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A bit of a drama

Take a stroll along the Strand and you’ll be confronted by Arundel Great Court, described in some architectural journals as a “Brutalist Behemoth” It was completed in 1976 and to say that critics got themselves worked up would be a bit of an understatement. Arundel Great Court was built on the former site of the… Continue reading A bit of a drama

Top of the world

There are several roof gardens in London. The most stunning is probably in Kensington on the top of what was once the Derry & Toms department store which opened in 1936. I was lucky enough to visit it when it was still free to do so, but in 2018 it closed. According to a real… Continue reading Top of the world

A shining example

Where would you find the only Neon light in the City of London? London nerds will already have tutted and muttered under their breath “Easy”. The answer is a small shop on the junction of Moorgate and London Wall. Today it is a wine bar, but its beautiful Art Deco facade harks back to a… Continue reading A shining example

Doing the tour

Nowadays “Doing a tour” seems to consist of looking and photographing memorable structures or places within the city. You might (if finances allow) actually enter some of these to see inside and exit through the ubiquitous Gift Shop. The Georgians had a slightly different take on the matter and although I’m sure they visited St… Continue reading Doing the tour

John Donne, Heaven or Hell?

I must admit I’m not strong on the Metaphysical poets, but when I came across the statue of John Donne on the south side of St Paul’s Cathedral I thought I’d better take a look at some of his poetry. Not really my cup of tea on examination, however I did take a look at… Continue reading John Donne, Heaven or Hell?

A load of hot air

In a recent post I looked at the ingenious ways that designers used to provide ventilation solutions. A couple of novel designs sit close to each other in the heart of the City. The first sits under a statue of the Victorian Civil Engineer James Greathead which is apt. Greathead was the inventor of the… Continue reading A load of hot air

What were they thinking?

Should you be in the vicinity of St James’s Park take a walk along Horse Guards Road, enter the park opposite King Charles Street and walk along to Duck Island. At the islands entrance you will see the very quaint bucolic Duck Island Cottage. The cottage was built on the island on the site of… Continue reading What were they thinking?

Fancy a dip in the Thames?

Although the river is a lot cleaner today than in previous years, the stretch that flows through the environs of Central London is not immediately the first place you’d think of for swimming. The completion of Sir Joseph Bazalgette’s London sewer system in 1870 meant that the quality of water in the River Thames was… Continue reading Fancy a dip in the Thames?

Ban The Bun

Easter as we now know starts around the 26th December when that staple of the period, the Hot Cross Bun appears on supermarket shelves. To be honest if I see another advert for luxury buns containing obscure Sultanas that can only be found in the Amazonian rainforest or some ghastly concoction of salted caramel and… Continue reading Ban The Bun

The art of the picnic

Easter Sunday dawned overcast and a little chilly, ideal weather for the great British picnic. As we cast around for a collection of foodstuffs that could be combined into a dining experience Al Fresco, I was reminded about a catalogue I’d been looking at for the department store Gamages which was situated at 16-128 Holborn… Continue reading The art of the picnic