offering all sorts of wonderful things – groceries, homewares, gifts, books, bicycles, lingerie, food, alcohol, curiosities, clothes and proper coffee. Plus a chemist, a florist a funeral director, and a community-run supermarket. So much in such a small area.

Every time I visit the street I wish I lived closer to it. Years ago I had the option of buying a flat near this area and I let someone talk me out of the idea. What a fool I was! Did I mention the good pubs and choice of restaurants too?

There's a late night shopping event coming up soon on Friday 9th December. The shops will be open until 8pm and there will be mulled wine on offer.

Actually, don't tell too many people about this gem... please only tell the lovely people who will appreciate it. We don't have enough areas like this left in London – I remember when Camden Parkway was similarly special... sigh.

Santa's reindeer in Holloway this Sunday

2011-11-30T12:00:00.000Z

The main stretch of Holloway Road's Nags Head shopping area will be closed to traffic this Sunday when Islington's Christmas extravanganza comes to town.

From 11.30am on Sunday 4th December the street will be taken over by sideshows, music, entertainment, a hog roast, mulled wine, and food and craft stalls which will include locally-produced Amelia Parker clay pipe jewellery. Oh, and Santa's reindeer will be there too!

Click here for a video of last year's event.

More craft shopping opportunities at Chapel Market, Angel, on 10th and 17th December.

Devonshire Place

2011-11-29T11:03:00.006Z

I was just thinking the other day that I haven't seen any 'new' bootscrapers for a while; just the same designs repeated over and over. I walk about mentally saying, 'got that one, got that one' (how sad!).

But then I had to go for a super-dooper 3D dental Xray doobrey in Devonshire Place yesterday and spotted lots of lovely bits of ironwork along the street. I am sure there are plenty more – time was of the essence and I only had my Blackberry with me and so couldn't take decent pics and I only walked the stretch from Devonshire Street to Wigmore Street so there must be plenty more to see. I must make a return visit.

Below are my finds which also include a coal hole cover plate with a name I haven't seen before, a pretty doorway mosaic, and a strange wall-mounted hook thing with a hole at one end where something must have been fixed to it at some point– any ideas what this item was used for?

The Connaught is lovely

2011-11-24T13:31:00.001Z

On the corner of Mount Row and Chandos Place, opposite where there used to be an 18th century workhouse, sits the wonderful Connaught Hotel.

I've never been the kind of person who has the money and inclination for prestigious expensive hotels, preferring low budget rooms with a good bed and shower (after all I will be out all day tramping the streets with my camera, meeting people and seeing the city, not lounging about in my room), but the Connaught could change my mind. Hmmmm, now all I need is the means.... If I did have money to burn I think I'd stay there a few times so that I could try out all the different types of rooms.

Most hotels are having to constantly revamp their suites to keep up with all the high tech nonsense we all seem to need these days yet, unlike other hotels I have visited, The Connaught has managed to achieve this without loss of style or elegance. In addition to this, the communal areas are wonderful; the staircases, carpets and floors, and the two little lifts, one dark purple and the other dark green... it's like stepping into a film set.

The ground floor is given over to some top quality bars and restaurants; and they are really good. I had some lovely canapés and martinis (and champagne too!) in the award-winning Connaught Bar but had no time to stay longer to sample the restaurant. If anyone wants to take me to Hélène Darroze at the Connaught any time, my response is 'yes please!'.

Oh, and there's spa in there somewhere. I wasn't interested in checking that out as I'm not really into spas, but I hear their Aman spa is good. What is with hotels and spas? Isn't the great big bath in the room enough?! I do like the idea of outdoor spas of old though; taking the waters and all that. I've never said or written 'spa' so many times. Spa spa spa.

Finally, situated on the pavement outside the main entrance to the hotel is the marvellous and bizarre Tadao Ando water installation, which I have yet to see in action. I have heard it looks great after dark when it's all lit up and the steam is in action.

London photo mosaics

2011-11-20T13:14:00.011Z

Yesterday someone said they liked my my Spitalfields photo mosaic (see previous post) and asked me if I was selling prints. It had indeed crossed my mind to print this particular one at a decent size and hang it on my stall at Spitalfields market, but what with one thing and another I have been too busy to promote the idea of prints-for-sale properly.

So, to confirm, all of my montages are available as prints. I am also in the process of re-configuring some into portrait format (3 squares wide x 4 squares tall) and will also be printing some of them as greeting cards.

A limited stock of my Christmas cards are still available – 'The 12 London Pubs of Christmas' and 'Clay Pipe Tree'.

Please find me at a market or contact me at jane@janeslondon.com for further details.

Old Spitalfields Market now open on Saturdays

2011-11-17T10:05:00.004Z

Old Spitalfields Market is now open on Saturdays from 19th November with the usual mix of stalls, similar to their Sunday market.

This Saturday 19th, and every third Saturday of the month, 70 designers/makers will also be there selling all sorts of contemporary hand-made and one-off items.

It's a great place to find those special Christmas presents.

More info here and here.

Some Spitalfields letters:

Top: Woodin's Shades, Sir Robert Peel, Suskin, letterbox

Middle: The Golden Heart, letterbox, Commercial Street, doorbell

Bottom: Gillette ghostsign, letterbox, Godfery Philips Ltd., Bishopsgate

Tarted up newsagent in Dean Street

2011-11-15T10:15:00.002Z

There is a lot of fuss lately about how the renovation of a newsagent in Soho's Dean Street.

Am I the only one who thinks this was a bad idea?

I was walking past it on Saturday 5th and stopped dead in my tracks, horrified at how it is now a pastiche of its former self.

As shown right, for years it had faded flaky paint. It was old, and it looked old. You could clearly see that. But now the paint has been stripped off back to the wood – a process that the Georgians certainly couldn't be bothered with – and what we have now is an impression of how the shop might have looked on the day it first opened for business.

I agree the windows look better now they have been painted to match the shop (though they could have been even better if they had been replaced with smaller panes) but all the signs needed was a coating of clear varnish. Gone are the layers of history that gave its charm. Can you imagine the uproar if Berry Brothers & Rudd on St James's Street did the same thing and removed its thick dark green paint? There'd be an outrage!

Also in Soho, not far from Dean St, between Ed's Diner and The Spice of Life, I notice another Georgian(?) shop has been reclaimed. At the moment it is stripped down the wood. I will be watching to see what happens.

This cleaned-up, pretend history brings to mind two horribly retouched wall advertisements in Covent Garden (here and here). I am all for preserving history but what is the point of retouching a defunct sign? Why not just leave it as is? As a reminder.

All this revamping and reclaiming London's history actually contradicts the rape of St Giles by plastics and Westminster's plans to renovate a section of the east side of Charing Cross Road that contains Gaby's. But more about that in a future post.

Oh dear.

William Morris Gallery at 2 Temple Place

2011-11-14T10:43:00.010Z

The wonderful William Morris Gallery in Walthamstow is closed whilst renovations and refurbishment take place. However, a lot of the exhibits can be viewed at one of London's hidden architectural gems at 2 Temple Place, owned and managed by The Bulldog Trust.

This exhibition is the first of a series of shows at this lovely building aimed at showcasing the UK's publically-owned art. It runs until 29th January 2012.

Click here for more about The Bulldog Trust and these events.

The courts, gardens, chambers and alleys of The Inns of Temple are a haven of peace hidden behind Fleet Street's bustle; it sometimes feels if it has been forgotten by time. I love taking friends there who had no idea it was there and seeing the looks on their faces.

Designer arts and crafts markets at Angel

2011-11-10T09:00:00.004Z

This Saturday 12th sees the first of four designer craft markets leading up to Christmas.

Amelia Parker will be there along with plenty of other specialist stalls selling all sorts of hand-made goods. More info here.

See you there, at the Penton Street end of Chapel Market, Islington, N1.

The next dates are 26th November, 10th & 17th December.

Chapel Market pics:

The lesser-spotted zebra

2011-11-06T11:06:00.001Z

Mr Edwards tells me that the zebra crossing recently turned 60.

This type of crossing is an endangered species – because there aren't as many as there used to be; more than 1,000 having been removed in the last five years and replaced mainly by pelican/pedestrian crossings because people need lights to tell them when to stop and start or cross the road. Who needs eyes and a brain eh?!

Here's an article on the subject that appeared in the Metro on 31st October.

And here are some of my photos of black and white stripey things:

Top: Highgate Village, Little Essex Street, Boundary Street, Leyton

Bottom: Greek Street, St Mary Axe, Tooley Street, Acton

New market opens in Soho today

2011-11-03T09:00:00.000Z

A new market opens at Brewer Street's NCP car park today running every week from Thursday to Saturday from 11am.

On the forecourt and within the first floor you will find stalls selling designer-handmade clothing and accessories, art, food, vintage, fashion and much more.

Amelia Parker will be there on Saturday.

More info about the market here, including how to apply for a stall yourself .

Brewer Street, Soho:

Grow a moustache for cancer awareness

2011-11-02T09:00:00.002Z

It's Movember again.

Movember is the month for growing a moustache.

Start the month clean shaven and see what you can achieve.

Take part and register here.

be inspired by these beauties on The Drill Hall in Chenies Street:

Museum of Brands and Advertising

2011-10-31T12:14:00.001Z

I recently paid another visit to Robert Opie's wonderful museum in Notting Hill.

A labyrinth of rooms are jam-packed with various ephemera showing how packaging, labelling, branding and advertising have changed over the past century. Toys, signs, foodstuffs, cosmetics, bottles... too many things to mention here.

I especially like one of the rooms towards the end that shows how some brands' packaging and logos have evolved; chronological rows perfectly illustrate the changes that have happened from a product's first outing to the present day; differing sizes and shapes of containers, altered logos and new colours and typefaces. No surprise to hear that I think today's packaging just isn't as charming as the designs from earlier decades.

Go see for yourself... and enjoy the nostalgia trip.
Old brands and advertising on London streets today:

Bovril: Brixton / Hovis: Angel / Pepsi & Coca-Cola: Fulham Broadway / Peterkin: Clapham

Gillette: Spitalfields / R.Whites & Martini: Hackney / Brymay: Fulham

Craven 'A": Camden / Haig: Denmark Hill / Nestlé: New Cross Gate / Ogden's Guinea Gold (tobacco): Homerton

The times they are a-changing

2011-10-28T10:02:00.000+01:00

The clocks go back this weekend. Summer is officially over.

On the plus side, you can stay out an hour longer when you are out partying on Saturday night, or revel in that extra hour in bed on Sunday morning. I have even heard that some people use the extra hour wisely and DO something!

On the negative side: it'll start getting dark in the late afternoon, which I don't like, although I do like autumnal days – chilly, bright, beautiful afternoons somewhere like Hampstead Heath are just lovely. Preferably with a dog.

Time waits for no man (or woman). Time is on my side (no it isn't). Where did all the good times go?

Here are some London clocks:

See them all and more here.

The London Column

2011-10-23T11:01:00.001+01:00

If you haven't discovered The London Column yet, then get with the programme now... because it's a gem of a site.

The strapline at the top reads, "Reports from the life of a city, 1951-2011, by David Secombe", and it's just that.

It's only been up and running since May this year but it's already packed full of gems and snippets of London life and observations. I have particularly enjoyed reading the excerpts by written by V.S.Pritchett in 1962; especially the one about the Blitz.

One thing that intrigues me about this lovely site, and that's David's logo top right... from 70s–90s, there was a magazine about typography called U&Lc that had its logo in more or less the same style. I suspect the logo design for The London Column has been created as a fond pastiche... very clever!

Here are some nice bits of typography I have found in London:

Top: Kings Cross, Fulham, Marylebone, Clapham.

Middle: Covent Garden, Finsbury Park (now sadly covered up/removed), Islington, Soho (I think this isn't there any more either – I will check).

Bottom: Stoke Newington, Blackfriars, Bermondsey, Temple.

Gaby's Deli under threat

2011-10-20T10:08:00.004+01:00

To be honest I have been wondering, what with the sad demise of so many independent London establishments over the years, how Gaby's, one of my favourite cheap eat venues has managed to cling on.

For decades I have enjoyed going in there for meze plates large and small, salt beef sandwiches and kebabs (not all on the same plate!) washed down with good cheap wine, whilst looking at the celebrity photos and endorsements and favourable restaurant reviews pinned to the walls. Back in the '90s I often worked at a company who occupied the upstairs floors, so the sandwich run was quick and easy as well as tasty.

But I am sad to report that Gaby's Deli is under threat after Westminster Council has given consent for the site to be redeveloped.

The council has some bizarre idea that redevelopment "will improve the look and feel of the St Martin's Court area, and this will outweigh the loss of the existing retail units".

Aaargh! By this, I assume they mean, homogenise the area by bringing in Starbucks et al.

Why change such a curiously interesting little pocket of London? The little courts that join Charing Cross Road to St Martin's Lane are really special and are home to some wonderful little bespoke shops and restaurants. Tourists love London history; they don't want to come here and see the same bland high street shops they have at home or at Westfield.

Rent hikes mean we've already lost most of the old bookshops along nearby Charing Cross Road. And, just further north, a great swathe of the St Giles area has been raped by plastic high rise buildings that still have empty shop spaces on the ground floor. To evict well-used, well-loved, flourishing businesses like Gaby's makes no sense at all. This whitewash must stop.

Gaby's planned eviction date is 1st May 2012. Join the Facebook campaign here.

Here are some details and observations, all to be found a stone's throw from Gaby's:

The Art of Walking

2011-10-15T14:21:00.008+01:00

Last Saturday I went on one of Fox&Squirrel's walks. F&S offer 'lifestyle walks' all over London themed around fashion, architecture, food etc.

This one was an art walk in Peckham, an area of London that is now bursting with creative talent, no doubt brought on by cheap rent and available space.

Our guide was Natasha, a very erudite and knowledgeable young lady, who met us outside the award-winning Peckham Library. First we visited Peckham Space, opposite the library and then she walked us up the road (passing a relevant bit of cement graffiti) to the lovely Passmore Edwards South London Art Gallery – a free purpose-built gallery space built by the great philanthropist. I was much more interested in the building than the art inside it. I loved the As and Hs on the sign on the front of the building, and found the old Pugin-esque floor tiles, the painted sockets and the old sign board in the back courtyard way more inspiring than what was on show.

Then we walked down Lyndhurst Way and stopped to look at the cleaned-up house that was once a famous squat for artists. Around the corner I noticed a stink pipe. Relevant? Then to a space functioning as both a home and a gallery where we watched two looped films of images of cars and lorries going down the freeway but manipulated into endless tunnels. It was mesmerising. But again, free, though the fella had opened the door especially for our group as it wasn't normally open on Saturdays.

Bells were ringing in my head about whether this 2 hour walk was good value (I spotted an old alarm bell casing showing the old Bishopsgate telephone code!) – after all nothing had an entrance fee, and using a South London Art Map this would cost nothing at all. But I was having a nice time with nice people...

And so to the Hannah Barry Gallery, almost buried amongst a sea of semi-derelict buildings in an old industrial estate. The highlight of my day was meeting the wonderful Hannah Barry herself. Diminutive Hannah belies her size and age – she is a powerhouse of ideas and enthusiasm. She talked eloquently and sensibly about art and galleries. And I loved the metal sculptures there by James Capper.

Then to a bar in one of the arches under Peckham Rye Station for art chat.

A nice afternoon. Thanks.

Cyril Mann Tribute Exhibition

2011-10-10T13:01:00.005+01:00

A tribute exhibition marking the centenary of the birth of the British figurative painter Cyril Mann (1911-1980) is currently on at the Piano Nobile Gallery 5th October – 5th November. Included are his rarely seen historic pre- and post-war paintings of London and Paris.
The show traces Mann’s artistic development through six decades, from the 1920s when, aged 12, he was the youngest boy ever to win a scholarship to the Nottingham School of Art, until his death on January 7, 1980, aged 68.

Mann set out to capture London emerging from the ravages of war and returning to normality. Among his early London works is 'St Paul’s from Moor Lane', painted in 1948, the year of the previous London Olympics, which depicts the iconic cathedral dome surrounded by bombsites in a view now obscured by the Barbican development. It is interesting to compare the views in his paintings with what we see today.

Also never previously exhibited is 'Pont Neuf' which shows the famous Paris bridge in 1938 silhouetted against the sun. This tranquil scene shows no sign of the imminent German invasion and upheaval to come.
A graduate of the Royal Academy Schools (1934-1937), Mann never used a studio and lived most of his life in a council flat, refusing to join any art movement and rejecting the fashion for abstraction. Neglected in his lifetime, his work is now represented in major private and public collections, including the Guildhall Museum & Art Gallery and the William Morris Museum, Waltham Forest. The British Museum department of prints and drawings has five of his drawings.

Run away and make money!

2011-10-06T14:22:00.001+01:00

It's less than a year to the London Olympics. Nine months. Like a big noisy baby waiting to be born.

At the Thames Festival last month I was chatting to a couple from Americans from Atlanta and they told me it was AWFUL in their home city when the Olympics came the town. They were saddened at how much their city had changed post-event.

As you probably know from reading my occasional rants about the forthcoming Games and the associated homogenised and consumerist hell of Westfield shopping centre, I am not a fan of all this Olympics stuff. I am still convinced that the money could have be better spent.

If you too are dreading the invasion, and thinking of leaving the country until it all blows over, why not make some money out of it all and rent your home for the duration? If you live close to Stratford or any of the other Games sites you'll get some fabulous rental rates that will more than cover the cost of storage for your valuables. LO2010 is free to the first 50 who sign up using the code FREE11. And an iPad is up for grabs too!

Oh, and re that Olympic logo I hate... you know the one I mean, I am not going to show it or link to it here... don't you think the LO2012 logo and site looks way better?

Top: Trafalgar Square, South Tottenham, Kensington, Stamford Hill

Bottom: Wandsworth, Willesden, West Green

Save the countryside

2011-10-05T09:57:00.005+01:00

This isn't about 'my' London, but about the green belt that surrounds it.

I copy and paste here from an email I received from 38 Degrees:

Our English countryside is under threat again. The government is trying to rush through massive changes to the planning system, which would make it much easier to build on green field sites. We've just a few weeks to stop this happening.
Experts are lining up to condemn the government plans. The National Trust warns of unchecked and damaging development. Friends of the Earth predicts “a building free-for-all that will blight our countryside with bad building.”
A massive people-powered petition can make the government think again. It worked to stop England's forests being sold off. It can work again to stop precious countryside being wrecked by bulldozers and concrete.
Please add your name now, and forward this message to all your friends:
The English countryside is something we all enjoy. It's far too precious to build on willy-nilly. Once our green fields are gone, they're gone forever.
If we work together, we can stand up for a balanced, careful approach to deciding what to build and where to build it. We can protect local communities' right to have their say, make sure social housing is built where it’s needed and protect wildlife and beautiful, tranquil places.
Having to act fast to stop an urgent threat to our countryside feels eerily familiar doesn't it! It's only a few months since half a million of us came together to stop plans to sell off England's forests. It worked that time - now let's come together again to stop this new threat to our beautiful green places.
Please take two minutes now to add your name to the petition.

Thanks.

Grant's True Tales

2011-10-03T09:06:00.002+01:00

A couple of weeks ago I was invited to a do in the vaults of the RSA for an evening of food and drink and story telling as part of Grant's True Tales.

I think the idea is everyone has a story to tell and what better way to do it than over a glass of Grant's whisky which has it's own story to tell?

Grant's have been running a story-telling competition on their Facebook page and, between courses, we watched and listened to the three finalists. To be honest, I thought two of the 'stories' were tedious. They weren't stories at all, but ramblings. I've heard better tales in my local pub told by bar flys who would never think to enter a competition.

I joked to a fellow diner that if these were the best three, then perhaps there'd been only ten entrants. It turns out there were only nine! Hmmm... rather of makes a mockery of the winner's certificate that reads something like, "Best story teller 2011".

I'd have written about this sooner had I not been stumped for picture ideas, but as I poured myself another glass from the free bottle of Grant's whisky they gave me, I noticed the bottle is triangular...

Top row: Battersea, Bishopsgate, Paddington, Deptford.

Middle row: Strand, Old St, Holloway Rd, Bloomsbury.

Bottom row: all Holloway Road.

Battle of Cable Street 75th Anniversary

2011-09-28T10:06:00.001+01:00

It's 75 years since 1936's Battle of Cable Street.

On Sunday 2nd October the occasion will be marked by events centred in and around Wilton's Music Hall, which I have heard, has finally raised sufficient funding to keep going (though that doesn't mean 'job done', so please keep involved).

There will be a market on the day and I will be there with my Amelia Parker clay pipe jewellery, made using fragments of discarded clay pipes dating from as far back as the 16th century, collected along the Thames foreshores close to Cable Street.

Info about the weekend's events here.

See you there!

Some great historical info and archive images from 1936 here.

And some great shots of Dave Binnington's commemorative mural here.

London Fashion Week

2011-09-25T15:00:00.000+01:00

LFW has wafted over my head again. It always does. Every year.

When they show highlights on the news or on daytime magazine programmes I always wonder what the fuss is. It seems to me we are going through the early 1980s resurgence at the moment. Have you seen the poorly made sh1t that's on offer in American Apparel lately, that looks like something even my Nan would have turned her nose up at in 1975?!

But there is nothing new. It's always bemused me why people want to wear (expensive) labels and follow trends Where's the individuality?

A lot of the 'creations' on the catwalks appear badly-made/unfinished, or look to be one piece of draped material held together with pins that only looks right on a person with a body like a silver birch tree. I've made far better things myself(!).

On July 1st this year I went to a free Yohji Yamamoto show at the V&A with Gill. The thing that struck me was how many dowdy women filled the seats. Most of them sat and stared blankly at the model couples who strutted past them in Yamamoto's deconstructed coats. It didn't look to me* as if these women had made any effort to appear fashionable or different or individual or whatever... they seemed to be completely out of touch with fashion, having let it pass them by for decades, and had instead plumped for comfort of the Primark and Gap variety.

*I am dead trendy, me.

Tom's Tired of London

2011-09-22T16:50:00.003+01:00

No, he's not. At least I don't think he is. Especially when he is pedalling about all over London finding things to mention on his site.

Every day Tom posts a suggestion of something to do, see or visit in this fair city. He might be a bit worn out, but he's certainly not jaded.

I can't keep up with him – one day last month Tom and Ian took Boris bikes to Paris and back in a day.

I hear Tom's site is in the process of being turned into a book. Well done Tom. And happy birthday!

Paralympics tickets... only 5 days left to apply

2011-09-20T21:30:00.002+01:00

Tickets for the Paralympic Games are on sale until 26th August.

There are 21 sports and the athletes who compete in them are truly amazing. This, coming from someone who lounged about in her dressing gown drinking endless cups of tea whilst watching The Great North Race on TV last Sunday!

But check out some of these paralympic sports – believe me, I am not making these up – the fastest marathon on Earth, wheelchair rugby, visually impaired javelin throwing and dwarf powerlifting, the latter being dwarves lifting weights, not people lifting dwarves. And wheelchair fencing also sounds rather weird to a pedant like me!

See the Channel 4 site for more info.

Top: Abbey Mills, Chatsworth Rd, Chiswell St, Dalston

Bottom: Leytonstone, Old Street, Shoreditch, London Eye

Open House Weekend

2011-09-14T10:14:00.000+01:00

It really does not seem like 12 months have gone by since I went inside my old butcher shop on the Saturday of Open House 2011.

W. Plumb's shop on Hornsey Road used to be my local butcher shop. One of the butchers in there had even gave me a handful of meat hooks to use on my pan rail when I'd asked him where to buy them (this was pre-Ikea!).

The shop closed for business approx 15 years ago probably through lack of business being as it sits in the middle of a terrace in a no man's land between Holloway, Archway, Crouch End and Finsbury Park, and must have suffered when we got swamped by supermarkets.

Every time I walked past I wondered what had become of the gorgeous ornate Edwardian tiled interior complete with mahogany cashier's booth, etched glass and intricate ironwork.

Then I noticed it in the Open House listing last year and breathed a sigh of relief. The adjoining flat is now owned by a lovely Canadian man who can be trusted to keep the butcher's shop intact and unchanged. He is rightly proud of it:

Almost everything is still there as I remember it. I say 'almost' because the butcher's wooden chopping and carving block has been removed 'for health and safety reasons' (oh gawd) and with it another tiled rural scene which formed part of its base. I took lots of photos. I was happy. I still am.

On the 2nd day of Open House weekend last year I went to a Georgian building near Spitalfields only to discover that the place is used an an art gallery so I could have gone there any day of the week (grr; I should have checked the info and paid attention to what I wrote on here last year!). I stayed for the tour which was really interesting but then had a mad dash to try and catch the last opening minutes of the Drapers Hall. Damn. Got there 5 mins late. Made all the more frustrating by people coming out and telling me how lovely it was in there. I was hoping to go this year but it's not on the list :-(

So, my advice is, plan ahead. Check that the buildings are open specially for the weekend only and make a map/gameplan. Be prepared to queue. And be prepared to be disappointed if you don't get in to your chosen buildings.

There's always next year... start planning now as some places are advance booking/tickets only. It's like applying for Olympics tickets, only better because it's free and you'll get a good view.

The London Transport Museum

2011-09-12T18:43:00.000+01:00

I finally managed to get to the London Transport Museum last month.

For years I have had it on my list of places to visit*. How on earth I have left it as long as this is beyond me.

Last year someone contacted me through this site and sent me a complimentary 'admits two' ticket. I now cannot recall who that was, so if it was you, please do get in touch.

I stuck the ticket on the pinboard and kept saying I would "go next week". I recently noticed the expiry date on the ticket read '31st August 2011' ... there's nothing like deadline to make me get my arse into gear!

So I called Mr Edwards and, knowing he likes shiny things and transport, asked him to be my plus one.

All I can say is we should have gone in earlier because we ran out of time. There is so much to see... old tube trains, buses, trams to compare with a prototype of the new Routemaster (not really sure what I think of that until I see it in action), plus lots of info everywhere including a looking-to-the-future section where there are some truly bizarre ideas. I loved all the posters and leaflets and timetables especially from the first half of last century and could have spent a day alone just looking at those.

And it's a really great museum for children. Many of them had cards that they could 'punch' in the special machines dotted around the museum. My inner child was envious that I didn't have one of my own, so when I found one on the floor my afternoon was complete.

Thanks to Malcolm for the photos.

*The Imperial War Museum is still on that list, as is Dulwich Picture Gallery and Chiswick House and they are just the first 3 that pop into my head... oh dear, what a terrible admission!

The Mayor's Thames Festival this weekend

2011-09-08T09:51:00.002+01:00

Be there!

A colourful and lively weekend packed with FREE things to do and see.

I will be there at my Amelia Parker stall selling what Malcolm refers to as "probably the only Thames-related items that you will find in the entire market".

More info here and here.

Trees for Cities

2011-09-06T19:45:00.001+01:00

On Saturday September 17th Battersea Park will be hosting a Tree-Athon, the aim of the event being to raise funds to buy and plant more trees in London and other cities worldwide.

There will be a 5k run and a barefoot 100m race, by which I assume they mean metres and not miles. There will also be tree planting and face painting, jugglers, street art (in the park!), music and all sort of outdoors-eventy stuff.

Top: Harlseden, Holloway, Greewich x2

Middle: Limehouse, Berkeley Square, Brixton, Vauxhall

Bottom: Holloway x4

London Buildings – An Architectural Tour

2011-09-03T18:21:00.004+01:00

You've seen the plates, now look at the book.
And see how lovely it is!

The book covers a range of London buildings and architectural styles, including Barbican, Battersea Power Station and Sir Christopher Wren’s 1675 Greenwich Royal Observatory. Also are included are 20th century masterpieces such as the Isokon Building, Trellick Tower and the Royal National Theatre.

I like it a lot; the line drawings, the illustration, the design and layout, plus it's square (I love square format!) and the colours are gorgeous and so well chosen.

Thanks to Anova Books for sending it to me.

More info on how to get your copy of the book at People Will Always Need Plates (which isn't really true is it?!).

Wear a piece of London history

2011-08-27T11:05:00.003+01:00

I am well aware that I have fallen behind with my posts and observations on here. It's mainly because of late I have been concentrating on my Amelia Parker clay pipe jewellery.

The good news is that I have managed to get a stall on the main floor of the UpMarket for tomorrow, Sunday 28th August.

I am also in discussion with the lovely fellas at the Spitalfield Traders Market office and hope to get a stall secured there for Thursdays and/or Fridays, so please wish me luck with that.

Then in two weeks' time it's The Mayor's Thames Festival and AP will form part of the Craft Trail along the South Bank. My stall will be right outside The Royal Festival Hall.

Do come along and say hello.

Are you hot or cool?

2011-08-15T09:17:00.000+01:00

This isn't about the UK's changing weather. Although it's true that this 'summer' has so far been very changeable; we have had rain, wind, hot, cold, humidity, damp... etc.

No, this post is about a question I have been asking friends:

Would you rather be described as 'hot' or 'cool'?

Discuss.

Top: Stoke Newington, Stroud Green, Hampstead, Bloomsbury

Bottom: Southwark, Battersea, Smithfield, Barnsbury

Gutted in Tottenham

2011-08-08T09:03:00.006+01:00

The streets of North London were witness to some awful scenes this weekend when a peaceful protest turned nasty. Angry disenfranchised people rioted; setting fire to and looting shops all in the name of 'justice'.

I can never understand how 'pissing in your own back yard' helps anything. Shop owners and businesses along High Road, Tottenham, should not have to pay the price for this. Areas of what was once a beautiful Edwardian high street have been reduced to burnt out shells. They are gutted. I am gutted. And not just for the buildings.

Then last night, Tottenham Hale retail park was targeted and people caused damaged and stole goods there too. I am not sure if they stole food or electrical goods...

What a horrible coincidence that my last post was about fire insurance markers.

High Road, Tottenham: the old 1930s London Cooperative Society Building (top left) was completely gutted by fire on Saturday night. I am, so far, unsure whether Criterion Parade (with eagle) and Windsor Parade, 1907 (top right), have suffered in the same way.

Fire insurance plaques

2011-08-05T10:00:00.000+01:00

Back in the early 19th century there was no public fire brigade. Home owners would insure against fires by paying private companies who employed their own fire-fighting teams. Badges made from lead or copper displaying the relevant company logo and reference number were affixed to on the front of houses (usually at first floor level) to prove that fees had been paid. In the case of a fire, these companies would only put out the flames of those houses bearing the correct badge.

This caused all sorts of problems, especially if the fire had started in a non-insured property and spread into the insured house next door, so in January 1833 The London Fire Engine Establishment was formed. In 1865 the Metropolitan Fire Brigade Act was passed and by 1904 London had what we now call the London Fire Brigade.

Below are some of the various fire insurance plaques I have spotted in London.

And many more here.

Walk The Lines by Mark Mason

2011-07-31T10:00:00.001+01:00

There are lots of book about London. You'd think there couldn't be any more to write but every now and then someone comes up with a new idea; a new take on things...

Mark Mason has walked the entire London Underground overground, by which I mean he has followed the tube lines at street level. His book 'Walk The Lines' tells the stories of his journeys, covering hundreds of miles. It's a great read... full of wonderful London facts, amusing trivia and meetings some odd and interesting people. I like it a lot. Here's M@'s review.

I am now singing that Wombles' song, which reminds me of Steven Smith's wonderful Underground London. I keep saying I won't buy any more books and will instead just borrow from friends or the library, but every now and then another one comes along that I just have to have. I need to put up some more shelves. These are nice.

Top: Mason in Battersea, Victoria in Victoria, Baker[loo] in Tottenham, Central in Holloway

Middle: Hammersmith in Holloway, District at Gloucester Rd, Northern in Hornsey, Circle in Bloomsbury

Bottom: Piccadilly in Piccadilly (but no more; RIP), Waterloo in Waterloo, Jubilee at Hungerford Bridge, Metropolitan at Farringdon.

The Mercers' Maiden

2011-07-27T10:00:00.009+01:00

Walking along Long Acre the other day, looking up at the buildings, admiring the historical details as I do, I kept noticing the same motif of a woman. Then it occurred to me I had seen her before in the City – she is the symbol/coat of arms of The Worshipful Company of Mercers, an association of merchants who dealt with the luxury end of the textile trade. Hence, in Covent Garden, we have Mercers Street and what used to be The Mercers Arms in Shelton Street. These days this livery company is more of a charitable concern.

In 1614 the Mercers leased the area north of Long Acre, then known as Elmfield, to Thomas, Earl of Exeter, who subsequently sold it on to Sir William Slingsby. Incidentally, both of these men are also now remembered in street names of that area; respectively, Earlham Street, Neal Street and the shopping arcade Thomas Neals, and Slingsby Court). The buildings they erected on this land displayed the Mercers’ symbol to show ownership. Indeed, the Mercers still own the coloured areas on this map today.

The Mercers’ Maiden, first appeared on a seal on 1425, and is always depicted in 'Flemmish Rennaisance' style with long hair, expensive clothes, a necklace/chain, a crown and, as as my male friend pointed out to me, more often than not she has rather pert breasts with distinguishable nipples (!).

Perhaps 30% of the plaques in the Covent Garden area are identical and probably taken from the same mould, but the remainder vary in style – sometimes she looks bored or grumpy, sometimes an enigmatic smile, sometimes she's looking at you, sometimes she's looking off to the right. And sometimes she's had a bad hair day or is sporting a pointier crown.

She can be found not just in Long Acre, but on all sides of these buildings, carved directly into the masonary or brickwork, or within a plaque above a door or between windows, or etched into glass, or depicted on door brass knockers. (Knockers!)

London Chamber of Commerce RIP

2011-07-24T10:00:00.004+01:00

I am a bit late with this... the demolition of the old London Chamber of Commerce building at 69-75 Cannon Street, along with others further along the Cannon Street, happened earlier this year. I watched for months after the hoardings went up and crossed my fingers that the building might be saved and renovated. But no :-(

It's so hard to believe that this simple stone building with its understated details has been obliterated. I am unsure what is planned to replace it but if the new buildings further up the street near the Cannon Street Station are anything to go by, it will be fairly nondescript. In fact, the new location for the LCC is actually inside one of these 'Lego' buildings. Rooting around in the LCC's website I cannot even find a picture of the exterior, so they must know themselves how bland it is.

Sadly I never saw the inside of the old building. The exterior had intricate grilles and bronze gull light fittings around the doors – I can only hope that some of these delightful details have been salvaged for use elsewhere.

The Victoria Line

2011-07-20T09:39:00.004+01:00

I recently learned that the Victoria Line's upgrade is now complete and every train on the line is 'new'! According to TFL's blurb, these new trains are "more spacious and have wider aisles, as well as improved customer information, CCTV and better ventilation". Well well.

So what have they done with the old stock? Will we be seeing the carriages looming over Shoreditch as pop-up offices? Or perhaps they can be given to youth groups to practice their tagging skills on?

But don't get too excited just yet... all is not finished, for there will be planned closures on the line for sometime yet, and on most of the other tube lines too... But at least we can rest assured, knowing that when the Olympics begin the whole tube network will be running as smooth as clockwork* ;-)

16 Victoria Line stations:

*a wind-up clock

Save Wilton's Music Hall

2011-07-17T10:00:00.002+01:00

Hidden away down a little alley off Ensign Street in E1 is the wonderful time capsule that is Wilton's Hall – the oldest surviving grand music hall in the world.

Wilton's charming decaying frontage, crumbling interiors and galleried theatre with barleytwist pillars is still in use today for concerts, screenings and plays. The building is also often used as a period location for films and TV dramas. For instance, I spotted it being used in the BBC's recent and brilliant adaptation of "The Crimson Petal and The White" as a drinking den (that particular drama was a real 'identify the London location'-fest!).

But to the point...

Wilton's needs our help. The building is in dire need of maintenance and repairs. Earlier this year, though proving its popularity by managing to raise £25,000 in one week, it lost its bid for £2.3 million worth of Heritage Lottery Funding. Frances Mayhew, Wilton's Artistic Director is quoted as saying, "If every Londoner donated £1, that would be amazing".

I urge you, if you haven't been there already, to go and see this wonderful glimpse into the past. There are plenty of events and plays coming up, plus tours of the building every Monday. See more here. Wiltons's will also be used for some events during the Anthropomorphic Summer Festival which continues until 9th September.

Please help to save this gem... there really is nowhere else like it.

DIY party at JUST – EJF's Pop-Up Shop in Covent Garden

2011-07-14T23:00:00.006+01:00

On Saturday, 16th July, The Environmental Justice Foundation is hosting a special one day DIY party at its pop-up shop at 36-38 Earlham Street, Covent Garden.

The shop has been open since May, but tomorrow, from 1–6pm a selection of designer-makers who work with recycled and collected items, including me and Alessandra, will be there in person making and selling all kinds of upcycled products including jewellery, bags and hats. Visitors to the shop will be encouraged to join in the DIY experience and there will be advice about how to revamp and accessorise your old clothes. This merchandise will remain for sale at the shop until the end of the month.

The shop stocks EJF's T-shirts plus a diverse range of ethical fashion and accessories from brands including Monkee Genes, Veja trainers, and From Somewhere. A large percentage of the profit from all sales is donated to the charity.

The EJF pop-up shop will be open until 31st July.

More info on EJF's Facebook page.

Some interesting details to be found in the Seven Dials area of Covent Garden:

Chat rooms or live gigs?

2011-07-08T16:40:00.005+01:00

I go to see a fair bit of live music. I go to see the bands and hear the music, hopefully performed in a different way to the recored version. But I am getting more and more jaded by people around me who seem to be there just for a social get-together.

Let me explain...

Last week at Arcade Fire I'd paid £45 (+fees, which is another rant in itself!) to find that the sound was dreadful, the stage was too low to see the band and the 'live' visuals were out of sync, there was rubbish everywhere, there were portaloos but nowhere to wash your hands, and only weak over-priced lager on offer. To top that people were just standing around having conversations. Or they were jumping about wildly, flinging their arms about in a "look at me; I am at an outdoor gig!!!" kind of way. This particular extrovert behaviour is actually very rarely in effect at indoor gigs. Discuss.

Anyway, I wondered whether it might have been a better idea to have invited my friends round to my house for a crap drinks party the back garden with the band's music playing in the front room.

Then, last night I went to see Eels at Somerset House. This time I got better value for money (£27+fees) as the sound was great and I could see the band clearly – even the bar was well-organised. But in front of me were two young girls who talked though almost the whole thing. When they'd nattered and giggled and gossiped through three Eels' classics it was fairly evident to me that these girls didn't know any of the songs. So I poked one of them on the shoulder and pointed at the stage. Like rabbits in the headlights, they looked forwards, suddenly attentive, as if, up until then, they had no idea there was a band on at all. Two songs later a third girl joined them and they started gabbing again. Oh gawd. Why were they there? Why had they paid to stand and shout at each other when they could have gone to a café or pub and saved their throats (and my ears)?

Years ago, at a Flaming Lips gig, two girls were constantly nattering behind me. They'd started before the band came on stage. They were relentless. After about 30 mins I overheard one complain that the band had only played two songs. Er, she was wrong it, was three, but she'd totally missed the point of Wayne Coyne's charisma and charm, and she hadn't even noticed the large colourful balloons being batted about! A Flaming Lips gig is all about the experience. Silly little girl.

So my question is, what on earth are these people going to gigs for in the first place?! Why are they paying good money to go to gigs for a chat?

I should point out here that I am not some old fuddy-duddy who thinks people should stand silent at gigs – that's just daft – it's all about having a good time, though the flip side is people who stand at the back bar and complain that people are chatting... er move nearer the front, you plonker, this is a bar!

My problem is that the constant chatterers (and it's mainly young girls), who go to gigs by bands they don't know or care about, are ruining it for the rest of us who have gone to see and hear the performance. Not only that, there is a bigger crime – they are snapping up tickets that true fans would have paid good money for.

I believe a lot of people these days just want the 'badge' of having been somewhere or attended something. Perhaps this is why Glastonbury gets sold out so fast.

Oh, and then there are the couples who snog or gaze at each other through the whole set...

I want to be one of Eurostar's Olympic Pioneers because......

2011-07-07T10:00:00.003+01:00

Eurostar, an official provider (provider?!) to the London 2012 Olympics have invited me and other bloggers to enter a competition where the prize is attendance at a special 'One Year To Go' event later this month.

We have been asked to write something with the title as above, so here goes....

How shoddy of Seb and the boys to contact me at this late stage – they ought to have invited me to this 'One Year To Go' event as a formality being London is mine – it's in the name 'Jane's London' – so, by default, everything to do with the London 2012 Olympics is mine too! For this reason I ought to have been involved with the design and management of the Olympic sites from the outset. It's no good showing me something that's almost finished. After all, I visited the Stratford site two years ago and didn't give very good feedback about it, so you'd think they'd be wanting to sweeten me up and convince me everything's going OK. I really, really do hope they have pulled their socks up since then.

Every garish option of that nasty logo still niggles me. They look like the Saturday staff at KallKwik knocked out a few scribbles one afternoon with a limited set of felt tips, some coloured paper and dry transfer lettering from the local Poundshop. They are splattered all over the place like poor graffiti with that hideous typeface, the bad letter-spacing and lower case L on London – yuck! We were told that the logo would 'come into its own' nearer 2012, but I am still waiting for that 'aaah-ha I see!' moment. I wish I could get graphic design jobs like that.

Seriously though, I really do want to see that the London Olympics turns out to be a big success. Not for just me, but for everyone; I need to be convinced that all this building and disruption for a one-off showcase event will be worth all the hassle; during the event and for decades afterwards. But from where I sit now, it all seems to me to be such a huge waste of money; money that could have been better spent on other things, especially in what was a neglected area of London. For instance, how does building another huge shopping centre there (Westfield) help the small businessman in the local area?

I did not apply for tickets to any of the events as I think I will be able get a better view of the proceedings watching it all on TV from the comfort of my sofa. I don't understand why the Olympics cannnot be staged in the same place every time – Athens would have been the logical choice once it returned there.

Sport and the Olympic sites aside, I have applied to be a London Ambassador, which I really hope works out for me because sharing this great city with Olympic visitors will be a much better use of my time.

So, to conclude, as the owner of [Jane's] London, I'd like Eurostar, Boris and Mr Coe to assuage my concerns and convince me that work being carried out on the Olympic sites is all up to my high standards and that I have nothing at all to be concerned about.

London-wide pics relating to the Olympics:

Top: N7, W14, WC2, WC1

Middle: WC1, W1, EC2, EC1

Bottom: N1, NW1, W1, N7

What a load of bollards

2011-07-04T19:10:00.000+01:00

Bollards. There, I've said it again!

They are all over London and all sorts of different shapes. Some are there to protect pedestrians, buildings and corners; others have dual purpose as boundary markers.

My 'collection' is quite pathetic compared to Maggie's set... she's bollard mad!

Top: Caledonian Rd, Bow Common Lane, Hoxton, Acton.

Middle: Carter Lane, Lambs Conduit St, Leytonstone, Holland Park.

Bottom: Camden, Middlesex St, Highgate, Upper St.

Well well well...

2011-06-30T12:00:00.000+01:00

Many places in London have the name well in their name. Most are so named because there was indeed a well there in times past. Some have changed their name or been lost completely, as in the case of New Tunbridge Wells, which became Islington Spa and was buried underneath Lubetkin's Spa Green Estate.

But The Clerk's Well can still be seen in Farringdon Lane to the south of Clerkenwell Green which, despite its name, isn't green and has no grass. Clerkenwell is rich in history so click here for more.

Top: Amwell St, Benwell Road, Camberwell, Chiswell St.

Middle: Clerkenwell, Cromwell Rd, Goswell Rd, Muswell Hill.

Bottom: Newell St, Stockwell, Wellclose Sq, Well Court.

Cruising the Canals

2011-06-24T10:50:00.000+01:00

No that's not part of a Carry On or a porn film!
Though you all know I do like to be puerile every now and then!
Continuous cruising means a boat owner can avoid paying for moorings as long as he doesn't stay in one place for more than 14 days. But I just read that British Waterways, who manage 80% of the UK canal system, are reviewing this practice, and along the River Lea the period may be reduced to just 7 days. Ooh dear, those cruisers won't be happy with that! There is definitely a "them and us" thing between the cruisers and those with fixed moorings; the former thinking the latter aren't doing it properly.
A friend recently pointed out to me that a lot of people who live on boats think they are so damn special. He's right; they do! Many of them will tell you, within minutes of meeting you, that they live on a boat, as if it's some kind of badge. You don't get someone at a party introducing themselves by smiling smugly and saying, "Hello I'm Fred, I live in a bungalow/house/converted shop" do you?
A case in point: I gave my business card and an A6 postcard to someone, and he gave the postcard back to me saying he lived on a boat. Eh? I am assuming it must be a really teeny tiny boat.
And what's with all the waving? When I go out of my front garden gate I don't wave at other people in the street, even though they must thinking "ooh look, she lives in a house; wave George, wave!"
Where was I?
Ah yes canals... I love walking along the canals in London. It's so peaceful. It's like another (under)world. Lovely.

Inspirational

2011-06-20T10:00:00.000+01:00

Spires.

This is inspired by a comment on a post I did recently.

One little word and I've got another picture collection...

Clockwise from top left: St Peter upon Cornhill; Battersea Village; St James, Clerkenwell, shadow of St Mary-le-Bow, Cheapside; St Mary's, Upper St (one of my favourite spires); St Barnabas, Pimlico; St Giles in the Fields (now surrounded by plastic rather than fields, and what's with the different coloured clocks – does anyone know?), and St George's, Bloomsbury.

Lend Me a Tenor

2011-06-16T12:11:00.004+01:00

Last week I went to see Lend Me a Tenor at the Gielgud Theatre.

What fun! I really enjoyed it and, as anyone who knows me will tell you, I can sometimes be hard to please, noticing, without hunting for, little faults all over the place. On this occasion I can only complain that a couple of numbers went on too long so I started to look around at the theatre's lovely ceiling... but even that was a pleasure.

The production is a joy... the stage set, created with pages and pages of gold leaf is gorgeous, and the costumes are wonderful, especially the ladies' bias-cut dresses.

Oh, and the singing and dancing and acting and all that stuff was very good aswell!

I think I liked it a lot. It put a huge smile on my face, so thanks to London Theatre Guide for the tickets.

The Gielgud is offering a special 'buy one get one free' ticket offer for Monday to Thursday performances at the until August 11th – just call the Box Office on 0844 482 5130 and quote '2 for 1'.

No pics, sorry.

Hugenot houses and hidden gems

2011-06-12T14:52:00.006+01:00

Spitalfields is a constantly-changing layer cake of London history. Over the centuries many different ethnic groups have lived in the area including Hugenots, Jews, Irish and Bangladeshis. Today the area is buzzing with markets and bars and is also known as Banglatown.

Back at the end of the 17th century the Hugenots fled from their native France, settled in Spitalfields where they built some wonderful houses in which they created and sold their much sought-after silk textiles.

Centuries passed and by the 1960s these marvellous houses had become very delapidated and were due for demolition but, thanks to a group of conservationists which included Dan Cruikshank, a few streets of these old terraces were saved and still remain today.

One particular house, 19 Princelet Street, is not just a Hugenot survivor, but also has a Jewish syangogue 'hidden' within it. The story goes that the synagogue, which occupies the garden area at the back of the house, was boarded up around 1960 and subsequent tenants didn't even know it was there. I find that hard to believe, but hey. The building is now a kind of time capsule and it is managed by a team of volunteers who open it up to the public for a few days every year. I went there last month and found it to be an amazing place. Future opening dates here.

The pics below show some of the wonderful details to be found on these Hugenot houses. Most are probably reproduction/replacements but they are still lovely. Note especially the lovely little window shutter fixings – I found many more similar ones in western France.

Holloway Arts Festival

2011-06-08T12:00:00.000+01:00

Like it says above, there's an arts festival Holloway happening in Holloway 8-17th June organised by Rowan Arts.

Lots to see and do. Shame I will miss it.

Here are some pics taken along the Holloway Road.

The Fabulous Mr Bridges

2011-06-05T17:51:00.006+01:00

Ooh... I should have noticed this earlier... The British Film Institute is putting on a retrospective of one of my favourite film actors.

Not only is the man gorgeous and talented (yes please!), he has been in some brilliant movies... he acted Clint off the screen in Thunderbolt and Lightfoot, was superbly understated in The Fabulous Baker Boys, survived in the wonderful Fearless, managed to make pony tails acceptable in The Fisher King and turned dressing gowns into daywear in The Big Lebowski.

I've only just discovered Jeff's website... it's fab... full of music and photos and clips... he just gets more appealing by the minute!

I could have easily put together a collection of bridges but I decided to have more fun with this one... see if you can get identify these 12 films he's been in...

Top: Edgware Rd, Billingsgate, Essex Rd, Millwall Docks.

Middle: Stroud Green, Leytonstone, Crouch End, Walthamstow Village.

Bottom: Kew Gardens, Camden, Westminster, Hackney.

Electric cars – are they our friends?

2011-06-03T10:00:00.002+01:00

See what I did there? Two Gary Numan songs for the price of one.

But to the point... what's all this nonsense about electric cars needing a noise? Are we all expected to go blind some time soon?

Do humans have motion noises? Ditto dogs and cats? Do pushbikes make any sounds? Well, yes, riders are supposed to have and use a bell, but they don't.

We have eyes at the front of our heads with which to see if there is traffic coming – has no one learned how to use or cross a road?

So who are we/they 'protecting' this time?

Oh yes, those jaywalking numpties who are far too busy twittering and listening to their iPods to be arsed to learn the difference between road and pavement.

Whatever noise is chosen it's going to be awful... nee-nah nee-nah, ding-a-ling, whoosh, parp parp, vehicle reversing, vehicle reversing... ker-thump!

And where do people think all this electricity is going to come from? Will it be magic'd out of thin air? A lot of energy goes into making energy, you know.

Top: Bermondsey, Bloomsbury, Lambeth, Brompton

Middle: Southwark, Hoxton, Dalston, Bloomsbury (RIP)

Bottom: Lambeth, Battersea, Hackney, Vauxhall

The Foundling Museum

2011-06-01T14:00:00.003+01:00

Ooh, should have posted this months ago... just found it in 'drafts'...

I had been meaning to go to The Foundling Museum for years. But when I finally did go there towards the end of last year, I found it to be really disappointing in many ways.

First of all the admission fee is a whopping £7.50. So good job I am an Art Fund member and can get in for free.

The museum is lovely, but it's a mess. It's badly laid out and confusing. Visitors really do need some prior knowledge of the history of the building and its patrons before they go there or else they will be flummoxed. A good idea would be for the museum to install an introductory welcome board with basic info on it for the uninitiated, somewhere near the main entrance/ticket booth. I was well-aware of the building's history but still found I needed to ask questions that really should not have been necessary.

Basically, in 1741 Thomas Coram set up an institution, funded by patrons such as Hogarth and Handel, where unfortunate women could bring their unwanted babies. Spaces we limited, so if they chose the right coloured ball out of a bag, their child could be schooled and cared for. The house has changed many times over the centuries, and these days it is used for a variety of things including recitals, concerts, workshops and talks, plus some of the lovely rooms are available for hire.

On the day I went to the museum we were advised to start out tour in the first room on the ground floor to the right of the entrance. This room attempts to be an historical overview – it contains a mish-mash of interesting items but we really had to search hard to work out what we are looking at. For instance, there is a collection of charms and objects left by the mothers, but there is no explanation or information card to explain this. And a wall of strange and silly names meant nothing to us until we found the caption buried within it, in the same typeface! – we would have been none the wiser had we not overheard someone else pointing it out to a friend.

After wandering around the upper floors, we ended up in the 'Threads of Feeling' exhibition in the basement room (this is now finished) where we finally started to understand and piece together the full sad story of these poor woman and children. This exhibition was also badly thought through... we entered the room to be confronted by the backs of all the cabinets, and the explanatory information was scattered all over the place.

Oh, and architecturally, the whole building is confusing.... demolition, rebuilds, extensions – it made no sense! We had to ask the staff about so many things. Again, some information explaining that many of the rooms are actually reproductions of Georgian interiors within a 1936 house would have really been helpful.

So my advice is... it's full of lovely interesting gems, but read up on everything you can about the place before you go... here on Wikipedia!

Sorry, no photos this time.

Inside the Human Body

2011-05-30T15:00:00.005+01:00

That marvellous Michael Mosley has done it again and made some more wonderfully informative TV programmes called 'Inside The Human Body'.

If you missed them, hunt them out on replay or find selected excerpts on the web.

Our bodies are magnificient machines and we take them for granted. I have learned that we effectively get a new skeleton every 10 years, new skin every month and our stomach lining replaces every 3 days. And we don't even notice that all this is happening. We really are amazing.

Hunting for these pics, some of which may appear to make no sense at all unless you have seen the programmes, reminded me that I put together some collections of body parts a while back... here and here.... and in December my own body was letting me down. But my personal mini-army of repair bugs fixed me... Wow!

Top row: Paddington, Stepney, Wapping, Homerton

Middle row: St James's, Gray's Inn Rd, Caledonian Rd, Bloomsbury Sq

Bottom row: Smithfield, Bloomsbury, Haymarket, Highgate

Free London Walks

2011-05-26T17:20:00.007+01:00

Well, yes, you can go for a walk yourself – I do it myself all the time. And every now and then I go on a guided walk to hear about a certain area or specific things. Some are good, and some are all walk and no information – it all depends on the tour guide – but I've always come away form a walk having learned or discovered something new.
This weekend, 28th and 29th May, Walk London are putting on lots of free led walks all over the Capital.
There are more walks to go on then just the Jack The Ripper and ghost ones, you know. Get your comfy shoes on and get out there!
Fingers crossed that the weather is nice...
Some walk-themed pics:
Clockwise from top left:
Lambeth, Newington, Fulham, Hampstead, Trafalgar Sq, Lambeth, Harlesden, Waterloo

Happy Birthday Bob Dylan

2011-05-24T09:00:00.001+01:00

Mr Zimmerman turns 70 today. Wow!
Probably one of the most hardest working musicians around (he was doing 100 shows a year in the 90's and noughties), he is still touring worldwide and next month he headlines at the Feis in Finsbury Park. What a truly gifted and amazingly prolific man he is.
I am reminded of that [urban myth?] story about how in the 80s he was supposed to have knocked on a door in Crouch End thinking it was Dave Stewart's house but he'd got his road names wrong and it belonged to a plumber called Dave whose mother drank tea with Bob whilst they waited for 'Dave' to come home. More here. (In my less than humble opinion, I think the best thing Mr Stewart ever did was Vegas, his collaboration with Terry Hall, who, in my eyes, can do no wrong.)
So I thought I'd put a collection of Crouch End images together.
Crouch End = the end of the Crouch river. I do like that if you use pre-emptive text it's Crotch End.
In the past Crotch End was the site of the first gold rush in England. Later it became a busy Victorian suburb. These days it's almost impossible to go to up there without bumping into a minor TV celeb or actor pushing a baby buggy.

Faust at The Coliseum

2011-05-19T10:56:00.013+01:00

Terry Gilliam has made a few of my favourite films; Brazil, Fisher King and Twelve Monkeys. Some of his other ones are just plain silly. He has never understood the term ‘less is more’. Bless him for that.

So I thought his OTT style would be well-suited to the opera stage, and when a friend offered me a ticket I jumped at it. This latest production by the ENO is in English and set in Nazi Germany.

I must admit I didn’t know the story before I went. I had a rough idea about faust selling his soul to the devil and all that, but no more. So, here is my own personal understanding of what took place on the stage in front of me last night (bear in mind a lot of this may be incorrect; it’s only my interpretation):

Baldy devilly man Mephistopheles introduces us to the story. Cut to Faust having a nice time in the forest writing on some strange unfolding blackboard (why?), singing badly. He is accosted by 3 young people and then moves to higher ground where later he sees a load of forest people come out to play at night. One is a man with a beard dressed as the May Queen who gets a bit fresh with F.

Then a handful of kings and heads of different Euro lands try to carve up the map but it turns into war... Faust stumbling through fields of dead people, and he ends up performing surgery on the wounded. (Oh, so he’s a doctor? Was I supposed to know that?).

Meph takes F to a beer keller full of horrible bad people. F not impressed. F leaves disgusted, and sleeps.

Meph takes him to a big party of toffs in the forest. Faust thinks one woman is his true love Marguerite (who hell she? Where did she pop up from? Had I missed something?)

F and Meph in Marg’s flat. F sniffing her pillow and being weird and creepily obsessed. He hides behind curtain. She comes back, puts on a blond wig to hide her Jew-ness and sings about some old King bloke. Later F appears, she is really pleased to see him and they dry hump on the bed urged on my Meph. Outside Jews being beaten and put on trains. Marg arrested too and somehow everyone knows what she’s been up to.

F goes back to the forest and sulks. Meph says if F will serve him forever he will take F to Marg. Great scene with bike journey. Meph has lied – bike crashes. F dies and goes to hell. Turns out Meph only wanted F’s soul. Never trust a devil eh?! Final scene lots of dead people heaped up in a pile reminicient of Belson.

Many of Gilliam’s visuals were really clever. And just as well, as I needed the them to get my mind off some of the dreadful music. In fact I was rather bored by it in many places esp as in this promo Gilliam talks about Berlioz’s loud dramatic score; that you 'resonate' when you hear his music. Not so for me. I had been looking forward to losing myself in the loud and powerful… I cannot recall a single refrain.

And then there’s the singing. Opera is often maligned by many people for it just sounding like someone is just giving us a bad running commentary about what they are doing in the ‘I am singing what I am doing' style. It's sort of like Facebook on stage.

Perhaps I should start singing, “I am sitting AT my comPUterrrr…. I am writing a blog POST… the weather outside is sUnny…”? The caps are there for emphasis/loudness to highlight the parts that this style of singing highlights – the wrong, most meaningless, word in almost every instance.

My conclusion as to how all this happens is that this may not have been a problem sung in the original French… perhaps the words that need emphasis fall in the correct place/ on the right note? But then that doesn’t solve my other observation that in many cases what is being said-sung seems to be completely at odds with the what the orchestra is playing.

Oh I dunno. It looked good though. And I am glad I went.

And a good thing is I now have this on my brain.

Pics above include devils from Cornhill and Praed Street

Late night museums and a London quiz

2011-05-14T18:56:00.008+01:00

Last night five of us blogger types met at the wonderful Hunterian Museum and took part in a quiz about London at organised by M@ at Londonist as part of Museums at Night.

Well, can you bloody believe it? We won!

I am still in shock.

It was nothing to do with me.... Ian and Caroline were our star players. I am blessed to know such knowledgeable people. Tom, Malcolm and I did a lot of agreeing with them whilst nodding our heads sagely. Or we asked them, "really?" or "was it?" or "did he?"... "oh, OK, put that down then. Oh... you have".

Tom tried to draw attention to my jewellery but the Hunterian people weren't too pleased about that! Oops. Sweet of him to try though.

I am embarrassed to admit that I'd never been to the Hunterian Museum before. It's been on my list for ages and probably because it's so central and easy to get to I haven't made the effort and keep putting it off. I did the same with the John Soane's Museum on the opposite side of the square until about 6 years ago. Both are well worth a visit and stuffed full of fabuolusly interesting stuff (stuff?!). And they are free too.

Lincoln's Inn sits within Bloomsbury/Midtown(!)'s Museum Mile... click here for more.

And many of London's major and larger museums are also open late on certain evenings of the week or once every month. See here and here for more info.

I think 13 links is more than enough for one post, so I'll stop now.

Elizabeth II is now the second longest serving UK monarch

2011-05-12T11:09:00.001+01:00

As I mentioned the other week, Liz has just reached a milestone.

She'll have to stick it out another 52 months or so to take Victoria's title.

Top row: Black Prince Road, Vauxhall Walk, Brewer Street, Gt Titchfield Street.

Middle row: Mortlake Road, Dalston, Leather Lane, Marylebone High St.

Bottom row: Oxford Street, Crouch End, Essex Road, Theobalds Road.

Urban foxes in Holloway

2011-05-02T16:24:00.006+01:00

Scarcely a evening goes by now that I don't see a fox or two trotting along the street to who knows where.

Last September I found a handsome young male lounging on my deck – he practically posed for photos (see below).

This morning I look out of the window and find that there's a vixen and four cubs at the end of the garden (second row of pics). And they have cleverly dug away the slate chippings to access the space under the deck so that the cubs are safe whilst she and daddy fox scour the streets of N7 for KFC left-overs.

Friday 29th April 2011 is a special day

2011-04-28T12:00:00.002+01:00

This Friday is the anniversary of Hair opening on Broadway, James Cook arriving at Botany Bay, and 6 years since Syria pulled out of Lebanon.

29th April is David Icke's birthday. Daniel Day Lewis' too. And Michell Pfeiffer's, Uma Thurman's and Phil Tufnell's, to name a few more.

It's also International Dance Day and the start of Golden Week in Japan.

Oh, and there's wedding going on somewhere in central London.

I'd have written more about it but it's hard to find any info.

And here's a fact I just heard; in 2 weeks time, on May 13th, the Queen will become the second-longest reigning monarch in British history, having by then been on the throne for 21,645 days, knocking George III into 3rd position. Our longest reigning monarch was Victoria. Liz'll have to put in another 1,577 days to steal the title. 4 years and 4 months and counting...

Top: Spitalfields, Clerkenwell, Southwark, Soho

Middle: Upper Holloway, Kentish Town, Lambeth, Fleet Street

Bottom: Marylebone, Highgate, Bayswater, Belgravia

Greyhounds

2011-04-26T00:10:00.000+01:00

My sister has a retired racing greyhound. He's an absolute darling. She got him earlier this year from Whittingham Kennels just north of Waltham Abbey. So yesterday we went there for their Easter event along with many other owners of ex-WK dogs. There were stalls, cakes, bric-a-brac and raffles, and prizes were awarded for best dog, best bitch, waggiest tail, best Easter dog bonnet(!) etc.

Missing out on the fun, in the comfy kennels, were the dogs who are waiting to be re-homed, and others that are 'on holiday' so we were encouraged to take one of the un-homed dogs out for a walk in the adjacent fields and woods. I chose the lovely Nina (top left). Had she been entered in the the waggiest tail competition I think she might have won. I was falling in love. I really like dogs, but my lifestyle just doesn't suit one – I like to be spontaneous and I don't have a regular routine. But Freddie comes round a lot these days anyway, so it's like being an auntie!

Greyhounds make fabulous pets – they are so affectionate – if you'd like to give a one a new home, or have time to go and walk one occasionally, then do go and meet them and perhaps you'll fall in love too.

I just remembered that wonderful news item about Red the lurcher at Battersea Dogs Home. Bless him.

Top: Nina, Kensington, 'on holiday', Peckham

Middle: Isle of Dogs, Old Compton St, Frith St, Floyd

Bottom: kennels, Battersea, greyhounds, Upper St.

World Photography Festival

2011-04-21T11:30:00.004+01:00

26th April sees the start of this Sony sponsored festival happening at Somerset House. As well as exhibitions of the winning photos there'll be lots of seminars, workshops, presentations, and an interview with Bruce Davidson, the highly-regarded Magnum photographer.

The Sony World Photography Awards will be given out on 27th at a ceremony at the Odeon Leicester Square.

More info and tickets here.

Ooh this reminds me... The Summer Series of gigs in the courtyard starts on 7th July (that pic shows BRMC in 2006)... Eels is sold out :–( ... so if anyone has a spare ticket please do let me know.

Shoes (for want of a better title)

2011-04-20T13:48:00.011+01:00

I was recently commenting how women's shoes these days are so varied and OTT, going higher and higher and sillier and siller by the day that to find a pair that is really different yet interesting is hard. So I gave up ages ago and stick mostly with Clarks... well designed, mostly leather and there's a convenient factory outlet shop here in Holloway.

But then I was just sent a link to this guys work... blimey, now that's art!

Top: Acton, Hackney, Kings Cross, Fulham.

Middle: Leytonstone x2, Harlesden, W2.

Bottom: Stamford Hill, Kensington, Hornsey, WC2.

Designer Makers Market in Hackney

2011-04-03T11:19:00.004+01:00

Yesterday saw the start of a new Saturday market. It's specifically set up for designer/makers and I was interested to go and check it out because I will be doing a stall there myself on 23rd April. It's hidden behind The London Fields pub, on the corner of Mare Street and Warburton Street, E8.

So, if your idea of good Saturday includes hanging around Broadway Market, why not take a three-miniute stroll around the corner and check out this new venue. Pretty please.

Here are some pics of bits of Hackney:

See more here.

Time Out printed my letter!

2011-03-30T11:41:00.000+01:00

This relates to the post below.

Click here

Time Out – a magazine about London?

2011-03-24T08:50:00.006Z

I've been reading Time Out for decades and get it delivered every week. I use it mostly for its art, exhibitions and films listings, plus the TV guide.

I used to love Peter Watts' 'Big Smoke' section which was all about the quirkier and murkier and hidden things about London, but the bosses at TO decided to ditch all that and have since turned the it into a consumer magazine. It's all shops and food now. The only good thing I can think of that they have introduced in recent times are the section tabs at the edges of the pages.

But my main gripe is when the editorial pages are full of stuff that is not really about London.

A few years back they printed a short letter I wrote to them; as I recall it read something like this, "What are articles about Florida and face creams doing in a London listings magazine?".

Last week it was all about sex (again)... you can get that anywhere! This week it's all about Paris. And this is the letter I have sent them about it (sorry in advance for the swearing):

Again... you've done it again...

How would you feel if you were from Paris and you came London for the week and bought Time Out London only to find it full of (probably) ill-informed crap about your home city?

Ten pages about Paris, yes ten – count them – plus 2 whole page ads. Then, phew, back to normal... oh no, hold on, I spoke too soon... six pages on we're back in Paris again for the shopping section.

What the fucking fuck are you playing at?!

And here are some pictures where you will find Paris in London:

Top: Hammersmith (RIP), Leicester Sq (RIP), St Martin's Lane (RIP), Parsons Green

Middle: Highgate (RIP), Bloomsbury, Bibendum, Hampstead

Bottom: Lisson Grove, Borough, Bloomsbury, Holloway

James Watt's 'magical retreat' at the Science Museum

2011-03-22T20:20:00.007Z

This morning I went along to the Science Museum for the Press Launch of "James Watt and our world".

Adam Hart-Davis left his toilet obsessions at home and gave a short speech about the exhibition. Boy, that man's colourful – instead of sporting multi-coloured cycling gear he was wearing a natty green corduroy suit with a bow tie and odd matching shoes.

But I digress... this is not meant to about Mr A H-D; it's about James Watt, an amazingly talented and clever man who is known as the first hero of the Industrial Revolution. Talk about prolific! The list of his achievements is too long for me even start here, so go google. Or better still, go to the museum and see the exhibition for yourself.

On show again after a long absence, is Watt's attic workshop – a time capsule that contains everything as he left it when he died in 1819. I was lucky to be able to go behind the curved glass wall and see up-close some of his possessions, tools and furniture, all complete with nineteenth century dust! Wonderful.

And the rest of the Science Museum is wonderful too... cars, space travel, plastics, metals, machines, buttons to press, and one of the best gift shops ever...

I've got a kazoo and I'm not afraid to use it

2011-03-15T14:26:00.006Z

Last night I went to the Royal Albert Hall to watch the recording of Radio 3's Big Red Nose Show which will be aired this Friday eve from 7pm as part of Comic Relief. It was really good.

Everyone was given a red kazoo on the way in. I'd never played (if that's the right word) one before and, at first, I was convinced that the thing didn't work. But there's a knack to it that doesn't involve blowing. Led by the Masters of the Kazooniverse, almost 4,000 of us took part in a Guinness World Record -breaking attempt to get the most people playing a kazoo for five minutes. We had two goes at it; first to Flight of the Valkyries and then to The Dambusters theme. What a row! The players were counted and adjudicated and all that. Find out on Friday if we broke the record.

It was a good night all round. Presented by Katie Derham and Basil Brush (a hand-puppet on radio, boom-boom!), we were treated to some really lovely classical music especially from Nicole Bendetti, and Sue Perkins conducting pieces by Elgar and Bernstein. Plus genius comedy from Tim Vine and not-so-genius stuff from Marcus Brigstocke (he'd agree!).

Top: Royal Albert Hall, Pimlico, Walthamstow, Highbury

Middle: Covent Garden Camberwell, Holloway, Edmonton

Bottom: Hammersmith, Dalston, Highbury, EC4

Burlesque in Brick Lane

2011-03-10T00:13:00.005Z

I decided on the way home that I wasn't going to bother writing about this. But then I noticed the artist whose work is on show there is called Greg Holloway, and I live in Holloway and one of the lovely PR girls there this eve is doing a course at the Royal Holloway University, and I thought, ooh coincidences, so here goes.

Tom and I got to the Brickhouse in Brick Lane and were told we were gonna get a short preview of the show at 7.30pm. That never happened. So we had a couple of glasses of wine and went to look at the art. A rude waitress asked us to move out of her way. We weren't in her way at all. Then we tried some of the crudites that were offered to us. You should pronounce that 'CRUD-ites' as I have never tasted such dry, tasteless rubbish, even the morning after a bad party. Truly awful. And this was supposed to be a PR exercise!

Some barely-clothed girls came on stage and waved their arms around a bit. Then a tattooed female did a bit of stand up. We left. It wasn't really my kind of thing. Or perhaps it might have been if it all hadn't seemed so half-hearted and mediocre.

Burlesque... hmmm... not getting enough attention at home love? Art? Performance? Really?

Women at Spitalfields Market

2011-03-07T21:12:00.006Z

This Saturday 12th March I'll be at Spitalfields where I'll have a stall selling my clay pipe jewellery. Please do come down and say hello. There'll be lots of other things going on in addition to the market including live music, workshops, food and entertainment. It's all part of International Women's Fair following up on the centenary of International Women's Day.

And tomorrow, also at Spitalfields, though in the old market is the Women of the World Arts Fair.

Spitalfields, and the area around it, is a fasciniating area of London with a rich and varied history as these images show.

Spots V Stripes

2011-02-24T20:43:00.005Z

Hello, my names's Jane, and I'm in Stripes. Or is it... I'm a Stripe?. Oh I dunno.

Whatever it is, it's a Cadbury's thing in conjunction with the Olympic Games.

Last week I went to a games evening thing organised by phd where we tried to break some Guinness world records. These consisted of daft things like making a bed, stacking coins with one hand, clicking windows closed on a PC, chucking teabags in cups etc.

I didn't win any prizes on the night... I was too busy trying to break the red wine drinking record.

Thanks guys, it was a fun night... see a short vid of the evening here.

More info about getting involved here.

Three coal hole covers, a spotty dog in Mayfair, spotlights (Baron menswear RIP) and chocolate in Piccadilly, chewing gum outside the Astoria (RIP boo hoo) and the base of the Gherkin.

Skin deep

2011-02-16T11:02:00.002Z

Has anybody else noticed the excessive amount of make-up being worn by young girls these days?

Does the foundation they buy come with a free palette knife to put it on and a scraper to remove it? And why do a lot of them wear tinted (tinted?!) products that make their faces look like they've been to the Far East, but not the rest of their visible flesh? And there's a lot of bare skin around lately too, mostly on the wrong legs! And in this weather... brr!

Have you seen the gloss paint look? Slimy-look faces. Not nice.

Actually, it's just occurred to me that it's called foundation because it's supposed to be used as a base for other products... not to be the over-bearing the star of the show!

It's a look that requires a lot of time, effort and money... I bet the cosmetics industry is loving it.

Do men like it? Do they want to get close to all that gunk? Do they even notice?

Though I did overhear some schoolboys on a bus last week discussing their sisters' make-up habits and how they found it unattractive. They used words like 'stupid', 'muck', 'orange' and 'fake'.

I suspect if you ran your fingers down one of these rendered cheeks it would achieve the effect of a textured abstract painting, ploughed field or corrugations.

Here are some pics to illustrate the sort of thing I mean.

See more textures here.

The Valentine Moonie Wedding

2011-02-14T10:13:00.004Z

Oh gawd, today is that consumer-fest that is Valentine's day.

It used to be a day for letting someone know that you fancied them. But now it's just a way for restaurants and florists to get money from couples who think it's a really romantic to give the same flowers and eat the same food as all the other bored couples in the room.

So, if you were thinking of popping out for food this evening, don't bother unless you have already booked a set meal with all the other Moonies.

Alternatively, I see one supermarket is offering a three course meal for two with wine and chocs for £15. Ooh the romance of it all.

A friend pointed out to me that this Tom Jones CD that's being flogged at the moment as a good Valentine's present has 'Delilah' and 'Green Grass of Home' on it. Go Google the lyrics.

Clockwise from top left: Belgravia, Hoxton, Saville Row, Harlesden, St Mary Le Bow, Phoenix Gardens, Holloway, The Golden Heart

A strange pub pair

2011-02-12T23:45:00.007Z

A while back I put together a collection of strange pub pairings.

Well, last weekend I went to the wonderful Fox and Anchor and supped a few lovely ales with friends. On the table were these coasters. All very clever, but I'm still none the wiser. Click on the coaster to read the text.

Old London telephone exchanges

2011-02-08T08:54:00.004Z

I have quite a few photos of old fire alarm bells. I was initially interested in the logos and typography, and the texture of the rusty old boxes. But just recently I noticed that a lot of them have pre-1966 telephone letter exchange codes on them.

Letter codes worked such that the first 3 letters of an area were used for that exchange, as in BIS 1234 = Bishopsgate 1234. You have probably heard a someone with clipped vowels in a 1940s film saying, "Mayfair 2743".

So I posted my most recent fire alarm pic to GWL and the interest was enough to set up a group to 'collect' them. I also realised I had others, embedded on old shops signs etc.

There were 263 London codes, so I doubt we'll find existing examples of them all.

If you have seen any yourself, do let me know or add them to the group.

Below are some of the one I have found myself:

Top row: Nags Head, Tower Bridge Road, Chatsworth Road, Roman Road

Middle row: Earlham Street, Wandsworth Road, Whitfield Street, Marylebone Lane

Bottom row: Curtain Road, Weston Park, Thornhill Road, Holloway Road

Modern British Sculpture, Royal Academy

2011-02-03T10:26:00.005Z

I was going to put off writing about this for a while but having just read Ossian Ward's review in this week's Time Out I just had to say how much I agree with him, in particular the lack of cohesion, the chosen pieces, the absent modern artists and the 'compare and contrast' of the old fancy metal floor grilles and simplistic modern art – in some rooms I'd say the humidty boxes in the corners were often the most interesting things in there!

Don't get me wrong, there are plenty of fabulous modern works of art in there but, for me, they are few and far between.

I love love love Jacob Epstein's work – and his Adam is there. The work shows great strength and movement (if you know what I mean). Though I'd like to have been able to have seen Adam's face. Perhaps a well-placed mirror could have been used?

Hirst's 'Let's Eat Outdoors Today' takes up almost a whole room. It's basically a biological study and, to my mind, not art. (Yeah yeah, begs the question, what is art?). I strode straight past it. No flies on me! Apparently it's one of four works he'd save from a burning building. He'd probably have to get his team of minions to shift it for him. And then hopefully he could sit inside it and turn himself into art. I'd go to see that.

Another room is packed full of treasures from the British Museum. Ancient pieces are contrasted with those from the past century, yet all of them display great artistry and craftsmanship and highlight how over-blown, cheap and transient a lot of the modern stuff is. Size isn't everything.

Which reminds me... the Fourth Plinth... need I say more?

Uncovered gems

2011-02-02T21:11:00.009Z

Last week I noticed a wonderful shop old sign that's been revealed during renovations on an old corner shop in Caledonian Road. I managed to get some great shots of it on the only sunny day we've had in ages. I wonder how long it will be there? Or, if they cover it up again, will they do so sympathetically?

I ask this because I have been lucky to have glimpsed quite a few old signs in the past year including the lovely old Segar shop sign in Finsbury Park that I've written about before.

And last Autumn some beautiful old hand lettering was revealed at 223 Holloway Road. It stayed on view for a few months but has recently been covered with roofing felt. I hope they've used nails and not glue.

Over two years ago a curve of gorgeous signs on an electical lighting shop were uncovered on Grays Inn Road near the junction of Theobald's Road. My friend alerted me to them when he said he saw someone up a ladder who was about to paint over them. For months they remained intact, except for one panel which the bloke had already obliterated. My hopes were high. But I'm sad to report that they have since all been painted over. Criminal.

All of these are far better than the back-lit bits of perspex we have along our high streets these days. Check out these modern old-style signs made by a talented friend of mine in the States.

Top row: White Hart Lane; Hackney Road x2; 280 Holloway Road (McDonalds)

Middle row: West Green Road; Caledonian Road; 223 Holloway Road, Brewer Street

Bottom row: Grays Inn Road; Markhouse Road; Seven Sisters Road; Balls Pond Road

And more here

Primark threatens Hanway Street

2011-01-31T12:00:00.010Z

I have just heard that Hanway Street, that handy cut-through from TottCtRd to Oxford Street, is under threat from a retail giant.

It seems Primark, the makers of mass-produced throw-away tat, sorry, clothes, are moving into the old Virgin Megastore and this narrow street at the back isn't wide enough for their delivery trucks. They have made proposals to Camden Council which will include widening the loading bays and altering the street to include designer boutiques. Mind you, it's been widened before (see below).

So Hanway Street, with its quirly mix of bars (mainly Spanish bars where I have spent many a late drunken night over the years), restaurants, record shops, offices and homes, may end up looking like Neal Street.

And I can clearly remember Neal Street when it had real shops in it... and Camden Passage... and Camden 's Chalk Farm Road... and Upper Street... and charing Cross Road... and... and...

Andaz, Anzac, Antz, Ant and Dec Hotel, or whatever it's called

2011-01-28T16:58:00.010Z

Up until this week I'd never been inside the Great Eastern Hotel at Liverpool Street. I'd always meant to wander in and have a snoop about, convinced as I was that inside would be like stepping into the past. Victorian and Edwardian railway hotels were always set up as showcases; just check out The Midland Grand Hotel in St Pancras and Gare D'Orsay in Paris, to name but two.

These days, however the hotel is owned and managed by the Hyatt group and they have seen fit to change the name to Andaz. Why they couldn't have kept the the original name or come up with a compromise such as 'The Hyatt Great Eastern' is beyond me because as I am having trouble remebering the new name (see title above!).

Apparently andaz is a Hindustani word which translates as 'personal style' but, having checked out the hotels rooms I'd say it just looks like Hyatt has been bulk-buying along TottCtRd, especially from Dwell and Elephant.

Much is made of their unconventional lobby area which has no 'traditional' desk or receptionists. Instead guests are welcomed by one of a team of meet-and-greeters who, they say, can organise everything for you whilst they whisk you to your cheerless 1980's-style-pale-grey-with-red-accents room. These are bland bland bland rooms and every one of them has the same colour scheme. Oh that plain dark brown wood is going to date so fast. It's all so charmless, cheerless and lifeless. How about a few tasteful pictures on the walls to remind the guests of the hotel's history? This would neatly tie in with the effort being made to link in to the area's East End cultural heritage – art exhibitions have been organised, and there are 'relevant' quotes on the walls in and around the circular atrium, but no-one seems to know who they are attributed to.

The connecting corridors and utilitarian 'Metropolis'-style stairwells and atriums that link the old and new parts of the building, all made me feel like I was in a sanitorium rather than an exclusive hotel. The lift is encased with industrial mesh that barely conceals electric wires and chalk marks. Looking down from the 2nd floor into the internal courtyard made me feel like a prisoner who isn't allowed to go down to the exercise yard.

But I did like gobo signage. At least letters can't fall off light projections, which is what had happened to the 3D signage. Shame. But then I'm all about interesting details, and there weren't many to see.

On the plus side, the room prices seem reasonable. Much is made of inclusive iPod docks, wifi and organic non-alcoholic minibars (eh?!)... but you only get one silly-shaped chair in a King-sized room!

Moving across to the older part of the hotel (still with bland rooms, but nicer doors)... and – wow! Like a smack in the face, and completely at odds with the new renovations, there's the old original marble staircase with moulded ceilings and grainy marble walls and... get this... just past that, a 'hidden' windowless Masonic temple/room that's wonderfully OTT.

The bars and restaurants on the ground floor are really lovely and still have their fabulous high ceilings and original features. The Champagne Bar mixes the old with the new perfectly and has some small architectural features picked out in modern vibrant green paint. If only the main part of the hotel had followed suit.

We had champagne and sushi (I hate the taste of wasabi so could only safely eat one of the pretty little things) and then, in Catch restaurant, we had fish cakes in consommé (lovely) and a cod dish (disappontingly tasteless and soggy), followed by a selection of scrummy cheeses, chutneys and delicious wines in 1901.

So to conclude... lovely restaurants and bars, friendly and helpful staff, hidden history, horrible hotel rooms.

My pics aren't really up to scratch this time... sorry; I was using an iTouch. Tom's are better. More hotel info and better pics are available here... go check out those posed model shots!

One Eyed Grey – a Penny Dreadful

2011-01-24T15:51:00.010Z

Time for an embarrassing confession.

I've known Chris for a few years now. I have been on a couple of his walking tours. The man is a wonderfully engaging story teller and a mine of intriguingly bizarre London facts. So how come I have only just got hold of a copy of the superb One Eyed Grey?

OEG is billed as "a penny dreadful for the 21st century" and contains macabre and scary London-based stories penned by a collective of writers. Order your copy here.

The red headings on some pages of the website are pretty scary too!

Top row: Battersea, Great Eastern Street, Grays In Road, Vauxhall Street

Middle row: St John Street, Blackfriars pub, Skinner Street, Millwall Docks

Bottom row: Mount Pleasant, Eastcheap, Harlseden, Seymour Place