Anglotopia has a new book out, and I think it’s going to become one of our cornerstone titles. We originally launched pre-orders for this back in March during the Save Anglotopia Appeal, and the publishing process delayed the release a little bit. But I’m happy to report that the book is now on its way to everyone who ordered back in the spring. Again, we would like to thank … [Read more...] about London Alert: 101 UK Culture Tips: A Field Guide to British Culture is now officially published
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London Theatre: Final Cast Announced for Hilary Mantel’s The Mirror and the Light (Wolf Hall Sequel)
The cast has been officially announced for the upcoming play adaptation of Hilary Mantel's The Mirror and the Light. Full details are below in the press release from the producers. Producers Playful Productions and the Royal Shakespeare Company have announced final full casting for The Mirror and the Light in the West End. The third and final novel in the Wolf Hall trilogy has … [Read more...] about London Theatre: Final Cast Announced for Hilary Mantel’s The Mirror and the Light (Wolf Hall Sequel)
Housekeeping: New Post Notifications by Feedburner Have Been Discontinued – Sign-up for our New System
A long time ago, in an internet far far away, we set up Google's Feedburner for our RSS feed. This allowed people to read our website in the feedreader of their choice or be notified by email once a day whenever a new article was published. It's one of those things that just worked and once you set it up, you forgot about it. Fast forward over a decade, Google has decided to … [Read more...] about Housekeeping: New Post Notifications by Feedburner Have Been Discontinued – Sign-up for our New System
Transport for London plans to make ‘temporary’ £15 Congestion Charge hike permanent
A 30% hike in the fee for driving into central London will be made permanent under Transport for London (TfL) plans. TfL had claimed the increase in the daily Congestion Charge from £11.50 to £15 was a temporary measure when it was introduced in June 2020. On Wednesday it announced proposals to keep the price at that level, but scale back an increase in the period when … [Read more...] about Transport for London plans to make ‘temporary’ £15 Congestion Charge hike permanent
Britain’s New National Holocaust memorial will be built in Westminster in Victoria Tower Gardens
A national Holocaust memorial centre will be built next to Parliament after a minister signed off on a recommendation that the location would present a “powerful associative message.” The Board of Deputies of British Jews welcomed the decision by housing and planning minister Chris Pincher, which came after local public inquiries were held in October and November due to the … [Read more...] about Britain’s New National Holocaust memorial will be built in Westminster in Victoria Tower Gardens
Big News: The London Annual Returns for 2022 – Help Anglotopia and Get a Beautiful Guidebook to London in 2022
Prepare for the Great Return to London in 2022! After a 4 year hiatus, we're excited to announce that the London Annual, the magazine/guidebook we produced for several years, is BACK! And we need your help to make it happen. It’s becoming increasingly clear that travel to the UK for Americans (and Canadians, Australians, etc) will return to some semblance of normality … [Read more...] about Big News: The London Annual Returns for 2022 – Help Anglotopia and Get a Beautiful Guidebook to London in 2022
London Tube to get full mobile phone coverage by the end of 2024
Passengers on the London Underground will have mobile coverage throughout the network by the end of 2024, the Mayor of London has said. This is good news for travelers as we'll now be able to use our phones while on the Tube to find our way. Transport for London (TfL) said work on preparing some of the capital’s busiest stations – including Oxford Circus, Tottenham Court … [Read more...] about London Tube to get full mobile phone coverage by the end of 2024
Temporary Man-made mountain art installation at Marble Arch to offer sweeping views of London
Tickets for a 25-meter man-made mountain in the middle of one of London’s busiest tourist areas have gone on sale. The Marble Arch Mound, created by Westminster City Council, will open up to members of the public from July 26 until January 2022. Visitors will be able to see sweeping views of the capital’s Oxford Street, Hyde Park, Mayfair, and Marylebone as part of a … [Read more...] about Temporary Man-made mountain art installation at Marble Arch to offer sweeping views of London
Oxford Circus finally to be partially pedestrianized starting this summer
The area around London’s famous Oxford Circus is to be transformed into two pedestrianized “piazzas” after years of deliberation. Work due to start later this year will include “significant improvements to the public spaces” as well as additional planting and seating in the shopping and leisure district, Westminster City Council and the Crown Estate announced on … [Read more...] about Oxford Circus finally to be partially pedestrianized starting this summer
London Hard Rock Cafe marks 50th anniversary by turning back clock to 1971
Diners were served a classic menu of burgers, ribs, and cola floats at 1971 prices as London’s Hard Rock Cafe marked its 50th birthday. Some of the original waitresses returned for the special occasion while blue-checked tablecloths and a jukebox restored the restaurant’s original look. The special menu boasted a burger for 50p, roadhouse ribs for 80p, and a hot fudge … [Read more...] about London Hard Rock Cafe marks 50th anniversary by turning back clock to 1971
Tower of London reopens after lockdown – and public chooses name for new raven
The Tower of London has reopened after lockdown, and a baby raven at the Tower of London has been named Branwen following a public vote. The winning name was announced as part of the tower’s reopening after its longest closure since the Second World War. “The results are in! Our new baby raven’s name is … BRANWEN,” @TowerOfLondon tweeted on Wednesday. The results … [Read more...] about Tower of London reopens after lockdown – and public chooses name for new raven
The Tower of London Wants Your Help In Naming Their New Raven
The Tower of London is celebrating the end of its longest closure since the Second World War by asking the public to name its latest arrival: a raven chick. Born in March, the young corvid will be named either Florence, Matilda, Branwen, Bronte, or Winifred, decided by a public vote running between May 4 and May 18. The legend of the ravens says that if the birds leave … [Read more...] about The Tower of London Wants Your Help In Naming Their New Raven
The Age of the Iconic Routemaster Red London Bus Is Officially Over
The Red Routemaster Red London Buses are a London icon. Even after they ended their regular services over a decade ago, the allure and fame of the bus has continued. In a bid to respect this heritage Transport for London kept a few going on 'heritage' routes in Central London so tourists and enthusiasts could still ride them. Now, those days are officially over. The heritage … [Read more...] about The Age of the Iconic Routemaster Red London Bus Is Officially Over
London Vignettes: The City of London on a Saturday
Editor's Note: This took place in the early 2000s. I was driven to explore as much of London as I could on foot. I was a mere 20 years old and the only thing that stood in my way was the weather. But on this occasion, I did not let the weather stop me. I took the Tube to the City of London and walked around with my camera. The City of London is the original 'London’ - the … [Read more...] about London Vignettes: The City of London on a Saturday
London Vignettes: Breakfast off the plane
Editor's Note: These memories are from the early 2000s. I don’t know about you, but the first thing I want to do when I arrive in London, is to get out of the bloody airport as quickly as possible. And eat. I’m always starving by the time we get through customs on arrival in the UK. The dinner served on the flight over is usually not very good or very filling. The … [Read more...] about London Vignettes: Breakfast off the plane
London Alert: Get 101 London Travel Tips for Just $15 on Amazon For a Limited Time!
Just a quick post to let you all know that I’ve noticed that Amazon has heavily discounted our new guidebook 101 London Travel Tips (2nd Edition). It retails for $24.99 but they’re offering it for $15.80 which is a phenomenal deal (we get paid the same no matter what they charge). No idea how long they'll keep it that low. Now, none of us can travel to London right now, but you … [Read more...] about London Alert: Get 101 London Travel Tips for Just $15 on Amazon For a Limited Time!
London Vignettes: The Lazy Daisy Cafe On Portobello Road
Editor's note because some people seem confused: this was in 2004. Because we were staying in a hotel that did not provide Breakfast (it was an easyHotel, which basically provided a windowless room to sleep in), by the time we arrived at Portobello Road, we were starving. The problem was that the market was already heaving, even though it was still relatively early in the … [Read more...] about London Vignettes: The Lazy Daisy Cafe On Portobello Road
London Vignettes: Old Whiteleys – Hardy Books, Muji, and Internet Cafes
Editor's Note: This is a new ongoing article series telling short little stories about London from our 20 years of travel there. Stories we haven't told before or stories that we think will be interesting. If they prove popular, we may compile them into a book like our Anglophile Vignettes book we released last year. Whiteley’s was in the news recently, it recently got … [Read more...] about London Vignettes: Old Whiteleys – Hardy Books, Muji, and Internet Cafes
Through the Lens: London at Christmas Time
I've been lucky over the years to spend some time in London at Christmas time, and it truly is a wonderful time to visit our favorite city. There's just so much to see and do! As none of us can travel there this year, and it's unclear of when we can go back, I thought I'd share some pictures from previous Christmas's in London for you all. So, we can all dream of better London … [Read more...] about Through the Lens: London at Christmas Time
The Tate Britain Gets a Colorful Winter Makeover With Annual Art Installation
The last few years the Tate Britain has commissioned a colorful light-based art project to adorn the front of the building. The results have been both controversial and beautiful. This year, a year where most of us can't even see it in person, Tate has unveiled the latest Winter Commission, which takes inspiration from Bollywood and many other sources. It's beautiful when … [Read more...] about The Tate Britain Gets a Colorful Winter Makeover With Annual Art Installation
We’re Discontinuing Website Notifications in January, Please Download Our Free App To Continue With Them
An important short housekeeping post. For a couple of years now, we've had a service called OneSignal that sends website users 'push notifications' whenever a new article was posted on Anglotopia and Londontopia. We're discontinuing this service starting January 1st, 2021, for various reasons: Few people actually want them They're annoying Users hate them And … [Read more...] about We’re Discontinuing Website Notifications in January, Please Download Our Free App To Continue With Them
Through the Lens: Behind the Scenes of London’s (Closed) Theatres From New London Theatres Book
London photographer Peter Dazeley's beautiful photos of London's Theatres were released in a book a few years ago and as a fan of London, architecture and pretty pictures, I loved the book. Well, this year, the publisher has issued a new edition, with ten additional theatres included. Peter has contacted us and offered to let us share a selection of the pictures from this … [Read more...] about Through the Lens: Behind the Scenes of London’s (Closed) Theatres From New London Theatres Book
Walk Around London Virtually Right Now – Watched Walker is the YouTube Channel We All Need Right Now
I don’t normally post about other social media influencers but this one is so amazing, I had to share (and the creator said it was all right if I did). So, we’re all missing London a lot right now. It’s going to be a LONG time until those of us outside the UK are going to be able to go to London. Well into 2021 at least (we’re hoping to go October 2021 at this point). But … [Read more...] about Walk Around London Virtually Right Now – Watched Walker is the YouTube Channel We All Need Right Now
Londontopia Announcement: Introducing The New Full-Color 101 London Travel Tips 2nd Edition
Today we’re coming out with a new guidebook. We’ve spent the last few months retooling our guidebook 101 London Travel Tips. We’ve given it a new look, higher-quality printing, added color photos and overall updated all the writing to be relevant to today. Today it’s available to buy from us or from bookstores everywhere. This book is an important milestone in a new direction … [Read more...] about Londontopia Announcement: Introducing The New Full-Color 101 London Travel Tips 2nd Edition
Come Discuss London in the New Anglotopia Discussion Forum!
We have launched a new British topic discussion forum! It's something we should have done long ago, tried in the past, but failed at. It's time to try again. We've been in beta now for a couple of months, and it's now ready to share with everyone. Thank you to all the beta testers who helped us iron out the kinks and get the conversation going. This is one of many new … [Read more...] about Come Discuss London in the New Anglotopia Discussion Forum!
Londontopia is simply the website for people who love London. It was founded by Jonathan & Jackie Thomas from Anglotopia.net as a place to post articles solely focused on London and its environs. Keep up with all the latest London news at Londontopia! This site is geared towards people who love to visit London and our primary audience is North American but everyone is welcome!