The London Machine
@thelondonmachine.bsky.social
I make videos about the strange, overlooked and fascinating bits of London. youtube.com/@TheLondonMachine
You could easily walk past the Tooting Granada without realising what survives inside. My latest London Machine video tells the story of this extraordinary 1930s cinema, and the unlikely second life that may have helped it survive.
The Extraordinary Survival of South London’s Grandest Cinema
YouTube video by The London Machine
youtu.be
360 years ago this week, the Great Fire of London ravaged the city. But a handful of alleys survived. I looked at the medieval streets and passageways that can still be seen today - and what they can tell us about how London changes - or doesn't - over time.
The Alleys that Survived the Great Fire of London
YouTube video by The London Machine
youtu.be
Why Buckingham Palace hasn't always been the perfect building it may appear to be... youtu.be/JWEAEZvvMJo
Why Buckingham Palace Never Went to Plan
YouTube video by The London Machine
youtu.be
Public transport, vanity project, or something more? A look at why London built its cable car.
Why did London Gamble £63m on a Cable Car?
YouTube video by The London Machine
youtu.be
New video! I’ve gone down the drain researching London’s public toilets - and why so many of them vanished.
What Happened to London’s Public Toilets?
YouTube video by The London Machine
youtu.be
I spent a couple of hours in Camden today, filming for my upcoming video. I saw someone strumming a guitar in their sleep, a drunk lady carefully pouring a glass of wine into a recycling bin, a police chase, and an angry preacher who could have woken the dead. And yet I felt like I was the odd one.