Monday 30 March 2009

CAMDEN TOWN

Danny Baker once referred to Camden as London’s armpit and if you spend any amount of time there you will soon see/tell why.

Friday 27 March 2009

TOTTENHAM COURT ROAD

With its station situated rubbing shoulders with both Oxford Street and Charing Cross Road, Tottenham Court Road is almost as central as you can get in London. As you emerge from the station you look up to see the huge deserted building that is Centre Point.

Situated nowhere near Tottenham if you head South you hit Soho or if you head North eventually you will find yourself in Camden.

The best thing about Tottenham Court Road was the enormous Fopp store that it once housed. This truly was an epic store better than anything HMV, Virgin or Zavvi ever mustered up. Of course it was too good to last or exist but I was still able to spend many special moments there such as the last day of work before Christmas in 2005 and include it as part of my 30th birthday celebrations.

Tottenham Court Road is also home to the London Church Of Scientology base.

Ricky Gervais has his offices along Tottenham Court Road, where he records his podcasts with Stephen Merchant and Karl Pilkington.

Tuesday 24 March 2009

GREAT PORTLAND STREET

Great Portland Street is a street just off Oxford Street that is most famous for housing Broadcasting House and BBC Radio One.

Saturday 21 March 2009

STRATFORD

Stratford is where the Olympics will be held in 2012. It is also one of the prime transport hubs in East London with the station being adjoined to the Central Line, the Jubilee Line and the Docklands Light Railway. If travelling from East Anglia to work at the Docklands this is where people alight.

Friday 20 March 2009

BETHNAL GREEN

Situated in East London one stop away from Liverpool Street, Bethnal Green is the domain of boxing gyms and public baths. This is an old school part of London steeped in retro notoriety that now does not really hold too much of interest to the casual observer or tourist.

Wednesday 18 March 2009

KINGS CROSS

KINGS CROSS

Kings Cross is an area of London that holds the kind of heavy notoriety which will cause a person to shy away from visiting. However once the mask drops and you can tune out of being approached by homeless types and occasional prostitutes it is possible to find gold in the area.

This is yet another part of London where I have studied where my college was situated next to an acting school called The Poor School which has given birth to amongst other people Kat Slater from Eastenders (Jesse Wallace).

Kings Cross has two main music venues in The Scala and The Water Rats where over the years I have seen bands like Deerhoof, Les Savy Fav, Blonde Redhead and No Age perform.

Monday 16 March 2009

LIVERPOOL STREET

For anyone in East Anglia Liverpool Street is the essential hub to entry into the nation’s capital.

Sunday 15 March 2009

ST JOHNS WOOD

I had never been to or even thought about St Johns Wood until I got a job there. Just outside of Zone 1 St Johns Wood is best known for two things: Lords cricket ground and Abbey Road studios.

This is fairly affluent part of London and with comes large houses with huge gates protecting the celebrities living therein.

Friday 13 March 2009

BAKER STREET

Over the past couple of years Baker Street has become a prominent place in my life as most days I step through the station on my way to work. Indeed briefly for seven months I worked for a company situated on Baker Street.

One of the most famous streets in London this is the home of Sherlock Holmes.

Thursday 12 March 2009

MOORGATE

Moorgate is a funny little station within walking distance of Liverpool Street but can be tough to find in the streets of The City as everywhere within begins to resemble Gotham City and only a corner away from a darkened alley where a person could get mugged. It is also very close to Barbican where I accidentally wound up when trying to walk from Moorgate to Liverpool Street.

Moorgate will forever be the station known as where I smashed my iPhone. The floors appear made of granite.

If returning to Liverpool Street via the Northern Line is well advised to change at Moorgate as opposed to transferring to Bank as the walking distance between lines/platforms in the station is shorter.

Tuesday 10 March 2009

NOTTING HILL GATE

Notting Hill is far too trendy for its own good these days off the back of that movie a few years ago but after walking down Portobello Road for nearly two and half years every day on the way to work I cannot help but hold a real affection for the area.

It is a strange area of London, one that has great wealth rubbing its shoulders with near destitution.

Monday 9 March 2009

FARRINGDON

Farringdon is a station that I travel through daily on my way to my line change at Baker Street. Briefly I studied at a college there while studying for my accountancy exams. It is a pretty intimidating place upon first view, very much the city and the kind of street that hits you with a barrage of noise and energy as you emerge from the tube station. This is the home of The Guardian.

Beyond the business part of the area though there is a soft area with many fine looking houses and apartments and some cosy and exciting pubs to facilitate and compliment them. In early 2008 a friend held her party at one such pub and here we spotted Spider from Coronation Street.

Thursday 5 March 2009

WARREN STREET

Warren Street is situated at the top of Tottenham Court Road with the BT Tower looking down on it.

Wednesday 4 March 2009

HOLLAND PARK

Rich people live in Holland Park.

Tuesday 3 March 2009

VICTORIA

This part of London never really registered on the map with me until the day I arranged me first internet date there. Or rather the lady in question Yasmine did.