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Devonshire Gates Green Park

History Behind the Devonshire Gates in Green Park

Posted on May 17, 2020
in Hidden Gems, London, Look Up London, West London
6 Comments

You can spot the gas holders easily, but there's also a secret garden hiding nearby too...

Behind the Scenes Tower Bridge

Behind the Scenes at Tower Bridge

Posted on January 28, 2020
in architecture, London, Look Up London, Things to do in London, West London
7 Comments

Join me for a look inside the bascule chambers...

Behind the Scenes St Paul's Cathedral

Behind the Scenes at St Paul’s Cathedral

Posted on January 14, 2020
in architecture, London, Look Up London, Things to do in London, West London
10 Comments

On a triforium tour of the cathedral you can see some amazing hidden gems!...

Sculptures above piccadilly

History Behind These Curious Sculptures Above Piccadilly

Posted on December 27, 2019
in Hidden Gems, London, Look Up London, West London
1 Comment

Heard the myth you're never more than 6ft from a rat in London? Well on Oxford Street it's other rodents (and their intriguing history) you should be looking for!...

Inside the London Library

Inside The London Library (aka Book Heaven!)

Posted on December 24, 2019
in architecture, London, Look Up London, Things to do in London, West London
2 Comments

The largest independent lending library in the world, The London Library is a phenomenal space, packed with history!...

Marchmont Street Token Sculptures

The Sad History Behind The Marchmont Street Token Sculptures

Posted on November 26, 2019
in Hidden Gems, London, Look Up London, West London
0 Comments

It's worth looking down in Bloomsbury, these sculptures reveal a sad bit of history...

Oxford Street Beavers

Oxford Street Beavers

Posted on September 10, 2019
in Hidden Gems, London, Look Up London, West London
3 Comments

Heard the myth you're never more than 6ft from a rat in London? Well on Oxford Street it's other rodents (and their intriguing history) you should be looking for!...

One Pembridge Square Ceiling

A Jaw-Dropping Secret Ceiling in Notting Hill

Posted on July 17, 2019
in architecture, London, Look Up London, West London
0 Comments

Now part of a library and one minute from Portobello Road, the stunning ceiling One Pembridge Square is well worth looking up at!...

North Audley Street Roundels

North Audley Street Pavement Roundels

Posted on July 2, 2019
in Hidden Gems, London, Look Up London, West London
4 Comments

I know I'm usually looking up, but these North Audley Street roundels on the floor recently caught my eye....

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...

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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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