The lock is being repainted next year so I will probably photograph that process and ensure I get some more shots of her before she gets a makeover.
The Open House guide described her as a piece of ‘functional design’ but as she was built during Victoria’s reign she is also rather ornate.
This is a view looking down into the weir from the walkway. A blend of shapes, textures and sounds.
This is the side of the hut that once contained the toll booth. Once over pedestrians had to pay to cross over the river. It is now redundant as it is now free like all the other crossings in London.
Some of the smaller details are captured in this collage. I particularly like the dark brick work around the Richmond Lock sign.
]]>Today I did a dummy walk of my ghost signs tour. I’m running it to celebrate the release of my book: Fading Ads of London and the constant architectural flux in London means I had to check all the signs were still in place. I’m pleased to report that they are. Whilst doing my check I photographed some of the other architectural highlights that walkers will see on the tour. Street art, art deco architecture. canals and old warehouses will all feature. Places are limited but there are still a couple of spots left if you’d like to join us and enjoy some of the fading adverts about London.
]]>This afternoon I had the pleasure of taking Yanick Pucci’s Art Deco walking tour through Bloomsbury. The collage above illustrates just a few of the beautiful Art Deco details on display in the Bloomsbury area and the friendly nature of the tour affords walkers the opportunity to ask plenty of questions. Yannick deserves special credit for putting up with my Easter-egg-fueled banter (which was mostly at his at expense) for the duration but also for exploring a less-obvious aspect of Bloomsbury’s heritage.
Though the tour is indisputably well-researched, carefully planned and informative, its most pleasing aspect is that the buildings on this tour are not the most-recognised examples of London Art Deco. Instead, Yannick has chosen to include buildings that would otherwise be overlooked and forgotten; they are just as interesting as well-known Art Deco beauties like the Hoover Building but due to the heady speed at which people bustle by in the Bloomsbury area, without Yannick’s tour these buildings would be nothing more than bystanders ignored by commuters and tourists alike.
If you’ve a vague interest in architecture I recommend booking onto one of Yannick’s future Art Deco tours.
]]>To celebrate the launch of my book on Fading Ads of London I’m running a special walking tour event on Saturday 17th May. For the price of a pack of Black Cat Cigarettes you can come along!
According to the remaining ghost signs of London, you could once get 10 Black Cat Cigarettes for 6d. Yahoo Answers reliably (?) tells me that, taking into account the rise in earnings, this equates to £2.50 in terms of modern-day spending power. Consequently that’s the special price for this introductory tour.
The tour will start at Camden Town Tube Station at Midday and will last approximately two hours. When you get to the tube station look out for a blonde lady with a red clipboard (ruling out any ridiculous coincidence that will be me). It is a walking tour so please wear comfortable shoes and be prepared for my endless enthusiasm and random facts about hand-painted signs from a quaint but fascinating era.
Click here to book your place now!
Places are very limited to keep the group size manageable so please book soon to avoid disappointment.
Once bought tickets are non-refundable but the price can be transferred against the cost of a future walking tour as required.
]]>My lovely publisher, The History Press, sent me an advance copy of my book this week. Working with them has been an incredibly positive experience; they clearly really care about the projects they take on and (as is probably evident from the photo below) I was really impressed with the final design of my book. The volume isn’t available until May but it can be pre-ordered today from Amazon, Waterstones and The Guardian Bookshop.
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Inspired largely by the works seen in Mapping Manhattan, I recently decided to map the area I lived in when I first came to London: Fitzrovia. It’s my first attempt at cartography, which is why it looks a little bit like a seven year old might have made it. This is my Fitzrovia, the things I know and cherish about the area. The map is part of an ongoing book project I’m currently working on.
]]>After a bit of rooting around on the web it seemed the most likely explanation is that it was an advertisement for the Victor Talking Machine Company, a business in the 1920s that produced phonographs. If so, somehow this striking example of mosaic tiling has been preserved for 90 years or so.
]]>Although my next book is on hand-painted signs around London, I often come across some beautiful mosaic and tile signage on my travels. This one, just across the road from Dalston Junction station, is a fine example. I particularly like the gold trim, it gives the design an almost regal feel. You can read the whole Reeves story here.
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