Footprints of London

Jen Pedler looks at another Literary connection in London The Langham Hotel, at the bottom of Portland Place, opened in 1865 and was Europe’s first ‘grand hotel’. Its seven floors were served by the first hydraulically powered lifts in the world and each of its 600 rooms had air conditioning, hot and cold running water…

London Open House Weekend is almost here again. With over 800 London buildings to be explored over the weekend it can be a bit bewildering which ones to see, so the Footprints of London team have come up with their suggestions. Jen Pedler I’m stewarding at Imperial Hall – formerly the Leysian Mission – that wonderful…

With our Literary Footprints Festival starting in a couple of weeks, here is the first in a new series of posts on London Literary locations. Michael Duncan looks at Brown’s in Dover Street Brown’s which opened in 1837 claims to be London’s first hotel.  It was opened by James Brown who was butler to Lord Byron…

To celebrate our forthcoming Bleeding London evening on 31st October, here is another of our favourite London streets. This time Robin Rowles recommends Poppin’s Court running north of Fleet Street. Originally Poppinjaye Alley. The Popinjay was the symbol of the Abbots of Chichester and the Hostel of the Abbot and Convent of Chichester was here (or…

To celebrate our forthcoming Bleeding London evening on 31st October, heres another of our favourite London streets. This time Neil Sinclair chooses the atmospheric Shad Thames Shad Thames in Bermondsey takes its name from a church called St John at Thames which stood on the site until 1836. The church in turn was built upon…

On 31st October Footprints of London is hosting an event called Bleeding London – a joint event with the Royal Photographic Society. The event, part of the  Literary Footprints festival combines readings from the 1997 Whitbread short-listed novel, Bleeding London by Geoff Nicholson with a preview of some of the photographs from the most ambitious…

Rob Smith reviews the Virginia Woolf: Art Life and Vision exhibition at The National Portrait Gallery There are writers who set books in London and there are writers who’s work is driven by London. Virginia Woolf falls into the latter category, she felt it harder to work away from the streets of London. As well as…

The Leadenhall Building, better known as the Cheesegrater opened its new undercroft area today, and it includes an exhibition about this dramatic addition to the City skyline. The Richard Rogers designed building has some interesting features, designed to keep the cost of running the building down. Instead of a solid concrete core to hang the…