Your guide to London's culture and transport news and events taking place across the city.
Your guide to London's culture and transport news and events taking place across the city.
Latest news articles about London’s long history.
Pompeii comes to the British Museum
A smidgen under 2,000 years ago, a volcano erupted in Italy and within a day had immortalized the local residents in history. Two towns, of Pompeii and Herculaneum were buried under the volcanic fury and lay there virtually untouched until the 1750s.
Remember when shops used to have a half-day closing?
In our modern shopping age with stores open ever longer hours each day, I was recently reminded of a slower age, when stores were not just closed on Sundays, but also had a half-day closing each week.
A restored WW2 anti-aircraft gun by Canary Wharf
Amongst the fluffy bunnies and clucking chickens that can be found at the Mudchute city farm sits a now silent visitor - a World War Two era anti-aircraft gun.
70th Anniversary of the Bethnal Green Disaster
At around half past eight tonight, it will be 70 years since the single largest loss of British civilian life during World War 2 - the Bethnal Green Disaster.
The Huguenot Legacy at the Bank of England
It is the legacy of these better positioned sorts that can be most surprisingly found in that most British of institutions - the Bank of England. In fact, the first Governor of the Bank of England, Sir John Houblon, and several of its Directors, were of Huguenot origin.
The London Museum with its own Room 101
In a corner, away from the main crowds, there is a museum gallery that is Room 101. A dark dimly lit room that few people can stumble upon by accident.
A room full of China in the British Museum
Of the many rooms in museums, it is often the ones lurking in corners unseen by most visitors that offer an oasis of sadly overlooked calm.
A look inside the Lighthouse HQ next to the Tower of London
For just under 500 years, Trinity House has been looking after the safety of seafarers around the coasts of Britain, but an organisation set up to save people from disaster seems to be rather unlucky with its own buildings.
A drawing of Parliament from the Victoria Tower made in 1860
Something political from my collection of the Illustrated London News - this time January 28th 1860 during the ongoing construction of the new Parliament.
The English Civil War Society parades along The Mall
For the thirty-somthingth time, the English Civil War society travelled down to London to march in memory of King Charles I and once again lay a wreath on the spot of his execution at Banqueting House.
Large ceremonial parade in Whitehall on Sunday morning
This Sunday morning, an spectacular sight will greet anyone in central London as roughly 500 members of the King’s Army of the English Civil War Society will march along The Mall to a muster in Horseguards.
Steam trains return to the London Underground after a 50 year absence
Yesterday, for the first time in over 50 years, passengers were hauled by the raw undiluted force of coal and water once again.
Google celebrates the London Underground with a Doodle
Well, it's arrived at last - the 150th anniversary of the London Underground, or maybe that is tomorrow?
Best places to photograph London Underground’s heritage steam train trips
This coming Sunday, London Underground will send a steam train along the original Metropolitan Line and parts of the District Line - so I wandered out to check where the best places will be to watch it.
Diverting the Fleet River for the London Underground
Another look back at the construction of the world's oldest underground passenger railway as seen by the Illustrated London News - this time from February 1862.
The other two London Underground anniversaries this month
While lots of attention is focused on the 150th anniversary of the London Underground dominating the calendar next week, there are in fact two other significant anniversaries this month.
Construction of the Metropolitan Railway at King’s Cross
Another look at the construction of the world's first underground passenger railway as seen by the Illustrated London News - this time from Feb 1861.
How the world’s first underground (passenger) railway was built
As we edge ever closer to the 150th anniversary of the opening of the world's first underground railway which is now just a couple of weeks away, it might be interesting to review of the newspaper reports about how the construction of the railway progressed up to that momentous date.
An Edwardian Advent Calendar – Xmas Day
Each day I will unveil a new entry in my Advent calendar based on adverts printed in the Illustrated London News during the month of December exactly 100 years ago - in 1912, the Edwardian era.
An Edwardian Advent Calendar – 24th Dec
Each day I will unveil a new entry in my Advent calendar based on adverts printed in the Illustrated London News during the month of December exactly 100 years ago - in 1912, the Edwardian era.
An Edwardian Advent Calendar – 23rd Dec
Each day I will unveil a new entry in my Advent calendar based on adverts printed in the Illustrated London News during the month of December exactly 100 years ago - in 1912, the Edwardian era.
An Edwardian Advent Calendar – 22nd Dec
Each day I will unveil a new entry in my Advent calendar based on adverts printed in the Illustrated London News during the month of December exactly 100 years ago - in 1912, the Edwardian era.
An Edwardian Advent Calendar – 21st Dec
Each day I will unveil a new entry in my Advent calendar based on adverts printed in the Illustrated London News during the month of December exactly 100 years ago - in 1912, the Edwardian era.
An Edwardian Advent Calendar – 20th Dec
Each day I will unveil a new entry in my Advent calendar based on adverts printed in the Illustrated London News during the month of December exactly 100 years ago - in 1912, the Edwardian era.
