Recommended by Londonist: Time Machine
Maybe we're biased - we're Londonist family - but still this is great stuff. There's plenty on London's contemporary art scene but also a lot of history in the mix, with recent features spanning Venetian painter Canaletto's relationship with London in the 1740s, and an artwork so controversial it caused mass resignations from the Royal Academy in the 1990s
Paul's knowledge about trees is beyond extensive -- like the root system of a mature oak. For years, his books have taught us to see the city in a whole new way. It's great to find him on Substack, dishing out short, punchy updates about Britain's most admirable trees.
A fantastic dive into the history of council housing and social provisions (schools, parks, thermal baths...) in the UK - often taking one estate or institution at a time and going deep into its history, architecture and social impact. Recent topics include the history of Victoria Park in Hackney, the architecture of elementary schools run by the London School Board in the 1800s and the Turkish public baths opened on Ironmonger Row in Islington by the council in the 1930s.
If you're interested in London's Soho and/or London's musical history then this is a must-read. The first feature I read had me popping into a bar the next day to look for historical clues, and the ones I've read since have all led me down rabbit holes. Great stuff.
The younger sibling to Shaun Usher's wonderful Letters of Note books and newsletter, Lists of Note is in the same kind of spirit: an eclectic collection of properly wonderful historical fragments. The Oddest Occupations of English People in 1881; a catalogue of the contents of a museum/house of curiosities that opened in Chelsea in 1695; writing advice from Kurt Vonnegut. You can dip in briefly or browse deeply. Beautiful.
So many amazing historical treasures in the Letters of Note archives and weekly emails. Shaun Usher's project (which you might know from the various books and live events) picks correspondence from over the decades and centuries that give a snapshot of their place and time. They can be incredibly moving, educational, hilarious (sometimes all in the same letter) and just outstanding reading.