Below you will find links and brief descriptions of all previous articles that have appeared on this site- just click any title that takes your fancy and the story will open in a new tab.
My very first article details the time I met a red-coated Chelsea Pensioner
Precisely when you don’t want to hit a traffic jam…
3. Cab Grumps
A most awkward fare…
Thoughts on the city’s homeless folk
5. Cold War London Part One: The Spy Game
Dead letter boxes, secret bricks and more
6. The Wall
A passenger tells me the story of how her parents fled East Berlin in 1961
A charming man with a darker side…
8. Cold War London Part Two: Bunker Mentality
London’s secret tunnels… and a Soviet tank near the Old Kent Road!
9. London’s Earliest Photograph
A true glimpse of the past; London pictured in 1839
A moving portrait of London during the 1940s Blitz
11. Waterloo Sunset
A bridge which holds a very special place in my heart
12. Waterloo Reggae
The story of Mr Clive Natural; a true friend of the taxi trade
Ever wondered why there are 32 pods on the London Eye?
Where the M1’s southern tip was really meant to end up
15. Wembley Stadium: A Little Trivia
Some incredible facts and figures
16. Old St Paul’s
What did the cathedral look like before its present incarnation?
17. Death and Loathing in Shad Thames
Daleks, Bill Sikes and more…
18. Basing Street Studios: Do They Know it’s Christmas?
A look at Notting Hill’s famous recording studio
19. Mind Your Head!
Why is there a sculpture of a spike on London Bridge’s southern end?
The crazy, tragic life of Peter Langan
21. A History of Marylebone Station
Cricket, The Beatles and more…
22. Friday Night on Old Street
The joys of dealing with a boozed up group
23. Berkley’s Barks
Some trivia relating to Berkley Square’s magnificent trees
A passenger tells me the story of how she began her career on the set of the 1981 film, ‘An American Werewolf in London’
25. A History of Paddington Station
Anglo-Saxon Chiefs, Isambard Kingdom Brunel and more…
My favourite London statues goes missing…
27. Little Italy
A look at Clerkenwell’s Italian heritage
28. A History of Euston Station Part One
The Roundhouse, Navvies and more…
29. A History of Euston Station Part Two
The 1960s onwards
30. Joseph Merrick: The Elephant Man Part One
A look at the places in London associated with Joseph Merrick
31. Joseph Merrick: The Elephant Man Part Two
The latter part of Joseph’s life and his time at the Royal London Hospital
32. Neon Lucozade
Chiswick’s Famous sign
What’s the story behind the two mice eating cheese?
34. A History of King’s Cross Station Part One
The Flying Scotsman, King’s Cross on film and more
35. A History of King’s Cross Station Part Two
Fire and re-birth
The true tale of a very grand old goose
37. Logie Baird’s London Part One
How the famous Scottish inventor gave life to television in London
38. Logie Baird’s London Part Two
The earliest television broadcasts and Logie Baird’s later work at Crystal Palace
39. A History of St Pancras Station Part One
From a Roman Martyr to Hardy’s Tree
40. A History of St Pancras Station Part Two
The station’s renaissance
41. Euston Films’ Greatest Hits: Cult TV from the streets of 1970s and 80s London
A look at the legendary Euston Films; creators of ‘The Sweeney’, ‘Minder’ and more
42. The Olympics 2012: Metro Blog
The first in a series of guest blogs which I wrote for ‘Metro’ online during the summer of 2012
43. A Ghostly Canine
The tale of a petrifying, ghostly dog which supposedly haunts an area near the Old Bailey
44. Brook Street & The Bee Gees
A look at Mayfair’s 67 Brook Street and the music legends with which it’s associated
45. The Olympics 2012: Metro Blog
A look at London’s first mascots
46. A History of Broad Street Station 1865-1986
Looking back at a now long lost London railway terminus
47. The Olympics 2012: Metro Blog
London’s Earliest Stadium
48. The Sad Tale of Giro & Dr. Leopold
The story of former German ambassador, Dr Leopold von Hoesch and his unfortunate dog, Giro
Looking back to Southwark’s rather more debauched days…
A secret airstrip created for the Royals during the Cold War? What do you think?
51. The Olympics 2012: Metro Blog
A guide to the Olympic National Pavilions
52. The Trellick Tower: From Doom to Desire
A look at one of west London’s most iconic landmarks
53. Achilles’ Willie
Park Lane’s rather revealing sculpture…
54. The Olympics 2012: Metro Blog
A Cabbie’s forbidden fruit
55. The Battersea Peace Pagoda
The story behind a beautiful gift from Japan
56. The Olympics 2012: Metro Blog
Hey LOCOG leave those words alone!
57. A History of Liverpool Street Station, Part 1
Featuring Bedlam, The Elephant Man, Stalin and Lenin
58. A History of Liverpool Street Station, Part 2
From the World Wars to the present day
59. The Elfin Oak
A curios little tree in Kensington Gardens
60. Snakehips at the Cafe de Paris
The story of Snakehips Johnson, a performer who was killed during the Blitz
61. Christian the Lion: A Big Cat in Chelsea
The moving tale of a lion cub who was purchased from Harrods- and would later feature in one of the internet’s most famous clips
62. The Olympics 2012: Metro Blog
How The Olympics Broke my Heart
63. The Cruel Capital: Two Grim Road Firsts
England’s earliest motor vehicle deaths
64. Cabbie’s Curios: An Ancient Taxi Rank
Revealing Southwark’s ‘ferryman’s bench’
65. Baker Street, Part 1: Sleuths, Spies & Scoundrels
The history behind one of London’s most famous roads
66. Baker Street, Part 2: Tubes, Beatles & Lost Property
More trivia on one of London’s most famous roads
67. Lovely Day for a Guinness on Fleet Street
The history of Fleet Street’s Tipperary pub
68. 304 Holloway Road: Inside the Tortured Mind of the Telstar Man
The tragic story of pioneering record producer, Joe Meek
69. Lower Robert Street… a Ghostly Tunnel in the Heart of London
A most unusual cabbie cut-through…
The history of The Eagle pub in Hoxton
71. Disturbing Daubs: Francis Bacon’s London
The London sites associated with controversial 20th century artist, Francis Bacon
72. A History of the Elephant & Castle, Part 1
The story behind this famous south London location, including the possible origins of the name and the Charlie Chaplin connection
73. A History of the Elephant & Castle, Part 2
The area at war and controversial modern architecture
74. Tales from the Terminals: Fenchurch Street
Including Britain’s first railway murder…
75. Farewell to Finchley’s Gentle Giant
A tribe to Horace White, a popular Finchley resident who died suddenly in October 2012
76. An Atrocity at the Adelphi
A shocking murder which occurred outside the Adelphi’s stage door in 1897
77. Candid Capital: Harley Scooter
78. Droogs About Town: Locations featured in ‘A Clockwork Orange’
A guide to the numerous, offbeat locations featured in Stanley Kubrick’s controversial 1971 film
79. Candid Capital: All Quiet on Platform 3
80. Candid Capital: Booster Bus
81. Elegance with a Dark Side: A History of St James’s Park
Today St James’s Park is one of London’s most beautiful green spots… but it wasn’t always so…
82. Candid Capital: Trunk Road Twilight
83. Suburban SOS…An Early Aviation Disaster
The first fatal civilian airline crash to occur in Britain
The details of a rather baffling doctor’s receipt from the late 1780s
85. Melancholy Grace: The Boy with a Dolphin statue
The sad story behind Chelsea’s elegant sculpture
86. A Christmas Carol… London locations
A guide to the locations featured in Charles Dickens’ Christmas classic
87. Candid Capital: Keep Calm & Watch Wimbledon
88. Cabbie’s Curios: The Waterloo Siren
What’s the story behind this still visible air-raid siren?
89. Candid Capital: Market Melancholy
90. Happy Birthday London Underground
The 150th anniversary of the world’s oldest subway system
91. Candid Capital: Meeting her Maj
92. Tobacco Dock: Wapping’s Ghostly Mall
The story behind an abandoned Docklands shopping centre
A history of a north-west London landmark
94. From Prayer to Palestra: The Ring at Blackfriars
A lost boxing venue- and the world’s first female boxing promoter
95. Candid Capital: Down on the Southbank
96. Tales from the Terminals: Cannon Street station
A history of Cannon Street terminus
Where to find the ruins of a long, lost palace…
98. Candid Capital: George the Busking Mutt
99. Candid Capital: Electric Blue
100. Crystal Palace Park, Part 1
The history behind London’s celebrated south London park including lost tunnels and an almighty fire
101. Crystal Palace Park, Part 2
Featuring Bob Marley, The Italian Job and more…
102. Candid Capital: Crystal Palace Crows
103. Candid Capital: Tired of London, Tired of Life
The great composer’s time as a child in the city
105. Candid Capital: Reach for the Moon
106. The Markets that Never Were…
A look at some Victorian proposals for large markets that never came to fruition
107. Secrets of the Viaducts: Walking the London Bridge to Greenwich Arches, Part 1
The story behind London’s earliest passenger railway
108. Secrets of the Viaducts: Walking the London Bridge to Greenwich Arches, Part 2
The Blitz, subterranean rivers and more…
109. Secrets of the Viaducts: Walking the London Bridge to Greenwich Arches, Part 3
Murder, biscuits and early canned food…
110. Secrets of the Viaducts: Walking the London Bridge to Greenwich Arches, Part 4
V2s and ghost stations
111. Secrets of the Viaducts: Walking the London Bridge to Greenwich Arches, Part 5
The final instalment, including a vanished canal, London’s oldest station, Squeeze and Dire Straits
112. Candid Capital: Creature in Court
113. Candid Capital: Shop Smash
114. Candid Capital: Bash Street on Thames
115. A Forgotten Museum with a Grim Past…
A look at the now derelict Nature Study Museum… which also harbours a Jack the Ripper link
116. Candid Capital: Southbank Smurf
117. Van Gogh’s London
The story behind the great artist’s time in London and the locations with which he’s associated
118. Candid Capital: Rainbow Stairway
119. From Lost Memorial to Abandoned Tube
Nelson’s Tree, a ghostly tube station and a short story by the late, great Sir John Betjeman
120. Early Road Pricing: London’s Lost Turnpikes
A look at the system of tollgates which once controlled London’s road network
121. Eerie London… A Poltergeist Comes to North London
The petrifying story behind the ‘Enfield Poltergeist’ which supposedly plagued a north London family during the late 1970s…
122. Candid Capital: Victoria Rainbow
123. WWI 100: The Machine Gun Corps Memorial & the Man who Mended Faces
The ‘Suicide Club’ and the moving story behind the sculptor, Francis Derwent Wood
124. Candid Capital: Hampstead Fog
125. Covent Garden’s Cramped Alley
Where to find London’s narrowest alleyway
126. WWI 100: The Cyprus Street Memorial
The story of a single street in Bethnal Green which lost 26 men in the Great War
127. Candid Capital: Walking in the Air over Horseferry Road
128. Kirsty MacColl…An Empty Bench in Soho Square
The life of Croydon born singer, Kirsty MacColl and where to find her memorial
129. A Victorian Thirst Quencher
In The City and feeling thirsty? Then look no further…
130. Tales from the Terminals: Waterloo Station, Part 1
The earliest days of the UK’s largest railway terminal
131. Candid Capital: Bus Despair
132. WWI 100: Finsbury War Monument
A memorial with some intriguing details
133. Candid Capital: Sweets in The City
134. Candid Capital: Mosaic Memorial
135. Candid Capital: Waterloo Cherub
136. Tales from the Terminals: Waterloo Station Part 2
A lost tube system…
137. Candid Capital: Waterloo Pigeon
138. Tales from the Terminals: Waterloo Station Part 3
A history of London’s shortest tube route; the Waterloo & City Line
139. Candid Capital: Sharp Focus
140. Tales from the Terminals: Waterloo Station, Part 4
Death Line: The Necropolis Railway
141. The Pride of Poplar: A New Statue Comes to Town
The life of Teddy Baldock; Britain’s youngest ever boxing world champion
The life and work of an acting legend
143. WWI 100/Waterloo Station, Part 5: The London & South Western Railway Victory Arch
A memorial to railway workers who died in the Great War
144. The Pride of Poplar Returns: London’s Latest Statue
Images from the unveiling of Teddy Baldock’s statue at Langdon Park, Poplar
145. Tales from the Terminals: Waterloo Station, Part 6
Waterloo wildlife- a look at the surprising amount of fauna associated with the terminal
146. Tales from the Terminals: Waterloo Station, Part 7
A range of trivia, including the famous Waterloo clock, a lost cinema and Waterloo on film
147. ’Terminus’- the full film (Waterloo Station, Part 8)
An early fly-on-the-wall masterpiece filmed at Waterloo Station in 1961
148. Candid Capital: Street Squirrel
149. Tales from the Terminals: Waterloo Station, Part 9
Waterloo’s dark side- including murder and medical horror…
150. Tales from the Terminals: Waterloo Station, Part 10
Leake Street; the derelict tunnel beneath Waterloo which is now a stunning shrine to street art
151. Tales from the Terminals: Waterloo Station, Part 11
The early days of the Eurostar
Links to all sections on the history of Waterloo Station
153. Jimi Hendrix’s London, Part 1
The story of the legendary musician’s life in London and the sites with which he’s associated
154. Jimi Hendrix’s London, Part 2
The numerous venues and recording studios associated with Jimi
155. Candid Capital: Love Portal
156. Jimi Hendrix’s London, Part 3
More sites and the events behind Jimi Hendrix’s tragic death at the age of 27
157. Great Loss of Life: Oceanic House & the Titanic Newsboy
The photograph of a newspaper boy bearing a headline announcing the Titanic sinking is one of the most iconic images associated with the disaster. Here’s the lad’s story…
A heartwarming statue near Battersea Bridge
159. Candid Capital: Blase Bicycle
160. London’s Best Ghost Photographs
A Halloween special…
161. Stressful Streets: Concert Hall Approach
A short road in London that’s bound to raise the blood pressure
162. Candid Capital: Bubbles in the Basement
163. Trafalgar Square’s American Patch
The story behind London’s George Washington statue and the secret it apparently hides
164. The Salters Return, Part 1
An update on the ‘Doctor Salter’s Daydream’ statue which was stolen in 2011
165. Candid Capital: St Pancras Sunset
166. The Salters Return, Part 2
The unveiling of a new and updated sculpture dedicated to a much beloved London family
167. WWI 100: The London Troops Monument
The story behind the memorial which stands outside the Royal Exchange
168. WWI 100: The Christmas Truce, December 24th 1914
A moving image from a 100 year old cover of the Illustrated London News
169. Candid Capital: Cures Wounds & Sores
170. The London Temperance Hospital
The history of a long abandoned medical facility near Euston
171. Candid Capital: Night Shopper
172. The Policemen’s Wall
A tucked away curio covered in 19th century graffiti
173. Victorian Relief
Where to spot a grimy 19th century outdoor urinal…
174. Long Lost Dread: The Millbank Penitentiary
The history behind a much fear gaol, the site of which is now occupied by Tate Britain
175. Candid Capital: The Self Preservation Society
176. WWI 100: The Imperial Camel Corps
One of London’s more unusual WWI memorials
177. St Alban’s Tower
How a single church tower came to be marooned
178. Candid Capital: Marble Arch Deco
179. Candid Capital: Sign Mish-Mash
180. Craig’s Court: A Curious Cul-de-sac
A tucked away spot near Trafalgar Square
181. Up the Common People
The George Tavern and the making of the music video for Pulp’s ‘Common People’
182. Portcullis Precursors: Westminster’s Forgotten Designs…
How this important building could’ve looked
183. Candid Capital: The Trellick Tower
184. The Man who Made Soho Glow
‘God’s Own Junkyard’ and the life of neon-maestro, Chris Bracey
185. Candid Capital: Dizzy Heights Hotel
186. Halloween Special: Scary London Scenes, Part 1
1984, The Omen and more…
187. Halloween Special: Scary London Scenes, Part 2
Day of the Triffids, zombies and nuclear war…
188. Candid Capital: Pearly King on Camera
189. Glimpse of the Past: John Logie Baird at Selfridges
The celebrated inventor demonstrating early television in March 1925
190. Candid Capital: Rush Hour
A tribute to the much beloved actor
192. Time Out Blog: Seven places in London linked to a Christmas Carol
193. Time Out Blog: A Guide to London Cabbie Slang
194. Bring Back the Lucozade Sign
A petition to save a south-west London icon
My initial reaction to the legendary musician’s death
196. Time Out Blog: David Bowie’s London
197. Time Out Blog: Cold War London
198. Candid Capital: Fleet Street Sunset
199. Candid Capital: Phone Box Lineup
200. Time Out Blog: A Complete History of Paddington Station
201. Candid Capital: Beer Pump Clips
202. Time Out Blog: 12 vintage shows set in London that will remind you of your childhood
203. A Monolith in St Katharine’s Docks
Where to find a prototype prop from Stanley Kubrick’s ‘2001: A Space Odyssey’
204. Time Out Blog: Scottish London
205. Cabbie’s Curios: Gormley’s Reflection
206. Time Out Blog: Bob Marley’s London
207. Monument to the Unknown Artist
A statue that may surprise you…
208. Muhammad Ali at the GPO Tower
A tribute to the one of the world’s greatest sportsmen
209. Candid Capital: Dawn at Richmond Park
210. Time Out Blog: Everything you need to know about Marylebone Station
211. Candid Capital: The Rock Stop Shop
212. The Birth of Only Fools & Horses
The 35th anniversary of one of Britain’s greatest loved sitcoms and a tribute to its creator, John Sullivan
213. London Transport’s Treasure Trove
Exploring the vast, Willie Wonka-esque London Transport Museum depot in Acton
214. Glimpse of the past… parking on Belgrave Square, 1965
Parking chaos in the 1960s
215. Candid Capital: The Garlic Seller
216. Time Out Blog: 12 Londoners that will give you nightmares
217. The Devil & the Hackney Coachman
A 19th century ballad about a cabbie who tricks lucifer…
218. Time Out Blog: 11 Legendary Recording Studios
219. Time Out Blog: Everything you need to know about the Lord Mayor’s Show
220. Glimpse of the past… John Lennon on Broadwick Street, 1966
The famous Beatle presents London’s swankiest loo…
221. Candid Capital: Classic London Routemaster
222. Time Out Blog: Five things you should know about Battersea Peace Pagoda
223. London Taxis in 1960
A nostalgic film from the past
234. Candid Capital: National Gallery Calling
235. Time Out Blog: Seven places in London connected with the Elephant Man; a tribute to Sir John Hurt
My appearance in a newly published book
237. Candid Capital: The Transparent Woman
238. Time Out Blog: Six places in London connected with Pocahontas
239. Time Out Blog: 22 Video Games set in London
240. Candid Capital: Inside Liverpool Street
241. Time Out Blog: Nine things you probably didn’t know about Euston station
The hair-raising process of cleaning Trafalgar Square’s famous monument- including John Noakes’ giddying ascent in 1978
243. Grenfell Tower
Thoughts on the horrific fire which claimed many lives in June 2017
244. Candid Capital: Vintage poster
245. Glimpse of the Past: Puppy Seller, Shoreditch 1946
An image from the now long-gone Sunday pet market
256. ’The Knowledge’ at Charing Cross Theatre
Jack Rosenthal’s 1979 comedy drama comes to the stage
247. “I danced myself into the tomb”… a tribute to Marc Bolan
A look at Marc Bolan’s life on the 40th anniversary of his tragic death
248. Candid Capital: Waiting at Heathrow Airport
249. Glimpse of the past… Eerie Mannequins, a Halloween Special
The unsettling aftermath of a fire at Madame Tussauds…
250. Candid Capital: Taxi & Wedding Bus
251. The Gunpowder Plot
The story behind the infamous plot of 1605…
252. My Upcoming Book… The Knowledge: Train Your Brain Like a Cabbie
A sneak preview of my first book
253. A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away… London’s Star Wars Connections
Sites around the capital associated with the much beloved franchise
254. Please support the family of taxi driver, Mr Imtiaz Mohammed
A fund raiser for a Birmingham cabbie who was killed in a tragic road accident
255. Candid Capital: Mayfair Christmas
256. Sherbert Dab: An Oral History of the London Taxi
In 2017 pupils from several London schools conducted interviews with London cabbies and created a wonderfully produced film. I was honoured to take part in the project, the results of which can be seen and heard here…
Clips from the terrifying 1980 ‘Panorama’ documentary, ‘If the Bomb Drops’ which envisioned a large nuclear weapon being detonated over the capital. What would residents of Shepherds Bush do?
258. Candid Capital: Nelson’s Column at Dusk
259. When Walt came to Southwark
Walt Disney discovers Disney Street…
260. My First Book: The Knowledge: Train Your Brain Like a Cabbie
Information and a preview of my first book…
261. Lord Camelford: Gentleman Thug, Part 1
First part in a tale about an extraordinary 18th century figure
262. Love is the Answer
Remembering the late, great Rik Mayall- and where to find his London memorial
263. Lord Kitchener: The King of Calypso
Looking back at the arrival of the Empire Windrush
264. Lord Camelford: Gentleman Thug, Part 2
Concluding the history of the 18th century’s most notorious nobleman…
265. Glimpse of the past: Pete at Broad Street, 1972
A friend of the View from the Mirror shares a photo taken at the now long vanished Broad Street railway terminus
266. The Queen of Soul in London: A Tribute to Aretha Franklin
Detailing the late, great Aretha Franklin’s visit to London in 1970
267. Candid Capital: Taking Liberties
268. Appearance in The Guardian
A link to an article in The Guardian (‘How to focus- tips from a Cambridge don, London cabbies and others) in which I appear
269. The Crimes of Dennis Nilsen
A chilling look at the serial killer, Dennis Nilsen who killed at least 12 men in north London during the late 1970s and early 80s…
270. WWI 100: Armistice & Aftermath
What the end of the Great War meant for London- including the Cenotaph, the Tomb of the Unknown Warrior and the various hospitals that were established to help those who’d been afflicted
271. The 30th Anniversary of the Clapham Rail Disaster
Examining the tragedy that occurred near Clapham Junction on the 12th December 1988
272. From London to Lockerbie: The 30th Anniversary of Pan Am 103
Remembering one of the UK’s worst terror atrocities
273. Christmas Thanks
A short thank you and snippets from those who’ve reviewed my book; The Knowledge Train Your Brain Like a Cabbie
274. Candid Capital: Queuing near The Ritz
275. A Knowledge Examiner Speaks
News on a new book by former Knowledge of London examiner, Chris Ackrill
276. An Oral History of London’s Dock Workers
The team behind ‘Sherbet Dab’ have now produced a documentary looking at those involved with a now sadly lost London industry. Here’s where to see it…
277. When Buddy Came to London
On the 60th anniversary of the early rock and roll legend’s tragic death, here’s a look at the sites associated with his visit to London in 1958
278. Keith Flint: A Tribute to The Firestarter
A post in honour of one of the ’90s greatest frontmen
279. Candid Capital: From the Suburbs to The City