She Loves London

Tag: On the tube

  • On the Morning After Nelson Mandela’s Death, the Tube Driver Announced Charing Cross Slightly Differently

    On the Morning After Nelson Mandela’s Death, the Tube Driver Announced Charing Cross Slightly Differently

    Usually when you pull into Charing Cross station on the tube, the driver tells you to alight here for British Rail services, Trafalgar Square and various tourist hot spots. 

    They rarely mention that you might like to alight there for South Africa House, but today – the morning after Nelson Mandela’s death – our announcement was a little bit different.

    Nelson Mandela on Metro front page

    “Alight here for the Northern line, and British Rail. Alight here for Trafalgar Square, the National Gallery, the National Portrait Gallery and South Africa House, if you’re wanting to pay your respects to a hero of democracy and statesmanship.”

  • 13 Reasons Why London is the Best City in the World (According to Twitter)

    13 Reasons Why London is the Best City in the World (According to Twitter)

    As snow falls in March, it’s easy to feel a little downbeat about the city you live in – and those of us living in London are no exception.

    But when you stop and look around, or do a search on Twitter, it’s clear there are many, many reasons why 8,174,100 people are proud to call this vast metropolis their home.

    So I’ve compiled 13 touching snapshots of this sprawling, multi-faceted place to help us remind ourselves just why London is the best city you could possibly live in, out of ALL of them.

    (Probably)

     

    1. London offers a warm welcome to all its international visitors


     

    2. London is a hotbed of romantic intrigue 

     

    3. London takes pride in its appearance

     

    4. London has a robust and reliable public transport system

     

    5. London is a haven for urban nature and wildlife lovers

     

    6. London has a rich selection of inspiring public exhibitions

     

    7. London has an inclusive attitude towards all creeds and cultures

     

    8. London is alive with ambition and entrepreneurial spirit

     

    9. London is intent on providing affordable housing for all

     

    10. London’s balmy spring weather allows for an outdoorsy culture

     

    11. London holds manners and social etiquette in high regard

     

    12. London’s sights and sounds will keep the whole family happy

     

    13. London is so good, a lot of people find it very difficult to leave

     

    So you see it may be snowing in March, but it could be worse.

    You could live in a place where the sun always shines, but nothing interesting ever happens.

    And if all else fails, we can always laugh at Dalston.

    If anything has made you like London lately, or flown into your face on the street, give it a cuddle and let me know.

  • An Enlightening Selection of Good London Blog Posts

    An Enlightening Selection of Good London Blog Posts

    Internet High Five

    Studies have shown that it’s statistically impossible for you to read everything on the internet all of the time.

    But luckily for you, I can and frequently do spend a fairly sizable chunk of my day doing precisely that.

    So here are some interesting, amusing or just plain good London related blog posts and articles you can read while I think up something original to say.

    (Thanks, internet.)

     

    Hipsters are better than you, say researchers

    Hot on the heels of my “oh, you’re calling everyone in East London a hipster…again. Yawn” type posts, came this gem from The Daily Mash:

    Hipsters tend not to breed as pregnancy is difficult to accessorize, meaning their numbers will always remain low, but Hayes also argued that while their conversations make you want to yank your brain out through your nose, they probably feel the same way about your ghastly children.

    (thanks Emma Saunders for the heads up)

    We Went On a Quest to Find the New Dalston

    I think everyone in the entire internet read this last week, but in case you missed it, here were Vice’s predictions for “the new Dalston”.

    Look, I’m not saying Edmonton’s the Bronx – I’m sure it’ll be fine in the long run, but there was a cardboard cut-out of a policeman stood in one of the supermarket windows. There was just a palpable sense of unease, is all.

     

    Who loves London? And who does not?

    I liked this post on the Guardian’s London blog by Dave Hill, where he delves into November’s YouGov survey results revealing more Londoners are unhappy here than ever before. There was light, however, below the line in the shape of a comment from one half of a retired couple, who did things another way.

    We moved to London just over 12 months ago. We did it as part of our retirement plan swapping a 5 bedrooms house in Cambridgeshire for a 1 bedroom flat. London is the perfect place to retire to. First you have the Freedom Pass. Travel around the whole of London at no cost. Before we might have thought of going to a concert or theatre but felt the time and the expense wasn’t worth it. Now we just hop on the tube.

     

    Love on the Lines

    It is almost Valentine’s Day, so here’s an article from December about the tube lines you’ll need to inconspicuously stalk in a non-weird way if you’re looking for love on the Underground. (tl;dr Avoid Victoria, embrace Bakerloo.)

    A lot of those boarding at Victoria in the morning are married suburbanites who have moved to south London or Kent for cheaper properties and better schools — so you’ve probably already missed your chance there.

     

    Searching for Something…

    A brilliantly observed blog post that most singles in London can probably relate to. No? Just me then.

    I’m pretty sure I won’t find the love of my life at 4AM in the Dolphin.  And yet there he was; an incarnation, a very close imitation of my perfect man.  Granted, he hated the Sopranos and insinuated that every Smiths song sounded like a cover of their one original, shit song, but hey, nobody’s perfect, right?

     

    Admittedly, even the pros occasionally miss stuff, so feel free to share  anything London and Good you’ve read lately and I’ll smother you in the sort of affection usually reserved for monkeys at the zoo.