Tag: history
Remembering the fabulously scuzzy Mars Bar in East Village, New York
I’ll be the first to agree that it wasn’t the prettiest place to look at – and things only get more gritty inside – but the Mars Bar was one …
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Help save the fabulous Pollock’s Toy Museum in central London
Claiming to be the oldest Toy Museum in the UK, Pollock’s Toy Museum is housed in two buildings dating from 1750 and 1850, and it’s stuffed full of childhood nostalgia. …
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Failed bands of my past: east London soul/funk hustlers, Apartment
Here’s another glimpse into one of the long and many ‘lean’ years of my music career. This time it’s June 1983, and I can be seen youthfully posing at the …
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Shoes on power lines, fake houses, trains, photos, gentrification and architecture – the most popular posts in 2019
With the year nearly over, here’s a listing of the fifteen most popular posts on this blog in 2019, with the mystery of sneakers dangling on the power lines of …
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Railway archive photos – the Cardiff to Coryton branch line in the 1960s and 1980s
Once again I am indebted to photographer Rob Masterman for allowing me to reproduce this cracking set of archive images of the Coryton branch line in Cardiff, with photos of …
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Cefn Onn Halt fifteen years ago, photos of a closed station, December 2004
Following on from Rob Masterman’s excellent archive photos of Cefn Onn, here’s another selection showing the now-closed station in December 2004 – exactly fifteen years ago.
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Cefn Onn Halt, Cardiff – nine historic photos by Rob Masterman
I’ve always been fascinated by Cefn Onn Halt, a tiny former station located at the southern end of the mile-long Caerphilly tunnel. Accessible only by foot – and some considerable …
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Protest archive: J18 anti-capitalism protests in central London, June 1999
Twenty years ago, the centre of London was brought to a standstill by tens of thousands of anti-capitalism protesters during the ‘J18’ protests. Here’s some photos from my archives from …
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London 15 years ago: Denmark Street, 12 Bar Club & The Astoria, Soho, London in April 2004
It’s now changed out of all recognition with the legendary 12 Bar Club closing and several music stores moving out due to redevelopment, but this small road in central London …
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The human billboards and sandwich men on the streets of Soho 15 years ago – London history, April 2004
Fifteen years ago, you could barely walk around the centre of London without banging into some poor soul hanging on to an oversized placard advertising a computer fair, golf sale, …
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Lost London: photos of The Astoria, 12 Bar Club, Denmark St and street scenes, Nov 2008
Here’s a selection of London scenes photographed over a decade ago. Above, you can see the much-missed Astoria Theatre which was cruelly flattened to make way for CrossRail. Read more …
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Ten Years Ago: London’s Astoria Theatre closes for good, Jan 2009 – in photos
Here’s the sad sight of the Astoria Theatre in central London after it had closed its doors for good in January 2009.
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Stockton-on-Tees photos: street market scenes, rain, walking barrels and bargain hunters, Dec 2018
A market town in County Durham, Stockton-on-Tees is famous for its associations with the friction match and the Stockton and Darlington Railway, which operated the world’s first steam-hauled passenger train in …
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In photos: Brighton’s West Pier falls into the sea while its i360 tower successor flounders, Nov 2018
The remains of Brighton’s magnificent West Pier have been doomed to slowly rust away into the English Channel after a series of unexplained fires followed by storm damage made all …
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London 15 years ago: Soho street scenes, the Tate’s Weather Project and St Pancras, October 2003
Here’s a selection of London scenes from my archives, including scenes from Soho street scenes, the Tate’s Weather Project and St Pancras. The photos were all taken 15 years ago …
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Llandudno Pier: a splendid, Grade II listed Victorian pier in north Wales – photos and history
Wales’ longest pier with a length of 2,295 feet (700 m), Llandudno Pier is a Grade II listed structure that forms a major attraction in the seaside resort of Llandudno, North …
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Lost Pubs of London: The Old Rose, The Highway, Wapping E1 – ‘vinegar beer, green interior and odd locals’
Serving its last customer in early 2011, The Old Rose was a traditional old dockworkers pub situated on the once-notorious Highway in London’s East End. With redevelopment and demolition leaving …
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In photos: the magnificent curves and Victorian architecture of York railway station
Here’s a short photo-essay showing off some of the splendour of York railway station, a marvel of Victorian engineering and architecture.
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Trams, trains, tubes, trolleybuses and buses: a look around the London Transport Museum
Transport aficionados are going to love the London Transport Museum, a three floor attraction located in the Grade II-listed Flower Market building in Covent Garden Piazza.
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Pubs, a chalky penis and pavement history: a look around the streets of Chepstow, south Wales
Here’s my second short collection of photos of the small border town of Chepstow in south east Wales, taken as I headed to and from the nearby Green Gathering festival.
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The beautiful architecture of Canterbury, Kent, England – in photos
An historic cathedral city and UNESCO World Heritage Site, Canterbury is a truly beautiful place to visit, and it’s easily reached from London which is just 54 miles away.
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Steam locos, memorabilia, a stuffed dog and much more at the wonderful Railway Museum in York
Last month I finally got to visit the fabulous Railway Museum in York, a veritable cornucopia of railway history, stuffed full of historic locomotives, carriages, rolling stock and railway memorabilia. Incredibly, …
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A trip to Newport, Isle of Wight in photos: ferry, architecture, Quay Arts, The Crispin and street scenes
Over the weekend I ventured forth over The Solent to play a gig with The Monochrome Set on the Isle of Wight. Here’s some photos from the trip:
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In praise of the 1970s obscure: Press cuttings for Jackson Heights, Lee Jackson and Refugee
Even by my standards this is pretty niche stuff, but I thought it might be of interest to one or two people out there. When I was a kid, I …
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There Will be Fun: Victorian entertainments on show at the British Library in free exhibition
Running until the 12th March 2017, the British Library’s “There Will Be Fun” exhibition explores popular Victorian entertainments which have shaped the theatrical traditions of today.
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