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Kings Observatory

London’s Other Royal Observatory

Posted on June 11, 2019
in London, Quirky Museums, Things to do in London, West London
4 Comments

You've probably heard of the Royal Observatory in Greenwich, but there's also the King's Observatory in Richmond. Join me for a look around...

London Clown Museum

London’s Clown Museum | Trinity Church, Dalston

Posted on January 24, 2019
in Hidden Gems, London, Quirky Museums
2 Comments

Dalston is host to one of the strangest – and smallest – collections; The Clown Museum in Trinity Church. If you're a coulrophobe, look away now...

Strand Lane Roman Bath

The Real History of the Strand Lane ‘Roman’ Bath

Posted on May 26, 2018
in City of London, Hidden Gems, London, Look Up London, Quirky Museums
1 Comment

There's a National Trust Sign, but don't be fooled. The Strand Roman Bath isn't quite what it appears to be....

Roman Temple

London Mithraeum: Visit a Roman Temple Under London

Posted on May 4, 2018
in City of London, Hidden Gems, London, Look Up London, Quirky Museums
4 Comments

First discovered in 1954, as part of the new Bloomberg HQ, London's Mithraeum been restored so Londoners can step back 1,800 years, inside a Roman Temple!...

Dorich House: The Home, Studio & Gallery of Dora Gordine

Posted on April 17, 2018
in London, Look Up London, Quirky Museums, West London
2 Comments

Tucked away in leafy Kingston is the home, studio and gallery of Dora Gardine, Estonian sculptor, 1895-1991 . Have a look around Dorich House, a true London gem....

Turner's House

A Tour of Turner’s House in Twickenham

Posted on April 15, 2018
in Interiors, London, Look Up London, Quirky Museums, West London
1 Comment

Newly restored and open to the public, I discovered a fresh view of JMW Turner at his House in Twickenham....

Spirit Collection

Inside the Natural History Museum Spirit Collection

Posted on April 10, 2018
in London, Look Up London, Quirky Museums, Things to do in London, West London
0 Comments

South Kensington's Natural History Museum has far more on offer than dinosaurs, join me for a look inside The Spirit Collection; full of monstrous and surprising specimens not usually on display! ...

Parliamentary Archives

Parliamentary Archives: Inside The Victoria Tower

Posted on March 6, 2018
in London, Look Up London, Quirky Museums, Things to do in London, West London
2 Comments

See what's going on inside Westminster's Victoria Tower; it houses the Parliamentary Archives – millions of records with historical, constitutional and political significance. Join me on a tour inside…...

London's Weirdest Museum

London’s Weirdest Museum: The Last Tuesday Society

Posted on December 12, 2017
in East London, London, Look Up London, Quirky Museums
2 Comments

A bizarre collection in Hackney with everything from shrunken heads to terrifying taxidermy. Proceed with caution...

Best Open House London 2017 Highlights

The Best of Open House London – 2017 Highlights

Posted on September 26, 2017
in architecture, Churches and Graveyards, East London, Interiors, London, Look Up London, Quirky Museums, Things to do in London
0 Comments

Over 800 buildings are open for the public – for free – to snoop around and last weekend I did the usual rushing across the city to try and see as much as possible! These were my favourite Open House discoveries this year....

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When you think about a Petrol Station, ‘glamouro When you think about a Petrol Station, ‘glamourous’ probably wouldn’t be the first adjective that springs to mind… But here, 6 Store Street, in 1926 the Bloomsbury Service Station opened its doors. It was one of London’s very first garages and a local landmark. The mosaic was commissioned by the Bedford Estate, major landowners in this part of town since 1669, commemorating the petrol station that was demolished in 2008. Sitting in the purple car in Mary Russell, Duchess of Bedford, b. 1865. Who, frankly, sounds like a bit of a badass. Not only was she accomplished in jujutsu, but she was also a member of the Women’s tax resistance League - refusing to pay tax until women got the vote. To cap it all off she also took up aviation aged 63, flying solo to Cape Town in 1930. Sadly that was to be her downfall, she died in the plan crash, age 71, over the North Sea. Can you spot the plane in the top of the image?! #lookuplondon
Someone’s had a makeover… These air vents at Someone’s had a makeover… These air vents at the base of The Leadenhall Building (aka the Cheesegrater) have had a splash of colour added by the artist DRT. He creates bold geometric work which is apparently inspired by stained glass windows. Back to the building itself, Rogers usually incorporate these air vents in plain sight where other architects might hide them away. Moreover they’re often colour coded; red for blowing out hot air and blue for sucking in cold air. These were painted as part of @londonmuralfest and in the distance you can see the other decorated vents by Carl Cashman. I kind of love it in the very heart of the suited and booted financial district. It’s like the new employee missed the memo on the pinstripe suit and turned up for their first day in a lurid Hawaiian shirt. 🤣 #lookuplondon #archilovers #londonmuralfestival #londonstreetart #leadenhall #CityOfLondon #RichardRogers @drtlondon @carlcashman @cheesegraterldn
Fancy exploring some of the Square Mile’s Secret Fancy exploring some of the Square Mile’s Secret Gardens with me? This Thursday is episode 1 of my new virtual tour series. You’ve probably been to St Dunstan in the East, but do you know about the courtyard where you can find an artwork from Iraq dating from 800BC? Or where there’s an actual vineyard? Or where to find London’s only memorial to the abolition of the slave trade? Join me for a fun, immersive, virtual tour full of videos to delve into these wonderful corners of the City! 📍 TAP @look_uplondon 👈🏼 for the link in bio to book! . You can book each tour individual for £10 (plus booking fee) . OR the better option is membership. ✅ Access to all four Look Up London Virtual Tours at the specially discounted price of £32* (only £8 per tour!)
 *plus booking fee ✅ This includes; “Secret Gardens in the Square Mile”, “Radicals: Fitzrovia & Bloomsbury”, “Women of Whitechapel” and “Gems of Kensington & Holland Park” ✅ Special entry into the private facebook group where you can catch up on live video replays of all tours. If you’re wondering about St Dunstan in the East, it’s a churchyard, rebuilt in the 17thC by Christopher Wren and then destroyed in The Blitz. It’s now been transformed into a gorgeous garden and you can even hire it for weddings! 😍 #lookuplondon #virtualtour #london #londonhistory #explorelondon #londonguide
One of the highlights of this year’s Open House One of the highlights of this year’s Open House London was a visit to Oxford House…

Founded in 1884, it was a place where Oxford Students could live right in amongst London’s East End and support the poorest parts of the community. Today it’s still a thriving community asset but the rooftop view is definitely an extra bonus - I love how Christ Church Spitalfields (built 1714-1729) stands its own against the City of London’s Eastern Cluster of skyscrapers. 📍For more highlights from Open House @look_uplondon 👈🏼 TAP for the link in my bio. . . . . #openhouselondon #lookuplondon #londonfromtherooftops #londonskyline #eastlondon #londonhistory #oxfordhouse #ohl2020 #londonguide @openhouselondon @oxfordhouse1884
I have the perfect antidote to London’s wet weat I have the perfect antidote to London’s wet weather right now… This is Aberfeldy Street in Poplar, East London and it’s probably the most surprisingly colourful street in the UK. It all started during lockdown with local businesses feeling uncertain abut their future. In a collaboration with Jan Kattein Architects and Meanwhile Space alongside The London Mural Company, 874 litres of paint were used to create unique, colourful patterns along the high street. What’s more is that the patterns were directly inspired by the local residents and business owners, with people offering up their shirts, curtains and old fabrics to be featured. 📍Read more over on the blog, @look_uplondon 👈🏼 TAP for the link in my bio. What do you think? Raises the spirits? Or all a bit much? . . . . #visitlondon #london #AberfeldyStreet #londonguide @aberfeldystreet @thelondonmuralcompany @jankatteinarch @poplar.harca @meanwhile_space
In Hoxton Square you can now find an adorable piec In Hoxton Square you can now find an adorable piece of Street Art. Well, I think it’s adorable. Or as cute as anything 4 metres tall and made of bronze can be. Created by the artist @stikstudio, the project has been in the works since 2014 and is his first public sculpture. You’ve probably seen his work around London, the painted stick figures seem simple at first. But the more you look, the more it seems amazing that just a few lines, dots and shapes can convey all kinds of moods and get you pondering the story. The figures hold hands but look away, are they lovers? Friends? Are they stood stock-still, contemplating the square? Or on the move? It’s hard to escape the added poignance of physical hand hold, something we certainly can’t do with anyone outside our ‘bubbles’ at the moment. I’d love to hear your interpretations! what do you think about it?
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