A map showing new housing projects with over 2,000 new homes. Image: Londonist, with background from OpenStreetMap. © OpenStreetMap contributors.

London needs more homes; on this most people agree. But where to put them all?

The new Draft London plan proposes that the capital gains 558,000 new homes by 2037, or around 50-60,000 per year. It's an ambitious target, even with the raft of new measures to speed up home building.

We'll leave the 'how' and 'why' to others. Here we want to take stock of all the large housing projects in the pipeline. This includes schemes that are still at proposal stage, through to those which are already under way. To keep things manageable, we've restricted entries to those with 2,000 new homes or more. We've probably missed a few, so let us know in the comments if you know of others we should add.

Aylesbury Estate

The Aylesbury Estate in 2021. Image: Matt Brown

Borough: Southwark
Developers: Southwark Council and Notting Hill Genesis
Homes: 4,200
Completion: ~2035

Work to regenerate the estate has been rumbling on for years, with all kinds of complications and and delays. About a quarter of the new homes have been completed, as Southwark seek a new development partner to replace Notting Hill Genesis.

Barking Riverside

Barking Riverside in 2015. Things can only get better. Image: Matt Brown

Borough: Barking & Dagenham
Developers: Barking Riverside Ltd, comprising L&Q and GLA Land and Property
Homes: 20,000
Completion: 2046

London's single biggest housing development, Barking Riverside is now set to include some 20,000 new homes, around 4,000 of which will be designated as 'affordable'. The mega-project began a few years ago on land once occupied by Barking Power Station. It was spurred on by completion of the Overground extension to the new Barking Riverside station. Outline planning permission was recently granted for the full 20,000, in what was the largest planning application for housing in the UK. It will take around two decades to complete, though phased occupation will roll out much sooner. More info: Barking Riverside website.

Beam Park

Borough: Barking and Dagenham, and Havering
Developers: London and Quadrant and Countryside Properties
Homes: ~4,000
Completion: 2030-2035

Taking advantage of land formerly occupied by the Ford motor works, this major development is already under way and aims to include 50% affordable housing and 25% suitable for families. The scheme will include a new railway station called Beam Park on the C2C line. More info: Beam Park website

Beckton Riverside

The Phase 1 development. Image: JTP

Borough: Newham
Developers: St William/Berkeley
Homes: ~10,000
Completion: ~2056

Outline planning consent was recently given for phase 1 of this major development, which will see almost 3,000 homes built on the former gasworks site. A second phase would bring 3,000 more homes, with the remaining 4,000 dependent on a new DLR station. More info: Architects' Journal.

Brent Cross Town

Brent Cross Town under construction. Image: Matt Brown

Borough: Barnet
Developers: Related Argent/Barnet Council
Homes: 6,700
Completion: 2035

Anyone who's traversed the northern suburbs on the Thameslink Bedford/St Albans line can't have missed the huge construction works under way around Brent Cross. The numerous residential blocks are served by a new station, Brent Cross West, which opened in 2023. Besides thousands of homes, the scheme will deliver new office space, three new schools, eight public squares, sports facilities and 50 acres of green space. More info: Brent Cross Town website.

Billingsgate

Borough: Tower Hamlets
Developer: tbc
Homes: 10,000
Completion: tbc

After Billingsgate fish market moves out to the Royal Docks, Tower Hamlets council intends to redevelop the land for housing. With nearby plots at Poplar DLR depot and the New City College campus, some 10,000 new homes could be unlocked. This one is at a very early stage, with no planning permission or private sector partners.

Canada Water

Image: Matt Brown

Borough: Southwark
Developer: British Land, AustralianSuper and Southwark Council
Homes: 4,184
Completion: ~2035

This huge redevelopment of former docklands into residential is already in motion, with the landmark 39-storey tower The Founding already complete. In a familiar story, the promised 35% affordable housing has been 'revised' to 9% in the latest tweaks to the masterplan. Among other amenities, the development also includes that bright red bridge everyone got excited about a couple of years ago. More info: Canada Water website.

Charlton Riverside

Borough: Greenwich
Developer: Greenwich Council, TfL, GLA
Homes: 8,000
Completion: Unknown

Long earmarked for redevelopment, the former industrial lands between Greenwich Peninsula and Woolwich moved a step closer toward reality recently with the announcement of this public-sector-led partnership. This scheme is at the earliest of stages, with no start or completion date. More info.

Colindale/Burnt Oak

Colindale has been a major building site for years, as pictured here from Hendon in 2019. Image: Matt Brown

Borough: Barnet/Brent
Developer: Various
Homes: 12,500
Completion: Unknown

The Colindale masterplan has been rumbling on for two decades, with numerous independent projects under one grand area plan. Much has already been built, turning the area into a forest of medium-rise blocks. The Tube station has been remodelled to cope with the increased footfall. More info.

Earls Court

Image: Earls Court Development Company

Boroughs: Kensington & Chelsea, and Hammersmith & Fulham
Developer: Earls Court Development Company (Delancey/APG/TfL)
Homes: ~4,000
Completion: 2041

This complex brownfield development on the site of the old exhibition centres straddles rail lines and two boroughs. Planning permission has been approved, and the first construction work should begin in 2027. Besides around 4,000 homes, the car-free neighbourhood will see cultural venues, office space and new pedestrian connections between three Tube stations (West Brompton, West Kensington and Earl's Court). In case you're wondering, the development lacks an apostrophe (like Earls Court Road) while the Tube station has one. No idea why. More info: Earls Court Development Company, and our own explainer.

Grand Union, Alperton

Image: Berkeley

Borough: Brent
Developer: Berkeley
Homes: 3,350
Completion: 2029

The first phase of the redevelopment of former industrial land along the Grand Union Canal is already complete, with a second in advanced progress. The development includes 1,000 affordable homes, including 115 council homes. More info: Berkeley website.

Greenwich Peninsula

Greenwich Peninsula already sports a number of tower blocks, but many more are still to rise. Image: Matt Brown

Borough: Greenwich
Developer: Knight Dragon/various
Homes: ~25,500
Completion: ~2043

Every time we head to North Greenwich, there's a new housing block under construction. It's a mega-masterplan, which will take about a third of a century to complete. Our total includes many blocks that have already been delivered, though many sites have yet to begin construction. The excellent From the Murky Depths has a detailed breakdown of the different developments within the masterplan. More info: Greenwich Peninsula website.

Heron Wharf

Borough: Tower Hamlets
Developers: Berkeley
Homes: 2,900
Completion: 2029

The redevelopment of an old gasworks site is already happening. The project will include 223 new council homes, after Tower Hamlets bought some of the plots from Berkeley. More info: Berkeley website

Kensal Canalside

Image: Ballymore

Borough: Kensington & Chelsea
Developers: Ballymore and Sainsbury's
Homes: 2,500
Completion: Unknown

The former gasworks site will be heavily redeveloped in one of the borough's largest housing projects in living memory. The scheme recently won council approval and now awaits a mayoral decision before going ahead.

Kidbrooke Village

Borough: Greenwich
Developers: Berkeley
Homes: 5,500
Completion: 2030s

Built initially to replace the Ferrier Estate, Kidbrooke Village is fast nearing completion with the fifth of six phases now under way. Smaller developments nearby will raise the total number of local homes beyond the total shown here.

Meridian Water

Borough: Enfield
Developers: Enfield Council
Homes: 10,000
Completion: ~2040

Work has commenced on this four-phase development alongside the Lea Valley. Led by the local council, the project has a high proportion of affordable homes. The development also hopes to nurture small and creative businesses at the site, which is served by the new-ish Meridian Water railway station. More info: Meridian Water website.

New Bermondsey

Image: Renewal

Borough: Lewisham
Developers: Renewal
Homes: 3,500
Completion: Unknown

Former industrial land around Millwall's stadium will be transformed into a residential-led neighbourhood through a series of distinctive tower blocks. The plans will also see a new Windrush line station called Surrey Canal, serving the area and football ground. Planning permission is granted for the initial stages and work should begin in 2027. More info: New Bermondsey website.

Old Kent Road

The masterplan includes some pretty tall towers. Image: Farrells.

Borough: Southwark
Developers: Various, with Southwark Council and the GLA
Homes: 20,000
Completion: ~2041

Old Kent Road is notoriously a cheap place to build houses, at least on the Monopoly board. That's only part of the reason why this mega-housing project is going ahead, however. It hopes to tap into significant brownfield sites, and spur on construction of the Bakerloo line extension, which would run through the heart of the development with three new halts. The aim is to make about 35% of the new homes 'affordable', with some 5,000 homes on social rent. Work is now under way at several sites, with more in for planning. More info: Old Kent Road development site.

Old Oak and Park Royal

Image: OPDC

Boroughs: Brent, Ealing, Hammersmith & Fulham
Developers: Mayor of London’s statutory Mayoral Development Corporation (private sector partners yet to be appointed)
Homes: 8,000
Completion: ~2050

This complicated project will see thousands of homes built in phases across brownfield land. The development is anchored on the new Old Oak Common station, currently under construction for HS2 and the Elizabeth line. The £10 billion scheme was kickstarted in 2015 by Mayor Boris Johnson. More than a decade on, and the private sector partners are yet to be appointed (though tendering is under way). More info: Old Oak Common website.

Royal Arsenal Riverside

Royal Arsenal Riverside, seen from across the Thames. Image: Matt Brown

Borough: Greenwich
Developer: Berkeley
Homes: 5,000
Completion: 2032

At time of writing, some four-fifths of these new homes have been completed, on historic dockyard land close to the Elizabeth line. Although many of the apartments are new-build, the development also converted many Grade I and Grade-I-listed buildings for residential use. More info: Berkeley Homes website.

Silvertown

Image: Silvertown Partnership

Borough: Newham
Developers: Silvertown Partnership (GLA Land and Property/Lendlease)
Homes: 7,000
Completion: ~2030s

This part of the Royal Docks has remained derelict for decades, used only for photo shoots and Hollywood movies. At its heart is the Millennium Mills building, a vast flour mill that has stood empty since the 1980s, but which would make a striking centrepiece for any regeneration. Now it looks like happening, with a Mayor-backed 'Singapore style' development that will see the first 1,000 homes under construction by 2028. The scheme will also see a new curvy bridge across the dock to Excel. More info: Silvertown website

Stratford Cross

Borough: Newham
Developers: Lendlease/The Crown Estate
Homes: 2,000
Completion: ~2031

Another major housing development on the edge of the Olympic Park. This one mixes affordable and market-rate homes with student accommodation and co-living flats in the land between Westfield and the Olympic Park (and therefore beside the East Bank cultural hub). Planning permission is pending. It's part of a wider, national effort by Lendlease and Crown Estates to develop 9,000 new homes. More info: Stratford Cross website.

Thameside West

Image: Foster + Partners

Borough: Newham
Developers: Regal
Homes: 5,000+
Completion: 2037

Master-plannned by Foster + Partners, this huge development will fill a large section of riverside opposite the O2, and close to the Dangleway station and City Hall. This was the former site of the Carlsberg and Tetley brewery, though it's long been vacant. The project received planning permission as far back as 2021, but now looks set to start after a Dubai cash injection. A new DLR station will also be part of the mix. More info: Thameside West website.

Thamesmead Waterfront

Image: Thamesmead Waterfront

Borough: Greenwich
Developers: Peabody/Lendlease
Homes: ~15,000
Completion: Post-2040

First conceived in 2019, this huge development has since been cast as one of the Government's 'new towns' (and the only one in London, now that the Crews Hill site has withdrawn). The land has been earmarked for housing for years, always let down by a lack of public transport. The recent approval of the new DLR link to Thamesmead will now help unlock this housing project. More info: Thamesmead Waterfront website.

TwelveTrees Park, West Ham

Borough: Newham
Developers: Berkeley
Homes: ~4,700
Completion: ~2045

This major development could scarcely be more convenient for the Tube, with a new entrance direct into West Ham station. Construction on the first phase is already complete, with more to begin soon. A new school will be part of the development, on brownfield land that previously held a Parcelforce depot. More info: Berkeley website.

Wembley Park

Image: Quintain

Borough: Brent
Developers: Quintain
Homes: 8,500
Completion: 2027

Wembley Park has been under development for two decades now, and Quintain has already delivered around 6,000 of the promised 8,500 new homes on this site. Around a third of these properties are deemed affordable, and the wider development will be the UK's largest single-site Build to Rent development when it completes.

Max Wilkinson, writer of Night City — which is currently on at Southwark Playhouse Borough — recalls the trials and tribulations of becoming a writer in London.

"I started scrolling through university pages to steal their reading lists, finding the cheapest flat-share rat holes, taking any weird little job that would be foolish enough to employ me." Image: Ron Lach, Pexels License

I've always wanted to a writer. In London, that can mean being perpetually broke and frightened.

I fully threw myself into writing at 22. I was never formally trained, and with the arrogance and delusion of the autodidact, I started scrolling through university pages to steal their reading lists, finding the cheapest flat-share rat holes, taking any weird little job that would be foolish enough to employ me.

And writing. Any spare moment I got.

"I was let go from a Superdrug for reading Animal Farm at the make-up counter"

"I trimmed fig trees for a Canadian Heiress in Putney who fed her two massive lurchers Chateau Lafite." Image: Barney Goodman, Unsplash License

I was always good at finding odd jobs and hustling. When I was young I sold sweets and Pokémon cards out of my bag. I bunked off school and walked dogs for our blind neighbour. I was also fired a lot. A Superdrug let me go for reading Animal Farm at the make-up counter. A pub in Kensal Green fired me, as my banter was "not quite right."

This continued into my twenties, while I desperately tried to get better at writing. I became a tree surgeon's assistant at one point after a tip from a friend in a pub. I trimmed fig trees for a Canadian Heiress in Putney who fed her two massive lurchers Chateau Lafite. Then I somehow got a job in events crewing: lugging equipment for gigs and events. The company was obviously desperate. Amongst leviathan men, I mounted huge curtains for the annual UK Arms Fair at the Excel centre, and fell asleep on some cables after a 48-hour extended shift at the Roundhouse. I lasted three weeks.

"I ended up hungover in a closed-down library next to Holloway prison with a load of metal-teethed punks"

The author, pictured here not being berated by dogs. Image: Max Wilkinson

Being rubbish at online applications, I often applied for jobs the old school way: in person. There was a point where I couldn't afford to top up my Oyster card so had to walk everywhere. One day I walked seven miles to a reputable, avant-garde theatre (I won't name it here) which normally had such a vigorous online vetting system. My gaunt, hungry eyes at the reception desk warranted a quick interview with the bar manager, who I think respected my cavalier attitude/sheer desperation.

He fired me a few months later. They were having a Samuel Beckett season, and after a very brilliant production of 'Not I', I got tipsy, and found my manager down in the bar. He had mysteriously been on holiday for a week in Amsterdam, which had more mysteriously turned into three weeks. I quipped that maybe he had eloped with a lady of the night. The next day I received an email headed: 'Termination of contract'. So much for the personal touch.

I was always finding cheaper ways to live. I used to go to Cafe Neros and sit near empty coffee cups to suggest they had once been mine. I tried squatting with a pal in King's Cross: a huge office block next to a church. We were evicted after a month and moved into an ex-Job Centre in Camden. We were evicted after five days. I ended up hungover in a closed-down library next to Holloway prison with a load of metal-teethed punks whose dogs used the floor as a toilet.

"I tutored a boy who told me his dad was 'big in the Filipino mafia' and kept AK47s in the loft"

"Every time I would visit the boys I would have to check in my passport with men at the gates and their Alsatian dogs." Image: Ethan Wilkinson, Pexels License

A few more years slugging it in London, and I finally found freelance tutoring through a friend, teaching the 11+ to the wealthy children of Kensington and beyond. This paid better, and was of course more intellectually gratifying at least. But sometimes you were just being a glorified nanny. I tutored two boys from Iran who were renting their 'summer house' in West Brompton that was also rented/frequently occupied by royals and at one time, a young Prince Charles. Every time I would visit the boys — who incidentally were complete s**ts — I would have to check in my passport with men at the gates and their Alsatian dogs. In St John's Wood, I tutored a boy who told me his dad was "big in the Filipino mafia" and kept AK47s upstairs in the loft.

But then I started teaching in state schools — more familiar territory — and running after school clubs for creative writing. The kids were great and loved the classes and I finally found something, that paid — and that I was good at.

Around the same time, I won a few accolades for my plays and an option or two. Finally, things were happening for me. Or at least I could say I was a 'writer' without cringing horribly inside.

I still teach a lot, I still write a lot. And I'm still worried that I'll wake up on the floor of some horrible squat with marauding dogs defecating everywhere. But I'm quite happy. And I don't look back at these events fondly, or begrudgingly. I just look back.

Night City — Max's love letter to (and horror story about) the London gig economy — runs at the Southwark Playhouse until 3 October 2026.

Covent Garden will light up for Christmas in mid-November. Image: Covent Garden

With (just?) 100 until Christmas, the switch-on dates for two of London's most popular illumination displays have been announced.

Carnaby Street's festive unveil is on Wednesday 4 November 2026, "inspired by the feel-good nostalgia of the 90s" — very much on trend right now, given the doomy times we live in. (How about going all out and inviting the Spice Girls to switch the lights on, as they did on Oxford Street 30 years ago?). For the last couple of Christmases, Carnaby's boxy Christmas lights — made from 60,000 energy-efficient LEDs — have been reused to reduce waste, and we expect to see them again in 2026, albeit with that 90s twist. One other thing: in 2025, Regent Street's lights were switched on the same day as Carnaby's, though there's no official confirmation that'll be the case this year.

Carnaby's lights will have a nostalgic 1990s theme. Image: Carnaby

Covent Garden lights up for Christmas on Thursday 12 November 2026, marking the return of its "Theatre of Christmas" campaign. As you can see from the top image in this article, the occasion draws QUITE the crowd, with a switch-on from the balcony of Covent Garden Market, which includes the lighting of a British-grown tree in the West Piazza — plus those oversized gold bells, mirror balls and baubles, which will be back inside the Market Building. More festive recycling, which we're all for.

In other 'don't shoot the messenger' news, London's Santa's grottos tend to sell out quickly. And now we'll let you get back to enjoying the last days of the summer.

Celebrate Diwali 2026 in London. Image: Udayaditya Barua, Pexels License

London always does Diwali in style.

This vibrant 'festival of lights' is celebrated by people from several different countries and religions, including Sikhs, Hindus, Buddhists and Jains. Specific traditions differ, but Diwali is generally seen as the triumph of good over evil, and often involves lanterns and oil lamps — making it a visually arresting occasion.

Diwali this year unfolds in early November, with the main event on Sunday 8 November 2026. Most of London's public events happen a little before then:

Diwali Story - A Musical

Following a sold-out debut at the Royal Albert Hall, Diwali Story ("the greatest story in Indian culture") comes to Wembley Arena, telling the tale of Lord Ram — who sits at the heart of Diwali celebrations —  through music, songs, dance and theatre. It's performed in English, and designed for a new generation of audiences.

Diwali Story - A Musical, 27 September 2026.

Diwali 2026 at Marble Hill

English Heritage property Marble Hill celebrates the Festival of Lights with an afternoon of Diwali activities. Take part in a lantern-making workshop, and watch performances by dancers, dhol drummers, and giant puppets — while immersing yourself in illuminations.

Diwali at Marble Hill, 24 October 2026.

Diwali on Trafalgar Square 2026

The Mayor of London's team organises London's biggest Diwali festival. Image © Greater London Authority

This free festival in central London is the city's biggest Diwali celebration. Organised by the Mayor of London, it's open to all, and takes place a couple of weeks ahead of Diwali itself, on 25 October 2026.

Around 35,000 people usually attend, enjoying live music and dance performances on the stage and throughout the Square.

South Asian food is the order of the day, with street food stalls selling vegan and vegetarian dishes, as well as sweets. There's also information on the background of the festival for Londoners and tourists who are less familiar with Diwali.

Diwali on Trafalgar Square, 25 October 2026. FREE.

Diwali at Bloomsbury Festival 2026

Image: Bloomsbury Festival

Bloomsbury Festival runs throughout October, coming to a close on the final day of the month with a double dose of Diwali Celebrations. Bramber Green on Judd Street holds an outdoor Diwali celebration with Bollywood music and food. The nearby Holy Cross Church offers a showcase of 'Kuchipudi' Indian dance , along with creative workshops for all ages, and other celebrations.

Diwali at Bloomsbury Festival, 31 October 2026. Both events FREE.

Celebrating Diwali at the Royal Albert Hall

Indian singer Kavita Krishnamurti headlines a charity Diwali concert at the Royal Albert Hall. Accompanied by the Royal Philharmonic Concert Orchestra and a team of musicians from India, she performs arrangements composed exclusively for the occasion by Rahul Ranade.

Celebrating Diwali at the Royal Albert Hall, 1 November 2026.

Diwali Fireworks in Harrow

London's absolutely lit with firework displays around late October and early November, the majority of them centring around Guy Fawkes and the Gunpowder Plot. Harrow's fireworks in Byron Park combine 5 November commemorations with Diwali celebrations. Enjoy entertainment including a funfair and Diwali dance choreography before the main firework display.

Harrow's Diwali Fireworks, 7 November 2026.

Special Diwali 2026 menus and meals at London restaurants

Many London restaurants serve special Diwali menus, host Diwali supper clubs or mark the festival in other ways. We'll add 2026 details to this page when we have them.

Fun Palaces are springing up over London this October. Image: Sean Pollock

A series of 'Fun Palaces' will spring up over London early this October, bringing with them community-led events celebrating creativity in all its forms.

The concept of a Fun Palace was conceived in 1961 by the playwright Joan Littlewood and architect Cedric Price, who imagined a 'laboratory of fun' accessible to all, including those who wouldn’t normally go to arts venues or centres of learning.

Littlewood and Price never built their own Fun Palace, but in 2013, the first were finally made a reality, and since then they've been inspiring, informing and entertaining countless folk up and down the country.

The Fun Palace concept was conceived by the playwright Joan Littlewood and architect Cedric Price. Image: Sean Pollock

A long weekend of Fun Palace activity takes place across the UK from Friday 2 to Sunday 4 October 2026, with a number of events in the capital.

The programme is still evolving as we write — and most announced events so far are taking place on the Saturday — but among those confirmed are:

🤡 A day of crafting, circus and gardening for kids (3 October, Bethnal Green)

🎭 A series of drama workshops and zine making (3 October, Homerton)

🌸 Alpona, a form of floral Bengali folk art painting (3 October, Isle of Dogs)

🎪 A 'market place' where groups can exchange activities; plus a heritage trail led by the Sydenham Society (3 October, Sydenham)

To find a Fun Palace near you, browse this map.

Fun Palaces, London-wide, 2-4 October 2026, free

Miniature model maker Dean Sarsfield writes about his hobby, which recently had him downsize a much-loved Holborn pub — and now has him nominated for a prestigious art prize.

"It's a beautiful old pub with real character — exactly the kind of building I love recreating." Image: Dean Sarsfield

"I could easily do 100 hours a week and it doesn't feel like work."

As a stay-at-home dad in Limerick, Ireland making miniature models became a way to combine a creative outlet with art and 3D printing, have fun and meet new people.

I was working in Aircraft leasing with a few engineering degrees under my belt but one of us needed to stay at home with the kids. I started making these dioramas/miniatures in February of this year. I made one of my friends as a joke, shared it with my friends' WhatsApp group for a bit of craic and realised I loved it. I haven't stopped since.

Niall, one of the owners of Ye Old White Horse in Holborn, started following me on Instagram. I thought it was a bit random that a London pub was following me. But I reached out and pitched the idea, and it went from there.

I really wanted the chance to make Ye Old White Horse as it looked cool, totally different from my usual work here in Limerick. It's a beautiful old pub with real character — exactly the kind of building I love recreating.

"I run out of acetate for the windows I've found that the clear plastic on Barbie boxes that my daughter has are very useful"

Mini pub: meet actual pub. Image: Dean Sarsfield

I don't know if you’ve ever tried to measure a random pub but it can be quite difficult. Eventually you figure out a measuring process. When you have measurements then you can start scaling things down. I normally work on a 1:24 scale which means it's 24 times smaller than the real thing. No specific reason why but I seem to be comfortable at this size and the finished pieces can normally fit on a shelf, so it's a win.

Then I build the core structure. From there it's about layering in the character, texturing the render, matching the paint colours (the White Horse's dark, weathered olive/bottle green took some getting right), then adding the fine details: hand-painted figures, tiny period touches like a "Lovely day for a Guinness" poster, floor tiling — and zooming into the photos to find random signs that really add the essence of the pub.

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The base is plywood, the structure is foam board, cardboard, plastic, wood. I usually try to use whatever is at hand in my tiny office. Sometimes if I run out of acetate for the windows I've found that the clear plastic on Barbie boxes that my daughter has are very useful. Washing up liquid bottles can become desk lamps, really whatever is at hand can be used. The only limit is your imagination.

I’m like a kid playing with action figures. I love layering the paints to try to recreate real-life colours, adding textures with decorator's caulk and rolling a ball of tinfoil over it.

"I sized the model so I could slip it under the seat in front of me on the Ryanair flight"

Good head on those Guinnesses. Image: Dean Sarsfield

I offered to hand deliver the pub when it was completed, partly because I didn't want it getting destroyed in postage/delivery and partly because I wanted to visit London. I worked in Stansted Airport a number of years ago working for Ryanair Engineering, so jumped at the chance to come back for a visit.

I sized the model so I could slip it under the seat in front of me on the Ryanair flight. That way I always had eyes on it and it couldn't get damaged. When I handed it over it felt amazing, something that I had been working on in my office alone for so long was now in London with new owners and they were delighted with the result. It was an amazing feeling, which is something I chase with every handover. What a buzz.

Little Limerick, the model for which Dean has now been nominated for the Cass Art prize. Image: Dean Sarsfield

The model is now proudly up behind the bar on a shelf. If anyone wants to go check it out then please do so. Make sure to say Dean sent you.

As well as seeing Dean's model of the White Horse in the pub, his work Little Limerick goes on display at the Bomb Factory, Marylebone, as part of the 2026 Cass Art prize exhibition from 6-14 November 2026.

Dean is open to more commissions, so if you're a pub/business/building who fancies looking to downsize, contact him vis his Instagram.

Image: Matt Brown

A rare survival from the Second World War, and occasionally open to the public.

St Leonard's Court is an attractive, 1930s apartment complex tucked away in a Mortlake (or East Sheen) cul-de-sac. You'd never know it was here, nor give it much thought at all, save for one thing: it regularly pops up in the Open House Festival listings.

Why? It is one of the few places in London to preserve a Second World War bomb shelter. So rare are these leftovers that this one has Grade II-listed heritage status.

The shelter was constructed in 1938-39, when war with Germany already seemed inevitable. Its reinforced concrete roof sits under the grass forecourt. The only signs that something unusual lies beneath are a set of white skylights (which look like drain covers), and a peculiar conical hut (which looks like a gardener's shed).

In fact, this is the main stairwell down to the bunker. Inside, a set of steep steps  lead down to a very narrow corridor. Twin rooms immediately branch off to either side. These are the original shelter spaces, each of which could hold 60 people.

60 very intimately packed people.

The men's 'day' shelter (though also used at night) with original benches. Further benches would have been positioned across the middle of the room, providing seating for up to 60 men. Note the Gents toilets in the background. Image: Matt Brown

Conditions must have been pretty wretched. The sheltering residents could not lay out, but had to squeeze onto benches in the crowded rooms. There they had to sit upright for hours on end, listening to the (hopefully) far-off explosions until the all-clear was given.

Each room came with a toilet, gents in one room and ladies in the other. These were unplumbed chemical toilets, with no lighting save the dim glow from the main chamber. They would not have been pleasant.

My close-up photo of the toilet was too blurry in the dim lighting... which is probably a good thing. You can just about see it through the gap. Image: Matt Brown

At the height of the Blitz, the residents would be spending most nights in these challenging conditions. Few could get any sleep but, in many cases, were then required to work the next day. They needed beds and, happily, an extension was built in 1940 to include sleeping facilities.

The men's sleeping quarters. The shelves and hooks are original, though most of the wooden planks ('beds') have been removed. Image: Matt Brown

It was hardly the Savoy. The triple-tier bunks came with no padding. Residents either brought their own, or curled up on hard boards. 48 bunks were provided, with separate male and female dormitories (though married couples would share a bunk, sometimes with small children). Residents had to pay a small fee (£7 per year) to rent a bunk, but the original seated rooms (now called 'day rooms') remained free.

One of the bunks has been recreated with spare planks. The beds were actually quite wide, and could easily accommodate a couple, sometimes with a child. Image: Matt Brown

Each room contained an emergency escape route, with simple metal rungs leading up to an aperture. These remain in place, though the surface openings are now fixed shut.

The residents of St Leonard's Court were lucky. No explosive ever landed in their cul-de-sac. Yet the shelter was well used throughout the eight months of the Blitz. After the war, it was turned to a general storage space.

Up to the escape hatch. Image: Matt Brown

Today, it's largely clear of detritus and reasonably well conserved from damp and decay. Local charity Habitats and Heritage have done an excellent job restoring it to the point where the public can visit. What we have, then, is a largely unchanged time capsule, complete with original numbered pegs, shelves, toilets and other fixtures. Nothing quite like it exists in London.

Mortlake is something of a hotbed of curious structures. Across the rail tracks is the old graveyard containing the 'Bedouin tent'-shaped mausoleum of Sir Richard and Lady Burton. Meanwhile, one of the surviving alcoves from Old London Bridge hides a short walk along Sheen Road, on the Courtlands Estate.

The St Leonard's Court bomb shelter is open to group bookings via Habitats and Heritage, and is more generally open during Open House Festival each September (you've missed the 2026 opening).

All weekend

Float your lantern on Clapham Common. Image: Water Lantern Festival

LETTERS TO THE FUTURE: Amelia Dimoldenberg, Ash Sarkar and Olly Alexander lead Letters to the Future, a Southbank Centre programme tackling some of the biggest issues of our time. Cultural figures including creators, writers, activists and thinkers curate a programme of panel discussions, interspersed with talks, performances, free gigs, DJ sets and spoken word. Topics including housing, the future of digital media, and the climate crisis. 18-20 September 2026

WATER LANTERN FESTIVAL: Head to Clapham Common at dusk for the Water Lantern Festival, where you can personalise your own lantern with a wish or memory before releasing it onto the water alongside thousands of others. The lanterns are made from paper, natural wood and an LED candle, so no open flame, no plastic — and nothing that harms the water or the wildlife. All debris is collected after the event, so nothing is left in the water either. 19-20 September 2026

YARD SALE TRAIL: A community-wide yard sale takes place across Southfields, with dozens of household stalls along with satellite hubs at St. Barnabas and St. Michael's. No ticket required — just follow the trail map and expect a mix of secondhand goods, crafts and home-baked items. 19-20 September 2026

OPEN HOUSE: Magnificent architecture festival Open House continues until Sunday, with many usually off-limits buildings opening their doors, and some offering tours. The bulk of events happen at the weekend, but there's plenty to occupy curious Londoners throughout the week too — check out the full programme or peruse our picks of new additions for 2026. FREE, until 20 September 2026

Author Ash Sarkar takes part in Letters to the Future. Image: Jonathan Ring

MOON WEEK: The National Maritime Museum and Royal Observatory in Greenwich team up for Moon Celebration Week, a programme celebrating all things lunar. Highlights this weekend include lunar tours, offering an insight into mapping and exploring the moon, along with special talks, and an evening of astrophotography. Until 20 September 2026.

WALDMULLER LANDSCAPES: The National Gallery presents the first UK exhibition devoted to Austrian painter Ferdinand Georg Waldmüller's landscape paintings. The show gathers views of Vienna's Prater Park, the lakes and mountains of the Salzkammergut and scenes from Sicily — highlighting Waldmüller's use of colour, light and detailed brushwork. FREE, until 20 September 2026

JOCK MCFADYEN: Large-scale paintings of sections of the Tube by Jock McFadyen are on display at Guildhall Art Gallery, accompanied by sound effects recorded by Pogues musician Jem Finer. Underground (And Surface) combines familiar, yet uneasy, tableaux of London with the mechanical-but-melodic sounds we hear every day. Until 20 September 2026

SACRED TREASURES FROM KYIV: See seven exceptional examples of Ukrainian sacred art at the V&A South Kensington, the first time the pieces have been displayed in the UK. The exhibition, Sacred Treasures from Kyiv, features centuries-old craftsmanship from the National Preserve Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra, a significant religious site. FREE, from 14 September 2026

REVIVING CRAFT: China's craft traditions, spanning ceramics, glass, textiles, jewellery and furniture, are put in the spotlight at new Somerset House exhibition Reviving Craft: Reflection of the Mind. Works by artists including Shuang Xi, Ouyang Wendong, Huang Lu, Rosalie Huang, Ren Bo and Tang Zhenzhen appear alongside digital and immersive elements. FREE, 16-27 September 2026

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Celebrate Kensington Market's heritage this London Fashion Week

Legendary fashion and creative hub Kensington Market hosts a special event this weekend, coinciding with London Fashion Week.

This Saturday, Judy's Kensington Vintage Market brings together more than 60 vintage specialists in a new celebration of fashion and individuality. Browse unique items by emerging designers, upcyclers, independent labels and sustainable fashion brands, as well as rare items from some of the original Kensington Market traders. Among the items you can expect: vintage finds, reworked pieces, jewellery, accessories and unique pieces that can't be found on the high street.

Kensington Market has long been a hub for fashion creatives and pop-culture lovers, from the swinging sixties right through to the 2000s. Judy's Kensington Vintage Market combines established vintage traders with the next generation of independent fashion talent, to celebrate its cultural legacy while looking towards the future of British fashion.

Judy's Kensington Vintage Market in collaboration with Opportunity Kensington takes place Saturday 19 September, 10am-4.30pm, on Phillimore Walk. Entry is free.

Saturday 19 September

Learn the art of Mexican ceramics. Image: Los Mochis

MEXICAN CERAMICS: Start your day with a Mexican ceramics pottery class, followed by lunch, at Mexican-Japanese restaurant Los Mochis in Notting Hill. Learn traditional Mexican hand-building techniques with stoneware clay and make your own piece (to be collected in a few weeks), followed by dishes including spicy salmon on crispy rice, ceviche and miso black cod tacos. 10am-2pm

MOSQUE OPEN DAY: Visit My Mosque is an annual national initiative organised by the Muslim Council of Britain, and Whitechapel's East London Mosque & London Muslim Centre is taking part, offering an open day today. People of all faiths (and none) are welcome to take part in guided tours, meet members of the community and learn and ask questions about Islam. FREE, 11am-3pm

CROSSING BORDERS: Forest Hill's Horniman Museum and Gardens hosts Crossing Borders, a free community celebration led by refugees and people seeking sanctuary. The day features a vibrant mix of traditional Afghan kite-making, Honduran folk dance workshops and live Ukrainian music. Catch a live recording of the Ready To Be Cancelled podcast or browse an art exhibition by refugee artists. FREE, 11am-4pm

BERMONDSEY STREET FESTIVAL: Described as a village fete in the city, the 20th edition of Bermondsey Street Festival returns to SE1 with with craft and community stalls dotted along the street celebrating local talent, along with a food and music stage in Tanner Street Park, and a family fun hub in Leathermarket Gardens offering fancy dress, a disco, a dog show and maypole dancing. FREE, 11am-8pm

WOOLWICH BEER FEST: Independent breweries including Northdown Brewery, Bianca Road Brew Co, Big Hug Brewing, Bexley Brewery and Iron Pier are among the guests at the one-day Woolwich Works Big Beer Fest. Expect over 20 beers on tap at the festival bar, a separate wine bar, low‑ and no‑alcohol options, street food traders, live music, guided craft beer tasting masterclasses and a Big Beer Quiz. 12pm/4pm

MID-AUTUMN FESTIVAL: Celebrate Hong Kong's Mid-Autumn Festival with a creative lunch at Yi-Ban in the Docks. It includes traditional rabbit‑lantern making, a mooncake keepsake craft, two handmade snow‑skin mooncakes to take home, cultural stories and a shared dim sum lunch. 12.30pm-4pm

ST GEORGE'S CATHEDRAL: The Victorian Society leads an architectural and ecclesiastical tour of Southwark's St George's Cathedral, the first Roman Catholic cathedral built in London since the Reformation. The visit includes a rare examination of a church plate designed by Augustus Pugin and a tour of the adjoining Archbishop's House. Learn about the building's 1848 opening, its survival through the Blitz, and the post-war reconstruction by Romilly Craze. 2pm-4pm

THE PRODUCERS: Today's the final day of the West End revival of Mel Brooks' The Producers at the Garrick, starring Andy Nyman, Marc Antolin, Trevor Ashley, Raj Ghatak, Harry Morrison and Joanna Woodward. It's based on the film that inspired a subsequent smash Broadway production. 2.30pm/7.30pm

LOVE'S LABOUR'S LOST: Also closing today is Shakespeare's classic comedy Love's Labour's Lost, which receives a sun-drenched makeover at the St Bride Foundation in Fleet Street. This bittersweet rock musical reimagines the story as a university college reunion filled with pop-rock bangers and outrageous gags. 2.30pm/7.30pm

It's Big Gay Beaver Day! Image: Citizen Zoo

BIG GAY BEAVER DAY: "A fundraiser celebrating beavers and the queer community, featuring drag performances, DJs and lesbian arm wrestling" — that's Big Gay Beaver Day. Head to Paradise Fields in Ealing for guided tours of the beaver enclosure, followed by an evening of entertainment at nearby Horsenden Hill Farm, all raising money to support Citizen Zoo's ongoing work to restore beavers to London's waterways. 4pm-10pm

THE CANDLELIGHT CLUB: Regular speakeasy party The Candlelight Club celebrates 16 years with New Orleans jazz from the six-piece Red Hot Rhythm Revival, vintage-vinyl DJs the Bee's Knees, host Eva Von Schnippisch and burlesque from Jolie Papillon. Tarot readings by Lucius and a pop-up vintage jewellery stall from Michelle Krausz add to the festivities, all happening at a secret south London location. 7pm-1am

SEX AND DISABILITY: Groundbreaking new musical Sex & Disability is on at Artsdepot, exploring love and life within the disability community. It follows Nick, a young stroke survivor, his online romance with Lucinda, and the complications that arise when his carer Jasmine becomes involved. 7.30pm

COUNTRY SUPERSTARS: Pay tribute to the late, great Dolly Parton and other stalwarts of the country genre as Country Superstars barrels into Fairfield Halls in Croydon. Tribute artists team up with the Country Superstars Band to perform impersonations of Dolly Parton, Kenny Rogers, Patsy Cline, Johnny Cash, Shania Twain and Luke Combs among others. 7.45pm

SCARED TO DANCE: Alternative club night Scared to Dance returns to the Shacklewell Arms with guest DJ Prima Queen, resident Paul Richards and DJs Louise Macphail and Kristin McFadden. The night focuses on post‑punk, indie pop, new wave and art‑rock tracks, and continues until the early hours. 11pm

Sunday 20 September

Celebrate the East End's South Asian community. Image: Brick Lane Curry Festival

LONDON CYCLING FESTIVAL: Get on yer bike for the London Cycling Festival, with rides and wheeled events happening all over the capital today. Find festival hubs at locations including Victoria Park and St Paul's Cathedral, and take part in group rides, including some designed with families in mind. FREE, 8am-5pm

DOG SHOW: Show rings, a doggy dash, celebrity judges, fancy dress classes and several stalls are all part of the Chiswick House Dog Show, which takes place in the grounds of Chiswick House. Enter your pooch into one of the categories, or just show up and enjoy. 11am-4.15pm

VINTAGE FAIR: Frock Me returns to Chelsea Old Town Hall with more than 60 vintage dealers selling curated clothing, jewellery and textiles spanning Victorian pieces to pre-loved designer labels. The fair is popular with designers and costume departments, and it's not unusual for real designer treasures to be found here. 11am-5.30pm

CURRY FESTIVAL: After a long-awaited return last year, the Brick Lane Curry Festival is back for 2026, celebrating the food and culture of the East End's Bangladeshi and South Asian community. It begins with a parade, followed by street entertainment and various foodie stalls offering regional and specialty dishes. It's free to attend, and if you register in advance for a ticket you can save 20% at participating restaurants on the day. 12pm-7pm

PEARLIES' HARVEST FESTIVAL: Pearly Kings and Queens — wearing their hand‑sewn button‑covered outfits — assemble in Guildhall Yard with maypole and morris dancing kicking off their annual harvest festival. A procession moves the fun on to St Mary‑le‑Bow, where a large harvest plait of bread is presented. Everyone's welcome at the service but it does get busy. FREE, 1.30pm

Get your pooch involved in the Chiswick House Dog Show. Image: Kelly Chow

HORROR FOR A CAUSE: The Cinema Museum in Kennington continues its celebration of 1980s genre classics with a special fundraising screening of The Evil Dead. Presented by Ghost Light Cinema, the evening showcases Sam Raimi's 1981 cult masterpiece, which redefined the low-budget horror landscape with its relentless intensity and inventive camerawork. All proceeds from the event support the museum's historic home and its extensive collection of film memorabilia. 7.30pm

SARAH KEYWORTH: Catch an hour of all-new material as award-winning comedian Sarah Keyworth visits the Trafalgar in Chelsea for a Sunday night work-in-progress show. See fresh jokes and "Chelsea exclusives" being tested in an intimate setting before they hit the wider circuit. 8pm

SUNDAY NIGHT COMEDY: End the week with a high-energy bill of professional stand-up at Sunday Night Comedy, held in the basement of BOX Piccadilly. MC Louis Collenette hosts a line-up of comedians including Darcy Moreland, Mo Magaleo and Donatas Staneika. 8pm

MICHAEL AKADIRI: Resident junior doctor and Biggest Award in Comedy nominee Michael Akadiri visits the Dugdale Arts Centre in Enfield for a preview of his new show. Michael Akadiri - Don't Call Me Uncle! follows two successful UK tours and offers a sharp, medical-grade perspective on life and family. 8pm

This is a sponsored article on behalf of Great Ormond Street Hospital Charity.

Have an autumnal day out in Hyde Park this October — while raising money for an excellent cause.

RBC Race for the Kids is a lively fun run and family festival taking place in the sprawling central London park, in aid of Great Ormond Street Hospital Charity (GOSH Charity).

Sign up to cover either 2k or 5k, enjoying the colourful sight and satisfying underfoot crunch of the autumn leaves as you go. RBC Race for the Kids is open to all abilities and ages, whether you want to sprint your way around the course, take a leisurely autumn stroll, or tackle the Royal Park on wheels.

Then, with the hard work out the way, it's time to enjoy yourself! Following the race, GOSH Charity hosts a jam-packed day of fun, at which participants can get stuck into live music, including entertainment from Butlin's, plus games, face painting and activities for all ages.

Everyone signing up is encouraged to raise at least £100 in sponsorship. The money raised will help build the new Children's Cancer Centre at Great Ormond Street Hospital (GOSH).

Around 1,900 children are diagnosed with cancer in the UK every year. They miss out on the essential moments that make up a childhood while they receive treatment. That's why the new building will be more than a world-leading hospital. It will also be a school, a playground, a garden and a home-from-home, to help give more kids with cancer the best care, the best chance and the best childhood possible.

Over the last 16 years, RBC Race for the Kids has raised more than £12 million for the children and families at GOSH. This year, GOSH Charity is hoping to raise over £1 million to help build the Children's Cancer Centre — so sign up today to do your bit.

Everyone taking part receives a race t-shirt to wear on the day, and a medal at the finish line. Raise over £100 to unlock your virtual goody bag, which includes discounts and giveaways from GOSH Charity partners.

Can't make it to Hyde Park on 10 October? You can still take part — GOSH Charity needs Home Heroes. Tackle a 2k or 5k, or pick your own distance, in your local area, even if you're not in London. You can do this on any day you like between Monday 5 and Sunday 11 October, or split it over several days, whatever works for you.

RBC Race for the Kids takes place on Saturday 10 October 2026 in Hyde Park London. The 5k sets off at 10am, followed by the 2k at 11.50am. You'll need to register in advance to take part — registration is open now.

The world's most prestigious address? Image: PAUL FARMER, Creative Commons

Ever strolled south-west along Piccadilly to Hyde Park Corner and noticed the rather regal building facing out onto Wellington Arch?

It's called Apsley House, was home to the 1st Duke of Wellington for years, but also lays claim to having the address 'Number 1, London'.

The original house was built on the site in 1778, for Lord Apsley. Being in Hyde Park, the lease for the land was negotiated from the Crown Estate, and the house was the first one on the north side of Piccadilly. At the time, it was next to the main turnpike or toll into central London at Knightsbridge, so became known as 'Number 1, London' — because it was the first house you came to once you entered London.

The 'Iron Duke' — which wasn't a complimentary nickname. Image: Thomas Lawrence, Creative Commons

The modern house differs significantly from the original red-brick house built in the 1770s. In 1819, Wellington added a three-storey extension to the north-east, encompassing a state dining room, new bedrooms and dressing rooms. 10 years later when the Duke of Wellington became Prime Minister, he further added a new staircase and the Waterloo Gallery on the west front.

His nickname the 'Iron Duke' had nothing to do with his strength on the battlefield, but the iron shutters his fitted on Apsley House's windows, as protection against rioters. (He was also nicknamed "Nosey" because of his prominent hooter.)

The property's official address today is 149 Piccadilly, Hyde Park Corner, London, W1J 7NT, but rumours still abound that if you post a letter to 'Number 1, London' it will reach this address. If you decide to do it, let us know if you get a reply.

Today, Apsley House is a Grade I listed building, owned and managed by English Heritage and open to the public. Check website for prices and opening times.

Our pick of free things to do in London this week. Get earlier access to this article, delivered straight to your inbox for free every week, via our newsletter.

Get inside all manner of private buildings this week. Image: Open House London

Open House unlocks London's doors

Architecture festival extraordinaire Open House continues until Sunday, with many usually off-limits buildings opening their doors, and some offering tours — all for free. The bulk of events happen at the weekend, but there's plenty to occupy curious Londoners throughout the week — check out the full programme or peruse our picks of new additions for 2026.

Until 20 September.

High art from the Low Countries

Early Netherlandish Drawings at the British Museum showcases works on paper by artists active in the Low Countries in the 15th and early 16th centuries. It examines drawing techniques, material practices and workshop processes — bringing together items from the museum's own collection with short-term loans. This week's your last chance to catch it.

Until 20 September 2026.

National Gallery shows off sublime landscapes

Image: The National Gallery

Also closing this week is Waldmüller: Landscapes, the National Gallery's free exhibition devoted to Austrian painter Ferdinand Georg Waldmüller's landscape paintings. The show — the first dedicated to his work in the UK — gathers views of Vienna's Prater Park, the lakes and mountains of the Salzkammergut and scenes from Sicily, highlighting Waldmüller's use of colour, light and detailed brushwork.

Until 20 September 2026.

20 years since Back to Black

It's (somehow) 20 years since Amy Winehouse released her flawless cri de cœur of an album Back to Black — and to mark the milestone, 30 benches around Granary Square and King's Boulevard have been fitted with intimate portraits of the late singer-songwriter. One to have up your sleeve if you're catching a train/meeting someone in the area in the coming weeks.

Until 15 October 2026.

Sacred Ukrainian art

Image: David Parry

Seven exceptional examples of Ukrainian sacred art go on display at the V&A South Kensington from Monday — the first time the pieces have been displayed in the UK. Sacred Treasures from Kyiv features centuries-old craftsmanship from the National Preserve Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra, a significant religious site.

On Thursday, the museum offers a free lunchtime lecture about how the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra, formerly a monastery, and one of Ukraine's most important religious and cultural sites, became a museum.

From 14 September.

From grassroots to Guardiola

Stanchion Books launches its newest publication, Street Football: The Real Grassroots of the Beautiful Game, with a free event at The Volley on Old Street on Monday, where author David Proudlove discusses how informal street cultures have shaped football worldwide.

Then, on Tuesday (and repeated on Thursday), Stanchion is at the Blue Monk in Bermondsey for the launch of The Spectre of Pep: How Guardiola Haunts Modern Football Tactics by Jon Mackenzie, exploring the evolution of footie tactics through the prism of the former Man City coach.

14-17 September.

What does digital nursing look like?

Wednesday sees the launch of the Royal College of Nursing's latest exhibition, The Digital Revolution: Nursing in the Age of Technology. Opening night features a series of talks, activities and refreshments — as well as the chance to peruse the exhibition — all free. It takes place at the RCN's Cavendish Square headquarters, or you can watch the talks online. Book a slot.

16 September 2026. (The exhibition itself runs until 2 March 2027)

UCL show celebrates ‘greatest hits’

Pieces from the Petrie Museum, Grant Museum of Zoology and UCL Art Museum Archive are smooshed together in the UCL's Octagon Gallery, for Two Centuries Here — an exhibition marking 200 years since UCL's founding as London's first university. Among objects in this 'supergroup' of a show are paintings by early 20th century female artists, the original test tubes from Britain's first Nobel Prize Winner... and a rather well-known jar of pickled moles.

17 September 2026-21 July 2027.

A street festival in Bermondsey

Described as a village fete in the city, the 20th edition of Bermondsey Street Festival returns to SE1 on Saturday. It's free entry, with craft and community stalls dotted along the street celebrating local talent, along with a food and music stage in Tanner Street Park, and a family fun hub in Leathermarket Gardens offering fancy dress, a disco, a dog show and maypole dancing.

19 September.

Explore an east London mosque

Image: Robert Lamb, Creative Common

Whitechapel's East London Mosque and London Muslim Centre holds an open day on Saturday, inviting the public inside for guided tours, exhibitions and conversations over tea.

Visit My Mosque is an annual national initiative organised by the Muslim Council of Britain, and is open to people of all faiths (and none), with opportunities to ask questions about Islam and meet members of the community.

19 September.

A celebration of refugees

Crossing Borders is a free community celebration led by refugees and people seeking sanctuary, taking place at the Horniman Museum and Gardens on Saturday. The day features a vibrant mix of traditional Afghan kite-making, Honduran folk dance workshops and live Ukrainian music. Catch a live recording of the Ready To Be Cancelled podcast or browse an art exhibition by refugee artists.

19 September.

Cycling festival

Get on yer bike for the London Cycling Festival, with rides and wheeled events happening all over the capital on Sunday. Find festival hubs at locations including Victoria Park and St Paul's Cathedral, and take part in group rides, including some designed with families in mind.

20 September.

See dozens of pearly kings and queens

Image: Anthony March

The annual Pearly Kings and Queens harvest festival — led by the community leaders wearing their hand‑sewn button‑caked outfits — takes place on Sunday, and is free for all to enjoy.

Assemble in Guildhall Yard with maypole and morris dancing to kick things off. A procession moves the fun on to St Mary‑le‑Bow, where a large harvest plait of bread is presented. Everyone's welcome at the service although be warned: it gets busy.

20 September.

First broadcasting on 28 November 1991, Kool FM quickly rose to the top of London’s pirate radio scene. As the jungle genre grew in 1992/1993 — then exploded in 1994 — Kool was at the forefront. It continues to this day under the Rinse umbrella.

Here, curator of the Original Kool Archives, Trevor 7oaks, explains his life-long infatuation with the station, and his self-appointed mission to archive as much of it as possible.

"It was raw, energetic and connected directly to the clubs, raves and estates where the music was happening." Image: Trevor 7oaks

I discovered Kool FM in 1992, when I was 18.

You didn't have Spotify, YouTube or a streaming service where you could instantly find any set you wanted. If you wanted to hear what was happening, you had to find the frequency, tune the radio in and listen.

There was something really exciting about that. You never quite knew what you were going to hear next. A DJ could drop a tune you'd never heard before, or an exclusive dubplate. An MC could completely change the atmosphere, there may be special guests or DJ/MC combinations you had not heard before.

Suddenly you would realise that you'd just heard something special.

The whole London jungle scene felt incredibly alive. There were raves, pirate stations, record shops, tape packs, flyers and people constantly swapping recordings. The music was changing so quickly that something could sound futuristic one month and completely normal a few months later.

"Kool FM was always there for me — through great, good and difficult times"

"Kool FM wasn't just broadcasting jungle — it was documenting the development of jungle and drum & bass." Image: Trevor 7oaks

This completely underground radio station was broadcasting from London and reaching people who were hungry for something different.

It was raw, energetic and connected directly to the clubs, raves and estates where the music was happening. You could hear DJs and MCs who were genuinely part of the scene, playing music that you simply weren't going to hear on the mainstream stations.

In 1992 the music was called hardcore. But over the coming months, a rawer sound emerged. Tracks started to adopt the style, drum patterns and samples that became known as jungle. Kool FM wasn't just broadcasting jungle — it was documenting the development of jungle and drum & bass. Its reputation spread throughout the UK and internationally.

Here was the place for producers to test their new records, so certain DJs were given exclusive early access. MCs would test new lyrics and styles before unleashing them at their next rave booking. With the weekly release of new records, the station remained fresh.

Kool FM was always there for me — on the radio at home, in the car or listening back to recordings — through great, good and difficult times.

"People used to drive to the outskirts of London, record in their cars and take the tapes back home to share with friends"

The author taking some well-deserved refreshment in the studio. Image: Trevor 7oaks

It became a meeting point for the jungle community. Whether up and coming new talent, or established artists, this was the platform they wanted to perform on. Over the years the many artists have been part of the family. From the late greats MC Skibadee and Stevie Hyper D, to Crissy Criss, Brockie, Shy FX, Mampi Swift and DJ Kane, and many, many others — they all helped create a scene that was developing incredibly quickly.

What makes pirate radio particularly interesting is that the geographical reach wasn't necessarily limited to the strength of the transmitter. People would record sets and pass them around, and as the music became more popular those recordings travelled everywhere. People used to drive to the outskirts of London, record in their cars and take the tapes back home to share with friends.

Because it was underground, the listeners really felt part of the Kool community. Over the years I have met the DJs and MCs, as well as regular listeners. Some have become good friends. A listener called Kelly from Harlow became my wife, and we now have two children.

"I realised I wasn't just collecting recordings anymore. I was preserving a piece of musical and cultural history"

"Over time my recordings grew into something much bigger." Image: Trevor 7oaks

I started recording. At first my intentions were not about preservation or forming the largest archive. I just wanted to capture the live recording as it happened. It would not happen again. I had to capture it there and then so I could relive it.

Over time my recordings grew into something much bigger. I've now got more than 9,000 recordings, covering Kool FM from the early 1990s onwards. At some point I realised I wasn't just collecting recordings anymore. I was preserving a piece of musical and cultural history. That’s really how Original Kool Archives came about, and why I describe myself as a pirate archivist.

Digitising them has been a huge undertaking and something I've worked on over many years. It isn't simply a case of pressing a button and uploading them. The tapes have to be digitised, audio repaired/edited to improve quality, checked, organised, named and preserved. I still have around 150 tapes in a box I need to digitise.

It's almost like an addiction, I need to keep feeding the archive. A lot of these recordings only existed on cassette, and without people taking the time to preserve them, huge parts of that history could disappear. There are recordings sitting in people's lofts, cupboards and garages that may contain broadcasts that nobody else has heard for 30 years. That's what keeps me going.

People still want to listen, too. Downloads of MP3 recordings I have hosted online have surpassed 500,000.

"It's like being transported back to being 18 or 19 again"

"It's almost like an addiction, I need to keep feeding the archive." Image: Trevor 7oaks

I'm not just preserving music, but people's memories of a particular period in their lives and an incredibly important period in London's musical history.

People get in touch after hearing a recording and tell me that it takes them back to a particular time in their life. They remember where they were living, who they were with, the clubs and raves they went to — or even just sitting in their bedroom with a radio or cassette recorder listening to Kool FM.

For some, it's incredibly nostalgic. They might suddenly hear a DJ or MC they haven’t heard for 30 years and it's like being transported back to being 18 or 19 again. For others it reminds them of lost friends or family.

I've had people tell me how much it means to them to be able to hear sets they thought had been lost forever.  

Tune in to the Original Kool Archives, streaming 24/7.

Your weekly roundup of Londonist news and features.

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Rolling on the River.

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Diwali On The Square: Free Festival Returns To Trafalgar Square For 2026

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"...all their food is made of steaks, really not done at all."

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Surbiton Ski Sunday: Wacky Event Brings Chamonix To South-West London

Snow joke.

Image: The Community Brain

Fragments Of Old London In Belsize Park

See part of Old Waterloo Bridge and the House of Commons.

Image: Matt Brown

Trafalgar Square Has An Eye-Catching New Artwork

Lady in Blue by Tschabalala Self is now on display.

Image: Jeff Spicer, PA Media Assignments

FREE: Gresham College's Talks For Autumn And Winter 2026

The best public lectures in town... and they're free.

Image: Matt Brown

Looking Ahead: Things To Do In London This Week: 14-20 September 2026

Top London events, every day of the coming week.

Image: Citizen Zoo

Pssst! There's also a chance to ride on vintage buses for free in October!

Three different trains are running over the weekend. Image: Phil Richards via creative commons

Ruislip Lido has its own miniature railway service, and occasionally it opens up for special behind-the-scenes tours.

The next of these takes place on Saturday 19 and Sunday 20 September 2026, featuring:

🚂 Train services running every 15 minutes throughout both days, along what is Britain's longest 12-inch gauge railway, which wends through the woodlands skirting Ruislip Lido*

🚂  All of the railway's locomotives on display to admire and sit in. Track maintenance vehicles will be on display too.

🚂 A workshop area open to the public, with railway staff there to answer questions, including how you can become a volunteer.

🚂  Refreshments from the Turntable Tearoom at Willow Lawn.

🚂 Buy souvenirs and railwayana from the shop.

And if you have a good time, why not book a seat on one of their Santa Specials running this December.

Ruislip Lido Railway behind-the-scenes, 19-20 September 2026, 11am-5pm, free (there's a small fee to ride the trains). All trains are wheelchair, pushchair and buggy friendly.

*No need to bring your swimming costume though — this particular lido is for geese only.

Last of the Summer Wine, but make it glamourous. Image: The Community Brain

Skiing is all well and good for moneyed holidaymakers and James Bond. But what about skiing for the masses? A wacky October event in Surbiton invites you to take to the ice; or at least strap it to your feet.

It's true there used to be a ski slope in Beckton (on a toxic spoil-heap no less), and a ski jump on Hampstead Heath, but those are long gone. So what now for the hoi polloi who wish to glissade across the ice without having to jet off to Chamonix?

Well, there's always Surbiton Ski Sunday — taking place on Sunday 11 October 2026.

Going, going... Image: The Community Brain

"Teams of scientists in the research department of the Free University of Seething were engaged in their daily pursuit of attempting to create a fairer and more equitable world when they decided to tackle the socially divisive issue of skiing," Robin Hutchinson MBE, founder and director of The Community Brain, which is behind Surbiton Ski Sunday, tells me.

"Traditionally a sport for the wealthy due to the high costs of travel, accommodation, après ski and equipment, a startling and liberating revelation was 'eureka'd'. If you can put wood on your feet to ski on snow or ice, surely if you put the ice on your feet you could ski on anything."

Snow joke: contestants strap blocks of ice to their feet. Image: The Community Brain

The result is a wonderfully wacky annual event in which between 30 and 50 ordinary, hard-working folk strap blocks of ice to their feet, grasp two wooden poles, and — on a wing and a prayer — try to make it from one end of a downhill length of slippery lino to the other.

Just like any Winter Olympics, there is also a luge — or a luge of sorts. Let's just say that if you thought the sight of three characters sliding through the middle of a town in a bath tub was reserved for classic episodes of Last of the Summer Wine, think again.

"It is the ridiculous sight of people on blocks of ice trying to stay upright that makes the sport." Image: The Community Brain

It's an altogether eccentric affair, which is sometimes reflected in the competitors' costumes too. "The giant Guinea Pig has to be the finest," Robin tells me. And as if that's not unorthodox enough, there can be some screwball heckles too. "I think that a crowd shouting 'Don't eat those grapes, they haven't been washed!' to the utter bemusement of passers-by always raises a smile, alongside the annual tradition of waving at passing buses to encourage passengers to wave back," says Robin, adding "but it is the ridiculous sight of people on blocks of ice trying to stay upright that makes the sport."

...gone. Image: The Community Brain

There may not be flowing champagne and bubbling cauldrons of fondue at the end of Surbiton Ski Sunday, but there is soup. And visitors are encouraged to bring their own vegetable to put in it. Robin tells me "The King's Soup event originates from a tale of a selfish king who wants everything and just takes things from his subjects but whose heart is changed by tasting a simple peasant soup that has been made with love." Now there's a soup that warms both cockles and heart.

Surbiton Ski Sunday, Central Parade, St Mark's Hill, Surbiton, Sunday 11 October 2026, 11am-1pm, free. It's followed by the King's Soup communal vegetarian eating experience at Claremont Gardens, 1.15pm-4.30pm.

Surbiton Ski Sunday is open to everyone, and you can sign up to ski on the day. Some safety equipment is provided, but if you have your own, please bring it with you — along with a costume of your choice.

Keep up date with festive happenings in the capital on our Christmas 2026 in London page.

The festive steam train puffs through east London/Essex from November 2026. Image: Epping Ongar Railway

London's not short of light festivals and illumination shows each winter, but there's one that always gets our attention — a steam train covered in twinkling fairy lights.

The Epping Ongar Lights Party Express (previously Light Fantastic) is just that — an illuminated train ride through woodland on the London-Essex border.

Image: Epping Ongar Railway

Watch the the illuminated carriages — hauled by a steam locomotive — pull into Ongar station, and snap a few pictures before climbing aboard. As the train pulls out of the station and wends through the countryside, peer out of the window for illuminated line-side displays designed specially for Lights Party Express passengers, and visible only from the train. Passengers receive individual LED wristbands to turn the inside of the train into a neon wonderland too.

Commentary is provided by "Voiceover Man". Image: Epping Ongar Railway

For Christmas 2026, the Epping Ongar Lights Party Express is offering three brand new shows, each with a different soundtrack provided by an onboard DJ:

🚂 Christmas Gold offers Christmas carols and festive songs everyone knows, ideal for a family singalong.

🚂 The Party Anthems Train dials things up a notch with pop anthems more suited to families with older children.

🚂 The Groove Train is the route to Funky Town, via a lively soundtrack of disco hits and floorfillers from the 1970s-80s. This one's for adults, and more mature teenagers (and it runs on New Year's Eve, to get your celebrations off to a banging start before you head off to party elsewhere).

Magic, innit. Image: Epping Ongar Railway

Regardless which service you board, you'll receive a song sheet with all the lyrics. As always, an onboard commentary is provided by "Voiceover Man", as heard on Britain's Got Talent and The X Factor, accompany the sights. The experience lasts about an hour, returning you back to Ongar station.

Basically, it's the closest you'll ever get to riding the Polar Express. Look:

Alternatively, book your family onto one of the daytime Santa Specials (selected dates 28 November-24 December 2026). You won't see the lights, but you will get to ride a vintage London bus, pick up refreshments from a festive food stall while listening to a live brass band at North Weald station, and hop onto Santa's fantastically festive train where the man himself will visit you at your seat. All children receive a present.

Epping Ongar Lights Party Express takes place on selected dates, 14 November 2026-2 January 2027 departing from Ongar station. Tickets start at £25 per adult/£20 per child, with private compartments available from £160.

Image: Jeff Spicer, PA Media Assignments

The latest artwork to grace Trafalgar Square's Fourth Plinth has been unveiled this morning (10 September).

Lady in Blue is the work of New York-based artist Tschabalala Self, and is a large, bronze figure depicting "a young, metropolitan woman — a quotidian figure — reflecting many of today's Londoners". She's captured mid-step, as if striding purposefully across the Square.

Image: Jeff Spicer, PA Media Assignments

The woman wears an eye-catching vibrant blue dress and shoes, along with jewellery which replicates the colour of lapis lazuli, a rare rock which has been used as a pigment since antiquity.

The Fourth Plinth — located in the Square's north-west corner, close to the National Gallery — has displayed a rotating programme of artworks continuously since 2005. Here's a look at all of the previous artworks and where they ended up once their time on the plinth was over.

Artist Tschabalala Self alongside her work. Image: Jeff Spicer, PA Media Assignments

Lady in Blue replaces Mil Veces un Instante (A Thousand Times in an Instant) by Teresa Margolles, which features the face casts of 726 trans, non-binary and gender non-conforming people from the UK and Mexico, and had been in situ on the plinth since September 2024.

Hot on the (high) heels of Lady in Blue will be Untitled by Andra Ursuţa, "a hollow, life-sized person on a horse covered in a shroud and cast in a slime-green resin", which is due to be installed on the Fourth Plinth in 2028.

It's official: Bayeux Mania has invaded London. Image: HistoryExtra

"Can I send you an exclusive preview box of Bayeux Lager?"

Unless you've been seeking solace beneath a rock/digital detox lately, you'll know that London has a VIP French guest in its midst. The Bayeux Tapestry is in town, and the clamour for tickets makes Harry Styles look positively unwanted.

As well as a chance to ogle what the Guardian raved as "a stupefying, thrilling, horrifying masterpiece", the tapestry's jaunt to the British Museum also weaves a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for a healthy bit of marketing. Fun fact: if you put all the Bayeux-related marketing emails we've received in the past few weeks end-to-end, they'd measure 70 metres, the exact length of the Tapestry.

Londoners are cashing in on the almost-1,000-year-old masterpiece, and who can blame them. We probably made the bloody thing, after all*.

"There's William the Conqueror on Westminster Bridge, leafing through a copy of HistoryExtra"

Would sir care for a miniature edible Bayeux Tapestry? Image: Red Carnation Hotels

Suddenly, every corner of the city reveals another Norman-flavoured promotional ploy. Cross Westminster Bridge, and there's William the Conqueror leaning against the balustrades, leafing through a copy of HistoryExtra. Sit down to afternoon tea, only to find your cheesecake's got a miniature Bayeux Tapestry wrapped around it. Nip into the Museum Tavern across the road from the exhibition — having witnessed the Tapestry in all its stupefying, thrilling horror — to discover that a 'Beer Tapestry' (5/10 for that particular pun) has been hoisted up behind the bar.

London galleries which are conspicuously deficient in the Bayeux Tapestry department (i.e. not the British Museum) haven't let that get in the way. Take the Guildhall Gallery, which is launching Beyond Bayeux: Tapestry Now**, the exhibition equivalent of a Harry Styles tribute act performing in a Wembley pub.

"After witnessing such an orgy of embroidered butchery, you'll be in need of a drink"

You'll find it difficult to escape the Bayeux Tapestry for a while, especially around Bloomsbury. Image: Greene King

Sitting prettiest of all is the British Museum's gift shop, bulging with a treasure trove so rich in trinkets it'd overwhelm the Digging for Britain team: Bayeux Tapestry tea towel (£9.99), Bayeux Tapestry Christmas decoration (£13.99), Bayeux Tapestry Battle of Hastings feather quill pen (£19.99), Norman Ghost incense holder (me neither, £40), Bayeux Tapestry pewter tankard (£99), Bayeux Tapestry silk scarf (£125), Edward the Confessor and Harold ceramic ornament (£325). Perhaps there's been a mad rush — on the morning the exhibition officially opens, the British Museum's online gift shop is "currently under maintenance and should be back soon".

Meanwhile, that Bayeux Lager — a collaboration between the British Museum and Battle Brewery — is available to quaff in the Museum's cafes and restaurants. Well, after witnessing such an orgy of embroidered butchery, you'll be in need of a drink.

"London mightn't have witnessed a cultural mania like this since 1972"

In the words of the late, great William the Conqueror: "Chaaaaarge!" Image: British Museum

London mightn't have witnessed a cultural mania like this since 1972. Again, the British Museum was to thank/blame; its landmark exhibition of Tutankhamun treasures prompted 1.7 million people to queue around the block (not all at once), and snap up souvenirs like they were going out of fashion. To be fair, they were going out of stock. Replica jewellery in the gift shop sold out on opening day. "The English, normally phlegmatic about art," wrote Time magazine, "greeted the event with ecstasies of Tutankhamenophilia. Tut appeared on posters, postcards, carrier bags and 56 million commemorative stamps." London's blockbuster exhibition era was born.

While some Bayeux cash-ins might be more cynical than others, who are we to judge. It's refreshing to see people getting hopped up about something so innocently cultural so... what are the words I'm looking for... stupefying, thrilling and horrifying. So, the best of British Norman to anyone hoping to make a quick buck — and in the words of the late, great William the Conqueror, "Chaaaaaarge!"

*Well, maybe Canterbury.
**A free exhibition, I should point out.

Adapted from a feature that first appeared in September 2025 on Londonist: Time Machine, our much-praised history newsletter. To be the first to read new history features like this, sign up for free here.

Image: public domain

Today, I’m delighted to publish what might be the first account of London from a Romanian traveller. And I’ll give you a spoiler up front: you’re in for a treat.

A Continental Amazed by London gives us the impressions of Ion Codru Drăgușanu (1818-1884), who visited our city in 1840 while still a young man. It’s a sparkling account of the city (mostly the West End) in the early Victorian period, from a rare east-European perspective.

The text was translated and sent to me by Mihai Risnoveanu, formerly of the Romanian Cultural Centre in London, and includes a short introduction by Ramona Mitrica. It was first published in the Cultural Centre’s newsletter in 2008, but is not available online. I have reproduced it exactly as sent, and included my own comments beneath each section, to offer further context.

By coincidence, this article goes out on 10 September 2026, the 186th anniversary of Ion Codru-Drăgușanu’s journey from Paris to London.

A Continental Amazed by London

Introduction by Mihai Risnoveanu

Ion Codru-Drăgușanu (1818-1884) was a Romanian writer from Transylvania, and was also a journalist and politician. His book, ‘The Transylvanian Pilgrim’, published in 1865, relates his travels throughout Europe, and in addition, his visit to London, which marks him out as one of the truly rare Romanians to have visited Britain up until the very end of the 19th century.

Image: Asybaris01, Creative Commons

Ion Codru Drăgușanu travelled to London in 1840. A continental amazed (to the full extent of the word) by this land appearing from the fogs of Victorian times, he has left us his impressions of the English, England, and the English way of life. From the following one can see that some things do not change much with the passing of time and some other things are still as inexplicable to the continental mind as then.

Fate ordained that one of his great-grandsons, Ion Ratiu, would build his life in London and would become a prominent British-Romanian, inspiring others in the quest to penetrate the mysteries of life in the land of the Albion. What Ion Codru would have made of this we cannot possibly know, but here are his opinions about how life was for him on the banks of the Thames.

London, September 1840

Throughout Europe there are only two great peoples: the French and the English. Writers compare the former with the ancient Greeks, and the latter with the Romans, but this is true only in view of the main characteristics of the nation, because I deem that the reverse would not be false either.

The French have a frivolous insolence and a convulsive tendency to rebel, but they have a tasteful and attractive luxury, and their writings are full of spirit – thus they resemble the Grecians, while their great deeds and their influence on the general culture of other peoples make them the true Romans of modern times. On the other hand, the English are thoroughly endowed with constancy, the chief virtue of Rome, but they have the speculative spirit and egotistical habits that focus on their own interest, which are nothing more that Grecian attributes.

In alliance with each other, these two nations are destined to rule the world and decide the fate of nations.

This was my own theory about the country and its inhabitants. Let us proceed to show what we know from our own experience and to prove these in accordance with my speculations.

We are told that England, being surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean, is heavily subject to powerful drizzles, and that London, being close to the sea, towards the mouth of the Thames, suffers greatly because of these all year around. The exception being September, when the weather is bearable. So we took advantage of this propitious time of the year to see this city, the most gigantic in Europe, in its whole splendour.

On the 10th of September, we departed from Paris with the post coach and, travelling throughout the night, reached the French port of Havre de Grace, at the mouth of the Seine. [...] With the evening tide of [the next] day we boarded the steamship “Great Britain” which sailed the Channel – the wet road to London.

[...] [Due to sea sickness] The next morning I woke up a bit more worn than usual, and I went on the deck of the steamship to see the place. One could only see the clear blue skies and the green waters, mirroring each other. The skipper spoke French, so I approached him and asked him several questions. Very affably, which I did not expect from an Englishman, he explained to me the virtues of the maritime compass and the use of the chart of the 39 winds, known well only by the professional seaman; later on he showed me the white chalk coast of England, which gave the country its old name of Albion, to which the French have added the epithet ‘perfidious’.

Completely different from the French, the English are serious and taciturn. They speak gladly only when they have the occasion to praise the institutions of their own country. The same with this Englishman: he told me England is the land of political freedom and, in order to preserve it, she has more warships than France has commercial ships, and then he gave me various other kinds of stories. All hyperbole even according to my humble reason.

Towards evening we approached the mouth of the Thames and began to feel the proximity of London, where ships of all species come and go in numbers so great that one hardly finds one’s place to pass among them. We entered the Thames itself with great care, as if entering a forest of masts and smoking chimneys.

Finally we got to the Custom house. The possessions of all passengers flew like balls from the ship to boats and from here to the halls of the Custom house, and I was close to believing we should never see them again. But here people are so much into order and consequent practice that if you trust them with a needle, it will never get lost or taken by others.

The Custom House, a little east of London Bridge on the north bank, was designed in the 1820s by Robert “also did the British Museum” Smirke. This was a place for the collection of customs duties, with a history going back to medieval times. Smirke’s version still stands today, and is set to become a hotel.

Custom House in the 19th century. Is it just me, or do those cloud formations look aptly like the Carpathian Mountains? Image: public domain.

The luggage was open and inspected in a blink of the eyes and we found ourselves put in a ‘cab’ (a sort of one-horse chariot), and after a quite long distance we reached Saint Martin’s Lane and the ‘Fricour’ Inn, where we were brought in by an Italian guide who was prowling for customers in the valley of the river. He got four Crowns as a reward from us.

I was most surprised we are not asked for passports. Our guide told us that such an enterprise is unknown in England and is a continental luxury.

Drăgușanu, it seems, had no accommodation reserved, and took a room on the partisan advice of a hotel tout. I’ve traced the Fricour Inn to 82-83 St Martin’s Lane. It was owned by one Augustine Fricour, possibly a Frenchman, who was declared bankrupt a couple of years later. It was located where, today, you’ll find Brown’s restaurant.

[...] First of all, London surprises you by the great number of people and the great quiet all around. Then there is the exemplary cleanness of the streets, the simplicity of the buildings and the uniform clothing of men, which is generally grey or a stern ashen grey.

All streets are large and straight, especially the main ones, which are also paved with wood or covered in macadam. The houses do not have such exquisite architecture as in Paris, nor are they as solid, because this city is a whole world of almost two million inhabitants. London has stretched each year passing by, and has engulfed private properties that would sum up a surface as big as the county of river Olt (Tara Oltului) in our country. Many neighbourhoods have the name of Such-and-such Garden. These lands are freehold or leasehold for 20-30 years, and the builders calculate the expenses according to the lease and they build lightly.

I’m surprised that Drăgușanu found our roads “wide and straight”. This was before the Victorians knocked through Charing Cross Road, Northumbland Avenue, Shaftesbury Avenue and Kingsway. Strand has always been wide and straight, and so, too, Whitehall, so perhaps he was hanging out in these areas more than, say, Drury Lane and St Giles. It’s interesting to note that men dressed in ‘stern grey’. Today, men almost universally wear black coats, at least during winter.

On Gardens, I can think of Short’s Gardens, Hatton Garden, Endsleigh Gardens and, of course, Covent Garden in the central area. But these are spread out, and it’s a curious detail to pick up on.

In spite of the lack of a French lustre in London, there is a luxury of commodity which is not to be found anywhere else; all stairs are carpeted to the level of the street and not to speak of the rooms in the house. Of course, the great humidity requires such luxury. Also in front of the houses with a street front there are small flower beds. Yet again, in order to fight humidity and mildew, kitchens are to be found at the base of the houses, akin to cellars.

Some interesting domestic details, which might not have occurred to an English writer.

No other city has so many piazzas as London and almost all of them are quadrangular, therefore the name of ‘squares’. They all have some monument, of course not all grand, and generally they have flower gardens, lawns and trees in the middle. These gardens are generally circular and they are closed with iron railings and serve as places of enjoyment for the neighbouring houses.

Here, the writer seems to be noting the private square gardens, most apparent in Bloomsbury, rather than the fully public piazzas like Covent Garden.

There are in London public gardens – or should I say whole plains, so wide they are – where there are only green lawns, tall trees, bushes, and rivulets or crystal-clear lakes. One will find, but only seldom, beds of flowers. Such public places for the enjoyment of everybody are Regents Green, Hyde and St James’s Park, their name being ‘parks’. On Sundays and holidays you have the entire urban crowd there, otherwise just foreigners and aristocrats.

Green Park is famous among trivia fans for having no flower beds at all, hence the name. According to legend, this was by diktat of Queen Catherine of Braganza, in revenge at her husband Charles II who had supposedly plucked some flowers from the park for one of his many mistresses.

The divine service in the church lasts until eleven antemeridian. During this whole time, no-one is allowed to open windows or doors of the stores, not even to private houses, and the whole city seems to be deep in devout reflection. If one enters the temple, until the end of the service one will not get out of there because the church warden stands at the door and does not allow it. This contrasts greatly with our customs, and especially with those of the Catholics who have made a theatre out of churches and the impious enter and go as their hearts desire, often accompanied by dogs.

In general, the Protestants and the English in particular are more rigid in those matters around religion than the Orthodox. They believe less, but do more for the dignity of religion, which is devoid of all kind of hocus-pocus. In London, nobody works on Sundays, as I saw them do in Paris, not even for the enterprises owned by the State.

The other day I attended the nearby St Martin’s [in the Fields] in order to see the ceremony of the Anglican rite. They are very simple, as those of our Lutherans are. I have noticed something; they read long prayers, as we do in the Eastern Church, then hymns accompanied by organ, followed by a badly declaimed and sleep inducing sermon – well, it is true I did not grasp much besides the occasional ‘Lord God’.

Central London contains fewer active churches today; there are nowhere near as many potential parishioners to fill them. However, Sunday services do still take place at many. I am in no position to comment on the quality of the modern sermon.

St Martin-in-the-Fields with a rainbow that looks strikingly like the Romanian flag. Image: Matt Brown

So it seems to me that the English language does not have pleasant sounds, with which we are accustomed in the continental languages, or maybe it’s just the novelty of English that makes it seem like this to us. With these, Lord have mercy! I occupied two and a half hours counting the number of bald heads and I found only in the hall – me being at the gallery – some 455 of them. Naturally, in the hall one finds the men that have reached a certain age, and at the gallery you have the younger ones, but there were enough bald ones even here.

English men are tall and handsome, but only a few of them will keep a full head of hair due to the dampness of their climate. I really wonder how it is that the ladies have such beautiful manes of hair. [...]

The ‘hall’ and ‘gallery’ here still relate to St Martin-in-the-Fields, that magnificent church that overlooks Trafalgar Square. Drăgușanu would not have witnessed Nelson’s Column, however. It was erected three years after his visit in 1843.

The congregation must have been of extraordinary size if the main hall contained 455 bald heads, when we consider that women and children would have also been present. Perhaps they also tended to use the gallery. The sermon must have been really dull if Drăgușanu was distracted enough to enumerate pates.

[...] We went to see the British Museum. Here you find a treasure of bodies of statues from Egypt, Greece, Italia and both Indies, many rarities, all ordered nicely by their country of origin and their times. If they are not taken by force, so I was told, they are bought with the gold of their wealthy lords and with the intention of offering them to the national museum.

I found extraordinary the petrified skeletons of the antediluvian animals: mastodons, mammoths, and ichthyosaurus, then in the court the skeleton of a real whale, as long as a huge ship, whose bones look like aged fir tree beams. I also went to see the cathedral of St Paul’s, an architectonic monument, similar to St Peter’s in Vatican, albeit much smaller, and besides some secular monuments inside, it is scarcely decorated.

Until 1881, the British Museum in Bloomsbury was home to a large collection of animal specimens. These moved to the newly built Natural History Museum in South Kensington that year. The NHM retained official connections to the British Museum until 1963.

St Paul’s is indeed much smaller than St Peter’s, though it has gained in opulence since Drăgușanu’s visit. The Victorians agreed with his assessment that it was too plain, and set about gilding and mosaic-laying with determination. My favourite adornment is the Quire roof, which was smothered in colourful mosaics by William Blake Richmond, in the final years of the century. (He was named after the more famous William Blake.)

The Quire roof mosaics by William Blake-Richmond, completed 1904. Image: Matt Brown

From here we rode to the Zoological Garden, where is situated the enclosure for beasts of all creation; the richest in Europe. They have here four elephants and six giraffes, very beautiful. It was very funny though when I was shown a buffalo as a curious beast, and funnier still it was when I told the guide there that my father back home has a grange full of such beasts, and I was raised with buffalo’s milk.

This, of course, is London Zoo at the top of Regent’s Park. The zoo was still a new organisation at the time of the Romanian’s visit. It had opened in 1828 and got its first elephant, ‘Jack’, in 1831. Before 1847, access to the zoo was restricted to Fellows of the Zoological Society, or to those who could acquire a ‘written order’ from a Fellow. Presumably, Drăgușanu was connected enough to acquire one.

Leaving that place, we went to the Royal Polytechnic Institution, a place where they conduct physics-chemical experimentation in front of an audience, in which real lightning was produced. A young man, elegantly dressed, stepped into an insulated fabric contraption with a long breathing tube, and he threw himself into a basin 10ft deep, full of water from where he collected in ten minutes the coins thrown in by the audience. He then came out with the money in a receptacle, applauded by the crowd, stepped out of the fabric contraption and he was as brand new.

The Royal Polytechnic Institution was another new landmark for London, having opened just two years before Drăgușanu’s visit. Its buildings could be found between Regent’s Street and Cavendish Square. This was a place where Londoners (and visitors) could enjoy demonstrations of a technical or scientific bent — both via formal study or in public shows. Spectacles of the time including underwater stunts like the one described, and some of the earliest demonstrations of photography.

The following day we went to see another place, called ‘Box hall’, where a species of English gladiators fight with their fists face-to-face, raining blows on each other’s nose and stomach. I saw one oozing blood from his nose and mouth like a slaughtered animal, and some other two who had passed out, lying on the ground. This filled me with nausea so I left that place. The English like this kind of barbarous fight and clap their hands and even place bets on their preferred fighters.

Bare-knuckle boxing was a common diversion in 1840s London. It’s not clear from the name ‘Box hall’ what the venue was in this case. One contender would be the still extant Lamb and Flag pub in Covent Garden. This was nicknamed the ‘Bucket of Blood’ for the gory pugilism staged on its upper floor and courtyard. Or perhaps Box Hall is simply a Romanian mis-hearing of Vauxhall?

[...] Finally, I went to see the tunnel under the Thames, one of the wonders of the world, which surpasses those of the most praised of the ancient world. After the city of London expanded greatly towards the mouth of the Thames, there was a lack of stable communication between the two sides of the river, and they could not build a bridge because it would have disturbed the entry of the ships in the port of London – the London Docks. Thus they have made a society to build a road under the water, and this was made by a Frenchman called Brunel. It has an entry with two arches.

Well, we know all about this one, don’t we, regular readers? Marc Brunel’s Thames Tunnel between Wapping and Rotherhithe today carries the Windrush line beneath the Thames, but it started out as a pedestrian tunnel. Work began on it around 200 years ago in 1825. It was still three years from opening in 1840 when Drăgușanu was in town, but for a small fee the public could descend into one of the tunnel shafts to see the work in progress.

Very strange was an English habit, which I found later on is something natural. We were hot after all our excursions, so [our guide] took us to a cafe, in order to cool down. On the spot, we were served with hot tea, while I was waiting, as is our custom, for lemonades, orangeade, or cold sorbet. The English are very practical homeopaths, fighting fire with fire; we’re not so experts in this field yet.

I’m sorry. What is odd about this? Surely everyone enjoys a hot cup of tea after every activity?

By 1840, better shipping and supply chains had brought down the cost of tea (and sugar) considerably, to the point where it had become a household staple, even among the working classes. The sugary beverage aided nutrition and, because it required near-boiling water, was safer to drink than the untreated cackmixture that came out of the public water pump. Tea was not just a quaint English custom, but a life-saver.

Last night I have been at Covent Garden theatre, a hall as resplendent as possible, and I attended an opera in the English language, but the song was not at all to my liking, screeching in my ears with such a great number of monosyllabic words. They say the shortness of English words is adapted to nautical command, and the English wonder how come other nations can evolve without the concision granted only to their language. Yet I believe that the English shan’t ever accommodate their tongue to singing, because harmony requires sonorous, clear vowels, not swallowed and sneezed sounds such as theirs.

I think Elton John, Adele, David Bowie, Kate Bush, Shirley Bassey, Ed Sheeran, Amy Winehouse, three-quarters of the Beatles and a thousand other international chart toppers might like a word about that last sentence. (What do you mean Shirley Bassey is Welsh?)

Undoubtedly, Great Britain is the most civilised state in the world. I have observed this closely in London – you will not find soldiers here. Either there is not much of an army, or regular soldiers are allowed to don civil clothing when not on duty. But you can find on the streets the so-called ‘constables’, a sort of policemen armed only with short truncheons, filled with lead, and with the arms of the realm at one end. Everybody tries to respect them, even if one is arrogant, otherwise people will have the occasion to experiment on their own skin the specific weight of the lead helped by the constable.

The first part, happily, is still true. It is rare to see soldiers on the streets of London, unless in a ceremonial role. Long may that continue. The ‘constables’ were the early Metropolitan Police. Drăgușanu’s visit was well timed in this respect. Although various forms of policing had been around since the mid-18th century (the “Bow-Street Runners”, for example), it was only in 1839 — a year before Drăgușanu arrived — that the force was consolidated into one London-wide metropolitan constabulary. Their truncheons (usually of hardwood but often incorporating lead) always carried the royal crest, as a reminder of police authority.

The core of London, called The City, is formed especially by small shops, as small as shells, whose owners are all millionaires. They only keep here samples of merchandise, and they all own factories so big so they could equip twenty ships in any port of the world, for a whole week. These merchants with their money keep the whole rule of England and they put the pressure on the political barometer of the world, according to their own interests.

I find this insight particularly intriguing. It’s easy to imagine our 19th century ‘nation of shopkeepers’ as humble tradespeople, each with their own small outlet and limited stock. But as Drăgușanu attests (with exaggeration), the reality could be more corporate. This was especially true in the Square Mile, where land values, then as now, were prejudiced against smaller operations. Coincidentally, Dickens’s The Old Curiosity Shop, which begins in a shop of very meagre wealth, was published in the same year as Drăgușanu’s visit.

Besides the fact that the English have plenty of money, they are also men of their word, and solid as metal, and are unnervingly exact. The English are not speculative by need, as other nations, but by nature, so everything is possible for them. The English do not change their nature, and remain faithful to it until the day they die.

Again, I’m not sure Little Nell, or Oliver Twist (published the year before), or any of the real-world denizens of Whitechapel or St Giles, would agree that the English have plenty of money. I suspect that Drăgușanu, quite understandably, did not stray into these more impoverished quarters.

The originality of English clothing, way of life, and products, all show simplicity pared with solidity. This is how they say that all which is simple and elegant is ‘à l’anglaise’, meaning according to English tastes.

I reckon this is still a facet of the national identity and/or stereotype — simplicity and solidity rather than flamboyance.

In the English urban society you cannot show your face without scandalising the others unless you wear a black suit with white tie. At the royal court and high lords, even nowadays one must wear tight trousers, silken socks and shoes. Otherwise, shoes are not important at all, because the English, far from excelling in this domain, will even wear riding boots.

I’m sure plenty of women were able to show their faces without the need for a black suit and white tie, but what do I know? I’m also surprised this gendered sartorial summary does not include hats. These were the glory days of the top hat, which had begun its hilarious evolution into the Brunellian stovepipe. The silk toppers would have been the crowning glory of any gent-about-town, but they don’t seem to have made an impression on Drăgușanu.

There is plenty to be seen in this huge city, and I have described plenty. I only have to tell you something about English food.

It is simple, as everything English, but very rich – I mean, all their food is made of steaks, really not done at all, maybe only licked once by charcoal fire. The meat is wonderful, most tender, because they do not work their land with their horned beasts, and game is kept in parks, where it gets fat. But, as I say, from the steak heated-up blood is dripping, and they could eat it if they feel like it, otherwise they say it is ruined by continental tastes. Along with the roast beef comes, generally, the plum-pudding, a sort of Romanian ‘mamaliga’ made out of fine flour, which is very thick and has plums in it, hence the name. For the high houses, it is made with sweet sultanas. Then come potatoes, boiled, and served whole, with their skin on, then bread, fresh butter, and this is all. Soups, sauces, salads, and other thousands of delicacies are kept in contempt, not to mention sauerkraut and pork scratchings.

This is such a glorious description of English eating habits of the time. Something of this simplicity existed (exists?) into our own era. I remember endless ‘meat and two-veg’ dinners while growing up. Soups and sauces were indeed regarded with suspicion; I don’t think I’d tried anything more exotic than ketchup or gravy until I went to university, and my childhood salads were entirely ignorant of the existence of dressing.

The national drink here is beer, which comes in two varieties: porter and ale, both excellent, although porter is inimitable, but a bit too strong; so normally people have ale. The wines are brought from foreign countries, and only fine wines, because of the import duty, so cheap wines would not bring profit; also, the English do not fake their drinks. The wines drunk here are generally Spanish or Portuguese, as Porto, Madera, Sherry, and Malaga.

Wait, I thought the national drink here was tea? But I’m not arguing. Porter and ale and other persuasions of beer are still drunk in huge quantities throughout London. Less so the Iberian tipples that end the paragraph.

Although simple, English cuisine is richer than anywhere else in Europe.

The English are the greediest people in the world when it comes to food. In the morning, as they wake up, they have tea or coffee, at ten in the morning they have a beefsteak and beer, the lunch is meagre, at two o’clock; they have tea again at five o’clock, and will have a hefty dinner at nine in the evening, often followed by some punch.

This way of eating was introduced on the continent, in the places where the English flock around, because they do travel a lot, having business everywhere in the world. When they are abroad, the English live better, having living costs reduced by half comparing to their own land, where everything costs.

Oh dear, it seems the ‘English abroad’ phenomenon was alive and well 185 years ago. To this day, we have a reputation for wanting English food and English-speaking hotel and restaurant staff wherever we may roam.

The last words: the French call themselves Monsieur (wherefrom the Germans call some soldiers ‘mouser’, from the French-speaking Belgians); the English call themselves John Bull [...].

And with that, this John Bull is signing off to cook the family dinner. A not-very-bloody vegetarian roast, since you ask.

My warmest Mulțumesc to Mihai Risnoveanu for sharing this translation. And thanks to you for reading!

Londoners interested in discovering more about Romanian culture might like to browse the upcoming events of the Romanian Cultural Institute in Belgrave Square. This is distinct from the independent Romanian Cultural Centre, which seems to be less active than it once was.

This is a sponsored article on behalf of Hobbledown Heath.

One corner of west London is about to get a seasonal makeover, as Hobbledown Heath's legendary Pumpkin Patch returns.

Now a staple of autumn in the capital, this year's Pumpkin Patch is bigger than ever, with new photo installations for snapping a family pic, and a new games area — and we're giving away tickets to the fun!

Once again, you can wander among pumpkins of all shapes, sizes and colours in the meadow alongside the River Crane in Hounslow. Eye them all up, grab a wheelbarrow and select your gourds to take home, whether you're after a classic orange pumpkin, or something a bit more unusual.

Keep your eyes open for roaming characters, bubble shows, children's performers, juggling and live music throughout the meadow — the whole family is looked after. Street-food vendors — an expanded selection from previous years — are on hand to keep everyone fuelled for their autumn adventure.

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Hobbledown Heath's atmospheric Pumpkin Nights are back for 2026 too. Visit the Pumpkin Patch as daylight fades to wander among illuminated pumpkins and glowing lanterns — an unusual twist on picking your pumpkin, and a great chance to get some unusual pictures too.

Head to Hounslow to visit the Pumpkin Patch, or make a full day of it: bundle tickets are available so your little ones can let loose on Hobbledown Heath's indoor and outdoor adventure play zones, zoo and farm animals while you're there too.

Win tickets to Hobbledown Heath's Pumpkin Patch

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