May 2021 archive

Cloth Fair, EC1A

Cloth Fair stands where the original Bartholomew Fair was held in medieval times.

Old Dick Whittington, EC1A

The Dick Whittington Inn at 24 Cloth Fair was a sixteenth century building and once part of a row of medieval buildings lining the street.

The Hill of Dreams and Far Off Things

Contents Getting it Straight in Notting Hill Gate The Hill of Dreams Arthur Machen, who lived on Clarendon Road in the 1880s, wrote the horror fantasy novels ‘The Great God Pan’, ‘The Hill of Dreams’ and ‘The Three Imposters’. He became best known during World War I when his short story ‘The Bowmen’ gave rise …

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TUM Book Club: The Writing On The Wall

Roger Perry’s The Writing on the Wall was last seen in book shops nearly 40 years ago. It was arguably the first major survey of London’s fledgling graffiti scene, and helped establish a trend which has ultimately led to the massive proliferation of such books, visible in nearly every book store and museum gift shop …

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Argyle Road, W13

Argyle Road came into existence in 1870.

Christmas Street, SE1

Christmas Street ran north from Tower Bridge Road, west of Green Walk.

Alderman’s Walk, EC2M

Alderman’s Walk was formerly Dashwood’s Walk, for Francis Dashwood, who lived here in the 18th century.

Thomas Hardy in the Madding Crowd

As the last few plots of rural Notting Hill were built over, Thomas Hardy took lodgings at 16 Westbourne Park Villas when he was working as a church draughtsman. From this decidedly urban setting alongside the railway lines just outside of Paddington, Hardy made his first tentative literary steps and pursued the Orsett Terrace lady’s …

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Bayswater Road, W2

Bayswater Road is the main road running along the northern edge of Hyde Park.

Collins’ Music Hall

Collins’ Music Hall was a notable Islington venue.