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The London Fiver – Five Things to Look Forward to in London During 2021 Post-Pandemic

Jan 28, 2021 By John Rabon Leave a Comment

While we can agree that 2020 was a collective dumpster fire of a year, we look to 2021 with a renewed sense of hope now that the COVID-19 vaccine is among us. As the vaccine continues to be meted out to the citizens of the US and UK, there appears to be a light at the end of the tunnel of lockdown restrictions in London. With that sense of hope comes the possibility that some … [Read more...] about The London Fiver – Five Things to Look Forward to in London During 2021 Post-Pandemic

Ten More Interesting Facts About Hyde Park

Jan 26, 2021 By John Rabon Leave a Comment

Created in 1637, Hyde Park is by far the largest of the four Royal Parks in London at 350 acres. In a previous piece, we covered such interesting facts surrounding its memorials, Speakers Corner, and its former use as a hunting grounds for King Henry VIII. Of course, these are not all the fascinating details and realities about the city’s biggest park. Join us as we delve … [Read more...] about Ten More Interesting Facts About Hyde Park

Ten Interesting Facts about Kensington Gardens

Jan 21, 2021 By John Rabon Leave a Comment

While Kensington Gardens are open to the public, there was a time when this wasn’t so. The gardens were originally part of Kensington Palace, a royal residence that was once home to King William III and Queen Mary II (now home to the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge). Today, Kensington Gardens are one of four Royal Parks in London along with Regent’s Park, St. James’s Park, Hyde … [Read more...] about Ten Interesting Facts about Kensington Gardens

Exploring Agatha Christie’s London – Places to See for Mystery Fans!

Jan 19, 2021 By John Rabon Leave a Comment

One of the most prolific mystery writers of all time, Agatha Christie wrote as many as 75 works over her career and created such well-know characters as Miss Marple and Hercule Poirot. Many of her stories featuring both characters and other literary sleuths she created largely take place in London. These works rely on places familiar to most readers as well as locales that … [Read more...] about Exploring Agatha Christie’s London – Places to See for Mystery Fans!

The Fiver – Five More London Dystopian Films

Jan 14, 2021 By John Rabon Leave a Comment

Like the gray clouds that often hang over London, the genre of dystopian fiction permeates the atmosphere of British film. British cinema is able to devise all manner of bad futures, including environmental disasters, dictatorial governments, nuclear horror—you name it. And since the rest of the world understands how bad things can get when they happen in major cities, these … [Read more...] about The Fiver – Five More London Dystopian Films

Ten More Interesting Facts about Regent’s Park

Jan 14, 2021 By John Rabon Leave a Comment

Another green space that was once the personal property of King Henry VIII, by the 19th Century it was transformed by landscape architect John Nash into the public park it is today. Last time we wrote about Regent’s we covered such interesting stories as its zoological history, the view from Primrose Hill, and the ties to the 2012 Olympic Games. However, the fascinating … [Read more...] about Ten More Interesting Facts about Regent’s Park

Ten Interesting Facts about St. James’s Park

Jan 7, 2021 By John Rabon 2 Comments

In the heart of Westminster, St. James’s Park is a Royal Park in the truest sense. St. James’s borders Buckingham Palace on one end and 10 Downing Street on the other, with St. James’s Palace a stone’s throw from the park’s northern border. As with many of the Royal Parks, it began as the personal property of King Henry VIII which was later developed under King James I and … [Read more...] about Ten Interesting Facts about St. James’s Park

A Brief History of London’s Buses

Jan 6, 2021 By John Rabon 1 Comment

London’s buses are an iconic symbol of the city. The red double-decker isn’t seen as heavily in any other part of the world and they are as much a part of London as the Tower Bridge, Parliament, and Buckingham Palace. Of course, these buses known as the Routemaster weren’t the first to offer transport for Londoners. buses on the streets of this great metropolis stretch back … [Read more...] about A Brief History of London’s Buses

LONDON UNDER: Exploring Hidden London’s Abandoned Charing Cross Station

Dec 17, 2020 By Laura Porter 1 Comment

London Transport Museum has a really interesting selection of ‘Hidden London’ tours that give us occasional access to tunnels and stations on the London transport network that are no longer in operational use. The ‘Charing Cross: Access All Areas’ tour looks at the out of service Jubilee line platforms and construction tunnels left over from the excavation of the Jubilee line … [Read more...] about LONDON UNDER: Exploring Hidden London’s Abandoned Charing Cross Station

Top 10 London: Top Ten Shopping Centers in London

Dec 17, 2020 By John Rabon 2 Comments

So you’ve traveled all the way to London—and you want to go to the mall. Well, while London certainly has many a great market, arcade, and high street, you’ll be glad to know that shopping malls aren’t exclusively American. London has plenty of its own great shopping centers that offer a British take on the mall experience. Visitors to one of these shopping centers may find … [Read more...] about Top 10 London: Top Ten Shopping Centers in London

The London Fiver – Five Collector Toy Shops

Dec 10, 2020 By John Rabon 3 Comments

They say you’re only as old as you feel. For many of us, growing up meant going to the toy store to look, but not take anything home. Now that we’re adults, we like to indulge ourselves in collecting, and there are plenty of stores in London that cater to this demographic. Unlike Harrods, Selfridges, or even Hamleys, the stores below cater to the young and the old, often … [Read more...] about The London Fiver – Five Collector Toy Shops

London Identity: Just What is a Londoner Anyway?

Dec 10, 2020 By John Rabon Leave a Comment

We all live somewhere, and while we don’t often think about it, that place has a capacity to identify us. Rightly or wrongly, the perception of a place gives an identity not only to the city itself but all who live in it. Additionally, we develop a community identity that may self-identify us, but how does this apply to Londoners? Given the size of Greater London, do the … [Read more...] about London Identity: Just What is a Londoner Anyway?

The London Fiver – Five London Christmas Songs

Dec 8, 2020 By John Rabon Leave a Comment

The holidays are certainly a time for new songs to hit the airwaves. When you turn on the radio, you’re bound to hear a mix of old and new Christmas singles across all genres. The United Kingdom is certainly no different and every once-in-a-while, you’ll see a British Christmas song that involves London. These songs can be entirely about London or simply make reference to … [Read more...] about The London Fiver – Five London Christmas Songs

Through the Lens: London at Christmas Time

Dec 2, 2020 By jonathan 1 Comment

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 London Fiver – Five London Invasion Films

Dec 2, 2020 By John Rabon Leave a Comment

Invaders certainly aren’t an unknown for Britain’s capital. For hundreds of years, Angles, Saxons, Vikings, and Normans marched upon the city, imposing their laws and will on the populace. Of course, in the hundreds of years since the Normans conquered the UK in 1066, the city’s invaders have been fictional. From the Martians in War of the Worlds to Count Dracula, fears of … [Read more...] about The London Fiver – Five London Invasion Films

Nights out in London: Top Ten Underground Bars For a Cocktail

Nov 25, 2020 By John Rabon Leave a Comment

Now, when we say underground, we’re not talking about bars you’ve never heard of before, but bars that are literally underground. London is full of places to drink that exist below the city’s streets. They’re in building basements, under railway arches, disguised behind more conventional establishments, or even converted from long-abandoned uses. They have atmospheres that … [Read more...] about Nights out in London: Top Ten Underground Bars For a Cocktail

The London Fiver – Five London Christmas Movies

Nov 24, 2020 By John Rabon Leave a Comment

Christmas movies are one of the joys of the holiday. Whether you’re going to see one in a theater, on television, DVD, or a streaming service, there are plenty of options for holiday cinema. The locations of films can certainly vary from the big city to small-town America, and London has its own share of holiday classics. These films range from classic adaptations to modern … [Read more...] about The London Fiver – Five London Christmas Movies

The Bard’s Town: Shakespeare in London

Nov 23, 2020 By John Rabon Leave a Comment

William Shakespeare is regarded as one of the greatest literary figures in English history and quite possibly the greatest playwright in the world. Interestingly enough, for a man who spent the entirety of his life in England and London (and of course, Stratford-on-Avon), most of his plays seem to be set elsewhere. Italy, Scotland, Denmark, and other parts of Europe provide … [Read more...] about The Bard’s Town: Shakespeare in London

The Tate Britain Gets a Colorful Winter Makeover With Annual Art Installation

Nov 19, 2020 By jonathan Leave a Comment

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

The London Fiver – Five London Romantic Comedies

Nov 19, 2020 By John Rabon Leave a Comment

In troubling and lonely times, a good romantic comedy can help you feel better about life. London has been the setting of dozens of romantic comedy films over the years, and we have covered some others in the past. If you’ve already gotten through the previous ten, have a look at these five romantic comedies set in one of the world’s biggest cities. Each of these films … [Read more...] about The London Fiver – Five London Romantic Comedies

The London Fiver – Five Sci-Fi Films Set in London

Nov 9, 2020 By John Rabon 2 Comments

England is arguably the home of science-fiction thanks to Mary Shelley and her novel Frankenstein, so it stands to reason that London would be a prime location for the setting of many sci-fi films. However, most of the genre’s movies that take place in the city seem to fall into either being about an alien invasion of a dystopian future. Yet there still manage to be a great … [Read more...] about The London Fiver – Five Sci-Fi Films Set in London

We’re Discontinuing Website Notifications in January, Please Download Our Free App To Continue With Them

Nov 7, 2020 By jonathan Leave a Comment

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

Nov 5, 2020 By jonathan Leave a Comment

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

London History: A Special Look at Cleopatra’s Needle on the Victoria Embankment

Oct 27, 2020 By Laura Porter 2 Comments

Did you know, London has an ancient Egyptian obelisk on display? It's not in a museum or a private collection. It's actually alongside the River Thames in central London so you may have seen it and not realised its significance. Cleopatra's Needle on the Victoria Embankment, near the Golden Jubilee Bridges, has a twin in New York's Central Park. (And those two have a … [Read more...] about London History: A Special Look at Cleopatra’s Needle on the Victoria Embankment

Walk Around London Virtually Right Now – Watched Walker is the YouTube Channel We All Need Right Now

Oct 25, 2020 By jonathan 3 Comments

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