London street signs going for sale
There’s a chance to buy a London street sign as a batch of old signs no longer needed are put up for auction.
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Parts of Strand and Aldwych to be pedestrianised
Plans to pedestrianise the roads around the Strand/Aldwych gyratory are being brought forward.
London’s Alleys: Wilder Walk, W1
This is a new alley next to Piccadilly Circus caused by a recent redevelopment of the Regent Palace Hotel, and it’s not a restoration of an old alley, it’s entirely new.
A grand Coat of Arms on a car park
Down a side street in the corner of a shabby entrance to a car park can be found a grand coat of arms. What’s that doing here?
Unbuilt London: Brutalist Whitehall
Whitehall, the heart of government is lined mostly with grand Victorian and Edwardian buildings, but it nearly looked like the Southbank – lots of concrete.
London Public Art: Queen Anne in Queen Anne’s Gate
A posh street in Westminster has a statue of Queen Anne resting against the side wall of one of the posh houses.
A memorial to the legend of Vincent Square
Two hundred years ago a huge plot of land was secured as an open park, by means of simply ploughing a deep ditch all around it.
London’s Alleys: Long’s Court, WC2
This is one of those alleys that exist today purely to give access to back entrances and store rubbish. Yet it was once lined with houses and offices, and a very famous occupant.
Westminster tube station turned into a jungle
Only for a two days, and it was an advertising takeover stunt, but Westminster tube station temporarily became Westminster Jungle station.
London’s Alleys: Whitcomb Court, WC2
This is one of those dirty alleys that that overflows with rubbish and mess, but it also has the moon in the midst of its grime and clutter.
Restoring St. Margaret Church’s 300 year old clock
Next to mighty Westminster Abbey is the rather smaller St. Margaret’s Church, and at the moment, the Tudor era tower is covered in scaffolding.
London’s Alleys: Cockpit Steps, SW1
Named after an inn and a dark period of history, this rather posh passage and charming steps can be found just around the corner from Parliament.
The lost history of a mosaic in Victoria
A small side street near Victoria contains a mosaic that people will tell you is an old advert for the Victor Talking Machine Company. They are wrong.
Pink Floyd re-release rare London Underground music video
In 1968, Pink Floyd took a trip on the London Underground, to film a video for their second album and they’ve just released the rarely seen video once more.
Westminster Council plans to pedestrianise part of Strand
Having only just cancelled plans to pedestrianize Oxford Street, Westminster Council has now announced plans to pedestrianize part of Strand instead.
London’s Alleys: Lewisham Street, SW1H
This is a fairly difficult to trace alley that seems to be ancient heritage, but is probably quite modern.
![London’s Pocket Parks: Ebury Square Gardens, SW1]()
London’s Pocket Parks: Ebury Square Gardens, SW1
Ebury Square takes its name from Ebury Farm, which used to be where Victoria Coach Station is today.
![Abseilers installing art inside Westminster tube station]()
Abseilers installing art inside Westminster tube station
Last week as London slept, abseilers were seen working their way around the cavernous box that is the Westminster tube station.
Overnight rehearsal of the State Opening of Parliament
Had you been in Westminster at 4am this morning, a most unusual sight would have greeted you. Not the occasional night bus, delivery truck or worker, but the whole area was sealed off and given over to the military.
![Unbuilt London: The Victorian proposal for a railway to Westminster Abbey]()
Unbuilt London: The Victorian proposal for a railway to Westminster Abbey
Fairly recently, a chap called Moffat wrote a story about an underground railway in Westminster — to considerable fury of tube geeks who spent an inordinate time chewing over holes in the plot.
![A small garden of calm moments from Oxford Street]()
A small garden of calm moments from Oxford Street
On the 9th November 1889, a new public garden was opened just to the south of Oxford Street as part of the clearance of slums and their replacement with social housing for the working classes.
![200th anniversary of London’s public gas supply]()
200th anniversary of London’s public gas supply
Two hundred years ago the first public gas supply was built in London, initially to light the streets, but also to supply some local houses.
![Westminster Council is selling off its street signs]()
Westminster Council is selling off its street signs
An unusual auction is coming up next month with a change to acquire some rather unique — and based on the estimate prices — curiously cheap bits of London memorabilia.
![A look around a gothic inspired church in Westminster]()
A look around a gothic inspired church in Westminster
Although just a couple of minutes walk from the activity of Victoria Street and around the corner from Channel4’s head office, it is a church you would not casually pass unless you had certain reason to use the street it fronts onto.
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