London is one of my favorite places in Britain. It's where I lived when I was first married. I love how every area in all the borroughs of it have unique features from buildings to parks to pillar boxes . In America in general, our neighborhoods look fairly similar state to state outside the city centers. We could use some London charm.
Thanks Matt for another brilliant piece and recommendations. Converted me to a paid sub! The new London Museum website is looking good, with a commitment to telling stories and linking them to collections. https://www.londonmuseum.org.uk/blog/ A group of us are developing ideas on how to explore Smithfield in time for the opening in 2026. Your tips on local exploration would be invaluable.
Thank you so much, David! That means a lot coming from someone who clearly thinks deeply about London and its built environment.
The museum's blog does look good. I hadn't noticed it before. I wonder if the museum has considered porting its over to Substack? Might get a bigger audience, and could even be a revenue stream if they thought about it right.
Drop me an email if I can be of any assistance with the 2026 planning... always happy to help.
After studing the typography of London for nearly 5 years whilst on The Knowledge, which then piqued my interest in the city where I grew up, after many years I was pretty sure I knew all the ways to discover London. This post has been a revelation for me.
I also loved your idea of 'en plein air posting'. Walking around Victoria Park noting observations was brilliant, it was what Diamond Geezer does so well without the subsequent research.
Thanks for the kind words, David. That means a lot, coming from such a knowledgable cabbie. I'm in awe at anyone who can pass The Knowledge. I think I could have a good go at memorising where the streets go, but add in the extra layer of having to memorise one-way systems, bottlenecks and the like, and it'd be beyond me.
I love your Substack, too... you should post more often!
London is one of my favorite places in Britain. It's where I lived when I was first married. I love how every area in all the borroughs of it have unique features from buildings to parks to pillar boxes . In America in general, our neighborhoods look fairly similar state to state outside the city centers. We could use some London charm.
Thanks Matt for another brilliant piece and recommendations. Converted me to a paid sub! The new London Museum website is looking good, with a commitment to telling stories and linking them to collections. https://www.londonmuseum.org.uk/blog/ A group of us are developing ideas on how to explore Smithfield in time for the opening in 2026. Your tips on local exploration would be invaluable.
Thank you so much, David! That means a lot coming from someone who clearly thinks deeply about London and its built environment.
The museum's blog does look good. I hadn't noticed it before. I wonder if the museum has considered porting its over to Substack? Might get a bigger audience, and could even be a revenue stream if they thought about it right.
Drop me an email if I can be of any assistance with the 2026 planning... always happy to help.
Thanks for following Unblogged London!
Matt
After studing the typography of London for nearly 5 years whilst on The Knowledge, which then piqued my interest in the city where I grew up, after many years I was pretty sure I knew all the ways to discover London. This post has been a revelation for me.
I also loved your idea of 'en plein air posting'. Walking around Victoria Park noting observations was brilliant, it was what Diamond Geezer does so well without the subsequent research.
Thanks for the kind words, David. That means a lot, coming from such a knowledgable cabbie. I'm in awe at anyone who can pass The Knowledge. I think I could have a good go at memorising where the streets go, but add in the extra layer of having to memorise one-way systems, bottlenecks and the like, and it'd be beyond me.
I love your Substack, too... you should post more often!
This is brilliant Matt. I’m particularly impressed by the dedication to your photo archive!
Thanks Nigel!