Great pictures! Could you see Westminster Abbey and the Parliament from Horizon 22?
Not really. They're quite far and around the river bend so are partially blocked by buildings. Too bad there isn't a high floor restaurant over at Nine Elms. Their river views would be a lot closer to Parliament.
Located in the local library, the Brent Museum and Archives has a good display area showcasing its history, with a lot of artifacts from its modernization after the railways arrived from the 1830s onwards. Many famous brands we know today had factories here, such as McVitie's. Many moved into suburban homes here in the 1920s and 30s, and immigration changed the face of the community subsequently.
There is a free lights festival taking place between 21 January and 1 February 2025 across a number of sites in Canary Wharf, attracting huge crowds on a weekend evening when the offices are supposed to be empty. I thought I was smart to go way before sunset but I guess everyone there thought the same thing. Luckily, the lights were on well before the advertised 5pm start time, with lots of pink-coloured staff giving out maps and helping with directions.
In collaboration with Urbanest, the City Wall at Vine Street is a free museum created as part of their redevelopment. It showcases a section of Roman wall and the foundation of a bastion tower previously hidden in the basement of an office building.
The wall was completed around the late 2nd or early 3rd century when Londinium was the capital of Roman Britain. It circled the town for over 3km measuring 2-3m thick. It survived into medieval times when it was rebuilt, and as London grew, the walls became a part of the city.
I thought it was funny that there was a Guinness pint glass from 2009 in the Brent Museum. I think I have an equivalent museum piece in my kitchen cabinet!
There are quite a lot of new residential projects under construction in various pockets of London. These colourful buildings caught my eye as I walked from Greenwich to Lewisham. Upon checking the project website, they have shared ownership homes still available for sale at 430,000 pounds for a 1 bedroom. This type of ownership structure is new to me, as the buyer can purchase a smaller stake and pay rent for the rest. I suppose it lowers the income thresholds for the poorer classes but it's not like I can do much with a, say, 25% stake in a flat, as opposed to saving that downpayment money and just renting outright.
The Thames Path is a long stretch of pedestrian walkways that cross London's stretch of the river on both banks. The route from Rotherhithe to Greenwich is quite scenic and not touristy at all, although parts of it near Greenwich stray away from the riverbank due to redevelopment works.
Trams were very much part of London's transport scene in the first half of the 20th century, with horse-drawn trams appearing in the 1860s. The London County Council first leased tram services and then ran them directly themselves.
During the 1920s, competition increased as the underground railway grew. The company used poster marketing to promote tram services. Designed by the School of Arts and Crafts initially although private artists were also later involved, these posters typically showcase places to visit.
On display at the London Archives are only a small number of artifacts, such as timetables, photos, and guides. The key eye-catching feature is the wall covered by 40 tram poster facsimiles.
I'm a regular visitor to the Post Building in Holborn, whose rooftop deck is quite sizeable and has nice views of the City and the river. It's free to go up and the security guard only needs to log your ID to get in.
Do you know the name of the skyscraper with the three holes? I'm pretty sure I've seen it before in photos, but I don't know its name. That upper part looks interesting!
Last edited by Skytrunk; Feb 18, 2025 at 11:55 PM.
Reason: typo
Do you know the name of the skyscraper with the three holes? I'm pretty sure I've seen it before in photos, but I don't know its name. That upper part looks interesting!
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