The London Traveler

Whether or not you approve of Boris Johnson’s idea of reviving the Routemaster bus, it’s an icon of London in a way that the Bendy Bus can never be. From postwar films to London Transport posters, it’s stamped its image on our consciousness.
Now the London Transport Museum is commemorating the iconic bus in an exhibition of photographcs by German artist Ralph Obergfell.  He took photos of the buses during their last eighteen months of public service, before they were phased out on normal routes.
There’s a lovely mix of photos. Some show details of the buses; the graphics, the seats, the …read more

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The Park Plaza Sherlock Holmes Hotel on Baker Street is offering a two course lunchtime menu for £12.50 (plus service) – quite a nice deal.
Sherlock’s Bar & Grill has won the AA Red Rosette three times, and uses organic British ingredients in its cooking. However, this isn’t the stodgy ‘British food’ many of us dread in great hotels – it’s fusion-style with strong Mediterranean and French flavours coming through. A mezquite wood oven and charcoal grill are used, and the woody flavours permeate the cuisine – though you’ll find other dishes on the menu as well if you go a …read more

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Since I’ve been blogging a few tea-related themes I had to post this one – a superb image from an exhibition by Mai-Thu Perret which will open in London later this year.

It’s a teapot, but not as we know it…. it doubles as a walk-in art gallery.
Now you might look at this as just a piece of fun. But Mai-Thu Perret is actually a very interesting artist. She’s been working for years on a project about a feminist community called ‘The Crystal Frontier’, imaging what kind of products and artworks they create. Her multimedia evocation of this community includes text …read more

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I’ve always envied the Queen. She has two birthdays – a real one like the rest of us, and an official one.
The reason for the official birthday is that you can pick a time when the weather is less likely to be miserable for official occasions like garden parties. But I bet she gets two lots of presents, too. And you know what? Her official birthday is always on a Saturday. Lucky lady.

The Trooping of the Colour celebrates her official birthday, and this year will be held on June 14th. The Household Division, which forms the Queen’s personal guard, will …read more

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I’ve already blogged the Ironmonger Row Turkish baths – a great place to unwind if you work in the City or Clerkenwell area.
Those of you living in the East End might prefer the Spa in Bethnal Green.  This was the old York Hall baths, and it’s undergone extensive refurbishment recently. Some people will miss the boxer-and-gangster air of the rather seedy old establishment; I don’t think the Krays would have approved of the ciabatta and light lunches now on offer.
Prices are slightly higher than at Ironmonger Row and you have to wear a bathing suit at all times. That slightly …read more

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When I lived in Stoke Newington I got to know the North Circular pretty well. One of the great sights just off that road was the Walthamstow Greyhound Stadium, with its illuminated facade redolent of the fairground.
A night at the greyhounds isn’t my preferred entertainment, to be honest. I’d rather see a play or an opera, or spend the evening in the pub. But I have been to the dogs one or two times, and it’s an enjoyable way of passing time with your mates – better than ten pin bowling, anyway (IMHO). And less dangerous than go-karting; but I’ll …read more

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Bankside Power Station was lucky. It got refurbished, and made into Tate Modern.
Battersea Power Station is its unlucky cousin. If anything, it’s even more iconic – its four protruding chimneys dominate the south-west London skyline. But it’s been through many hands, a trading token in the hands of property developers, being sold on rather than developed – and decaying as the years go by.
Like Bankside, it was designed by Sir Giles Gilbert Scott. While the two power stations are obviously different characters, they share similarities – the huge window panels, the Modernist aesthetic, the strength and even brutality of the …read more

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Cecil Court is one of my secret London shopping places. Only for the stagestruck and booklovers – but if you’re either of these (or perhaps both) it will quickly become one of your favourites.
David Drummond’s bookshop specialises in theatre and opera – including ephemera such as playbills and posters, as well as books on the performing arts.  For music, try Travis & Emery – full of music scores as well as books on music, mostly old but some new. There’s a specialist Italian bookshop – this is where I bought my guidebook for hiking the Apennines (in English) – and …read more

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Ever seen a view from the top of a London bus and thought ‘Wasn’t that in James Bond?” or “That’s in one of those Hitchcock films, isn’t it – but which one?”
If  so, Movie London (from Titan Books, £9.99 RRP – or £6.49 on Amazon.co.uk) can help you out.
If you’re touring London, a geographical section tracks down film locations for you in each of the city’s districts.
On the other hand if you’re a serious fan of a particular film-maker or genre, there are chapters dealing with gangster movies, Hitchcock, James Bond, and the swinging sixties – and more.
There’s an immense …read more

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The Lloyds Building is one of those buildings that define an epoch. More than any other building in London, perhaps, it marks the shift from “we-know-what-a-building-is” architectural literalism (four walls and a roof) to imaginative deconstruction.
Like Richard Rogers’ other controversial “inside-out” building, the Beaubourg Centre in Paris, it wears its guts on the outside, with the transparent lift shafts running up the side of the building – as well as services shafts which contain water pipes and electric cables. The predominant use of metal and glass, the service shafts separate from the core of the building, are fairly common techniques …read more

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