20 Fenchurch Street is one of London’s office buildings that certainly makes a statement. Whether you appreciate its design or decry it as yet another skyscraper built without concern for the city’s skyline, it remains a very visually striking place. Its unique curves have earned it the nickname “Walkie Talkie” from fans and critics alike. […]
London Top 10: Ten Things to See and Do in Covent Garden
Editor’s Note: This is the first in a new ongoing series at Anglotopia where we’ll highlight the top 10 things to see and do in specific London neighborhoods. Once the pasture of greenery that its name would suggest, Covent Garden today is one of London’s neighbourhoods that is truly at the heart of the city. […]
The London Fiver – Five Brilliant Things to Do in London in the Autumn
Autumn brings with it a changing of the leaves and new activity and pageantry to London. In the past, we’ve covered a variety of autumn events including the NFL International Games, Diwali on the Square, and the Lord Mayor’s Show, amongst others. Of course, there is plenty more to do in the city and we […]
The London Fiver – Five of the Best Rooftop Gardens in London for Relaxation
Finding green space in a city can be difficult, as we’ve noted in other articles. While it may seem like a new fad, the concept of growing plants on top of a building has been around for thousands of years, with some of the earliest examples found in Mesopotamia and the Roman Empire. Today, roof […]
The London Fiver – Five Genre Conventions to Attend in London
As I write this, one of the favourite conventions for us here at Londontopia is just around the bend—DragonCon (it has since passed, it was last weekend). A major fantasy, sci-fi, history, and everything-you-can-think-of-convention, it’s a must-attend event regardless of which side of the pond you find yourself. Of course, America doesn’t have exclusive rights […]
Laura’s London: Exploring London’s Newest Museum – The Secret Mail Rail and The Postal Museum
Mail Rail is London’s newest subterranean heritage attraction. Open from 4 September 2017; the disused postal railway tunnels have been brought back to life as a visitor ride for the first time in their 100 year history. This miniature railway was the world’s first driverless, electric railway and was never intended for passengers. While The […]
The Fiver – Five Pseudo-Public Spaces in London
For centuries, public parks have been the purview of local government, often founded by the city or county as a means of preserving nature and giving the people a place to relax and enjoy nature. Public squares have been gathering places, expression forums, and concert halls for amateur performers. London as a government entity has […]
London Alert: LAST CALL for the 2018 London Annual Special Guidebook – Need Final Count
LAST CALL – London Annual 2018 Hey, everyone! We need a final quantity count for the 2018 London Annual as we’ll be ordering the print run very soon. Because it’s 128 pages and expensive to print, we can’t order too many extras, so we have to be precise. We need to sell another 100 units for […]
Great London Buildings – BBC Broadcasting House
Headquarters of the BBC, Broadcasting House represents the totality of the BBC’s media offerings across radio and television. Originally a building for radio programmes, the expansion in the early 2000s transformed the building into the new centre of the BBC’s activities. The BBC moved its news divisions out of Television Centre and into the new […]
The London Fiver – Five Urban Walking Trails in London
Rambling is a popular activity throughout the United Kingdom, but you don’t have to leave the city to find an excellent walk. The streets and sidewalks of London hide many excellent trails that will provide you with the best views of this great metropolis. From the outer reaches of Greater London to the boroughs’ greatest […]
London Alert: London Duck Tours Are Ending!
Sad news for the London Tourist scene, London Duck Tours are ending. You’ve undoubtedly seen their iconic yellow D-day landing craft flitting through the streets of London at some point. They’ve had issues in recent years but the final nail in the coffin appears to be an important infrastructure project. From their website today: We […]
The London Fiver – Five of the Best Video Game Arcades in London
Since the days of Pong, video games have fascinated us. Throughout the 70s, 80s, and 90s, we would pump quarter after quarter into arcade games trying to get the highest score. With the advent of gaming consoles and their easy accessibility, video arcades declined in popularity. However nostalgia being what it is, arcades have started […]
Great London Buildings – One Canada Square in Canary Wharf
Located on the site of the former West India Docks, One Canada Square is not only a skyscraper that puts a stamp on the London skyline; it’s a symbol of economic revitalisation. For over a hundred years, the West India Docks were amongst the busiest ports in the city, but by the 1960s, business […]
The London Fiver – Five Interesting Future Building Developments in London That Will Change It
Cities are always growing, always changing. While we work to preserve the history of graded structures, we also need new developments to meet the city’s needs for transport, business, housing, and more. Lots of proposals never come off the drawing board, but those that do begin construction promise to change the city’s fate. There are […]
London’s Most-Welcoming Pubs for Furry Patrons
Dog’s are man’s best friend, they say, and many people love taking their dog with them to the bar or pub. In London, sometimes the dog is already there, usually a pet of the owners and sometimes belonging to a patron. They come in all shapes and sizes in all types of pubs, and usually, […]
Cool Britannia: A Look at London in the 1990s
The 1990s were a time of great change in Greater London. The country started out with a Conservative Government in Downing Street at the beginning and a New Labour government at the end. IRA attacks gave way to the Good Friday Agreement and a new period of peace. Docklands along the Thames that had grown […]
London Alert: London Hotel Deal – Stay 5 Nights For the Price of 4 at The Arch London
This came through our inbox and I thought it was worth sharing. The Arch Hotel, a luxury boutique hotel in London, is offering the chance to stay 5 nights for the price of 4. Here are the details: This summer guests can extend their stay in London for free at luxury hotel The Arch London. […]
The London Fiver – Five London Film Studios Where Hollywood Magic Happens
Since the days of silent films, London has had a number of studios producing movies that entertain audiences all over the world. Today, several major studios can be found within the city itself and in the outer reaches of Greater London. The studios present in the city today are responsible for some of cinema’s biggest […]
The London Fiver – Five Interesting Pieces of Public Art in London
As John Cleese famously said in the “Michaelangelo and the Pope” sketch from Monty Python’s Flying Circus, “I don’t know much about art, but I know what I like.” Art can take many forms, some of which we may not quite understand. Regardless of whether we “get it” or not, public art has been shown […]
Great London Buildings – Oxo Tower on the Southbank
One of the architectural landmarks of South Bank, the Oxo Tower has stood by the River Thames for over a century, its distinctive lettering standing out against the borough’s skyline. Today home to shops, restaurants, and offices, its origins were actually much different. Beginning construction in the late 19th Century, Oxo Tower was finished in […]
The History of the London Fire Brigade
Once upon a time, if you didn’t have enough water, the only solution to a fire was to get out and hope it didn’t burn down the whole neighbourhood. Various amateur organisations existed to fight fires, especially after the Great Fire of London, and by the 18th Century, many insurance companies had set up their […]
The 00Fiver – Five James Bond Experiences in London
You don’t need “00” clearance to know that James Bond calls London home. From Whitehall to Les Ambassadeurs, London is as important a setting in a James Bond film as Monaco, Jamaica, and Macau. It should come as no surprise, then, that the city is full of Bond and spy related experiences. Fans of the […]
Natural History Museum: Dippy Departs – Say Hello to Hope the Blue Whale
A big change has occurred at the Natural History Museum in London. Dippy the Dinosaur is now gone after 136 years (and has gone on tour around Britain) and has been replaced by a massive skeleton of a Blue Whale that the museum has named Hope. The public unveiling is today, and from tomorrow visitors […]
London Alert: Hidden London Tours Are Back – Explore London’s Abandoned Tube Stations
Last year we explored Aldwych abandoned Tube station on a Hidden London Tour – and wrote about the experience here. Hidden London tours are a unique chance to explore the bits of London that have been closed off to the public. Most of these tours are run on a limited basis and sell out up to […]
London Alert: Dickens’s A Christmas Carol to be Staged in Windsor Castle’s State Apartments This December
This is a really unique experience that I thought was worth sharing. An adaptation of Charles Dickens’s A Christmas Carol is to be staged for the first time in the state rooms at Windsor Castle (the Queen’s favorite home). What a rare treat! Here are the details: This December, for the first time, an immersive […]
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!
