Dirty Old London  published by
Yale University Press (October 2014)

Tuesday 28 October 2014

New North Road to Bethnal Green to Balls Pond Road

City Road is awash with new tower blocks at the moment ... 



Something of a ripple in the fabric of reality here, courtesy of mirrored glass ...


Lovely decoration above an old shop front ... the waves are quite unusual in London, I think ...


Revealed by demolition on the corner of Old Street, note the simple concrete manicule ...


Not much a fan of Hoxton Street art, but admire the size of this ...


Ghost of a ceiling ...


Pigeon observes the work in progress ...


and wonders if being followed ...


London's most temporary memorial plaque ...


Minor ghost sign in Bethnal Green back street ... slightly dateable by 01 phone prefix ...


Queen Adelaide's Dispensary, Pollard Row, opened 1866, giving free medical advice and treatment to the poor ...


Peculiarly shredded relic of a former sign ...


Mid-20C municpal housing in Whiston Road ...



Marvellous spear points at All Saints, Haggerston ...


And nice mid-Victorian railings on nearby houses ...


Typical back of London terrace ...


Less typical abandoned amphora ...


The beautiful De Beauvoir Square ...



The erstwhile home of the Hackney Mole Man, now barely standing ...


Decorative rail opposite, always draped with its Christmas lights ...


Lovely window guards ...



Smokes vents improvised on Balls Pond Road almshouse chimneys ...


A much neglected ironwork divider between doors to terrace ... would be amazing if restored ...


And finally, on corner of Newington Green Road, a plaque: THESE BUILDINGS WERE ERECTED IN THE YEAR 1891 BY U.STUDDS & SON OF BARRETT'S GROVE, STOKE NEWINGTON. Which is nice.


Tuesday 21 October 2014

Round the City of London

Moorgate. Someone took all the post-its ...


Crest on London Wall revealed by demolition of buildings ...


(ok, not nearby, but I took the tube down the road for work purposes) Lincoln's Inn Fields numbers ...


Cranes over Queen Victoria Street ...


Bank of England door, Threadneedle Street ...


Speaking Tube at Bank of England ...


1 Poultry, much despised, but I quite like it ...


Walbrook police call post ...


Peculiar warning behind the Mansion House on St. Stephen's Row


Goat on the corner of Cannon Street ...


Perhaps a temporary sign? Can't imagine stencils have ever been in the City's repertoire of signage ...


Cherubs on Cannon Street ...


Ghost sign on Abchurch Lane ...


Modern statues on King William Street ...


Phoenix ...


Apparently (so says the internet) a plaque to a lost City church on St. Nicholas Lane, destroyed in the Fire of London - but why the circular attachment at the top?


Bull on Lombard Street ...


Sad face on Nicholas Lane ...


Fetching Edwardian shop front on Birchin Lane ...


Another face, on Birchin Lane ...


Cornucopian lion on Birchin Lane ...


Wing, Threadneedle Street ...


Vertiginous view from Threadneedle Street ...


Reflection on Threadneedle Street ...


Textures, Threadneedle Street ...


Police call box, Threadneedle Street ...


55 ...


Parish marker, London Wall ...


Obelisk, Finsbury Circus ...


George Dance the Younger commemorated ...


Over-sized lion, London Wall ...


Underground, Moorgate ...


Mercury in scaffold, Finsbury Square ...