Category Archives: London

The fire that destroyed the Crystal Palace on the night of 30 November 1936 was visible for miles around. My father, then living in Cobham, Kent, remembers it well and, by odd coincidence, would move to Upper Norwood, just a … Continue reading →

Opened in 1964, a few hundred yards away from the site of the former Crystal Palace, the Crystal Palace National Sports Centre comprises the National Athletics Stadium (capacity 15,500) and an indoor complex with a 50m swimming pool.  Both of … Continue reading →

In 1852, Professor Richard Owen (the man who invented the term ‘Dinosaur’) was tasked with creating 33 life-sized model animals to populate a new Prehistoric Theme Park to be opened at the same time as the Great Exhibition. Owen called … Continue reading →

Fabricated from steel, with an oak stage, the concert platform in the Crystal Palace Concert Bowl was designed by Ian Ritchie Architects and staged its inaugural performance in August 1997.

Spent today in London – in and around the Upper Norwood area – meeting up with junior in the evening for Town vs Palace at Selhurst Park. Although the least said about the latter the better. From ’37 to ’41 … Continue reading →

Highgate Cemetery, a gothic masterpiece in North London where Karl Marx, other famous figures and some 170,000 other souls have their final resting place. First opened in 1839 some seventy monuments across its 37 acres are now listed by English … Continue reading →

Ethics of how the Parthenon Frieze (better known as the Elgin Marbles) were acquired aside there is no question that they make for a pretty impressive display. The debate continues as to whether the Marbles should remain at the British … Continue reading →

Another excellent day trip to the capital today taking in the Photographer’s Gallery, Carnaby Street, the British Museum, Highgate Cemetery and other points in between. More on each of those next week but for starters here’s a panorama showing the … Continue reading →