After catching a train to Leatherhead and a bus onto Boxhill, we took a leisurely 10 mile walk around Boxhill in Surrey.





The circular walk took us through some lovely countryside around Polesden Lacey and Ranmore Common.





We even got to see some snowdrops. Lovely!

Boxhill walk: Westhumble and Norbury Park
Polesden and Ranmore

Labels: photos brixton, surrey, walk

Link

Woot! It was great to see urban75 being listed in Time Out's "Top 50 London Websites," especially as were number one in the 'communities' section. Nice!



Elsewhere on the site, I've been obsessively updating the Brixton History features, posting up old billboards and adverts and taking a modern day look:
2-4 Atlantic Road, Brixton
58 Atlantic Road, Brixton
80 Atlantic Road, Brixton
Walton Lodge, Brixton



There's also a big feature on Quin & Axtens, a long-gone grand department store in Brixton Road.



If proof were needed that perhaps my obsession is going a little too far, my recent feature on the Public Toilets in Tate Library Gardens could be it!



Sadly the Lost Pubs section keeps on growing, with new features on the Loughborough Hotel and the Hammerton Brewery.

Still to post up are pictures from the fabulous Actionettes night at the 100 Club, Oxford Street. I'll sort them soon - honest!

Labels: brixton, london, photos, pubs

I've just finished a photo feature on this quiet little street in the centre of London.



Rumoured to be named after Jonas Hanway - the man who introduced the umbrella to the streets of London and faced of a ton of grief from hackney cab drivers for his troubles - it's a fascinating little backstreet.

See: Hanway Street feature



On a sadder note, I've had to add another entry to my growing list of Lost Pubs Of Brixton.



The beautiful Loughborough Hotel at 39 Loughborough Road, Brixton, SW9 7TB had already lost its famous ballroom to developers, but it now looks like the pub has gone too.

Read the full story here: Loughborough Hotel, Brixton closes

Labels: brixton, london, photos, pubs

Well, not exactly a pipeline, but there sure was a lot of champagne flowing my way on Thursday as I attended the launch of the Nokia Store on Regent Street, London W1.



With Apple having their own equally shiny and chrome/glass-laden store opposite, the rivals will be able to take part in staring competitions across the road. Or maybe slug it out in the street if things turn nasty.



I've never understood or been interested in the dire schleb culture, but it was amusing to see well known musicians like Dizee Rascal and Goldie being hired in to presumably add 'showbiz glamour' while Z List blonde women flapped around the cameras, almost begging to be snapped.

Still, you won't hear me complaining when the free champagne is slopping around in such quantities, and I got to meet some interesting folks amongst all the swivel-action suits, PR backslappers and attention seeking pap-clingers.



We later retired to a restaurant bar called Cocoon near Piccadilly Circus where the onslaught of champagne continued until, in the words of the fabulous Elbow, "my speech was just a gas leak."

Sadly, there were no free phones to be had, and I hadn't brought my proper camera, so you'll have to make do with these super low-res shots from my much loved Palm Treo 650 phone (the onboard camera is not its strong point).

Labels: london, nokia

I've always loved the High Victorian folly of St Pancras station and the adjacent Midland Grand Hotel, and after an uncertain future, it's great to see the place thriving.



I popped in today to take some photos (and managed to resist the strong urge to impulsively jump on a train and head for Europe!) and it's barely recognisable from the station I visited a few years ago.


St Pancras 2001.



Check out more photos here: Return to St Pancras, and browse hundreds of St Pancras photos here: St Pancras and Midland Hotel homepage.

Labels: london, railways

Two (overdue) updates to the photo gallery, with pictures from a summer and an autumn walk around Crystal Palace park and nearby Sydenham.



I went along on the Sydenham walk (called the 'Fungi Forage'), wooed by the prospect of a walk through the old railway tunnel, but it was not to be.



But I learnt a bit about picking wild mushrooms: don't, because I'm too stupid to work out the difference between tasty 'shrooms and poison-laden instant-death dealers.





I love Crystal Palace Park - all over the huge park there's remnants of its glorious Victorian past and bonkers things like Egyptians sphinxes, concrete dinosaurs and grand stairs going nowhere.



I discovered a pedalo half stuck in a tree, a considerable distance from any water, and there's headless statues scattered all over the park.



More photos here:
Palace photos
Sydenham to Crystal Palace park
An autumnal walk around Crystal Palace Park

Labels: crystal palace, london, photos