London’s oldest map

26 January, 2024 Gibson Square 2 Comments

Not long ago there was a craze for colouring books, not the one for young children, but for adults. Many of those books now seem to have left the shelves of bookshops, I suppose Covid lockdown saw to that, there must be just so many swirls you can colour in.

Recently, taking this idea to a whole new level has been a project undertaken by Matt Brown of the Londonist. He took the first known map of London from the 16th century, printed in black by the copperplate method and brought it to life. It is thought that originally the map consisted of 15 panels of which only three are known, nevertheless, the coloured detail represented here gives us some understanding of Tudor London.

From what was a pretty prosaic representation of the city, seen on many maps around that time, Matt has brought it into stunning focus, you can see how London looked before the Great Fire of London, and surprisingly how much of the original road network survived post the fire.

Featured image: Matt’s colouring of Moorfield, he has gone on to write about the project with far more images on London: Time Machine available on Substack.

Thinking allowed

English not spoken here

25 January, 2024 Gibson Square 4 Comments

Transport for London has paused the English language test for Private Hire Drivers. This was a licensing requirement, but as a large number of Public Hire drivers were not passing the test, TfL has decided to pause this requirement. Imagine travelling to one of the world’s most popular capitals, and not being able to communicate with the driver in the language of that country. An incredible safety concern!

Puppydog tails

Johnson’s London Dictionary: London Clay

24 January, 2024 Gibson Square 2 Comments

LONDON CLAY (n.) Dark brown deposit, which Londoners claim to be unique, despite geological evidence, much favoured in the manufacture of poor people’s houses.

Dr. Johnson’s London Dictionary for publick consumption in the twenty-first century avail yourself on Twitter @JohnsonsLondon

Thinking allowed

100 days to go

23 January, 2024 Gibson Square 2 Comments

When you awoke today I’m betting your first thought wasn’t that you have only 100 days to decide who to vote for to run City Hall.

The main parties have already chosen their candidates, so I’ve been digging around their campaign websites to see what they’ve been saying on a variety of issues, as you’d expect transport, air pollution, housing, jobs and crime are all included.

So with a stubby pencil poised above my choice here’s what information I’ve managed to extract.

Sadiq Khan – Labour (1/6)

Khan claims that electing him for a record third time would be one in the eye for the Tories. He brags about his record on air pollution since the imposition of the popular Ulez; he warns us of the impending climate crisis after flying around the world; he claims reported crime is falling, although most now don’t both to inform the police; promoting housebuilding, which I can testify to as many car parks around here are now building sites; transport affordability (it’s cheap as chips apparently!); and the opening of the Elizabeth line after years of delays.

Susan Hall – Conservative (10/3)

Predictably Hall is keen to “sort out the mess” created by Khan, including stopping the Ulez after it’s cost us millions to set up, but that money won’t be wasted, word has it the cameras will be utilised for the police to spy on us; she does not want to see any construction of housing on the green belt so that cuts out obsolete rural petrol stations, and any derelict land being redeveloped; and that she will look to increase the number of low-rise family properties, rather than one or two bedrooms homes in high-rise blocks, just how without spreading out upon the green belt she doesn’t say.

Zoe Garbett – Green Party (66/1)

No surprise that Garbett pledges to make London a greener, fairer city with measures including free bus travel for young people (bugger the old as they’ve already decided to vote Tory); and cleaner ways to use Silvertown Tunnel, presumably turning it into the world’s largest underground cycle lane.

Rob Blackie Liberal Democrats – (66/1)

Anti-Brexiteer Blackie aims to tackle crime; keep London welcoming for European citizens and others who are “threatened by Home Office incompetence”, presumably to boost recruitment for the Met to tackle crime; and clean up London’s rivers, and there’s me thinking the £4.3bn Thames Tideway Tunnel aims to just achieve that.

Howard Cox – Reform UK (100/1)

A climate change sceptic, Cox promises to scrap Ulez completely, probably dumping the technology into landfill; cutting crime (could public flogging be on the cards?); build more houses, as climate change doesn’t exist let’s just chop down trees on the green belt; and he wants to “get the city moving” by scrapping low traffic neighbourhoods and 20mph zones, returning to the days of Brands Hatch wannabes outside primary schools.

There are several independents, most are not worth mentioning except one, who hasn’t thrown his hat in the ring.

Jeremy Corbyn – Independent (25/1)

As he hasn’t declared yet, so there’s no way of knowing what policies he’d announce. But one thing is for sure, it would split the Labour vote and keep the Red Flag flying above City Hall.

Featured image: Vote by Nick Youngson (CC BY-SA 3.0) Alpha Stock Images

London in Quotations

London in Quotations: Mehmet Murat ildan

Quote 22 January, 2024 Gibson Square 3 Comments

London is not a city, London is a person. Tower Bridge talks to you; National Gallery reads a poem for you; Hyde Park dances with you; Palace of Westminster plays the piano; Big Ben and St Paul’s Cathedral sing an opera! London is not a city; it is a talented artist who is ready to contact with you directly!