1.
The 3rd of October is you last chance to admire one of the best sculptures in the City of London…
South Korean artist Do Ho Suh’s ‘Bridging Home’ seems to have arrived from space, falling from earth and crashing onto an elevated walkway on Wormwood Street.
It’s been here since 2018 and each time I’ve walked past it’s been a great reminder to look up! I always smile as it reminds me of Dorothy landing into Oz after the storm.
Part of Sculpture in the City, there’s always new artworks springing up across the Square Mile but I’ll be sad to see this one go. It’s a replica of the artist’s childhood home, a traditional Korean dwelling that even lights up at night. I wonder if its going ‘home’ or where it might land next!
Have you seen it? Will you be sad to see it go?
2.
How well do you know St James’s?
There are so many hidden gems in this corner of London, from historic shops to sneaky courtyards and fabulous places to eat and drink. I’ve shared some of my favourite nuggets of history and quirky spots in this video, but I’d love to know your go-to places too!
3.
If you’re planning a visit to Greenwich anytime soon, the historic maritime centre can get pretty crowded (especially at the weekend).However, if you take a few minutes to walk into the backstreets you’re rewarded with beautiful sites like this lovely pub!
The Prince of Greenwich used to be called ‘The Albert’ after Queen Victoria’s husband and dates from the 19th century. Highly recommend a wander along Royal Hill and Crooms Hill for a weekend stroll!
Have you been?
4.
Everyone’s heard of the Great Fire of London, but another disaster in 1861 also deserves to be remembered.
The Tooley Street fire is often described as the worst fire in London since 1666, starting on 22 June at Cotton’s Wharf. With the warehouses along the South of the River full of flammable goods and the Rover Thames at a very low tide, the fire raged and thousands of Londoners flocked to watch on, horrified.
It took TWO WEEKS to fully extinguish the fire. In today’s money there was around £166million worth of damage caused.
Today near London Bridge, you can see a plaque to one of the heroes of the fire, James Braidwood (swipe ➡️). As the first director of what would become the London Fire Brigade he was in the thick of the action and died instantly when a section of warehouse collapsed on top of him.
Look up next time you’re on Tooley Street and maybe pause to remember this forgotten London disaster.
5.
A short walk from Hawksmoor’s St George-in-the-East Church is a building that needs a little more tlc.
Swipe ➡️ to see the dilapidated Victorian building in the church gardens and you’d struggle to guess that this is in fact a former mortuary.Over on the blog I’ve written about the macabre link with the East End and the surprising evolution of the building as a school trip destination, yes really!
