Thameslink’s new advertising campaign reckons “Every stop is a story”. This one seems to be the screenplay to an episode of Casualty.
M@
@mattfromlondon.bsky.social
London explorer. Chief pilot of Londonist: Time Machine, a Substack about London History. Follow for lots of geeky observations about London.
The Northern Line, if it were proper Northern. (Made this a few years back, but thought I’d whippet out again.)
Thought of the day: can anything else be “stark” apart from nakedness, contrast, relief and Tony?
I stumbled across Count Binface with his visor up, and this is the shocking truth
If I’m counting right, Rosenior’s replacement will be the 28th manager Chelsea have had since 2000… more than one per season. www.independent.co.uk/sport/footba...
Chelsea sack Liam Rosenior LIVE: Blues bin boss of just three months after awful run
Rosenior had led Chelsea to five straight Premier League losses without scoring – their worst run since 1912 – and a hopeless 3-0 defeat to Brighton on Tuesday evening was the final straw
independent.co.uk
Been working round town today. Of the four cafes/pubs I’ve been in, three played a Nick Drake track as background music. Has he been rediscovered yet again by a new generation (or did he never go away)?
Great to see my local council are planting trees… in, um, the penalty box.
TV. 100 years old today. I feel right proud to be invited to the original site where it happened, above Bar Italia in Soho. Got a selfie with Stooky Bill, the first face on TV.
I put together this “entanglogram” of London history, which links together famous people, places, events, lost rivers, Tube lines and cats. It’s a little bit demented but I hope you like it. open.substack.com/pub/londonis...
The History of London... in one Deranged Entanglogram
Or 'what happens when I drink some whisky and let my brain tumble out'.
open.substack.com
The Marquis Cornwallis pub in Bloomsbury is a pleasant if unremarkable pub… until you go to the toilets and notice the battle scene hanging on the north wall
We asked people to come up with alternative names for the London boroughs, with prizes for the best. Here are the results… and Mike’s made pretend logos for the new boroughs….
Mike Hall@thisismikehall.com · 10mo ago🎺🥁 ANNOUNCING the winners of our recent Rename a Borough competition! 🏆 Each will receive a signed map of Greater London AND a copy of 'The Boroughs of London' by me and @mattfromlondon.bsky.social All of us enjoyed reading through the submissions, and here are our ten favourites: 🧵
🎺🥁 ANNOUNCING the winners of our recent Rename a Borough competition! 🏆 Each will receive a signed map of Greater London AND a copy of 'The Boroughs of London' by me and @mattfromlondon.bsky.social All of us enjoyed reading through the submissions, and here are our ten favourites: 🧵
Mike Hall@thisismikehall.com · 11mo ago🚨 COMPETITION TIME! 🚨 💭 Play the role of a 1960s London councillor and invent a new name for an existing London Borough! The best suggestions will win a signed map of Greater London by me, AND a copy of 'The Boroughs of London' courtesy of Batsford Books! ℹ️ More info at bit.ly/BorosComp
Blimey, my book was second only to the Booker Prize winner in Daunt bookshops last month, according to The Times. Sold out on Amazon, too! You can still track copies down in most high street bookshops though… they make excellent Christmas presents 😉
A reminder that this time next week @mattfromlondon.bsky.social and I will be at Enfield Waterstones signing copies of our book The Boroughs of London! ✍🏻📚 If you're in north London that evening, do stop by! ⏰ 6pm, Wed 26 Nov 📍 26 Church St, Enfield EN2 6BE www.waterstones.com/events/the-b...
Want to win our new book, The Boroughs of London? It’s the only competition ever (probably) where you have to pretend to be a 1960s London councillor…
Mike Hall@thisismikehall.com · 11mo ago🚨 COMPETITION TIME! 🚨 💭 Play the role of a 1960s London councillor and invent a new name for an existing London Borough! The best suggestions will win a signed map of Greater London by me, AND a copy of 'The Boroughs of London' courtesy of Batsford Books! ℹ️ More info at bit.ly/BorosComp
So, so chuffed that The Boroughs of London is currently filling the window of @dauntbookspub.bsky.social in Marylebone. It’s a real honour. If you can’t get to the shop you can order from them here dauntbooks.co.uk/shop/books/t...
The Boroughs of London by me and @mattfromlondon.bsky.social is now in the shops (out Oct 21st in North America)! 📚 Here’s a thread on what it’s about, what’s inside, and why - if you love all things London, local history, boundaries, facts, trivia and above all MAPS - you’re in for a treat. 🧵⬇️
I’ve been and done a book, with @thisismikehall.com It’s out now! A cartographic celebration of the 32 London boroughs (plus the Square Mile), with around 350 ideas of places to visit. It’s turned out handsomly (even if I haven’t) open.substack.com/pub/londonis...
The Boroughs of London at 60
I put some words into a book.
open.substack.com
🚨 London lovers! Come see me and Londonist supremo @mattfromlondon.bsky.social talk about our new book THE BOROUGHS OF LONDON at Stanfords next month! 📍 Stanfords (@stanfordstravel.bsky.social) 7 Mercer Walk, WC2H 9FA 🗓️ 7pm, Thu 9th October 🎟️ £8.00 (inc 🍷) ➡️ www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/the-boroug...
🚨 One month to go till THE BOROUGHS OF LONDON by me and @mattfromlondon.bsky.social hits the shops! Packed with maps and illustrations, learn about London's 32 boroughs, how they came to be, the fascinating places in each, and much more history and trivia besides. Preorder today! ℹ️ bit.ly/BorosLdn
At the lovely Mercia Marina — supposedly the largest inland marina in Europe — in Derbyshire. Besides the obvious, it has shops, restaurants, a Norse goddess, free bikes, and a Cheese Boat that also sells novelty socks. Idyllic.
A reminder that the nice people at Waterstones are offering a 25% discount on preorder copies of me and @mattfromlondon.bsky.social’s new book The Boroughs of London (UK shipping only). Offer ends midnight tomorrow! ➡️ www.waterstones.com/book/the-bor...
An explicit version of Beethoven’s Fifth? What? I thought it was the Third that was dubbed the Erotica Symphony
I’m pretty sure the Royal Courts of Justice in London inspired Castle Grayskull
