Londonism

London Pubs: Ten Thameside Pubs for a Pint and a View

Feb 18, 2021 By John Rabon Leave a Comment

Pubs are a dime a dozen in London, and all of them have something to offer patrons. Whether you’re looking for the oldest, the best-looking, the best food, or the best beer, you’re likely to find exactly what you want. Additionally, plenty of pubs throughout the city offer some fantastic views, including establishments along the River Thames. From the picturesque edges of … [Read more...] about London Pubs: Ten Thameside Pubs for a Pint and a View

Top 10 London: Ten More Things to Do Along the River Thames

Feb 16, 2021 By John Rabon Leave a Comment

The River Thames is the life’s blood of London. It’s along the river that the first settlements appeared in prehistory and here where the Romans established their capital for Roman Britain, leading to the city as we know it today. It should be no surprise that many of the city’s landmarks can be found not too far from its shores. These include beautiful gardens, fun … [Read more...] about Top 10 London: Ten More Things to Do Along the River Thames

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

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?

London Long Read: A History of London’s 35 Bridges Over The Thames

Sep 24, 2020 By Laura Porter 3 Comments

Did you know, there are 35 bridges over The Thames in London? No, me neither so this was a really interesting article to research. From Hampton Court Bridge in the west (just within the Greater London boundary) through to Tower Bridge there are road bridges, railway bridges and footbridges too. Have a read through, admire the photos, then let us know which is your favourite. … [Read more...] about London Long Read: A History of London’s 35 Bridges Over The Thames

Ten Feel-Good Random Facts About London

Apr 23, 2020 By John Rabon 2 Comments

At a time like this, it can be pretty depressing to be stuck inside while sickness seems to grow around us. Since this kind of situation can have a negative effect on mood, it helps to stimulate ourselves with some positive facts. Kindness to others, great moments in London’s history, hilarious anecdotes, and even the little things we don’t notice can help us feel better when … [Read more...] about Ten Feel-Good Random Facts About London

On Her Majesty’s Appointment – Shops in London that Serve the Royal Family

Nov 26, 2019 By John Rabon Leave a Comment

A Royal Warrant of Appointment is a special designation to merchants granting them the ability to announce to the world that they sell goods or services to the Royal Family. These warrants may be given out by the Royal Family as a whole or by individual members, specifically the Queen, the Duke of Edinburgh, and the Prince of Wales. Unsurprisingly as London is the central … [Read more...] about On Her Majesty’s Appointment – Shops in London that Serve the Royal Family

The Thames Barrier – A Brief History – Protecting London From the Sea

Oct 23, 2019 By John Rabon 1 Comment

Like giant conk shells rising out of the water, the Thames Barrier sits just east of Canary Wharf and provides an important service for the city. The barrier was designed and built to keep parts of Greater London from flooding in the case of storm surges or incredibly high tides coming from the North Sea. It is an incredible feat of modern engineering that’s functions and … [Read more...] about The Thames Barrier – A Brief History – Protecting London From the Sea

Fun Graphic Explains the Linguistic Origins of All of London’s Boroughs

Aug 15, 2019 By jonathan Leave a Comment

A Reddit user has made a lovely graphic that explains the origins of the names of all of London's Borough. It's very fascinating history! Which one is your favorite? Check it out for your self (click for a larger version): Source. … [Read more...] about Fun Graphic Explains the Linguistic Origins of All of London’s Boroughs

Buckingham Palace Summer Opening Report: Queen Victoria’s Palace at the annual opening of the Buckingham Palace State Rooms

Jul 22, 2019 By Laura Porter 2 Comments

While the Queen takes a summer break in Scotland, we can tour the State Rooms of Buckingham Palace for the annual ten-week summer opening. This year the rooms are available to us from 20 July to 29 September 2019, and the special exhibition marks the 200th anniversary of the birth of Queen Victoria. 'Queen Victoria's Palace' tells the story of how the young monarch turned an … [Read more...] about Buckingham Palace Summer Opening Report: Queen Victoria’s Palace at the annual opening of the Buckingham Palace State Rooms

Ten Unusual London Landmarks to Visit in London On Your Next Trip

Jun 18, 2019 By John Rabon Leave a Comment

We’ve covered weird landmarks before from a grave for a Nazi dog to a nose on the Admiralty Arch, however, these aren’t the only strange markers you can find in London. There are any number of weird and wonderful things you can find in the city if you’re really looking. If you’re looking for something to see beyond the normal tourist sites, you can find these odd spots and … [Read more...] about Ten Unusual London Landmarks to Visit in London On Your Next Trip

Top Ten London: Top 10 Things to See and Do Along The River Thames

Feb 19, 2019 By John Rabon

Lifeblood to London, the River Thames enabled the earliest settlements to take place in prehistoric England, giving way to the Romans who would formally establish the city. The Thames has unquestionably been a major player in London’s history over the years, providing the citizens with water, serving as a means of transport to goods and people, and even responsible for the … [Read more...] about Top Ten London: Top 10 Things to See and Do Along The River Thames

The Sounds of London – From the BBC Archive

Jan 9, 2019 By jonathan

A couple weeks ago, we discovered this archive. The BBC has released thousands of recordings from their sound archive for free to the public to reuse. I've done a search through the archive and found a ton of great recordings of London. One of the things I love the most about London is the sounds. London is a noisy city, but many of its sounds are unique to London. The Tube has … [Read more...] about The Sounds of London – From the BBC Archive

Alexandra Palace’s East Wing Opens To the Public After £27 Million Restoration – See Images of the New Interiors!

Nov 30, 2018 By jonathan

It's so lovely to see London's iconic buildings get a new lease of life after restoration. The latest building in London to get the treatment is Alexandra Palace. While not really a 'palace' in the palace sense, Alexandra Palace has been a destination for entertainment since it was built in the Victorian Era. It's most famous as the place where the BBC started broadcasting … [Read more...] about Alexandra Palace’s East Wing Opens To the Public After £27 Million Restoration – See Images of the New Interiors!

Unbuilt London: Fun Look at Bonkers London Projects That Never Happened

Nov 29, 2018 By jonathan

London has had many projects that never took off the ground. They were either ridiculous, impractical or too expensive. But it sure has created some interesting planning applications and proposals throughout London's history. The folks over at Barratt Homes have taken the historical proposals and did some photoshop magic to imagine what these plans would look like in modern … [Read more...] about Unbuilt London: Fun Look at Bonkers London Projects That Never Happened

Iconic Battersea Power Station to Get Great Glass Elevator in Its Chimney Offering 360 Degree Views of London from 2021

Oct 25, 2018 By jonathan

No, Willy Wonka isn't building a chocolate factory in London. Battersea Power Station, made famous by the iconic Pink Floyd's album cover and then became more famous as a white elephant changing hands several times, is to get a new tourist attraction. They're going to put a glass elevator in one of the smokestacks and offer travelers a chance to get 360-degree unobstructed … [Read more...] about Iconic Battersea Power Station to Get Great Glass Elevator in Its Chimney Offering 360 Degree Views of London from 2021

Top Ten London: 10 Fascinating and Beautiful London Housing Estates

Oct 3, 2018 By John Rabon

Since the Victorian period, the British government and local councils have taken it upon themselves to ensure that housing was provided to the working classes. Part of this was out of concern for the health of lower-income persons who were often packed into slums as well as being a progressive step toward municipal planning. In the wake of destruction caused by the London … [Read more...] about Top Ten London: 10 Fascinating and Beautiful London Housing Estates

Exhibition Alert: Laura Visits the 2018 Summer Opening of Buckingham Palace – Prince Charles’s Favorites in the Royal Collection

Jul 23, 2018 By Laura Porter

For ten weeks each summer we get to go inside Buckingham Palace and see the State Rooms while the Queen is away at Balmoral (Scotland). There's also a special exhibition included and this year, to mark the 70th birthday of The Prince of Wales, the Summer Opening of Buckingham Palace includes a special display of over 100 works of art personally selected by His Royal … [Read more...] about Exhibition Alert: Laura Visits the 2018 Summer Opening of Buckingham Palace – Prince Charles’s Favorites in the Royal Collection

New London Street Slang – Fun British Slang

Jul 12, 2018 By jonathan

English is a forever evolving language. It changes the most on the streets of London as the various ethnicities that have settled in London co-mingle their native languages with English. Interesting things result from this. There are new words all the time, old words are brought back into fasion, some words now mean the opposite of what they used to mean. It’s all very … [Read more...] about New London Street Slang – Fun British Slang

Streets of London: Amusing London Street Names

Jul 9, 2018 By John Rabon

Street names can be funny things. Most often the name originates from long ago and the original meaning behind the name was lost. People forget the person it was named for, or the trade that was located there has since moved on. Still, the names remain and their meaning often becomes something new and hilarious. Enjoy these twenty-five London streets with funny names and … [Read more...] about Streets of London: Amusing London Street Names

London’s Fate: Visions of a Future London in Film and Television

Jun 6, 2018 By John Rabon

The future is bright—sometimes. Science-fiction is a genre that reaches into the future to make suppositions about what’s to come or what could happen. Since the earliest days of the genre, London has played a role in stories such as War of the Worlds and with the advent of film and later television, these tales portraying London’s future have always been popular. Most of … [Read more...] about London’s Fate: Visions of a Future London in Film and Television

Introducing the New Londontopia Print Magazine – Order Your Copy Now – Quantities Very Limited

Apr 5, 2018 By jonathan

We've been working on this in secret and now we're ready for the big reveal. Introducing The Londontopia Print Magazine. Did you know that there isn’t a magazine on the US market dedicated completely to London? We thought this was odd, so now that we’ve got two years of magazine experience under our belts with the Anglotopia Magazine, today we’re launching a dedicated London … [Read more...] about Introducing the New Londontopia Print Magazine – Order Your Copy Now – Quantities Very Limited

The London Fiver – Five of the Most Expensive Apartment Buildings in London

Mar 26, 2018 By John Rabon

Living in the city is hard. It’s also expensive. A common criticism of most cities is that home prices, and apartment rents are only getting more expensive. A city like London can certainly fit the bill when it comes to high rent prices. Of course, in a city full of movie stars, politicians, businessmen, and royals, there are plenty of people willing to pay for the richest … [Read more...] about The London Fiver – Five of the Most Expensive Apartment Buildings in London

Power Hungry: The History of Supplying London with Power

Feb 27, 2018 By John Rabon

Generating power has been a necessity in Britain for longer than most people would think. Firewood was replaced with charcoal as early as the Roman Occupation and coal mining was a major source of fuel by the 13th Century. Coal provided the primary energy source for hundreds of years after that, powering the first steam engines of the Industrial Revolution as well as heating … [Read more...] about Power Hungry: The History of Supplying London with Power

The New Piccadilly Circus Billboard: A Review

Feb 7, 2018 By jonathan

In this article, I’m going to review a billboard. But not just any billboard, the most famous billboard in the world. Well, in London at least. I’m talking about, of course, the new electronic billboard that has replaced the previous iconic billboards at the heart of Piccadilly Circus. First some terminology - in Britain they don’t really use the word billboard. It’s a … [Read more...] about The New Piccadilly Circus Billboard: A Review