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Posted 1 day ago 0 responses
The atheist bus is here… and the atheist tube and the atheist TV screens. The campaign responding to a series of religious bus ads has now received a staggering £140,000 in donations from the public and the results are on show now. Nicely timed for Epiphany.
Posted 20 days ago 0 responses
Despite Celtic protests, the pressure for Great Britain to field a football team at the London 2012 Olympics grows inexorably. World governing body FIFA are warming up on the touchline to wave the idea through to the delight of the English Football Association and FIFA’s own president, Sepp Blatter:
A source close to FIFA told PA Sport: “The executive committee are certain to rule in favour of a Great Britain team – but only for London 2012, not beyond.” Read More.
Posted 29 days ago 3 responses
We’re quite sure that anyone who has ever used London transport has some unanswered questions about the system. Your chance to have them answered by no less than Richard Parry, Director of Strategy & Service Development and Howard Collins, Chief Operating Officer has come! They will be online to answer all questions put to them for one night only. Read More
Posted about 1 month ago 2 responses
The season to be merry is upon us but before you start guzzling back the sherry, bear in mind these sobering thoughts.
Posted about 1 month ago 0 responses
Whatever you think of them, chuggers are part of the urban landscape and presumably, face to face street fundraising works to some extent, given the ubiquity of the colourful branded bib and the overenthusiastic holler that tries to stop you in your tracks when you really want to buy a sandwich. But now, charity watchdog Intelligent Giving is calling for the public to formally boycott chuggers, firstly because it’s an inefficient way to give to good causes but also because their undercover research has found pretty unprofessional practices at work. Read More
Posted about 1 month ago 2 responses
Yes, that’s right folks. Free beer. The two finest words ever to grace the English language. We’ve done a deal with Britain’s most interesting beer seller, Beer Merchants, to bring you people a lovely deal so you can stay at home, keep warm, and feel the glow of a whole CASE of lovely Belgian and French beer in your extended belly – and get a Duvel gift pack for FREE!
Posted about 1 month ago 2 responses
There’s a humanitarian disaster in the Congo, polar bears are starving, pirates on the high seas, and one in eight of us will soon be out of a job. But who cares? It’ll soon be Christmas!!! And what better way to celebrate the festival of excess than trundling around an ice rink in Hyde Park, while stuffing German food and listening to carols? Eh? Eh?
Posted about 1 month ago 1 response
With warnings yesterday that London and the South East are going to be the UK regions worst hit by the recession ringing in our ears it seemed like a good time to get some straight talking from the man dubbed ‘the face of the credit crunch’, the Beeb’s Robert Peston, at one of London School of Economics’ excellent lectures.
Posted about 1 month ago 8 responses
KCL has its fair share of nerds, and we love them
But news today that more than 2,000 people – yes, 2,000, queued for hours on Oxford Street to get their hands on the ‘second expansion pack’ for online fantasy role-playing game, World of Warcraft, is deeply disturbing to the gentle mind of the Radar.
Posted about 1 month ago 2 responses
Medical London, published by Wellcome in October, is a Londony treasure trove in a smart burgundy box; a beautiful and enlightening compendium from our favourite Euston Road residents. Here’s what you need to know to get this on your shopping list. Read More
Posted about 1 month ago 2 responses
Another rainy day in London…and there’s been lots of moaning around these parts. And it’s so wonderfully British to talk about the weather, after all But wait! Rain is good. Maybe not if you’re Haitian, or Devonian, but in good old concretey London, doesn’t a nice bit of rainfall serve to wash away the detritus of another heavy weekend – both in terms of litter on the streets and the drug-induced Monday mind-cobwebs? And the word ‘pluviophile’ is surely a great addition to any CV.
Posted about 1 month ago 0 responses
It seems the streets of London are not paved with gold but instead, art. There was the Grand Tour last year which basically turned the National Gallery inside out, there was Find Me just recently which got artworks into the unlikeliest of places, and this week a big giveaway by street artist Adam Neate. Read More
Posted 2 months ago 2 responses
The search for a new Met commissioner has kicked into a new gear: an ad placed in Police Review magazine by Home Secretary Jacqui Smith seeks someone with an “outstanding record” in tackling terrorism. There’s some dissension in the ranks, however, over the next Commissioner’s character. Kit Malthouse, the deputy mayor of policing, suggested at a Policy Exchange debate last night that the next person in charge should be “pretty boring”. Not from Boring, Oregon, but, y’know, boring. Dull. Sensible shoes, neat sock drawer, well-thumbed cricketers almanac tucked safely into pocket of tweed trousers, a conversational black hole. That sort of boring. Read More
Posted 2 months ago 5 responses
Bozza’s press team weren’t daft, dreaming up that document title, were they? Look at that headline; pats on the back all round and this isn’t even the strategy proper. No, Way To Go! (exclamation mark and all) is the precursor to Johnson’s transport strategy – the Blond Vision, if you will. Your comments are welcome and the “consultation will last for 10 weeks” to help shape the Mayor’s formal strategy. Read More
Posted 2 months ago 0 responses
Actually, that’s an exaggeration. No actual terror has been reported. But a group of pensioners who congregate on the benches in the middle of the Horning Close Estate in Mottingham have been issued a warning by the local housing association – keep the racket down, or lose your benches! Read More
Posted 2 months ago 4 responses
It’s nearly time for the disgusting, reprehensible turds on the other side of the water to vote for a new president, so we thought we should bring you up to speed with who you should be cheering and who you should be booing. Or something.
Posted 2 months ago 0 responses
A proposed development near Hampton Court Palace has exercised the ire of one of our foremost historians. David Starkey, considered something of an expert on Tudor times by dint of his copious books and television series on the subject, has thrown his chalice in with heritage groups who oppose the construction of a four-story hotel and flats complex opposite the Palace. Read More
Posted 2 months ago 0 responses
The main athletics stadium for the 2012 Games is years away from completion, yet the project’s post-2012 fate has suffered more slings and arrows of outrageous rumour than your average Fawlty Towers cast member’s granddaughter. Stories that it could become West Ham’s new home, see its seats shipped to the 2016 host city, or even be demolished, have all been given a thorough airing and then sent back to the dry cleaners. Read More
Posted 2 months ago 0 responses
Next Tuesday, you’ll be able to watch America decide who’s next for the White House in the comfort of your own home, under a snug duvet, on any number of channels, over the net or on the radio. But for those of you who need a party atmosphere, there are some big ole shebangs going on around town…Read More
Posted 2 months ago 0 responses
Clapham Sainsbury’s is a nice enough place to do your weekend grocery shop.
On Sunday, Clapham resident Neil took his girlfriend there to get a few bits. In their trolley they picked up a nice jar of cooking sauce, some bread, a small chicken and some Ariel Colour Liquitabs (good to see they’re looking after their garments). Then, without warning, Neil suddenly burst into song, slightly distunefully, with an ‘original’ take of the Madness classic ‘It Must Be Love’. Read More
Posted 2 months ago 3 responses
News that a number of West End shows are closing before the end of their runs reminded us that we hadn’t announced the results of the last Kudocities poll, the survey that keeps London, Brighton and Edinburgh awake for days.
Posted 2 months ago 0 responses
The Banksy daubing just north of Oxford Street is not long for this world. No mindless act of vandalism for this graffito, though – instead, Westminster City Council have decided that the mural will be removed in order to “send a message” to the city’s urban scribblers (yeah, that’ll work).
Displaying a remarkable want of aesthetic curiosity, deputy council leader Robert Davis sneered at the mural’s appeal, positing the question: “what is the difference between this and all the other graffiti you see scrawled across the city?” Answers in the Comments, please. Read More
Posted 2 months ago 0 responses
Eastenders may only have paid lip service to London’s big Polish community (Erik, anyone?), but the Polish ex-pat population will soon have a TV series of their very own, thanks to a new show being created for Polish channel TVP1. Read More
Posted 2 months ago 0 responses
Having hinted earlier in the year that he’d favour a Barack Obama presidency, Boris Johnson has fleshed his out his “endorsement”. Writing in his Telegraph column, Boris opined that the Bush presidency had “damaged the reputation” of America’s twin columns of capitalism and democracy, and argued convincingly that, while John McCain is a worthy candidate, only Mr. Obama has the vision and the ability to “rejuvenate” the country’s global standing. Read More
Posted 2 months ago 0 responses
Back in August, a project to raise money for a bus advert promoting atheism seemed to fail after a lack of sufficient pledges. However, there’s one thing you can say about atheists – they’ve got the patience of Job. This morning, the British Humanist Society, which organised the posters, confirmed that they’ve gone well over the £5,500 fund mark. They’ve managed to whip up a whopping £16,000 thus far, following a promise by gadfly to God-botherers, Richard Dawkins, to effectively double the donation, and the ads will be displayed on bendy buses in Westminster from January. Read More
Posted 2 months ago 0 responses
The perfect marriage between altruism and alt-rock, Oxjam is one of those community-led festivals that Brits excel at. Oxjam brings thousands of volunteers across the country, united only by a love of music and a desire to raise money for Oxfam. Last year’s events raised over £200,000, and they’re aiming to top this in 2008. Read More
Posted 2 months ago 0 responses
Economic catastrophe. Global despair. Times are hard. Well, at least there’s candy floss. Gourmet candy floss at that. Starting tomorrow, Pearl Restaurant & Bar (252 High Holborn, WC1V 7EN) will offer free gourmet candy floss along side orders of its Petit Fours (Saturday nights only). Created by Pearl’s head pastry chef, Ben Knell, the candy floss will come in “four fabulous flavours … each with its own unique twist.” Read More.
Posted 2 months ago 9 responses
Terror Alerts By Text Great news for the chronically worried in Merton: a new scheme will allow borough residents to get the latest news on terror attacks, break-ins and traffic problems sent by SMS. Read More
Posted 2 months ago 3 responses
At the weekend, we gave you a heads up about furore over a controversial frieze commissioned by London and Continental Railways to adorn the base of the gargantuan “Meeting Place” statue, upstairs at St Pancras International. Designs unveiled at the station on Friday and much to the surprise of the Head of LCR, featured – among other things – the grim reaper, a commuter plummeting into the path of a train, a couple shagging up against a wall and punters giving the finger to the world at large. Read More
Posted 2 months ago 0 responses
Bow: home of the grime star, and self-styled E3 Ninja, Wiley, and not known as the demilitarised zone for nothing, yagetme, um, bruv. The Nunnery had changed dramatically on the outside since last time we’d visited, six or so years ago. There were pretty lights with a hint of the illuminated flourishes of New Spitalfields market. Talking to one of the gallery staff they were surprised that the lights had lasted potential feckless youth based destruction for so long. But anyhoo, this wasn’t meant to be some sociological meditation about the outside appearance of art galleries in the ghettos of London. Read More
Posted 3 months ago 0 responses
London’s “freesheet” newspapers seem to cause apoplexy in 90% of the capital’s population. Not only are they puerile, full of celebrity non-news and make your fingers dirty (well, two of them) but they are causing more litter than a ticker-tape parade to celebrate the 100th anniversary of a party popper manufacturer.
Posted 3 months ago 1 response
All change at King’s Cross. We reported a few months back on the upheavals ahead, now the station of choice for Harry Potter, Boudicca and the Pet Shop Boys is entering a phase of major regeneration.
The almost characterful Handyside bridge that spans Platforms 1–8 is now closed and cocooned in scaffolding. It’s being dismantled and put into storage in favour of a modern crossing.
Several shops on the main concourse have closed down—first Boots, and now Burger King and that lackluster bagel outlet. They’re making room for toilets and other facilities, which in turn are being displaced by upcoming renovations along the west side. Platform 9 and 3/4 is still in situ, but it can’t be long before wizards are stopping people for directions. Read More
Posted 3 months ago 0 responses
Hoxton Square was taken over last week by an alien species. Not by crowds of patent-heeled, artfully styled students and designers – though they were there too, in record numbers – but by the weird and fantastic creations of the Kinetica Museum’s artists. Held in the Rove Gallery and part of the East London Concrete and Glass festival, Creatures Great and Small features what must surely be some of the quirkiest offerings of the contemporary art scene. Read More
Posted 3 months ago 2 responses
The last Metropolitan police commissioner to resign, James Munro, did so in 1890 after failing to apprehend Jack the Ripper. Sir Ian Blair’s departure may not be the result of so egregious an oversight, yet the reasons behind it have inspired much debate on Fleet Street.
The Times is in no doubt that Mr Blair’s resignation is the result of a “Tory coup” engineered by the Mayor. The Guardian agrees, and even has Boris Johnson vowing that no permanent successor need be appointed “until the Conservatives take over in Downing Street” – a presumptive if not implausible scenario, but one that could leave London without a chief of police for eighteen months. Read More
Posted 3 months ago 0 responses
Any menu that includes a course called “pre dessert” is the sort of menu Londonist can appreciate. And if that menu happens to be a seven course seasonal chocolate menu dreamed up over six months of tasting and experimenting by Almeida head chef, Alan Jones, and chocolatier, Paul A Young … ? Well, Londonist can confirm that we’d love every last morsel of it! Read More
Posted 3 months ago 0 responses
Oh Sherry, there’s no reason to be all alone anymore! “Culinary alchemist” Heston Blumenthal (of Fat Duck fame), with scientist Professor Don Mottram of Reading University, has discovered a group of compounds known as diketopiperazines (try saying that drunk without offending someone) in Sherry. Apparently, these diketopiperazines are thought to accentuate the taste and flavour of “umami-rich” foods. In case you haven’t caught the blurps, umami is a newly discovered fifth tasting sense beyond sweet, sour, bitter and salty. Read More
Posted 3 months ago 0 responses
Oh dear. Back in the day, a roguish campaign to rib your headteacher might have consisted of a home-made comic strip passed around during maths or some naughty graffiti in the bike sheds. These days, offensive slurs can be carefully placed on MySpace, beaming out your libellious, text-speak rant to the world wide community. Such is life for Muswell Hill headteacher Aydin Onac, who is the victim of a somewhat tasteless online crack, depicting him as Adolf Hitler. Read More
Posted 3 months ago 0 responses
The British Film Institute turns 75 this month, and they’re throwing a big Birthday Weekender bash at their swank Southbank and IMAX locations to celebrate.
Things kick off tonight with an audiovisual performance that aims to “glance into the future of cinema” and mix it with “club culture”, an ominous pairing if ever we imagined one one. On Saturday and Sunday things settle into a more predictable groove, with free screenings of Mitchell and Kenyon in Ireland at 2pm. Saturday evening, the IMAX will show a nocturnal collection of films from the BFI’s current Time Machine season, including Terminator 2 and Twelve Monkeys. A family funday and an evening film quiz round things off nicely on Sunday.Read More
Posted 3 months ago 8 responses
Boris Johnson this morning unveiled a mock-up of the new “S” stock trains being constructed for the Metropolitan, Circle, District and Hammersmith & City lines. Boasting more spacious interiors and easier movement between carriages, the main bragging point is that the trains will feature air conditioning, a first for the Underground. Sweltering Victoria line commuters, don’t get your hopes up – these shallow, cut-and-cover lines make a/c much easier, though TfL claims to be working on a scheme for deep-level tunnels. Read More
Posted 3 months ago 2 responses
We don’t wish to tar every pedal-pusher with the same garish shade of Lycra, but it can’t escape the more observant pedestrian that a small minority of cyclists take an approach to road safety and basic manners that can be best described as “indifferent”. Read More
Posted 3 months ago 2 responses
Following the furore over widespread lackadaisical record-keeping for on duty expenses within the Met police force, a detective has been jailed for 10 months for impressively audacious abuses of the company credit card. Read More
Posted 3 months ago 1 response
The death of a man at University College London Hospital, where he was taking part in a cancer drug trial, has been blamed on a computer error. The 27-year old, who suffered from “very widespread” testicular cancer, was given double the correct dosage of chemotherapy over a period of months after a mistake in the set-up of the trial. Another man similarly treated has survived. Read More
Posted 3 months ago 4 responses
If you missed yesterday’s thrill-packed Radar post about BEER EXPOSED (capitalised to raise excitement levels), then you’re a damn crazy fool. Read it now And now, in an unforeseen act of unbelievable generosity, the organiser, who is rapidly becoming our best friend, has offered YOU – dear (premium) Kudocities member – the chance to get a FREE ticket!!!
Posted 3 months ago 0 responses
Two days until Open House Weekend, the premier event in London’s architectural calendar. With bit noticeably chomped and anticipation status set to ‘moist’, we round up our highlights from previous years. Please, please, we want your suggestions in the comments. Diligent and dogged though we are in our exploration of the capital, there are over 600 places in the listings, and we know there must be plenty of what the guidebooks always call ‘hidden gems’ that we don’t know about. Read More
Posted 3 months ago 1 response
When we’re not worrying about the happiness of you, dear Kudocities member, or how to alleviate world poverty, we think about beer. A lot. Lovely, lovely beer.
Now two blokes who must also think about beer a lot have launched a stylish new event – called BEER EXPOSED. It already sounds sexy to us. And the kindly organisers have given you lucky people a fat discount. You can get a fiver off a ticket if you go to their website here and type OFFER in the special code box of the ticket page!
Posted 3 months ago 7 responses
Shepherd’s Bush station on the Hammersmith & City line will shortly be renamed Shepherd’s Bush Market, thus finally ending the long-running fallacy that it is connected to its Central Line namesake. TfL are ready to fire the starter’s gun on the name change: they’ve prepared new roundels at the station, yet curiously, they remain partly covered up with blue tape, allowing mischievous Londoners to choose what the station’s new suffix should be. Read More
Posted 3 months ago 1 response
The Queen Mother may be dead, but suspicions that her boozehound ways remain were given succour on Wednesday when twelve barrels of lager were delivered to Windsor Castle mere hours before the Croatia-England match kicked off. Read More
Posted 3 months ago 1 response
The art world is currently buzzing about one of the biggest and least publicised shows of the year. Bucking the tradition of going through galleries, Damien Hirst, he of the diamond encrusted skull, has decided to put his new works up for sale through Sotheby’s. Over 200 works will be going under the hammer Monday and Tuesday, but until then Sotheby’s is hosting the biggest ever Hirst show. Read More
Posted 4 months ago 2 responses
Some people just seem destined to be ridiculed. People that, however hard they try, will always attract laughter, even in their most earnest moments.
Posted 4 months ago 3 responses
We’ve all got tonnes of stuff we don’t really need. Here at Kudocities Towers, for instance, we’re knee deep in empty champagne bottles and pizza boxes.
But if you’ve got stuff you keep meaning to throw away, but never quite get round to it, a new website might just have the answer.
Posted 4 months ago 0 responses
London Vegan Festival promises a great day out on Sunday. You don’t have to be Vegan to attend, although it might help. As far as we can see, it seems to be all about good food, booze, comedy and music, so what more do you want? Don your finest kaftan, hemp sandals and a dab of patchouli (not that we’re into stereotyping, good lord, no) and head for High Street Ken.
Posted 4 months ago 5 responses
Hampstead’s naked men want more room to ‘hang out’. Cough cough. The north London heath is famous and well loved for many things: its outstanding natural beauty, the swimming ponds, shagging and tramps being gifted million pound plots. It’s also the only place in London that men can legally sunbathe naked, in a special enclosure by the Men’s Pond.
Posted 4 months ago 1 response
St Pancras train station is celebrating the ‘Best of Britain’ this month, with a photographic exhibition in association with the Press Association, that marks 140 years of shared history.
Posted 4 months ago 0 responses
So there’s this company, Press TV, which is advertising for shouty, opinionated people like your good selves to join the audience for a new TV current affairs debate show called Forum. The programme is apparently part of a weekly series of televised debates on various contemporary political issues.
Posted 4 months ago 1 response
The Regent Street Festival: A Great British Experience claims to be one of the biggest, free, outdoor events in London’s calendar. Regent Street will be closed to traffic from 12 noon to 8pm, September 7 2008, to make room for marching bands, fanfare trumpeters, (let’s hope they don’t mean this) pipe bands, live music, dance performances, a veteran car display and gourmet food stalls…marvellous!
Posted 4 months ago 1 response
Normally, when you describe a web site as really shit, you mean it’s bad. But Diaroogle is superb. It lists nice public toilets around London, so is genuinely really useful for those moments when you’re caught short and don’t want a Trainspotting style experience.
Posted 4 months ago 0 responses
Recent TFL figures show a 91% increase in the number of people cycling on London’s major roads since 2000. Sounds impressive, until you realise that cycling’s overall ‘share of journeys’ compared to walking, car, motorbike, tax, bus and rail across Greater London is less than 2%. Our affable and shambolic mayor recently expressed a desire to go beyond TFL’s 2025 target of 5%. Why so? Well, it’s estimated that another 800,000 more souls and 400,000 more cars will be added to this fair city by 2025, placing further strain on our infrastructure.
Posted 4 months ago 0 responses
This weekend sees a celebration of our special sideways-moving friend, the humble crab. Well, it’s not much of a celebration for the crabs themselves, really, as they’ll be dead. And soaked in chilli. But that makes us happy, at least.
Posted 4 months ago 6 responses
The Museum of London’s latest’s wheeze is to bring magic and mystery to their ‘Late’ event thingy in the form of one Pete Hathway who will be performing street magic and cunning trickery to astound you a week today, whilst mystical tours of the galleries will be pointing out the more sinister objects, like witch balls and curses in Roman gall. Ew.
Posted 4 months ago 4 responses
Fed up of inner city weekends, packed tube trains and tourist filled streets? The London Transport Museum is offering you a flavour of gentler, more graceful travelling times with a “Heritage Day Out in Metro-Land”.
Posted 4 months ago 0 responses
The Olympics are over, and now London’s getting all excited about us doing our bit for sport in a few years. Here, thanks to our friends at Londonist, we present a whole bunch of photos for you to gawp at mindlessly, representing all the stuff that happened in London over the long weekend to mark the hangover. We mean handover. In Beijing, there definitely was a bus. There was also a Beckham. There was a Boris. There was an apparently ununfurlable and tricky-to-wave flag. There was a football. There were two little girls. There was a funky film. There was some dancing. There was a Leona Lewis and some guy from Led Zeppelin. And suddenly, there it was. After just eight minutes, Beijing was over and everyone suddenly turned to London.
Posted 4 months ago 0 responses
Unbelievably, the Olympics end this Sunday. But never fear, if your appetite for obscure sport has yet to be sated you can look forward to the World Freerun Championships coming up on September 3 . The interior of the Roundhouse in Camden will be transformed into a challenging urban landscape for the competition and 20 of the world’s best freerunners will be showcasing their awesome skill, fearlessness and artistry with Britain represented by Pip Anderson and Tim Schieff . Each “life-stylist” will perform to their own soundtrack and be judged by their fellow athletes on their skill and “flow”, presumably to the rapturous support of the audience.
Posted 4 months ago 5 responses
In the grand setting of Camden Roundhouse, decorated with curtains and a backdrop of glittering stars, you get a great sense of anticipation of what lies ahead at Miss Behave’s Variety Nighty.
With booze flowing, the show kicked off with Miss Behave – in a creakingly tight rubber dress, pushing a rose through her tongue. Hurrah. Later, she would show us her renowned sword swallowing antics, but commented with a touch of pathos that her ability to steal and down audience members’ drinks generally gets a bigger cheer.
Posted 4 months ago 5 responses
We may not have a freaky medal machine like Michael Phelps up our sleeves, but there is one activity the English will never be bettered at: moaning. While China explodes in a really quite over-the-top performance of national pride, a new survey shows that Brits aren’t that bothered about the 2012 Olympics taking place right here in the capital. Read More
Posted 4 months ago 8 responses
While debate begins over what will be done with recently saved Smithfield market, a gaggle of protesters have taken the bull by the horns and temporarily requisitioned it into a makeshift protest podium. Read More
Posted 5 months ago 4 responses
Short films are excellent in our book. Even shit short films are good, by virtue of the fact that they’re short. So when we heard (albeit a bit late, as usual) that Withnail legends Richard E.Grant and Paul McGann had worked together on a short film for the first time since Bruce Robinson’s masterpiece, we thought it might be worth having a look at the result – a piece called “Always Crashing in the Same Car.”
Posted 5 months ago 1 response
As a patient admitted to hospital, the last thing you want to hear is the rat-a-tat-tat of the pest controllers at the door. According to the Conservative Party, 70% of health trusts were visited by the insect-busters at least 50 times over a twenty six month period. Read More
Posted 5 months ago 5 responses
When you’re alone in your room how often have you felt like a good strum? I know I often get the urge to relax and twang away to my heart’s content. Yes folks, the urge to air guitar along to some cheesy rock comes over us all at some point – and those crazy Jap toy manufacturers at Tomy have now provided us wannabe Joe Satriani’s with the perfect toy to explore the depths of our musical talent – the Guitar RockStar. And we’ve got one to give away!
Posted 5 months ago 0 responses
Transport for London has published a report revealing that congestion in the city is as bad as it was before the introduction of the C-charge. Though 21% less traffic (amounting to 70,000 cars) enters the zone compared to 2002, a “decreasing level of road space” owing to roadworks and traffic calming measures means that jams are just as lengthy. The western extension, already under review, has seen 30,000 fewer vehicles daily. Read More
Posted 5 months ago 2 responses
Six months ago we were on the scene as a major fire swept through Canal Market in Camden destroying market stalls and severely damaging the infamous Hawley Arms. It took 100 firefighters 6 hours to bring the blaze under control but it turns out, the ignition point was just a small LPG heater left on after a stall closed at 7pm that night. Read More
Posted 5 months ago 0 responses
It might be worth your while to paying more attention to the buskers you pass on your way to work: the guy with a guitar you ignore might be a more famous face than you think. From 6-13 September, celebrity buskers will be performing around the UK, including in London, to support Cancer Research UK. Read More
Posted 5 months ago 1 response
A tedious survey from a government department we’d barely heard of has concluded that kids in the UK know little to nothing about the 2012 Olympic Games coming their way.
The Olympic bad news yawnarama continues. Read More
Posted 5 months ago 1 response
An aid agency is trying to achieve what the Luftwaffe and V-2 rockets failed to do: the destruction of St. Paul’s cathedral.
ActionAid has submitted an application to the City, requesting the “total demolition” of Wren’s 17th century masterpiece, in order that they can search for precious metals underneath. Surely they can’t be serious. The very idea! What’s yanked the chain of these cheeky chariteers? Read More
Posted 5 months ago 0 responses
Despite being branded a “a white elephant” by former chief scientific adviser Sir David King, plans for the third Heathrow runway steam ahead. With efforts to raise their case proving less than effective, protesters are now getting tough. Read More
Posted 5 months ago 0 responses
In the quest for local kudos, organisational dynamism and staff motivation making humdrum local business improvement initiatives sound sexy is all important. The London Bridge Business Improvement District Company decided they had a crap name so, inspired by the spirit and energy of amusing films by the makers of South Park and general corporate Americanisms they’ve rebranded as Team London Bridge. Read More
Posted 5 months ago 3 responses
Love your local? Of course you do. Then why not nominate it as London’s Best Loved Local? A new Love Your Local campaign launched by Stella Artois and spearheaded by publican/actor Jason Flemyng (Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrel, Snatch … and soon to be appearing in ITV’s Primeval), gives pub goers the opportunity to recognize and reward pubs that are the “lynchpins of their local communities, offer a welcoming atmosphere for their customers to relax in and socialise and of course support responsible drinking.” The initiative is on for the next three months, during which time folks can go online to nominate their favourite London pubs for the title of London’s Best Loved Local. Following the nominations, one pub will be crowned top London pub and receive a total prize fund of £8500 and a community trust of £5000 “to invest for the good of their local community.” Three runners up will be awarded with £1000 community trusts. All four winning pubs will receive Love Your Local plaques to show off for all to see. Read More
Posted 5 months ago 0 responses
The Camden Fringe: It’s as good as the Edinburgh Festival, though arguably even better than that lauded Scotch month of mayhem: you only share accommodation if you want to and no one will sneer if you didn’t make it to the 2am performance of A Midsummer Night’s Dream in an ‘ironic’ car impound lot. Read More
Posted 5 months ago 0 responses
Next time you turn down a proffered tête-à-tête with a chirpie cabbie, you could be missing out on a satisfying cultural exchange. Who knows whether your driver is a painter, origami champion or candle-stick maker? Black cab driver Dominic Shannon has spent nine years of his career taking pictures of city life, warts and all. While other cab drivers pass the time by attempting to splash foolhardy tourists standing in close proximity to puddles or collating Magic FM trivia in their enlarged brains, Shannon has made the most of his lofty perch on London’s population by making a visual library of its highs and lows. Now an exhibition of the cabbie’s varied work is being shown in Camden, mixing sun-splashed landscapes, famous landmarks and celebrity spots with a darker side of London, portraying homelessness, physical violence and alcohol and drug addiction. Read More
Posted 5 months ago 0 responses
In today’s tale of Olympic overspend: it seems a clutch of consultants, hired to wrestle the budgetary reigns and keep costs under control, have trousered some £87 million in the process. Read More
Posted 5 months ago 0 responses
Love London as we do, we know that some of this city’s tourist “attractions” don’t exactly represent value for money. According to a survey by the Sunday Telegraph, London’s fee-paying attractions are among the most expensive in the world. Read More
Posted 5 months ago 4 responses
Harry Potter may have completed his seven years at school, but younger wizardlings are in for several years of service disruption on the Hogwart’s Express. Platform 9 and 3/4 will be shifted later this year to allow construction work on the West side of King’s Cross, according to Jon Burden the former Duty Station Manager at King’s Cross, who led a tour of the area yesterday. The enchanted platform will be relocated to the front of the station, close to the ticket office, in September. Read More
Posted 5 months ago 6 responses
Highly regarded cycle store Velorution has posted something bizarrely horrible and horribly bizarre on their widely-read Velorution cycling blog. It’s a hard to follow rant that seems to be slamming immigrant communities for driving badly and not understanding cyclists, also slamming the traffic police for being from the Essex suburbs and not doing enough for those on two wheels. Read More
Posted 5 months ago 1 response
Shock horror! Banksy is, allegedly, a public schoolboy! According to the Mail on Sunday, the shadowy graffiti artist has been outed by its journalists as Bristol Cathedral School-educated 34-year-old, Robin Gunningham.
Posted 5 months ago 0 responses
What, no free gin and tonic? Wah! After last year’s G&T-fuelled shennanigans we were looking forward to more free booze and silly games in the sunshine at the fifth annual Chap Olympiad, but, alas, were limited this year to what we could carry, all the way to Hampstead Heath.
Posted 5 months ago 1 response
Speaking to the summit of London Councils yesterday, our Boris did his bit for older people, perpetuating the idea that everyone over 60 needs to go to the toilet a lot or has problems with their ‘waterworks’ by suggesting that Freedom Passes should grant access to toilets in London’s shops, bars and restaurants even if the holder is not patronising the establishment. Read More
Posted 5 months ago 2 responses
Sam Loaker looks set to be the most exciting thing to come out of Norwich since Colman’s mustard.
He’s young – 19 – tall, a bit gangly, and plays the guitar like someone with 12 talented fingers and has a decent voice to boot. The bastard.
He describes his style as somewhere ‘between straight up acoustic folk and the urban troubadour’ and while that sounds like a pile of poop, he’s good, dammit.
His songs are quirky, sweet, short and catchy. Ruddy marvellous.
Posted 5 months ago 0 responses
Confounded to discover that your Oyster card was knackered when you tried to hop on the Tube this morning? You’re not the only one. A major card fault hit the system on Saturday morning, meaning that cards were inoperable for a five hour period.
Posted 6 months ago 2 responses
We expect you’ve all been on tenterhooks awaiting the results of our recent site poll (on the right there – look) about which of the Time Out ‘Wonders of London’ is your favourite.
And the winner is…….the Old Royal Naval College, in Greenwich. Ah, Sir Christopher Wren would be rightly proud that a bunch of internet weirdos still have time for fresh air and baroque architecture.
Posted 6 months ago 0 responses
Google is out and about capturing London for the latest addition to its Street View service. These 360 degree panoramic views are already available in most major US cities, but now Google is capturing everyone and everything on the streets of London.
Posted 6 months ago 0 responses
Bollywood! What’s not to love? The dancing, the music, the er…Swiss mountain backdrops….
Well, if the ‘changing lightbulbs’ manouvre is part of your dance floor repertoire, you might like to ‘ead over to ‘ackney tonight – July 8th – when Diva Entertainments and Honey Kalaria present the UK Bollywood Dance Championships 2008 at the Hackney Empire.
Posted 6 months ago 2 responses
When we heard about the Battersea Power Station was to be open to the public (thanks Annie Mole!) over the past weekend, we rushed down with camera ready. And, yes indeed, the iconic landmark was there to be roamed around in all its massive glory….......
Posted 6 months ago 9 responses
Ah, summertime. Sunshine, booze and the beach. To celebrate the few hours of warm weather we have here in Britain, we’ve got THREE copies of a Jilly Cooper-style ‘bonkbuster’ book to give away. It’s called Vintage, by Olivia Darling, and is the perfect holiday read.
Posted 6 months ago 1 response
Good films are arty, beautiful, moving, life-affirming, harrowing, immersive, thought-provoking, influential, idiom-altering. Bad films are just plain good fun. While there are countless film clubs screening the good stuff, and discussing such weighty things as symbolism, cinematography and ludic interfilmic references afterwards over a G&T, there is only one Bad Film Club, dedicated to celebrating the very worst that the moving picture has to offer.
Posted 6 months ago 0 responses
Boris may not have been able to save our Post Offices, but he has succeeded in reversing a decision to close dozens of Underground ticket offices.
Posted 6 months ago 3 responses
With their acrobatic leaps and iconic masks, Mexican wrestlers are known all over the world. As you might expect, witnessing one of their wildly energetic matches generally involves buying a plane ticket to Mexico. For three days this weekend, however, you can experience all the thrills of a true Lucha Libre just by taking the Northern Line to Chalk Farm….......
Posted 6 months ago 0 responses
While you ponder how much you would miss the Robin Hood Gardens estate in Poplar, consider also the well-beloved BBC Television Centre, currently in the middle of its own listing row. While the BBC itself wants to be rid of the iconic but crumbling building, English Heritage has waded in to ask the Government to slap on a Grade II listing to save it from the pervasive and insistent hands of developers.
Posted 6 months ago 1 response
We’re not going to lie: It was the panda and its gratuitous cuteness that drew us in. The curators of Endangered Wildlife Exposed were no doubt banking on that reaction when choosing an image to promote the Roger Hooper exhibit at Oxo Gallery.
Posted 6 months ago 2 responses
After the fun of last year’s Chap Olympiad, there was no way Londonist was going to miss this year’s event, scheduled for Saturday July 12. Having watched the Chap’s website with an eagle eye, awaiting announcements as to arrangements for the 2008 event, we were eventually rewarded with an official statement giving details of how to guarantee entry this year.
Posted 6 months ago 3 responses
It’s a London summer in full swing this week, with parades and festivals galore. Take advantage of all the great events on offer without spending any of your hard-earned holiday savings since most of the events in this week’s roundup are completely free.
Posted 6 months ago 2 responses
For those of you not in the know, it’s Canada Day on Tuesday 1st July. And unlike last year, Canadians, and those who enjoy them, will get a chance to celebrate Canada Day in Trafalgar Square. We support celebrating holidays on the actual day of the holiday, so are very pleased with this.
Posted 6 months ago 12 responses
We were reading this earlier and it made us chuckle, a knowing little chuckle.
Many, many lifetimes ago the original KCL team sat around a pub table and waxed lyrical about what we wanted our website to achieve (beyond the obligatory fame and Google buyout).