Another panel done! I've coloured up to the very edge of London, as it was in 1746. This latest panel shows Mile End and Stepney Church surrounded by fields. (High-res and article in comments.)
Londonist: Time Machine
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A playful look at London's history from Londonist.
Ever fancied a paddle through London's sewers? Here's what it's like -> londonist.substack.com/p/whats-it-l...
What's it Like to go into London's Sewers? A feculent photo-essay
You might want to postpone your breakfast for a bit...
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I see that Pret is 40 years old today (according to their own plaque). True story… when I first moved to London in the 90s, I was so introverted and provincial that I didn’t dare set foot inside Pret a Manger, in case I had to order in French.
Our first annual history-writing competition... with cash prizes londonist.substack.com/p/the-1st-an...
The 1st Annual Writing Competition From Londonist: Time Machine
With prizes for London's next great history writers.
londonist.substack.com
He may have been the smallest man from the smallest county, but Jeffery Hudson led a big life... much of it in London londonist.substack.com/p/how-the-sm...
How 'the Smallest Man From the Smallest County' Came to London
... and led the biggest life.
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Previously unseen aerial photos of London in 1983 show the city on the cusp of change. And we've recreated each one in Google Earth, so we can do the 'Now vs Then' thing londonist.substack.com/p/london-in-...
London in 1983 From Above (and Recreated)
Then and Now photos from the air.
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I stumbled across Count Binface with his visor up, and this is the shocking truth
That was the fourth best morning of my life... flying over London in the Goodyear Blimp. London is so, so beautiful from up here. I want to go round again! About 4,000 photos to go through, but here are a few highlights (including the toilet).
The City's first proper skyscraper is now half a century old. The NatWest Tower once dominated the skyline, but is now lost among other towers. Here's its history -> londonist.substack.com/p/50-years-o...
50 Years of the City's First Skyscraper
The NatWest Tower's half-century on the skyline.
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A road sign in Farringdon that speaks for half the nation this morning... 🏴 ⚽️
The forgotten story of the first aeroplane flight over London, and why the pilot got a bit of a b*ll*cking londonist.substack.com/p/the-first-...
The First Aeroplane Flight Over London
Later than you might think.
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Ancient maps and demented entanglograms... these are the biggest 10 stories from the first three years of our history newsletter, Londonist: Time Machine londonist.substack.com/p/top-10-the...
Top 10: The Biggest Articles From Londonist: Time Machine's First 3 Years
Quite a few maps...
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In case you missed it... I just finished colouring in the 1746 map of Mile End, Stepney and Bethnal Green. In took about 25 hours, but it really makes the different types of land and building stand out londonist.substack.com/p/1746-in-co...
1746 in Colour: Bethnal Green, Mile End and Stepney Green
Colouring in the old East End...
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Add this to the list of London streets that sound like they're actually a rotating space-station colony, in orbit around Alpha Centauri.
250 years ago, it was Whitechapel's most prominent landmark...now, very few people have heard about it. londonist.substack.com/p/the-myster...
The Mystery of the Whitechapel Mount
What was this forgotten East End landmark?
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In colour for the first time! Know someone in Bethnal Green, Whitechapel or Stepney? They might like this highly detailed map from 1746, which we just finished colouring in -> londonist.substack.com/p/1746-in-co...
1746 in Colour: Bethnal Green, Mile End and Stepney Green
Colouring in the old East End...
londonist.substack.com
Just seen a press release for a major new book called London: Secret Hidden Places. One of the featured ‘secret hidden places’ is the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, which is first-class trolling.
While the Post Office is busy closing its branches, here’s an example of some branches closing in on the Post Office. This postbox on Drayton Gardens, South Kensington is slowly being devoured by a London plane tree.
What sounds used to be common in London, but are now rare or non-existent? My thoughts -> londonist.substack.com/p/the-lost-s...
The Lost Sounds of London
How the city's soundscape has changed.
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The pair of glasses on the right were worn by both Bono AND Ali G; just one of the unusual exhibits at London's most central museum (free to explore) -> londonist.substack.com/p/londons-mo...
London's Most Central Museum is an Eye on the Past
Why you should give the British Optical Association Museum a look-see.
londonist.substack.com
This is my favourite topical joke from 1880: "If William Penn’s aunts kept a pastry shop, what would be the prices of their pies? The pie-rates of Penn’s Aunts"
"More of gravy than of grave..."? The Victorians were masters of the terrible pun, and we've compiled some London-themed examples in the article below -> londonist.substack.com/p/victorian-...
Victorian Jokes: The Old Ones Aren't the Best
What groan-some jokes tell us about Victorian society.
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The oldest things on Old Street... from buildings and trees to adverts and street art londonist.substack.com/p/the-old-th...
The Old Things of Old Street
How old is Old Street and what old things does it hold?
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12 years ago today, we lost the incomparable Pan Global Phenomenon who was Dr The Rik Mayall. That's how he's described on his memorial bench, which stands proudly on a traffic island in the middle of Hammersmith's one-way system (where the opening titles to Bottom were filmed)
We walked from Marble Arch to Edgware ("London's windscreen wiper") so you don't have to. Not the most picturesque of walks, but it does have some serious history -> londonist.substack.com/p/10-roman-m...
10 Roman Miles up the Watling Street
An historical walk along Edgware Road.
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This astonishing painting shows the crowds of Paddington in 1862. In this article, we've dug into the details -> londonist.substack.com/p/anatomy-of...
Anatomy of a Painting: The Railway Station, by William Powell Frith
Paddington station in 1862.
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Dr Johnson famously said that there is, in London, all that life can afford. But even he would have raised eyebrows at this Kilburn shop that sells nothing but pomegranates and pomegranate juice.
London History: Can you beat the top score in this year's Big Pub Quiz? londonist.substack.com/p/london-his...
London Historians Big Pub Quiz 2026: Can you Beat the Winning Score?
50 questions of London history.
londonist.substack.com
It's often said that the Savoy forecourt is the only place in the UK where vehicles must drive on the right. Not quite true. Hammersmith bus garage (pictured in all its loveliness) is another. And I bet there are others.
Wheeeee! Apparently, zip-wires have a long history. Here's the story of a guy who zipped down from Monument in the 1730s (and broke his neck a few weeks later) londonist.substack.com/p/the-spider...
The 'Zip-Wires' of Old London
Rope sliders of yesteryear.
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