Sunday 26 October 2008

#815 - Learn the secrets of Westminster Bridge Road

Timeout says:
First look at No.100, a block of posh flats now inhabited by bankers, Japanese businessmen and Kevin Spacey. It used to be the headquarters of MI6 and is alleged to have secret prison cells and a secret passage to nearby Lambeth North tube station

Dave did:




Timeout says:
Now head a few yards north on the other side of the road. Nestled between a Spar and a Chicken Palace, No.121 has a terracotta, mildly Gothic frontage that shields the remains of one of London's strangest railway stations - the Waterloo terminus of the Necropolis Railway, which took coffins from London to a Surrey graveyard. The brainchild of the London Necropolis Company, from 1885 'the stiffs express' would take corpses daily to their final resting place in Brookwood Cemetery.

Dave did:



126 down...874 Things to go!

#516 - Assess the pick of London's city squares - West Square

Timeout says:
An unexpected patch behind the Imperial War Museum, this inviting residential square is a great spot for visitors looking for a green space in Southwark

Dave did:
Given its surroundings, this is a bit of a hidden gem. Surrounded by very grand terraced housing, this garden square was quite a pleasant surprise.




125 down...875 Things to go!

#358 - Discover an unlikely collection of art



Timeout says:
The Imperial War Museum is better known for its displays of the mechanics and artefacts of war, but it also contains some notable works of art. Most of these can be found in two galleries on the second floor that are dedicated to art from World War I and World War II.

One of the most powerful paintings is John Singer Sargeant's 'Gassed', which depicts a line of blinded soldiers staggering through a battlefield.


Dave did:
For a free museum, the Imperial War Museum is an amazing day out! I spent a good 4 hours in this place, and it was amazing! Part war transport museum, part history lesson, part immersive experience (I was in a trench that eerily felt safe!), and part in memory of those lost in the holocaust.

Yes they had an art gallery but that was just the tip of the ice-berg, and to be honest the least thought provoking out of everything else there! A fantastic day out!

124 down...876 Things to go!

#720 - Explore London's telly locations....This Life


Timeout says:
The London Underground has, of course, provided settings for TV drama upon TV drama. Chancery Lane tube and This Life are inseparable in viewers' minds.

Dave did:
For once, this is a thing I have done on numerous occassions in the 3 years I've been in London! And I've even watched This Life...it was one of the first DVD's I bought when I moved down here and gave me a rather stark reality of starting a life in London!

123 down...877 Things to go!

#50 - Eat your way round Alan Yau


Timeout says:
Start at Wagamama, founded by Yau in 1992. Yau is no loger associated with the chai, but the business stays close to his original ethos, providing wholesome noodle dishes at a fair price.

Dave did:
Managed to tick this one off the list through a lunch with some work colleagues on the Thames southbank!

122 down...878 Things to go!

Saturday 27 September 2008

#642 - Go deco! Hoover Building


Timeout says:
Apart from residents of Perivale, not many Londoners trek out here. But it's well worth the effort to see this piece of architecture - possibly the finest art deco structure in Britain. Built in 1932, the principal building is a low-lying, two-storey white structure with its front divided into 15 bays by massive Egyption style pillars. It also has an outstanding central doorway that is framed by a huge sun-ray design. The rear part of the building was sensitively converted into a Tesco supermarket in 1989, and the palce has been celebrated in song (Elvis Costello's 'Hoover Factory').

Dave did:
On the Oxford tube heading out of London for the weekend, I caught sight of this very impressive building at the roadside. Unfortunately I couldn't get a decent picture with my mobile phone in time so I admit I have relied upon one from Google, but I did see it! (honest!)

121 down...879 Things to go!

#636 - Go deco! Apollo Victoria


Timeout says:
This Grade II-listed building, designed by Ernest Wamsley Lewis and WE Trent, opened in 1930. The exterior has two matching openings with pronounced horizontal baning and deco lettering inset in the concrete. most of the original interior is gone, but there are various maritime motifs and typically deco railings

Dave did:
Heading off to Oxford for the weekend I happened to pass by the Apollo Victoria. I think Timeout's has described everything there is to say about the appearance of this theatre...I guess the only thing needed to complete the picture is to mention Wicked is currently being shown there!

120 down...880 Things to go!