A major exhibition at the Design Museum documents the legendary Blitz club night that transformed 1980s London style, generating an influential creative scene from fashion and music, to film, art …
In photos: recreate the New Romantic glory days at the Design Museum’s dazzling Blitz exhibition Read More
I’ll start off this selection of 10 archive photos from 2002 with this view of the Stallion sex shop in Soho – from the time when Soho was dark, sleazy …
Street scenes, Soho, Banksy, neon signs and an old record store – 10 central London scenes from 2002 Read More
Last week, I was fortunate enough to be invited to the press launch of the Golden Age of Poster Design exhibition at the London Transport Museum. Seeing I was already …
A short photo tour of the London Transport Museum in Covent Garden, London Read More
Last week, Porthcawl’s much-loved Coney Beach Amusement Park closed its doors for good after serving day-trippers and holidaymakers for 107 years. Opening in 1918, it’s said that the park was …
Remembering Porthcawl’s much-loved Coney Beach Amusement Park – archive photos from December 2008 Read More
With 2025 marking 80 years since the end of the Second World War, St Paul’s cathedral is hosting a free outdoor exhibition honouring the volunteers of the St Paul’s Watch …
Exhibition: Saving St Paul’s Cathedral: The Watch and the Second World War Read More
Hosting a vast array of London Underground’s historic artefacts, the London Transport Museum Depot makes for a fascinating day out. If you’ve ever visited the main Covent Garden museum and …
60 Photos of trams, trains & buses: a look inside the London Transport Museum Depot in Acton Read More
For anyone interested in Britain’s railway heritage, steam engines and signalling (and you can count me in for all three) this is an absolutely brilliant day out. Located about an …
Beautiful steam engines, vintage carriages and industrial history at the Didcot Railway Centre – in photos Read More
Continuing my occasional series of archive London photos, here’s a selection of images taken around Frith Street, Old Compton Street, Carnaby Street and Soho in early 2003.
In photos: a look around the streets of Soho in central London, back in early 2003 Read More
Here’s a selection of 15 photos taken in and around Soho in January 2003, including views of pub and shop frontages.
In photos: a walk around Soho, London in January 2003 Read More
Once again, this site is obliged to Rob Masterman for giving us permission to reproduce this wonderful set of photographs of Cardiff Queen Street railway station in the 1960s. The …
Cardiff Queen Street railway station in the 1960s – a series of fascinating photos by Rob Masterman Read More
I’m really not a big fan of all things military, but on a whim I thought I’d pay the National Army Museum, Chelsea a visit – and it turned out …
In photos: a trip to the unexpectedly enjoyable National Army Museum, Chelsea, London Read More
Formerly the Geffrye Museum, the Museum of the Home is located in the old Geffrye Almshouses on Kingsland Road, Shoreditch, London.
In photos: Explore front rooms of the past at the Museum of the Home, east London Read More
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 …
Remembering the fabulously scuzzy Mars Bar in East Village, New York Read More
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. …
Help save the fabulous Pollock’s Toy Museum in central London Read More
We first visited this splendid traditional West End café exactly fifteen years ago, back in January 2005 and would regularly pop in before its inevitable closure in December 2007. We …
Remembering the New Piccadilly Cafe in central London Read More
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 …
Failed bands of my past: east London soul/funk hustlers, Apartment Read More
Although recent works have seen station platforms reinstated and a new booking hall constructed, Cardiff Queen Street remains a shadow of its former self. The overall roof and Taff Vale …
In photos: Cardiff Queen Street railway station in the 1960s Read More
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 …
Shoes on power lines, fake houses, trains, photos, gentrification and architecture – the most popular posts in 2019 Read More
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 …
Railway archive photos – the Cardiff to Coryton branch line in the 1960s and 1980s Read More
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.
Cefn Onn Halt fifteen years ago, photos of a closed station, December 2004 Read More
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 …
Cefn Onn Halt, Cardiff – nine historic photos by Rob Masterman Read More
Here’s a selection of photos taken around Penarth Promenade, pier and beach last week. It’s a place I’ve been visiting ever since childhood, and it was lovely to see both …
Penarth promenade, pier and railway station in photos, south Wales Read More
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 …
Protest archive: J18 anti-capitalism protests in central London, June 1999 Read More
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 …
London 15 years ago: Denmark Street, 12 Bar Club & The Astoria, Soho, London in April 2004 Read More
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, …
The human billboards and sandwich men on the streets of Soho 15 years ago – London history, April 2004 Read More
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 …
Lost London: photos of The Astoria, 12 Bar Club, Denmark St and street scenes, Nov 2008 Read More
Here’s the sad sight of the Astoria Theatre in central London after it had closed its doors for good in January 2009.
Ten Years Ago: London’s Astoria Theatre closes for good, Jan 2009 – in photos Read More
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 …
Stockton-on-Tees photos: street market scenes, rain, walking barrels and bargain hunters, Dec 2018 Read More
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 …
In photos: Brighton’s West Pier falls into the sea while its i360 tower successor flounders, Nov 2018 Read More
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 …
London 15 years ago: Soho street scenes, the Tate’s Weather Project and St Pancras, October 2003 Read More