Plans for the BT Tower's revamp include a rooftop pool. Image: Sam LEGEND

It's been a while since we heard that the BT Tower is going to become a luxury hotel, but further details on the project have now emerged, ahead of public consultations next week.

MCR Hotels — the company which owns around 150 hotels worldwide, including the Eero Saarinen-designed TWA Hotel at JFK Airport in New York City — purchased the lofty London icon in 2024 for £275m, with the aim of turning it into a "hotel‑led, mixed‑use development".

Though we can assume rooms at the Orms Architects-designed hotel will not be thrifty, MCR has now hinted at a handful of things the public will benefit from, chief among them, access to the top of the tower (a privilege currently only afforded to a few occasional ballot winners) and a rooftop swimming pool (we THINK this will be public too). In its early days, the tower had a 120-seat revolving restaurant, plus viewing galleries, but both have been shut for decades.

MCR Hotels has a track record of turning iconic buildings, like the old TWA terminal at JFK Airport, into hotels. Image: Max Harlynking

Other boons for the project, says MCR, will be "a new publicly accessible square", "exciting new retail shops and restaurants" and "public realm improvements, making the surrounding streets greener, safer, and more pedestrian-friendly."

While most admirers of the BT Tower will surely be pleased to see it preserved, many will be waiting with bated breath to see how much it'll cost them to go up it.

Three initial public consultations will be held at the Jeremy Bentham Room, University College London, 23-25 Gower Street on:

Monday, 11 May
5.30pm-7.30pm

Tuesday 12 May
5.30pm-7.30pm

Saturday 16 May
11.30am-1.30pm

A virtual feedback form will also be available on the consultation site from 5.30pm on 11 May.

As yet, no estimated opening date has been announced for the hotel.

Can't wait till June? Check out our article on where else to ride vintage buses in London.

Travel back to an era when buses looked like this. Image © David Bowker

All aboard for free vintage bus rides this June!

London Bus Museum's semi-regular heritage day returns on Saturday 13 June 2026, when buses dating from the 1930s-90s (though mostly from the 1950s-60s) ply the 213 route between Kingston and Sutton, with more heritage buses on the 293 route picking up the baton between North Cheam and Epsom.

Simply show up at a bus stop along the routes on the timetable below between 10am-5pm, and soon enough an RT-Type, original Routemaster — or perhaps another bus straight out of yesteryear — will scoop you up. Some services will even have a conductor on board, handing out facsimile tickets. (Just be aware that if you board a modern TfL service on the route that day, you'll need to tap in and pay a fare.)

The 213 route has been running between Kingston and Sutton since 1921 – well over a century — although even way back then, you had to pay something to ride, so this is an opportunity not to be passed up.

Note that because of the buses' vintage, they're unfortunately unable to accommodate wheelchairs and most modern buggies.

London Bus Museum Route 213 and 293 Heritage Day, Saturday 13 June 2026, 10am-5pm, free

Image: Matt Brown

Trains across southern England — including those running in and out of London — are being affected by a major radio fault this morning.

National Rail has declared a major incident, with services expected to be disrupted until the end of today (Thursday 7 May), saying that:

A fault with the radio system between the driver and the signaller is affecting services on the South England network. Some services may be delayed by up to 90 minutes or cancelled as a result.

The issue is causing delays and cancellations to trains into and out of London stations including Victoria, with National Rail saying CrossCountry, Gatwick Express, Great Western Railway, Southern, South Western Railway and Thameslink, as well as London Overground, are affected.

At present, TfL is operating a 'Good Service' on London Overground lines, with no reports of any delays there — though this could change throughout the day.

• Southern said: "This is affecting services along our whole network, in particular services to/from London Victoria, and along our West Coastway route (between Brighton and Portsmouth/Southampton)."
• Thameslink is warning of disruption "on Thameslink services running to/from Brighton, Horsham, and Three Bridges."
• Southwestern Railway says that "Train services running across the whole South Western Railway network may be cancelled, delayed by up to 90 minutes or revised."
• Gatwick Express services "continue to be significantly affected by this issue".

Gatwick Express is among the services affected. Image: John Lucas via CC BY-SA 2.0

In many cases, tickets are being accepted on local buses or alternative routes, though of course this isn't always viable for long-distance routes. Check with individual train operators for details, as well as info on Delay Repay schemes.

Advice is to avoid travelling today if you can... though that doesn't help the hundreds of thousands of commuters already in London who must find a way home. If you must travel, leave plenty of extra time for your journey, and be prepared for lengthy delays and last-minute cancellations.

Other operators running into and out of London, including Southeastern and LNER aren't currently affected — though it's always worth checking before you travel.

C20 wants Terry Farrell's postmodern 'Palace on the River' to be granted Grade II* listing. Image: Londonist

The Twentieth Century Society (C20) has called for the Grade II* listing of Embankment Place — the glassy barrel-roofed office complex hovering about Charing Cross station.

Charing Cross station lost its original barrel-shaped roof in a tragic collapse in 1905, which was then replaced with a less impressive flat one. It wasn't until 1989 that construction began on Terry Farrell's postmodern 'Palace on the River', an 'air rights' building which suspends nine storeys of offices above the station, isolating the space from the thrum of tracks below.

Farrell's design echoed Charing Cross' first roof — not to mention that of the Royal Festival Hall across the water — creating what the developers Greycoat called "a building of exceptional character on a very important site... a building of drama. A proscenium arch."

"A bloated bauble above Charing Cross station"

Embankment Place, as seen from the London Eye. Image: Penn Station vis creative commons.

Not everyone saw Farrell's building that way; the Independent lambasted it as a "bloated bauble above Charing Cross station that looks like a giant Art Deco wireless". However, Farrell, who died last year, certainly fulfilled the brief for a structure that would stick in the memory. In a picture quiz, most Londoners would place Embankment Place as 'that building above Charing Cross station' or otherwise perhaps mistake it for the MI6 Building — another of Farrell's cartoonish confections. As is often the way with such audacious architecture, feelings towards the building have softened over the decades.

C20 in particular have a soft spot for Embankment Place. "Of all the commercial 'air-rights' developments above London railway termini," C20's Oli Marshall tells Londonist, "this is undoubtedly the most successful and for a building approaching 40 years old, it has certainly passed the test of time." Calls for its Grade II* listing came after the building's owner applied for a COI (Certificate of Immunity from listing), in line with plans to make substantial alterations, as part of a wider revamp for the surrounding area.

A Grade II* listing would severely limit the changes that could be made to Farrell's building. "Now is the right time for its architectural and historic value to be formally assessed," says Marshall.

The battle for Brutalism is won. The fight for PoMo is on

10 Cabot Square, another PoMo structure that's under threat right now. Image: Fred Romero from Paris, France via CC BY 2.0

This is a moment of reckoning for London's PoMo architecture. C20 recently called for the listing of 10 Cabot Square in Canary Wharf, currently under threat of being largely demolished, ahead of proposed redevelopment to the blueprints of the Howells architecture firm. C20 says that Skidmore, Owings & Merrill's early 1990s Neoclassical Chicago-style office block "is the finest example of this type of architecture remaining in Canary Wharf." However, there is still much proselytising to be done, to win critics over to the glories of PoMo architecture.

Oli Marshall tells Londonist: "While the recent listing of the Southbank Centre after 40 years of debate shows that the battle for Brutalism has perhaps finally been won, our Postmodern architectural heritage of the 1980s and 90s still remains widely undervalued and under-appreciated."

The Peter Robinson department store on Oxford Street had its branding printed on selected maps of the debut print run of Harry Beck's Tube map in 1933.

"...the sponsored Tube map is here". So regretfully announced a City AM article in December 2014, on the news that contactless card provider MBNA was paying TfL a handsome fee to have its branding stamped on the iconic London Underground map.

Eight years later, IKEA forked out £800,000 for the privilege of having its logo peppered across the map. People started wondering where this sponsorship madness would end.

Except that the sponsored Tube map was a thing from the moment Harry Beck's famous design was first published — over 80 years before the MBNA map came along.

UERL wore its reservations on its sleeve, by printing on the front: "A new design for an old map. We should welcome your comments."

Beck will forever be remembered as the man who sold his schematic circuit board design of the previously geographical Tube map to the Underground Electric Railways Company of London (UERL; soon after to become London Transport) for the measly equivalent of £600 in today's money.

UERL was highly sceptical that Beck was onto a winner, but in January 1933, printed 750,000 copies nonetheless. Wearing its reservations on its sleeve, UERL had printed on the front of the maps: "A new design for an old map. We should welcome your comments." All 750k maps were gone within a month, a second print run was hastily arranged, and the rest is history.

Harry Beck was infamously paid a nominal fee for his groundbreaking map design. Image: Matt From London

Beck's instant hit was quickly a design classic, one that's revered not just by Londoners and those in the design world — but pretty much everyone everywhere — which is why people can be precious about the idea of 'soiling' it with sponsors.

However, in that original 1933 print run, some maps were indeed 'overprinted', with sponsored branding. Peter Robinson, the department store (which sometimes wrote its name 'Peter Robinson's'), was one such client, with two conspicuously circled red logos (they are, in fact, larger than the roundel itself) printed onto the map, and unsubtly directing map readers towards its Oxford Circus location. (Far more invasive than IKEA's later cameo.)

Another 1933 overprint was for prominent scrap metal merchant George Cohen, Sons and Company, whose North Acton showrooms were flagged inside a bright red rectangle on the left of the map.

Both maps will be displayed by Altea gallery at the London Map Fair in June. The fair itself is free entry, although if you'd like to own one of the maps, that'll set you back £2,400/£2,500.

It's possible that overprinted maps like this one were inserted into trade magazines.

Overprinting like this, by the way, would've been carried out while the maps were first being printed — rather than added afterward by the individual companies — so it was all official and above board.

The print run for the Peter Robinson map would've been quite large, although survival rates are very low. Luca from Altea gallery tells Londonist: "These were ephemeral items, often discarded after use. Condition, combined with unusual variants such as advertising overprints, makes examples like these particularly desirable today."

Relatively few overprints would've been done in the case of the George Cohen map. Says Luca: "Variants such as this one are considered rare, as they were most likely produced in relatively small numbers, for targeted promotional use rather than general distribution."

Sponsorship on the London Underground itself has been in existence more or less from the get-go. We know, for example, that Bovril was being plugged in carriages in 1896.

The London Map Fair, Royal Geographical Society, 6-7 June 2026, free entry

Tibet to Canada without changing? It can be done on the World Tube Map.

Over 300 languages are spoken in London, a city that is steeped in diversity.

And what better way to represent this, than with a World Tube Map — a country's flag represented at each stop (plus a few religions), contingent on ethnic neighbourhoods & commercial hubs; landmarks & associations; and restaurants/bars. To name a handful:

🇬🇷 Tottenham Court Road: That'll be the Parthenon Sculptures at the British Museum.
🇨🇭Piccadilly Circus: Everyone's favourite glockenspiel clock.
🇯🇵 Holland Park: despite its name, this spot is better known for its Japanese garden.
🇬🇪 Highbury & Islington: the nearby Tbilisi restaurant is home to the best khachapuri this side of Georgia.
🇨🇳 Kew Gardens: Though designed by a Swedish-born architect in England, Kew Gardens' Great Pagoda takes its cue from China.
🇮🇷 East Finchley, Finchley Central, West Finchley: lots of Iranian heritage in this part of town.

"Every time I walked somewhere new, I would notice restaurants, bakeries, and religious buildings — it was a never‑ending discovery."

The World Tube Map is the idea of map maker Arcangelo Martiello, who's behind the Easy Tube Map website. "I was inspired by London's incredible diversity and the way multiple layers of migration have shaped the city," Arcangelo tells Londonist. "Every time I walked somewhere new, I would notice restaurants, bakeries and religious buildings — it was a never‑ending discovery. I wanted to design a map that reflects that richness, celebrating multicultural London through ethnic neighbourhoods, landmarks, and restaurants at every stop, for people of all national, racial and religious backgrounds."

As for Archangelo's favourite stop on the map? "It's difficult to say, but maybe St Peter's & Old Little Italy (Farringdon). It made me reflect on the Italians who arrived in London long before me, even though it has now mostly disappeared. It was also a special place to visit when my mum and my sister came to London."

Check out the full map on the Easy Tube Map website. There's also a centralised map with a handy slider here.

All images: easytubemap.com

Tube strikes take place throughout this week. Image: CGP Grey from London, United Kingdom via CC BY 2.0

At lunchtime today (21 April) a 24-hour Tube strike begins, followed by a second 24-hour strike later this week.

You can read more about this RMT union action — including the reasons behind it, and future planned strike dates — here.

In London today? Wondering about getting home tonight? Read on for everything you need to know about getting around the capital while the Tube strike is happening.

When does the Tube strike start today?

It's a 24-hour strike from 12pm (lunchtime) on Tuesday 21 April, ending at 11.59am on Wednesday 22 April — so it'll affect evening rush hour on Tuesday and morning rush hour on Wednesday.

It's followed by another 24-hour strike from 12pm on Thursday (23 April) until 11.59am on Friday (24 April).

Though the strikes end at midday on Wednesday and Friday, TfL has said disruption will continue into the evening on these days. On Wednesday and Friday mornings, no services at all are expected to start running until around 7.30am. You'll need to find an alternative if you're travelling earlier than that.

Further strikes are also planned for May and June.

What's running (and what's closed) during today's Tube strike?

Photo: Londonist

TfL has said that the whole Tube network is likely to be affected, with a reduced service expected to run across most lines, and significant disruption. Complete closures as follows:

• No service expected on the Piccadilly and Circle lines
• No service expected on the Metropolitan line between Baker Street and Aldgate
• No service expected on the Central line between White City and Liverpool Street

TfL has said that the Elizabeth line, DLR, London Overground, Trams and most bus routes* will be running as normal but are expected to be very busy.

*Note that on Friday, some strikes on bus services in east London coincide with the Tube strike due to industrial action at Bow Garage — full details on the TfL website.

Live updates on the Tube strike

🚇 The British Library is among the institutions altering its opening hours this week due to the Tube strike, closing earlier on Tuesday and Thursday, and opening later on Wednesday and Friday:

Our St Pancras opening hours will be affected by planned tube strikes this week.

For a full list of amended hours, visit our website: https://t.co/JWAyrCEta3 pic.twitter.com/921b1pWFJx

— British Library (@britishlibrary) April 20, 2026

🚇 London's pubs and restaurants could see sales drop by up to 40% during the Tube strike, according to a report published by CityAM, which claims that "the capital’s hospitality industry is set to be the hardest-hit from the industrial action". Michael Kill, CEO of the Night Time Industries Association is not happy, telling us: "As the sector faces a fresh surge in energy and operating costs, this new wave of strike action creates yet more uncertainty that businesses simply cannot absorb. Margins are being squeezed from every direction, and confidence is increasingly fragile. The ongoing disruption to transport services begs the question, who does this actually benefit? Because right now, it’s businesses, workers and the wider public who are paying the price for the reckless actions of the few."

🚇 Among the big events taking place during the strikes is an Alex Warren gig at The O2 on Tuesday evening, leaving fans asking why the concert wasn't cancelled or rescheduled when Coldplay at Wembley and Post Malone at Tottenham Hotspur were both rescheduled due to Tube strikes last September. The O2 has a capacity of around 20,000 compared to the 90,000 fans who were expected to attend the Coldplay concert, and the Jubilee line serving The O2 is expected to run during the strike, albeit with a reduced service.

🚇 Those who are blind/visually impaired will suffer too. Clive Wood, Lead Regional Policy & Campaigns Manager at Guide Dogs explains: "Tube closures can lead to increased traffic, busier pavements, and more crowded public spaces and buses. We also expect greater use of e-bikes and e-scooters, and as we saw last year, many of these were poorly parked and blocked pavements, posing risks for pedestrians with sight loss. For some, these factors may make journeys feel unpredictable or unsafe, and may lead them to avoid travelling altogether, limiting their independence."

🚇 12.28pm: Half an hour after the strike officially started, the TfL status page is showing severe disruption already — including on the western end of Elizabeth line, which isn't directly affected by the strike action. It's due to a (badly-timed) points failure at Hanwell.

Despite TfL initially saying there would be no service on the Piccadilly line, it does seem to be trying to run some sort of service at the moment.

🚇 4.20pm: In addition to the Tube strike, Great Northern is reporting issues on its routes between Brighton and Cambridge.

🚇5.13pm: Here's how it's looking as people start to head home from work. Thankfully it appears the earlier disruption on the Elizabeth line has now cleared up.

The new food market will open in west Smithfield in 2028, subject to planning permission. Image: Matt From London

A section of the Smithfield's Victorian market is set to become a food market and boutique hotel.

While Smithfield's General Market and Poultry Market are already deep into redevelopment, as they metamorphose in the much-anticipated London Museum (slated to open later this year), the future of a triangle of former market buildings, storage facilities and engine structures (built circa 1886-1899) on the west of the Smithfield site — collectively known as the Annexe buildings — had, until now, been undetermined.

Roughly the area where the food market/hotel would be. Image: Google

Now, the City of London Corporation, which owns the site, has revealed a two-stage plan to redevelop these:

• Phase One (touted for early 2028): A new food market featuring independent vendors and 'inclusive programming' to complement activities at the neighbouring London Museum. The market, says the City of London, will be inspired by the historic writings of Smithfield as a 'kitchen of the universe', featuring both established and start-up chefs representing the best of London's diverse cuisine.
• Phase Two (touted for 2030): A boutique hotel with ground-floor retail, plus a pocket park for community events and live entertainment.

The City of London Corporation says it will work with General Projects Limited and Esselco Group Limited to redevelop the Annexe buildings, alongside a design studio whose name will be familiar to many Londoners — Thomas Heatherwick (of New Routemaster/Olympic cauldron/Garden Bridge fame/infamy). No scamps of the proposed development are available at this time.

The food market and hotel will accompany the soon-to-open London Museum. Image: Londonist

Says Chris Hayward, Policy Chairman at the City of London Corporation: "Smithfield has always been London's kitchen, a place of trade, energy and life for over a thousand years. The Annexe redevelopment honours that history while giving this remarkable corner of the Square Mile a bold new future."

Of course, what we'd REALLY like to see is the return of the Cock Tavern, the bunker-like spit and sawdust pub with reverse opening hours, where Anthony Bourdain washed down a full English with a pint of Guinness once upon a time. You sense a cheap 'n' greasy fry up won't be on the cards at Smithfield's new market.

Meanwhile, the City of London Corporation recently won a judicial review concerning the nearby site of what was the Museum of London, in which campaign group Barbican Quarter Organisation claimed the City of London was planning to demolish buildings in the area without properly consider alternative schemes.

The Whittington Stone monument has stood since 1821, with the feline embellishment added in the 1960s.

Richard 'Dick' Whittington — the man who was four-times Lord Mayor of London (thrice in the pantomime version), and bestowed to the city a massive toilet — is enshrined in everything from pantos to pubs.

He is also immortalised in the Whittington Stone, a small monument erected at the foot of Highgate Hill in Archway in 1821, at the spot where a down-and-out Dick supposedly heard the bells call out "Turn again, Whittington, thrice Lord Mayor of London" — calling him back to the medieval City. That quote is emblazoned on the milestone-like monument, and in 1964, was embellished with sculptor Jonathan Kenworthy's limestone cat, referencing Whittington's (likely fabricated) feline accomplice.

Children from local schools have been involved in creative workshops, meeting conservators and contributing directly to the project.

Over the decades, the monument has fallen foul of soot, moss and general erosion, but now — thanks to a project funded by Islington Council and Heritage of London Trust with support from Englefield Charitable Trust — it's been restored to former glory. Work by SSH Conservation has seen stone repairs, recutting and repainting of the lettering, plus refurbishment and repainting of the railings surrounding the monument. A new panel has been installed nearby, giving more context to the Whittington Stone and the story behind it.

Children from local schools, including St John's Upper Holloway C of E School and Yerbury Primary School, have been involved with the project too, some even helping with the repainting. Says 11-year-old Betty Rose: "I think it's important for young people to know the story of Dick Whittington because it's a really inspiring story for all of us and basically it's to never give up and you should always try!"

"It was really nice just knowing about that job [of a conservator] and the work they do. Otherwise, I doubt we would even have half of what we've got around us.": 10-year-old Rufus from Yerbury Primary School.

The annual Whittington Walk — which retraces Whittington's route back from Archway to the City — takes place this year on Sunday 19 April, with many of London's mayors gathering at the Whittington Stone at 10.15am. Sadiq Khan himself is not expected to be in attendance, but he is, only (so far at least) only thrice Mayor of London.

They don't make 'em like they used to. Image: London Transport Museum

Dream of travelling to a bygone London? This May you can do just that, thanks to a series of heritage rides on a 1938 Tube train.

The burgundy-hued art deco style stock — consisting of four carriages, and replete with wooden frames windows, sleek light fittings, and a sumptuous red and green cut and loop wool moquette — is running on sections of the Piccadilly line across the early May bank holiday.

The journeys take place between Northfields and the Heathrow Loop (Saturday 2 May 2026), Cockfosters to Northfields (Sunday 3 and Monday 4 May 2026) and Northfields to Cockfosters (also Sunday 3 and Monday 4 May 2026). There are multiple trips on each day, each with a time slot.

The stock has been lovingly restored. Image: London Transport Museum

Though you can't reserve individual seats, carriages are divvied into 'Gold', 'Silver' and 'Bronze'. (Fitting, if coincidental, given that early London Underground trains were indeed split into classes.)

In all, over 1,100 of these 1938 cars were built — with some still in use in London up until 1988. A handful were recycled on the Isle of Wight's Island Line, but in 2020 these were replaced with 'new' (aka 1980s) London Underground stock.

Nowadays, you can admire these beauts in museums and depots, but you get a chance to ride them a few times a year.

As usual spaces are going fast. Image: London Transport Museum

Unfortunately these heritage rides are very much NOT at 1938 prices: adult tickets start at £25, going up to £30, though there are concession rates for kids. As usual spaces are going fast.

If you're looking for a thriftier heritage Tube experience, you can always hop on the Bakerloo line, the stock of which which is way over half a century old.

Heritage Tube rides, 2-4 May 2026.

Trackside Transformation: The Evolution of British Mainline Stations 1923-1947 is a new book that digs into the station architecture of the 'Big Four' — Great Western Railway, London Midland and Scottish Railway, London and North Eastern Railway, and Southern Railway — between the 1920s-40s.

Here, author Daniel Wright heads south to discover the gorgeous interwar stations built apart from those on the London Underground.

Tolworth station (1939). Image: Philip Butler

When speaking of railway stations in London from the 1920s and 1930s, most would no doubt think of the remarkable work of Charles Holden for the Underground.

Revered in period, and celebrated ever since, his estate of stations from 1923-1947 revolutionised the approach to modern architecture in Britain and left an enduring legacy on the capital's streets.

However, the Underground wasn't the only company building striking stations in London at the time. South of the Thames one of the four national railway firms was designing its own take on the modern British railway station.

Bromley North station (1925-6). Image: Philip Butler

Between the two World Wars, railway commuting in London boomed. The creation of new lines and the rebuilding existing stations to meet the demand occurred at a dizzying pace. Development north of the Thames was the domain of the Underground and Metropolitan railways, but south of the river, it was the Southern Railway which operated and expanded a dense network of mainline commuter routes.

Byfleet & New Haw station (1927). Image: Philip Butler

One of the 'Big Four' railway companies created in 1923 by government legislation, the Southern was responsible for all the mainline rail routes operating from the capital out to the south coast, from Kent to Devon. However, it was also building a significant commuter business for itself in London's suburbs by electrifying its lines to introduce faster and more frequent services, replicating the Underground's service offer, but on the surface. That meant bigger and better stations where existing buildings couldn't cope with increasing passenger numbers.

Surbiton station (1937). Image: Philip Butler

At first, these new stations were designed in a polite neo-classical style, like the charming survivor at Bromley North (1926). This wasn't to last, and within a few years the Southern was being influenced by the same international design trends as the Underground, with its chief architect James Robb Scott designing a collection of modernist/art deco mainline stations in south London. Though much less well known now than those of the Underground, they nevertheless have a lot to offer and when newly built rivalled their Underground cousins in the design and architecture stakes.

Wimbledon station (1929). Image: Philip Butler

The most famous is undoubtedly Surbiton (1937) with its lofty booking hall restored and lit by bronze uplighters, as well as other surviving features like its dramatic clock tower. Recent restoration work at Richmond (also 1937) makes the case for that station too, with stylish 1930s glass signage uncovered and restored, complemented by replica art deco light fittings and an original sign returned from the London Transport Museum in the booking hall.

Chessington North station (1939). Image: Philip Butler

While these two are undeniably celebrated examples of Southern's work, it was the vast number of lesser-known examples built, and the fact that no comprehensive book on the subject existed, that led photographer Philip Butler and myself to create their book Trackside Transformation – The Evolution of British Mainline Stations 1923-1947.

Waddon station ticket hall (1937). Image: Philip Butler

Perhaps one reason Scott's mainline stations are less famous than Holden's Tube stations is that the Big Four's bosses simply weren't as interested in architecture and architects as Underground CEO Frank Pick was. While Pick was promoting his marvellous new stations, the Southern focussed more on publicising the services it offered.

Carshalton Beeches station (1925). Image: Philip Butler

That lesser interest was compounded by nationalisation of the mainline railways in 1948, privatisation in the 1990s which saw stations passing between short-lived franchises, and now re-nationalisation, meaning that their value and 'brand' hasn't always been recognised by their various owners, and maintenance has been inconsistent. Many original features have been lost over the years, more so than at the inter-war Tube stations.
One of the Southern's very first Streamline stations, Wimbledon Chase (1929), has been allowed to deteriorate so much that there are plans to demolish and replace it with a block of flats. Built on the Southern's brand new Wimbledon-Sutton line, which saw off attempts to extend the District and Northern lines to Sutton, its architecture was a clear response to the challenge posed by the more limited Northern line extension to nearby Morden, which included stations by Holden. For now, it is — just — possible to appreciate Wimbledon Chase's mould-breaking concave frontage and the 1920s tiling inside.

Richmond station (1937). Image: Philip Butler

Nevertheless, there are plenty of surviving Southern Railway stations in London's southern suburbs that still possess much kerb appeal, with period features there for those with a keen eye. While completing the project, Philip found himself particularly taken by a later batch of four stations on the Chessington branch line, completed between 1938 and 1939. Each one has a streamlined art deco station building, and the platforms are sheltered by dramatic curved canopies. Unique on the mainline railway network, they were originally lit by rows of circular glass lenses. The lenses are still there but painted over awaiting restoration to their original art deco glory.

Tolworth station (1939). Image: Philip Butler

I, meanwhile, have a soft spot for Waddon (1937). Beneath garish commercial signage is a striking Modernist building which can hold its own against any inter-war Tube station. Little-noticed today, it is a hidden gem of the sort that Trackside Transformation aims to bring to a new audience. Trackside Transformation profiles over 100 stations built or rebuilt by the Big Four nationwide which survive, often unrecognised, to this day. Philip's photographs capture the characters of the range of the stations, from cottage-like stations in suburban and rural locations to art deco giants in city centres, while my pen portraits add historical context.

Trackside Transformation: The Evolution of British Mainline Stations 1923-1947, by Daniel Wright and Philip Butler, published by Art Deco Magpie Publishing.

Warning: This article contains images of nudity.

The World Naked Bike Ride is back on London's streets for 2026!

The World Naked Bike Ride returns to London for 2026, meaning hundreds of nude cyclists will be out and about on two wheels one Sunday in June.

The event takes place in more than 200 cities around the world, and has been a London fixture since 2004. While it's all good fun, the World Naked Bike Ride has a serious message too, acting as a memorable but peaceful message with the following aims:

• Protest against the global dependency on oil
• Curb car culture
• Obtain real rights for cyclists
• Demonstrate the vulnerability of cyclists on city streets
• Celebrate body freedom

The key word here is "peaceful" — organisers are at pains to ask everyone taking part to behave legally and respectfully.

When is the London nude bike ride 2026?

Cycle through central London without your clothes

The World Naked Bike Ride 2026 takes place in London on Sunday 14 June. That's a big change this year: For the first time, the event is taking place on a Sunday instead of a Saturday. Organisers said:

In recent years, the Saturday has become increasingly busy with more traffic, events, road closures, road works, diversions, crane operations, crowds, protests, counter-protests, police lockdowns, and, of course, the Trooping of the Colour. In 2024 we had to rearrange almost everything to avoid the clashes and closures. In 2025 we managed to stick to the plan, but it was hard work

Can anyone take part in the London Naked Bike Ride 2026?

The nude bike ride passes London's famous sights

Yes, anyone's welcome, as long as you are physically capable of cycling the route, you behave respectfully, and are willing to get at least a little bit naked.

'Be as bare as you dare' is the dress code for the event. Happy to let it all hang out? Crack on! (So to speak.) Want to keep your underwear on to protect your modesty? Absolutely fine. Want to don a mask, a headpiece or some sort of fancy dress as a disguise? You do you! However, for safety reasons it's recommended that everyone wears shoes (and a helmet is a jolly good idea too). Body paint, bike decorations, flags, banners and the like are also welcome, as long as they don't interfere with anyone's safety.

Oh, and if it's a remotely sunny day, sun cream is advisable. There are some places that should never, ever get sunburnt.

London World Naked Bike Ride route 2026

Don't forget your suncream!

There are several main London routes for the World Naked Bike Ride, including an accessible route for anyone who can't manage the full length of the other routes. All routes have a different starting point (and time) as follows:

• Clapham Junction
• Croydon
• Deptford
• Hackney Wick
• Kew Bridge
• Regent's Park
• Tower Hill
• Wellington Arch
• Accessible route, beginning near Waterloo station and the London Eye

All routes converge around Westminster Bridge for a grand finale near Wellington Arch at around 5.30pm, with more than 1,000 riders expected. If you're not taking part yourself but are planning on spectating, please do so respectfully, particularly with regards to taking photos of individual riders.

After this, there's an official after party for riders in Cannon Street — it's a ticketed event, aiming to raise money for the World Naked Bike Ride. Although everyone involved does so voluntarily, there are costs involved, such as radio equipment, insurance and road closure fees. Details for the 2025 after-party, including location, are currently TBC.

The World Naked Bike Ride 2026 takes place in London on Sunday 14 June 2026. It's free to take part — just turn up at the start of one of the routes with your bike... and little else.

You can see (NSFW) photos from previous rides here and here.

All images supplied by the World Naked Bike Ride.

The lowdown on the planned Beam Park station in east London.

Beam Park itself is well under way, but work on the proposed station is yet to commence. Image: MRSC via CC BY-SA 4.0

Where is Beam Park?

Beam Park is a new development of around 4,000 houses, being built in the east London boroughs of Barking and Dagenham, and Havering. "Homes for local people" runs its League of Gentlemen-esque tagline. 50% of these homes will be 'affordable', i.e. Shared Ownership, while 30% of the development (some of which is built on land formerly used by Ford) will be publicly accessible green space. Plans also feature two primary schools. All told, it's a pretty significant development, and a designated Housing Zone.

Why is it called Beam Park?

The name comes from the River Beam, which forms a section of the boundary between the two afore-mentioned boroughs. It's actually better known as the River Rom, but then 'Rom Park' doesn't sound quite so aspirational.

Beam Park should eventually gets its own c2c station. Image: London Less Travelled via CC BY 2.0

What is Beam Park station?

Beam Park sits — and the new station would be built — between Dagenham Dock and Rainham on the c2c railway, which runs in/out of Fenchurch Street. Given that it's essentially a brand new neighbourhood, with many thousands of new residents (and potentially many more thousands of homes to come in the area), it rightly warrants its own railway station. But planning hasn't been straightforward, and at time of writing (April 2026) construction has not commenced.

Is Beam Park station actually happening then?

Plans for a Beam Park station have been mooted since 2002, so to say that progress has been sluggish would be an understatement. In 2021, with plans for Beam Park station in their advanced stages, the Department for Transport (DfT) got nervy about its financial viability, and refused it funding. There's a nice little exchange about this in the minutes from a 2024 London Assembly meeting between the Conservative Andrew Boff, and Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan:

Andrew Boff AM (Chair): ... Who has caused the delay?

Sadiq Khan (Mayor of London): The previous Government.

Andrew Boff AM (Chair): Funny that.

Khan himself is behind the project, saying "A new station at Beam Park is essential for unlocking thousands of new homes in the area." He pledged £32m in 2020 — money which is yet to be used.

In March 2026, there was a breakthrough when the Government announced final approval of the project, with housing minister Matthew Pennycook saying "a new Beam Park rail station could be accommodated within the existing rail network". Of course, now it's been so long, costs of building the station will have risen.

When will Beam Park station open?

That remains unclear. No schedule has been published, and the Government green light is still contingent on how the project will be funded. Until this time, there will be some degree of trepidation from developers, who will want to ensure the homes they build will be suitably well connected to central London, and in the other direction, Essex.

Looking for somewhere to have a good laugh? We've just updated our roundup of comedy nights in London, featuring MOTH Club, and many, many other venues.

The glittery gold curtain is staying (along with the rest of the club). Image: Londonist

The closure of independent venues in London is a constant (and frankly, exhausting) threat, so it's always refreshing to see a positive news story — and right now, we've got one.

MOTH Club — the ex-servicemen's members club in Hackney Central, known for its live music, and Knock2Bag comedy nights starring the likes of Sam Campbell, Sheeps, Rosie Jones and many other great comedians — was fighting for its future recently, owing to two proposals to build residential blocks directly overlooking the club. This, believed, MOTH Club, would lead to all kinds of noise and disturbance complaints from the new residents — prompting possible limitations, or even closure.

Now, it's been revealed that the first planning application has been refused — a sensible decision that's surely been swayed by the many artists, audiences, local residents and industry stakeholders signing and sharing a petition, as well as lobbying from the likes of the Night Time Industries Association (NTIA) and the Music Venue Trust.

"This is incredibly welcome news and a defining moment for London’s nightlife." Image: Londonist

"This is a huge win," said MOTH Club to its Instagram followers, "We couldn’t have done it without your support."

Added Michael Kill, CEO of the Night Time Industries Association: "This is incredibly welcome news and a defining moment for London's nightlife. Moth Club is more than just a venue, it is a cultural institution, a platform for emerging talent, and a vital community hub. What we've seen is people power in action, a collective voice that simply could not be ignored."

But the fight, says MOTH Club, is not over; the second planning application is still in progress. "We need to keep spreading the word and make sure our venue continues to be a home for live music, comedy and grassroots culture," says the club.

At Londonist, we've also got our eye on developments at another wonderful London venue, the 'Traf' pub in Wimbledon (it features in our list of 100 best London pubs), which is currently trying to obtain the leasehold from developers. A community meeting regarding this takes place on 15 April 2026.

Meanwhile, TheatreShip in Canary Wharf is also under threat from a skyscraper development, though the planning decision has been deferred after appeals from fans of the venue.

Look closely - that's tomato-flavoured candy floss... apparently 😉

It's 1 April, meaning pranks galore, as companies and institutions everywhere hop on the annual April Fools' bandwagon. Here are some of the best jokes we've spotted in London this year — we'll add to it as more hijinx are revealed.

Candy floss pizza at Zizzi

Italian restaurant chain Zizzi — whose London locations include Strand, Victoria, Canary Wharf and Wembley — claims to be serving up a new candy floss pizza from today, adding "You'd be a fool not to try it!"

The Quattro Pomodoro Candy Floss Pizza features a tomato base, topped with a unique tomato-flavoured candy floss that melts into a sweet glaze that coats the pizza. The vibrant red candy floss topper is placed directly onto the hot pizza just before serving.

In other pizza-flavoured "news" coming out today:

• Indy pizzeria Fatto a Mano launches dough-less pizza, which sees the base removed, leaving just the crust and the toppings. It is, it says, a response to "evolving consumer habits, with increasing numbers of diners seeking lighter options".
• Tinned fruit brand Dole announces the launch of a tinned Hawaiian pizza, which "comes sealed in a tin, designed for maximum convenience and practicality, so Hawaiian pizza fans can enjoy the controversial classic whenever they like". Sounds... Dole-lightful.

Royal Albert Hall gets down with the kids

The Royal Albert Hall — which has offered up many an excellent April Fool's prank in the past — could soon ring with cries of kidz catchphrase "Six Seeeeeeven". It claims to be realigning its target audience, going after Gen Z and Gen Alpha audiences with upcoming events such as Doomscrolling in Concert, An Evening of Ragebait, Aura Farming and Brainrot Fest.

James O'Follipar (👀), CEO of the Royal Albert Hall, said: "There's always more we can do to bring in new audiences. We want to be a place where people can Snapchat a twerk; the home of six-seven. To us, ragebait, brainrot and yapping aren't just words — they're central to everything we do."

The Heathrow Express "Training Train"

Passengers can now pack in a 15-minute workout on the way to Heathrow, as the Heathrow Express service teams up with PureGym to launch the "Training Train". Available from 1 April (naturally), the new service transforms the 15-minute Heathrow Express journey from Paddington into a high-energy fitness experience with a set of travel-inspired exercises, from "overhead locker lifts" and "luggage lunges" to "duty-free curls", "passport pocket squats" and "gate sprint drills".

(Perhaps the funniest bit of this is the disclaimer tucked away at the bottom of the press release: "Any references to PureGym workouts or exercise on board are fictional and part of the April Fools' concept. Passengers should not attempt these activities on Heathrow Express services.")

The Gillette "Close Shave" Water Park

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A post shared by Simon Pollock (@londonsuburbia)

Instagram account @londonsuburbia slides in with the news that planning permission has been granted to install a number of "extreme water slides" on the roof of the Old Gilette Factory on the Great West Road in Isleworth. Attractions will be  “carefully named to honour the heritage of our glorious Art Deco razor blade factory”, including the LubriStrip Rapids™, the ProGlide UltraMax Descent™, the SmoothCore™ UltraSlide Pro+, and the fearsome SkinGuard360™ Velocity Run. Ouch.

Reverse Stand Up at Angel Comedy

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A post shared by Angel Comedy (@angelcomedy)

If you get nervous enough sitting on the front row at a comedy show, Reverse Stand Up will have you quaking in your boots. Angel Comedy — slingers of daily stand-up shows in north London — announced its new policy on 1 April, in which audience members will be chosen at random to perform a three-five-minute set ahead of the real comedians taking to the stage. It's all in the name of 'experiencing the spotlight, navigating silence and reconsidering heckling offences'. And fear not; you will be judged 'firmly but fairly'. Hmm, any good dramas on at the theatre?

Croydon plans a waterpark with its own whale

At last, Croydon's half-deserted Whitgift Shopping Centre has found a use for some of its empty units, claims Your Local Guardian. Namely adding in winding slides, indoor lagoons and a central wave pool — to create what developers are calling a 'fully immersive aquatic high street'. Just imagine drifting past shop windows, as part of a 'submerged retail trail' — ingenious! The live whale, 'Whitgift Wally' would pull in extra punters too, although before you get too excited, swimming with him is strictly prohibited. Spoil sports.

Watches for dogs by Olivia Burton

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A post shared by Olivia Burton (@oliviaburtonlondon)

London-based watch and jewellery brand Olivia Burton has announced its "Paw o'clock edit" on Instagram. Details are light, but it's accompanied by a series of photos of dogs wearing watches as dog collars.

River Thames perfume by Secret London

An article published on Secret London this morning claims that "You can now buy a perfume that smells like the River Thames", going on to claim that "The new London startup has captured the essence of the Thames and bottled it up for everyone to enjoy". The CEO of that startup? Joe King.

Smells very similar to City Cruises' prank last year. This year, the river tour company has stuck to the theme with Scratch & Sniff Cruise Cards, along you to smell each landmark as you pass it on the water.

The Simmons hotel

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A post shared by Simmons Bars (@simmons_snaps)

Cocktail bar mini-chain Simmons announces the launch of its first hotel, opening in Soho in 2028. Highlights include private overnight karaoke rooms, teapot cocktail room service, and recovery kits available on request.

IKEA's meatball lollipop

IKEA have announced a "world-first" collab that brings their legendary meatballs to a stick, in the form of a meatball lollipop, complete with a tangy lingonberry finish. "No assembly required" reads the tagline...

The blue water of Bluewater

Just over the border from London in Kent, Bluewater shopping centre is unveiling its glowing blue lake, formed by the introduction of bioluminescent algae earlier this year. The spectacle, it says, is similar to naturally existing bioluminescent lakes in Australia and the Caribbean, and is best viewed at sunset.

If the above have made you chuckle, remind yourself of the best London April Fool's jokes from previous years:

• 2025
• 2022
• 2019
• 2016
• 2015
• 2014

Pssst! We wrote this article especially for 1 April 2026.

Soon set to be filled with cars rather than people: Leicester Square. Image: Daniel from Glasgow, United Kingdom via CC BY 2.0

Leicester Square will reopen to cars, buses and other proper vehicles by September.

The surprise announcement follows recent news that Oxford Circus is to be partially pedestrianised by September. "In order to take the strain from the closure of what is a major London artery," says Phoebe Palter from the London Roads Authority, "we've deemed it necessary to re-divert some traffic to nearby areas."

While all four sides of Leicester Square are resurfaced to accommodate vehicles, the Official London Theatre Ticket Booth will be painted green and used as a cabbie's shelter, and the central gardens "sympathetically transformed into a mass docking station for 500 Lime Bikes". There are also suggestions the ODEON Luxe Leicester Square could become a drive-through cinema.

Meanwhile, Westminster Council are looking at ways to retain a small plaza in front of the M&Ms store, noting the importance of this cultural institution to the local area.

M&M's World. One of many cultural jewels on Leicester Square. Image: Matt Brown

Nearby Trafalgar Square is also being considered for similar 'unpedestrianisation', reinstalling the road that once ran directly in front of the National Gallery, while the bookish Cecil Court could be turned into a dedicated highway for electric e-scooters. The rolling project will be partly funded by the taxpayer, with sponsorship from Lime Bikes and Cerithium Oil making up the rest.

Fully pedestrianised since 1987, Leicester Square is a magnet for visitors looking to indulge in London's foodie scene (both the McDonald's and Gregg's here are well above average size), or to glimpse red carpet appearances at glitzy film premieres for movies which have included Alvin and the Chipmunks, Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Squeakquel, and groundbreaking psychodrama Alvin and the Chipmunks: Chipwrecked.

A trio of red, white and blue Mini Coopers will be added to the Square. Image: Romain Coatmelec

The area's cinema heritage has long been celebrated by a series of statues; to coincide with the new through-route for traffic, a trio of red, white and blue Mini Coopers will be added to the Square, representing the iconic cars from The Italian Job (they'll be the models from the superior 2003 remake).

Though proposals for Leicester Square's unpedestrianisation have already prompted ire from local heritage groups, many motorists will view the news as a small victory. In particular, London's rickshaw operators — who've had a tough time of it lately — will be buoyed. Due to historical byways, they will be able to use Leicester Square with impunity, with no restrictions on speed, fares or how loud they blast out 'Last Christmas', even though it's only late September.

Last year, a ban on Leicester Square's buskers was enforced, a move that, in hindsight, was the first step in clearing the way for traffic. Expect to hear the pneumatic drills get to work at 12pm today, 1 April.

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"As a town, Croydon is the very opposite of what Farage and Reform want Britain to look like." Image: Owain.davies via creative commons and Londonist

Outraged Croydon locals have aired their dismay and disbelief that a Reform UK rally is due to take place at the town's Fairfield Halls later this month.

Reform's events page promises both "thousands" and "HUNDREDS" of attendees (clearly they're hedging their bets) for an event at the renowned arts venue, which has prompted a coalition of community groups to pen an impassioned letter to BH Live, the leisure and event operator/social enterprise that runs the venue.

Part of the letter says: "Reform UK have pledged to deport 600,000 black and brown people if they get elected. How many of these people do you think currently live in Croydon? Croydon is a community that celebrates its diversity and the contributions made by people from all parts of the world.

"As a town, it is the very opposite of what Farage and Reform want Britain to look like."

Many others in Croydon have reacted with similar surprise and anger. Said radio station Croydon FM: "Still hard to make sense of how this is being allowed in a borough that prides itself on diversity." "This is so wrong," said one commenter, while another warned that booking the right-wing party will be an "absolute kiss of death" for the Fairfield Halls.

Adding insult to injury is the fact the venue — which first opened in 1962, and has hosted everyone from The Beatles to Big Mama Thornton — is council-owned, much of its recent (and highly controversial) renovation funded by Croydon taxpayers.

Why are Reform — a party with a track record for divisive, often bigoted politics — sniffing around Croydon anyway? According to local blog Inside Croydon, they "could win eight or nine council seats in May's local elections in Croydon, mostly from the Tories". The event, reckons Inside Croydon, will also be used to announce the Reform candidate for Mayor of Croydon, decided on 7 May.

BH Live seems to be keeping altogether shtum about the right-wing rally, which doesn't appear on its website or Instagram account. Indeed, some people's comments on the venue's Instagram account flagging Reform's scheduled appearance seem to have disappeared.

An outfit called Croydon Stands up to Racism is planning a protest on Saturday night.

Londonist has contacted BH Live for comment.

Proposed view of Villiers Street, with the new high level walkway to Hungerford Bridge. Image: Hopkins Architects

Plans have been unveiled for the renovation of 1 Embankment Place — the building which sits above Charing Cross station — with improvements in the works for nearby side streets.

Particularly of note for Londoners will be Hopkins Architects' plans for Villiers Street, the road which runs alongside the western side of Charing Cross station from Strand to Embankment station (by way of London's most famous wine bar), and which is apparently used by 3,000 people per hour (the station, not the wine bar).

The promise is to make Villiers Street "a brighter, more welcoming gateway" connecting the West End with the South Bank, as shown in the top image, with improved frontages to businesses on Villiers Street, as well as The Arches and Embankment Place, which run underneath the Charing Cross station building, and space for new shops, restaurants and cafes.

Proposed view of Embankment Place. Image: Hopkins Architects

The plans reference a "new high level walkway to Hungerford Bridge", the footbridge running across the Thames from Charing Cross. However, such a walkway already exists, heavily used by pedestrians as a route between Charing Cross station and the South Bank. The renderings accompanying the plans (see top image) suggest it'll be smartened up a bit, with the existing escalators opened to the elements (they're currently indoors and undercover).

Victoria Embankment Gardens, the public park next to Embankment station, will see "better pedestrian connectivity" to help people move through the area, presumably in the form of new paths and access gates. Full details should be available here on 25 March.

Proposed view of the new entrance to Craven Passage. Image: Hopkins Architects

As for the 1 Embankment Place building itself, the plans include 35,000 sqm of sustainable office space alongside amenities such as new outdoor terraces; probably not of interest to the average Londoner who's unlikely ever to set foot inside the building. 90% of the existing structure and the majority of the façade will be kept, and — as is now uniformly the case with such projects — there's a 'focus on sustainability'.

A public consultation on the plans runs online 25 March-19 April 2026, with in-person public exhibitions at the Clermont Hotel at Charing Cross on Wednesday 25 March (4pm-7.30pm) and Thursday 26 March (4pm-7.30pm), when there's a chance to meet the team involved in the plans.

Secret Cinema hopes to be settled into its new North Greenwich venue sometime this year. Image: Studio DJL & Dale Croft

It has hosted movie experiences everywhere from Ally Pally to London Fields, but now Secret Cinema plans to put down roots in North Greenwich.

Secret Cinema is anything but a secret; for almost 20 years it's put on increasingly ambitious immersive film screenings, which have seen the likes of Grease's Rydell High School and the futuristic dystopia of Blade Runner's LA recreated at various locations in London and across the globe. Some 1.5 million film and TV fans worldwide have been to a Secret Cinema event. The 'secret' aspect is usually twofold: only clues are given as to what the screening will be of, while the location is kept secret until just beforehand.

The second aspect of this is now set to change, as Secret Cinema has announced it plans to open a purpose-built venue in North Greenwich, not far from The O2 and the soon-to-open Troubadour Theatre.

Secret Cinema did Casino Royale in 2019. Image: Luke Dyson.

The venue is pending planning permission, but assuming the green light is given, Secret Cinema wants to be in its new home by the end of 2026 — thus adding another cultural magnet to an area now teeming with them.

Says Merritt Baer, Artistic Director & Producer of Secret Cinema: "Greenwich Peninsula is the perfect location for Secret Cinema's long-term flagship home. We are committed to bringing world-class immersive experiences to London audiences and are thrilled to work with local businesses and partners to make this happen... We are looking forward to breaking ground on this venue and continuing to bring entertainment's most loved stories to life."

Dyed-in-the-wool fans might  argue that the peripatetic nature of the shows is part of what makes it so thrilling. Image: Luke Dyson.

Occasionally, Secret Cinema has been scuttled by its own soaring ambition; in 2014, the opening shows of a Back to the Future experience were cancelled at the last moment, prompting backlash from those who lost their booking fee.

Having a permanent venue should in theory give the setup more control over organising its experiences, although dyed-in-the-wool fans might argue that the peripatetic nature of the shows is part of what makes it so thrilling.

Still, Secret Cinema says in a press release that Greenwich will be its home "for up to 10 years", suggesting that in the future, it could be up on its feet once more.

Morgan Freeman's dulcet tones can be heard at Baker Street station this Wednesday and Thursday.

If you're at Baker Street station today or tomorrow (18 and 19 March), and think you just heard Morgan Freeman tell you to "mind the bap!", the good news is you're (probably) not having a nervous breakdown.

To celebrate 150 years in the baking biz, crumpet slingers Warburtons called on the butyraceous-brogued Hollywood star to lay down a series of pre-recorded voice announcements.

Waiting on the northbound Jubilee line platform — temporarily rebranded to 'Bakers Street', and complete with crumpet roundels — passengers will be reminded by Freeman to "mind the bap!" and "stand behind the buttery yellow line", alongside various other bready puns.

Perhaps someone pointed Morgan in the direction of our Baker's Tube Map. Next stop: Mary-Berry-Lebone!

Image: National Highways

Enabling work recently began on the longest tunnel ever built under the Thames. It won't be in London, but it will have a big effect on the eastern side of the capital. Here, then, is your simple Explainer for the Lower Thames Crossing.

Where is the Lower Thames Crossing?

Nowhere yet. It's still to be built. But in a decade or so the 2.6-mile twin-bore tunnel will connect Essex and Kent, diving under the Thames just east of Tilbury and Gravesend. This will be the longest road tunnel in the UK.

Image: National Highways

It's not just a tunnel, though. Around 14.5 miles of new road will connect it to major routes either side of the Thames. To the south, the link will reach the A2 and thereby M2; to the north, it'll meet the A13, then carry on to reach the M25 between Junctions 29 and 30.

Who's building this and why?

This is the work of National Highways, the government-owned company responsible for building, improving and maintaining the country's motorways and major roads.

The tunnel is intended to relieve the Dartford Crossing around seven miles to the west. This is the only fixed crossing outside of London to the east. A second crossing would relieve congestion on what National Highways describe as "one of the country's most unreliable roads", effectively doubling capacity.

It's not technically a motorway (it will carry the name A122), but will function much as a smart motorway, with three lanes in each direction and variable speed limits. National Highways describe it as "the most ambitious road project since the M25".

That's one way to look at it, "horrendous scar on the landscape" is another

These things are complex. Digging up miles of countryside to lay down tarmac, then populating it with cars and trucks is a massive, massive assault on the local environment, no two ways about it. Habitats will be lost, trees will be cut down, before we even get to the carbon cost of the construction works and extra emissions from 'induced demand'. The Woodland Trust, Essex Wildlife Trust and Greenpeace have all opposed the plans, along with many other groups.

National Highways would point out that the project will plant more trees than it destroys, including 260 hectares of woodland (though these will take many years to mature). Formerly monoculture farmland will be rewilded for biodiversity. And the whole point of the project is to relieve the congested Dartford Crossing, thereby helping alleviate pollution build-up in that area.

We should also remember that the roads won't open until well into the 2030s, by which time we might expect a much higher percentage of electric vehicles on the road, and therefore lower emissions.

How is this funded?

The project is currently budgeted at £10.6 billion. That's about a tenth of the estimated bill for HS2, though more expensive on a per-mile basis. We're all paying towards it. As things stand, the Government (i.e. taxpayers) are contributing £3.1 billion, while £7.5 billion is coming from private funding.

Why would private investors pay the lion's share of a massive road/tunnel project?

Without getting into the complexities of finance, the key to it all is tolls. The new tunnel will be tolled, presumably at the same level as the Dartford Crossing charge. Investors will get a share of the pot from both crossings over a long period. The Dartford Crossing paid for itself a long time ago and is now generating handsome profits (to the consternation of drivers), which are ring-fenced by the government for transport upgrades. This money will instead go to the private investors.

Lego Batman is another vocal opponent of tolls on the Dartford Crossing. Spotted in Leake Street during the last Tory administration. Image: Matt Brown

The identity of said investors — likely to be pension funds, sovereign wealth funds and the like — has not been announced.

How are things progressing?

The government approved the project in March 2025, and fully committed to the public side of funding towards the end of the year, allowing construction to begin.

The earliest enabling works began in March 2026. Archaeological teams are out inspecting the land either side of the river, utilities are being diverted, and storage compounds for machinery are being built. Teams are also getting to work on creating new wildlife habitats, to mitigate against some of the project's later upheavals. Major construction, including tunnelling, is due to begin in 2028.

How long will this take, and when will it open?

In the unlikely event that the project encounters no major snags, then construction should be complete in "the early to mid-2030s". Last time we wrote about this project back in 2018, it was due to "open in 2027", so adjust your expectations accordingly.

We're going to stick our neck out and randomly predict 26 July 2036.

Can you tell me something mildly amusing about the Lower Thames Crossing?

Yes, the southern connecting road will join the A2 beside the tiny Kentish village of Thong. The junction looks like a thong. This is going to keep us amused for decades.

Image: National Highways

Find out more on the Lower Thames Crossing website, where they most certainly do not snigger about thongs.

Cutty Sark station reopens on 23 March. Image: A bloke called Jerm via creative commons

It's the station with the longest name on the TfL network — and Cutty Sark (for Maritime Greenwich) has been closed for a looong time too: 10 months, in fact.

However, next Monday — 23 March 2026 — the station will reopen, having been fitted with four brand new escalators and a lift. TfL says the station has also been made "brighter, easier to navigate, and more enjoyable to use", and — get this — the works have been completed earlier than anticipated, meaning it'll be up and running ahead of the Easter holidays and the London Marathon (for which this part of London is a popular vantage point).

A new artwork has also been installed in the station, in collaboration with Visit Greenwich, celebrating the local area.

Now's a good time to mention that passengers don't have long left to make the most of a free travel loophole on two sections of the DLR, set to end in April.

In other travel news, six days of Tube strikes have been announced for March, April and May. Though the DLR shouldn't be directly affected, there may be knock-on effects.

London faces six Tube strikes over the next three months, unless an agreement is settled between the RMT and TfL. Image: Londonist

London is set to be hit by a wave of Tube strikes this April, May and June.

The RMT trade union — which represents around 10,000 TfL staff, and some 1,800 Tube drivers — says that strikes will be scattered across six days (affecting 12 dates in all), in protest against the planned introduction of a compressed four-day working week for Tube drivers.

The strike dates are:

24-25 March (12pm Tuesday-11.59am Wednesday)
26-27 March (12pm Thursday-11.59am Friday)
As of 18 March, strike action on these March dates has been cancelled. Action is still expected to go ahead on the following dates:

21-22 April (12pm Tuesday-11.59am Wednesday)
23-24 April (12pm Thursday-11.59am Friday)
19-20 May (12pm Tuesday-11.59am Wednesday)
21-22 May (12pm Thursday-11.59am Friday)

As of 18 March, additional strike action has been announced for 16 and 18 June.

Should the strikes go ahead, huge disruption is expected across the Tube network (with knock-on effects for the rest of London's transport), although it's unlikely to be a complete shut down, as not all Tube drivers are striking.

Regarding the April strikes, TfL released this statement on Thursday 16 April:

If strikes go ahead, there is expected to be some service on most London Underground lines – but significant disruption is expected with services varying across lines. Other TfL services including Elizabeth line, DLR, London Overground and Trams will be running normally however they are likely to be very busy.

Buses are expected to run as usual (though naturally, they'll be extremely busy), with the exception of routes 8, 25, 205, 425, N8, N25 and N205, which are affected by their own strikes on 24 and 25 April.

Says the RMT: "London Underground (LU) bosses are pushing ahead with a plan to compress a normal working week into four days despite the proposals being rejected by a majority of Train Operators in e-referendums.

"Members have concerns about shift lengths, unacceptable working time arrangements, transfer and allocation processes, and the potential impact on fatigue and safety."

If you're thinking that a four-day week on full pay actually sounds rather attractive, members of the ASLEF trade union would agree: they voted to go with the new working schedule, even saying this is the "biggest improvement in working conditions for Underground train drivers in decades". Just goes to show, you can never please everyone.

Keep an eye on the TfL strikes page for the latest updates, including what is and isn't running on strike days.

This feature first appeared in March 2025 on Londonist: Time Machine, our much-praised history newsletter. To be the first to read new history features like this, sign up for free here.

People find my chest irresistible. At least, they do when I wear this t-shirt.

Image: Matt Brown

Complete strangers will stop me in the street.

“Nice t-shirt,” they’ll say.
“Yes,” I’ll agree.

The conversation doesn’t go much further. This is London, after all. But I like to think we all share an admiration for the simple device that is the Tube roundel.

Only, it’s not so simple. As my T-shirt shows, this icon of London has evolved considerably over the years, and it’s been used for many more services than just the Tube. The seemingly standard corporate logo comes in near endless variety only hinted at in the 20 forms emblazoned across my torso.

Even so, this simplified evolutionary chart is a good place to begin in discussing the history of the roundel. It’s a story I need to get off my chest.

Image: Matt Brown

1. The Winged Wheel (1905)

The year is 1905. The suffragettes stage their first London protest. The word ‘hormone’ enters the English language. Greta Garbo and Henry Fonda are born; Jules Verne dies. Albert Einstein reformulates the universe. And somewhere in London, a draughtsman doodles some wings upon a wheel.

(It’s faded into the background on my shirt, but you can see a resplendent version here.)

The designer, whom some sources identify as a ‘Mr Crane’, was working on a new logo for the London General Omnibus Company (LGOC), one of the main bus operators in the capital. The symbol of a winged wheel is an ancient one, which can be traced back to Greek representations of Hermes, and was a natural choice for a transport company.

The winged-wheel logo would only appear briefly on LGOC’s buses, but became a fixture on staff uniform badges. More importantly, it would become a key influence on the future Tube roundel.

2. The Bulls-eye (1908)

Image: Matt Brown

Much can, and has, been written about Frank Pick (1878-1941), a man who helped create the ‘identity’ of London Underground. His contributions were many and varied, but for today’s purposes, we can think of him as the main progenitor of the roundel.

In 1908, the 30-year-old Pick became publicity manager for the Underground Electric Railways Company of London (UERL). This company ran three deep-level tube lines: truncated versions of what are now the Bakerloo, Piccadilly and Charing Cross branch of the Northern line. Pick sought to impose consistency across the lines, and part of that drive involved a common design for station platform names. After some experimentation, and inspired by the LGOC design, he alighted upon the idea of a blue bar across a red circle, which could stand out from the ubiquitous advertising. It was first trialed at St James’s Park in 1908. Versions of this early design can be seen today at Ealing Broadway and Covent Garden (as shown above).

The symbol and its successors would be commonly called the bullseye for decades to come, but for simplicity, I’m going to use the term ‘roundel’ from hereon.

3. Metropolitan diamond (1914)

Image: Matt Brown

The Metropolitan Railway — London’s original underground line, though by now much extended — was still an independent company, and liked to do things its own way. From 1914, it introduced a diamond logo for platform names, which had the ‘feel’ of Pick’s UERL symbol but also asserted Metropolitan independence. A pastiche sign can be seen at Moorgate. It was installed in 2013 to mark 150 years of the London Underground.

4. General (1920)

In 1912, Pick’s tube company (UERL) had bought out the old bus company (LGOC), and the design aesthetic began to creep across. Around the same time, a new roundel design was introduced with distinctive capitalisation on the first and last letters: UndergrounD. This style found its way onto the buses, which carried a ‘GeneraL’ logo from 1920. Note how the once-solid disc has now become a circle.

Image: Matt Brown

5. Shoreditch diamond (c.1913)

Another design used by the independent Metropolitan Railway. These green signs were deployed on the East London Railway, now part of the Windrush Line, from around 1913. They apparently remained in place until the 1950s.

6. Maturing style (1924)

By the mid-20s, the roundel was settling down into its familiar style. Some variation remained, however, such as the red bordering around the nameplate shown in this example.

7. Johnston’s roundel (1925)

Edward Johnston is most noted for the Johnston family of typefaces, which are still used across London transport more than a century after his first version (commissioned, of course, by Frank Pick). But Johnston also did much to standardise the roundel. Working on its design from 1915, he would eventually write an exact specification of standard proportions, colours and lettering. The example shown here is very close to the design still in place in the 2020s. We’ve since lost the ‘ribbon’ styling around the border, though vintage examples can be found across the network.

8. London Transport (1933)

1933 was a watershed moment in the story, with the formation of the London Passenger Transport Board, commonly abbreviated to London Transport. It brought together many of the hitherto separate companies that had overseen trains, trams, trolleybuses and buses in the London area. The roundel could now spread its wings further (even though it hadn’t sported wings since the old LGOC days). London Transport’s own parental roundel had to have a wider name bar than usual to fit in the long name.

Image: Matt Brown

9. Wide application (1935)

London Transport put the roundel to work. Hard. It now wandered beyond the purposes of platform names, to play various roles in signage, marketing and even architecture. Charles Holden was particularly deft at weaving the symbol into his tube station designs, slipping it into windows and raising it on flagpoles.

10. Trolleybuses (1935)

Johnston had adapted his roundel to services beyond the London Underground from the mid-1920s. The evolution continued in the 30s. This distinctive T-bearing roundel was first used to symbolise the trolleybus network from 1935.

11. Trams (1936)

Today, the tram network is confined to the deep south of London, and carries a green roundel. The original network was much more widespread, and was represented by blue roundels like this. Note that all the letters are by now the same height. None of this capital ‘T’, capital ‘S’ malarky.

12. Trolleybus Tram (1948)

I’m not entirely sure how this unsatisfying tangerine effort was used — perhaps as a combined symbol for trams and trolleybuses. Whatever, it’s my least favourite roundel on the t-shirt.

Image: Matt Brown

13. Bus and coach stop (1949)

A janus of a roundel, introduced at thousands of bus stops across the capital from the late 40s. The two colour schemes encompass both regular London bus routes, and also Green Line routes out to the surrounding commuter towns. The words ‘compulsory’ and request indicate that regular buses were mandated to stop, while the coaches would only pull up on request.

14. Railways roundel (1950)

A generic roundel used to represent the various underground railways collectively — both tube lines and cut-and-cover routes like the Metropolitan. Note that, by this time, the standard roundel had lost its border to create a simplified silhouette.

15. London Transport black and white (1960)

Badly faded on my t-shirt, this simple outline roundel was used to represent London Transport in the 1960s.

16. Victoria Line (1965)

Image: Matt Brown

This special one-off roundel was created to promote the Victoria line, the first wholly new deep-level line in half a century. The surviving example pictured here can be found at the Walthamstow Pumphouse Museum.

Image: Matt Brown

17. Red Arrow (1968)

From the late 1960s, London Transport introduced so-called Red Arrow services. These made use of longer single-decker buses, to make swift and short journeys across central London. The buses had few seats, to pack in as many commuters as possible. The services lasted, in much-reduced form, well into the 21st century. They were initially marked out with black roundels, as shown here

18. Underground (1972)

By the 1970s, the roundel was considered the official logo of London Transport. This example shows an updated version used to promote Underground services, following a review by the London Transport Design Panel. The word ‘roundel’ was also adopted as the official name for the logo at this time. The earliest use of the word by the press that I can find comes from 1976.

19. London Buses (1987)

Another tangerine nightmare introduced in the 80s to encapsulate London bus services. The roundel coincided with the creation of London Regional Transport in 1984, which saw buses and trains operated from a national level, rather than by local government. According to London Transport Museum, it was phased out in 1994, and is surely little-missed.

20. Elizabeth line (2022)

An Elizabeth line roundel, about to break out of its chrysalis in 2022. Image: Matt Brown

The Elizabeth line, launched in 2022, is not classed as a Tube line. It has larger trains in a deep-level tunnel, and so is classified as a separate mode of transport to the wider Tube. Hence, it gets its own roundel, in a fetching shade of purple.

It is the final symbol on my t-shirt, but the roundelverse rarely stands still for long. Already, TfL has introduced another official roundel to promote its Superloop bus services. Others will surely follow.

Further variations on a theme

The roundel has been with us now for over a century. It is a logo popular with both Londoners and visitors, widely recognised as a symbol of London itself.

In recent years, Transport for London has got a bit playful with its emblem. Alternative versions are regularly deployed. We’ve seen Remembrance roundels, Coronation roundels and Pride roundels; a heart-shaped roundel (below) to mark 160 years of the Underground; children’s roundels and artists’ roundels.

Heart-shaped roundel at Baker Street. Image: Matt Brown

Somewhat controversially, the roundel has also been adapted by sponsors to generate revenue for TfL. Sony Playstation had its four controller symbols turned into roundels during 2020 (though very few saw them thanks to the pandemic). Green Park was converted to ‘Green Planet’ to promote a BBC television series; Bond Street became Burberry Street at the behest of the clothing company. Most groansomely of all, Piccadilly Circus boldy changed to Picardilly Circus, and the roundel became a Starfleet logo, to promote a new show centred on the greatest captain.

Image: Matt Brown

Our story started with a black and white image of a winged wheel from 120 years ago. “From so simple a beginning,” said Charles Darwin, possibly about something else, “endless forms most beautiful and most wonderful have been, and are being, evolved”. I am proud to wear some of those subspecies across my chest.

Mildly photoshopped image by Matt Brown

A 'new' London Overground line for West London has moved a step closer, now a funding deal has been agreed.

The line, currently known as the West London Orbital, would link Hendon and Hounslow, offering ten new interchanges with National Rail and Tube links, and the creation of four new stations.

As of early March 2026, TfL, the London Boroughs of Barnet, Brent, Ealing and Hounslow, and the Old Oak & Park Royal Development Corporation have jointly agreed to commit "up to £6.65m" to move the project into the next phase. That includes the design of stations and other infrastructure, modelling, and a public consultation ahead of a 2027 decision.

While that sounds like a decent chunk of cash — and it is — it represents a fraction of the eventual costs. Estimates in 2021 put the project at "between £430m and £610m" and, as we know, these things rarely stay within budget.

Image: TfL

The West London Orbital route would run on existing tracks currently used for freight trains. Up to six trains an hour would serve areas including Brent Cross, Neasden and Acton. If approved, the line is expected to open somewhere in the early-to-mid 2030s.

Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, said:

I’m pleased and proud to bring partners together so we can deliver the missing link in public transport for the north and northwest part of the capital. Adding a new line to our fantastic London Overground network will help drive regeneration and economic growth not only along the new route but across our great city. I look forward to seeing the homes, jobs and opportunities unlocked by this innovative rail project as we continue building a better, greener, more prosperous London for everyone.

Find out more about the West London Orbital in our guide.

Oxford Street will get a 21,000 sq ft, two-floor store, not unlike this one in Chicago. Image: Warner Brothers

Outlets of the wizarding persuasion have been conjured up all over central London in recent times — but from this autumn, Oxford Street will have an official Harry Potter store.

Billed as "the UK’s only official Harry Potter retail destination alongside the King's Cross shop" (although surely the shop in Watford is official too?) the 21,000 sq ft, two-floor store at 134–140 Oxford Street will be a "fully immersive wizarding emporium" with various interactive bells and whistles, photo ops — and more stiffly-priced merch than you can wave a wand at.

The new shop opens around the same time that Harry Potter and the Cursed Child reopens in a new format in the West End. Image: Londonist

Despite being almost three decades old — not to mention the more recent spouting of anti-trans opinion from its creator JK Rowling — the Harry Potter franchise is going nowhere. Or rather, everywhere: there are already magical megastores everywhere from Chicago to Tokyo, alongside King's Cross with its Platform 9 ¾ shop, which continues to send punters gleefully hurtling towards a brick wall every few seconds. Meanwhile, the new Warner Bros-produced TV adaptation is due early in 2027.

Just round the corner from Oxford Street, at the Palace Theatre, Harry Potter and the Cursed Child is about to rejig into a one-part play, following 10 years on the West End. No doubt the new superstore will be mopping up the theatregoers, casting its spendy spell with products that have prices set to Stupefy.

First it was Metro Memory. Then came Tubedoku. Now we've got another addictive Tube-themed game to play, in the form of Mind The Map.

The free browser game presents you with a map of London and a station name. Your task is to drop a pin in the map, as close as possible to where you think that station is. The Tube lines and stations themselves are marked on the map, so you just have to pick the right one. Simple enough, right?

We know this one, honest!

And it is... at first. Initially you get 15 seconds per station, but increasingly, the amount of time you have to locate each station lessens. If you make it to the final 20 (of 272 in total), you have just three seconds to pinpoint each station. Anything within 300 metres of the correct station is considered a bullseye, and you've only got five lives, so get it wrong more than that and you're out. Top tip: the game works best on desktop rather than mobile as it's easier to scroll around and zoom in.

If the above sounds a little stressful, while there is a timed mode with a leaderboard, there's also a relaxed mode for anyone who just wants to have a play. According to John, the game's creator, only one person has managed all 272 stations so far. Challenge accepted.

Play Mind the Map here.

TfL has announced it will source 65,000 megawatt hours of renewable electricity (that's around two-thirds of the annual consumption of the Victoria line) from solar panels. Image: David Ling via creative commons/TfL

Tube trains will soon be part-run by solar power — and no, this isn't an early April Fools'.

TfL is the largest single electricity consumer in London, using 1.6 Terawatt hours (TWh) per year — equivalent to the electricity consumed by just shy of 600,000 homes. As part of an ongoing bid to be using 100% renewably-sourced electricity by 2030, TfL has announced it plans to annually yield some 65,000 megawatt hours of renewable electricity (that's around two-thirds of the annual consumption of the Victoria line) from solar energy.

SSE Energy Solutions — TfL's new delivery partner — will harvest the energy from newly-installed solar farms, 'wiring' it straight to the TfL network, and therefore bypassing the National Grid. TfL says it will work with SSE to identify suitable locations to build the solar installations, although one new facility in Longfield, Essex, has already been decided on.

Says Lilli Matson, Chief Safety, Health and Environment Officer at TfL: "Once built, the new solar installations will provide locally generated renewable electricity, reducing the pressure on the National Grid, while also helping to protect us against market volatility with the added potential for cost savings too."

Along with the Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, TfL is working to make the capital a net zero carbon city by 2030.

In 2020, a world-first scheme was introduced, in which waste heat from the Northern line is converted into heating and hot water for some 1,350 Islington homes, as well as a school and two leisure centres.

The newly-updated map features 26 London Underground artworks, including some unveiled in more recent years. Image: Benedict Johnson

26 permanent artworks on the London Underground feature in an updated map recently released by  TfL.

The Art Map is a revised edition from one that originally appeared in 2016, and points culturally-inclined passengers in the direction of 26 permanent artworks scattered across the London Underground. These range from Henry Moore's first public commission (his West Wind relief, which flies across the former Transport for London headquarters at 55 Broadway) to David Gentleman's much-admired Cross for Queen Eleanor, which depicts the construction of Queen Eleanor's Cross, and has greeted Northern line passengers at Charing Cross since 1980.

Lucy McKenzie's Pleasure's Inaccuracies is one of the new entries on the map. Image: TfL

New entries on the map include Alexandre da Cunha's Sunset, Sunrise, Sunset (which arrived at the new Battersea Power Station station in 2021), Chantal Joffe's A Sunday Afternoon in Whitechapel (which neatly covers some disturbing ghost shadows) and Lucy McKenzie's Pleasure's Inaccuracies, featuring charming illustrated maps painted onto the waiting room ceilings at Sudbury Town.

The Art Map can be picked up for free at all Zone 1 London Underground stations, and in stations with Art on the Underground commissions beyond, including Brixton, Seven Sisters and Sudbury Town.

Cross for Queen Eleanor, 1979, Charing Cross Underground station. Photo by H J Hare and Son, 1979-1980. © TfL from the London Transport Museum collection

Additionally, this Sunday (8 March), you can catch these free talks which coincide with the map's release:

🎤 Amelia and David Gentleman discussing David's 1978 series of panels on the Northern line, Cross for Queen Eleanor, portraying the construction of Queen Eleanor's Cross. Charing Cross station, 11.30am, and 12.30pm

🎤 Larry Achiampong discussing his PAN AFRICAN FLAG FOR THE RELIC TRAVELLERS' ALLIANCE (UNION), which replaces the traditional red and blue roundel design with Pan-African colours. Westminster station, 12.15pm and 1.15pm

🎤 Programme Director of Art on the Underground, Eleanor Pinfield introducing Hannah Quinlan & Rosie Hastings' mosaic artwork Angels of History. St James's Park station, 1pm and 2pm

Of course, these 26 artworks are the tip of the iceberg: in truth, the London Underground is a gallery everywhere you turn, from the picture tiles along the Victoria line to the garrulous Jack Daniels' posters with an origin dating back to the early 1950s. Still, the Art Map is a pretty solid way to start your explorations.

Image: TfL

Withdrawn trains will be back in the late summer.

The story so far: Transport for London (TfL) ordered some much-improved trains for DLR services. The first few rolled out in October 2025, to many "hoorahs!" from transport geeks, and a few members of the public. Just a few days later, the cars were withdrawn due to: "an issue with braking performance during wet weather on one train".

Now we know more about when they'll return. In a press release, TfL promises to have the programme literally back on track by 'late summer' this year. The wiggle-room-allowing vagueness means we could be waiting until as late as 22 September, by the astronomical definition of summer.

According to TfL:

To support the safe return of the trains, engineers are introducing a focused package of improvements — including braking software upgrades to improve performance in the type of specific low rail adhesion conditions experienced during the incident. These are currently being tested on the manufacturer’s test track before further testing on the DLR network.

When they are redeployed, the trains will feature walk-through carriages, real time travel information, air conditioning and phone charging points, with a more-than 50% increase in capacity. The gradual rollout will replace the existing DLR stock, some of which is over 30 years old.

Maps show how the pedestrianisation scheme will work. Image: TfL

Final approval has given for the permanent pedestrianisation of Oxford Street between IKEA and Selfridges — to be implemented from this September.

The Mayor of London Sadiq Khan, reports City AM, has given the thumbs-up on proposals to close off the section of Oxford Street between Orchard Street and Great Portland Street to private motorised vehicles, buses, taxis and private hire vehicles, cycles, scooters and pedicabs.

The announcement follows a second public consultation, in which 2,716 responded, providing 'general support' for the scheme.

Next steps will involve halting traffic from this September, then carrying out further works to make the street more pedestrian friendly — including wider pedestrian crossings.

This mock up is taken from plans to pedestrianise Oxford Street in 2017. Could a similar vision finally happen this year? Image: Mayor of London

Traffic will still run across Oxford Street at five points, namely Duke Street, Davies Street/Stratford Place, Vere Street/New Bond Street, Holles Street/Harewood Place, and Regent Street. Emergency services would have access to Oxford Street street at all times.

Buses that currently ply Oxford Street would be rerouted along Wigmore Street and Henrietta Place, and bus stops, taxi ranks and drop-off locations would be placed as close to the pedestrianised area as possible, without being on Oxford Street itself.

End of the Christmas lights by bus?

In Londonist Towers, the thought previously occurred to us that the banning of buses from this section of Oxford Street will spell the end of enjoying the Christmas lights by double-decker. We can't imagine exceptions would be made for traffic during the festive season, especially given this is the peak shopping period. A shame if true, but a small price to pay in the grand scheme of things.

The plans could spell the end of viewing London's festive lights by bus. Photo: Jamie Davies/Unsplash

Says the Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan — who recently oversaw new legislation for pedicabs operating in central London — "I am delighted to be moving forward with my bold vision to transform Oxford Street into a world-leading urban space for shopping, leisure and outdoor events.

"Following TfL's detailed consultation, I've today made the decision to move ahead with these exciting changes to the nation's high street. We will outline more details in the coming days, as we continue building a better more prosperous London for everyone."

The first Mayor of London, Ken Livingstone, promised to pedestrianise Oxford Street over 20 years ago, but finally it seems that Khan is untangling that Gordian Knot, to realise an Oxford Street that is safer, greener and generally more pleasant. More phases could following, perhaps leading to the pedestrianisation of Oxford Street in its entirety. If so, this will become a landmark legacy of Khan's lengthy mayoralty.

Oxford Street is already off limits to general traffic between 7am-7pm, Monday to Saturday.

7 May isn't that far away. Image: Matt Brown

The London Local Elections take place on Thursday 7 May 2026. Here's what's happening, and why it matters.

What are we voting for in the 2026 local elections?

This is the one where we vote for our local councillors. London is divided into 32 Boroughs (plus the City of London, which does its own thing). All 32 London boroughs are taking part in the 2026 local elections, and 1,817 council seats are up for grabs.

These are the people who ultimately decide how much council tax you'll pay, and how it will be spent, so it's important to have your say.

Five directly elected Mayors will also be chosen: in Croydon, Hackney, Lewisham, Newham and Tower Hamlets.

Any adult registered to vote in London can take part (approximately six million people).

Wait, Mayors? I thought there was only one elected Mayor, and that was Sadiq Khan?

Yes, it can be a little confusing. Sir Sadiq Khan is Mayor of London, as in... the whole of London. That one's decided in a separate election, not due till 2028. You can forget about him for now.

London has additional species of mayor at the local level. Five of the London Boroughs (mentioned above) have their own directly elected mayors with executive powers. These will be determined this May.

Other boroughs, like Camden and Westminster, have ceremonial mayors, for whom you cannot vote, and who wield very little political power. The most famous is the Lord Mayor of London, who presides over the Square Mile.

Do I need photo ID to vote?

Yes. Yes you do. But that's been the case for several elections now and we should all — even Boris Johnson — be quite used to the idea. Acceptable forms of ID can be viewed here.

Croydon is one of five London boroughs where residents also vote for an executive mayor.

When are the key deadlines to register or apply for postal/proxy votes?

If you voted in the General Election and haven't moved home recently, you're probably already on the electoral register and need do nothing in advance of polling day. If you think you might not be registered, or want to apply for postal or proxy vote, here are some deadlines:

20 April: The deadline to register to vote

21 April (5pm): The deadline to apply for a postal vote

28 April (5pm): The deadline to apply for a proxy vote (someone else votes for you)

28 April (5pm): The deadline to apply for a free voter ID if you lack other forms of photographic ID

7 May: The big day when you can vote in person. Polling stations are open 7am-10pm.

Anyone wishing to stand as a councillor has until 9 April to put forward their nomination to the appropriate local authority.

Who can I vote for?

We don't know, because nominees have not been formally announced yet, and nor will they be published until after the 9 April deadline for nominations. Check your local authority's website after that date for full information (or just wait for the flyers to start falling through your letterbox).

How do things currently stand with London's councils?

In short: it's the Labour show. 21 of the 32 boroughs are dominated by Labour councillors, and they have almost two-thirds of the seats across London:

Image: HelloFromTheDeep, creative commons licence

On the map above, the main parties are represented by their usual colours. Havering (top-right) is run by a Havering Residents Association minority administration; Tower Hamlets (central grey) is run by the left-leaning Aspire party, headed by the borough's current Mayor Lutfur Rahman.

Labour made a few gains in 2022, while the Tories lost more, but the overall political makeup of London in 2018 and 2022 was fairly similar.

How could things change in 2026?

Quite a lot, possibly. Local elections are often used as a chance to pass judgement on the national government. For the first time in years, that'll be Labour, who aren't exactly uniting the country in joy and jubilee. A sizeable protest vote could see chunks of red disappear from the map.

At the same time, smaller parties and independents have been making gains at recent elections as voters become disillusioned with the main parties. The Greens, in particular, have been going from strength to strength under the leadership of Zack Polanski, and could woo a fair few left-leaning voters into their fold.

And then there's Reform. Youthful Inner London is unlikely to see much of a dent from the party whose top five policies all involve some kind of anti-immigration dimension. Some of the Outer Boroughs, though, notably Havering, Bexley and Bromley, are seen as key targets for the Nigel Farage-led party.

That's the orthodoxy, anyway. As we've seen time and again in recent politics, big surprises are almost to be expected.

Meanwhile, the BBC has published a guide to the state-of-play in every London borough, including lots of slightly extraneous (but interesting) information about borough demographics and history.

London's rickshaws are (hopefully) about to become safer, fairer... and quieter. Image: TfL

TfL and the Mayor of London put their foot down on rickshaws.

Last year, we reported on intentions from the powers that be to say 'enough is enough' when it comes to rickshaws (or pedicabs, to use the proper term). They are often unlicensed, cause noise pollution, and can charge extortionate fees for relatively short trips.

As of today (18 February), TfL's new regulations are beginning to drop — with various pieces of legislation falling into place over the coming year:

🛺 Licences: Drivers will require an enhanced DBS check, a full driving licence or valid theory test certificate, meeting English language requirements, passing an assessment of their safety, equality and regulatory understanding — and meeting minimum medical standards. Licences will be mandatory for drivers and operators from 30 October 2026, and for vehicles from February 2027.

🛺 Fees: TfL wants to enforce maximum journey fares, and plans to implement a base fare of up to £5, and a per-minute charge of up to £1. There'll be an additional charge of up to £3 for every extra passenger. This structure is expected to come into force on 30 October 2026.

🛺 Noise: External audio (i.e. Dancing Queen/Last Christmas played on loop through crappy speakers) is to be outlawed. This is also expected to be enacted on 30 October 2026.

The idea of all this is not to demonise pedicabs — which, after all, provide an environmentally friendly way of getting around the city. TfL has also pointed out that the new fee structure would mean that drivers could still earn in excess of the London Living Wage.

The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan — who this week has hinted he could run for a fourth term — said: "After years of campaigning, I'm pleased that TfL will be regulating pedicabs across the capital to ensure they meet proper operational standards.

"Pedicabs should be a fun way to explore London — but too often people face rip-off fares, blaring music and unsafe behaviour. We're bringing in these new rules so that both customers and drivers can benefit from an industry that is more safe, reliable and professional."

John Roberts has been driving the miniature trains for over 20 years.

Britain's train operators might want to take a leaf out of Brockwell Miniature Railway's book.

In well over 20 years, the price of a return fare here has been frozen at just £1. So far, there hasn't been a single strike, either. That said, the staff don't always show: "I have four drivers, but nine times out of 10, only two of them turn up!" John Roberts laughs.

The railway runs on Sundays from March till October.

Roberts has overseen the miniature railway since it opened in 2003. (Another miniature railway actually ran the same route along the park's north-east edge from the early 1950s to the 1960s.) A retired coach driver, Roberts has always had an eye for trains. "Once I got wind there was a miniature railway going in in Brockwell Park, I was over here! Give me something to do at weekends."

There's a hope that a short extension will be built through the woods soon.

That was in 2003; since then, the railway has become an integral park of Brockwell Park, its pint-sized locos shunting young families back and forth between the little platform by Herne Hill Gate, and the famous art deco lido.

The 7¼-inch gauge railway operates on Sundays from March through to October; in the past, a number of different engines have run on the line; in 2024, the railway purchased a new locomotive named 'Linda', which took over duties from the Lil' Jo steam engine 'Oscar'.

The line could start running again on Saturdays.

There are also hopes to construct a 'teardrop' loop extension which takes a brief detour through the woods (this, we reckon, would be particularly good for the Halloween special that runs in October).

Roberts is also keen to get the miniature railway running again on Saturdays, something it hasn't done for over 10 years.

One other thing that parents of young children might want to know: the railway is available to hire for birthday parties. Just saying.

Brockwell Miniature Railway, open March-October (except when the weather is particularly wet). £1 for a return ride, under twos travel free when accompanied by an adult. Cash only.

All images © Brockwell Park Miniature Railway

Four more years for Khan? Image: Ввласенко, creative commons licence

Serving Mayor of London Sir Sadiq Khan drops more than a hint that he'll run for a fourth term.

We're still more than two years out from the next London Mayoral Election, set for May 2028. Manoeuvrings are, however, already underway.

Last week, Sir Sadiq Khan told LBC that he'd ruled out going back to his old job. "I don't want to be a Member of Parliament again. I've done that. I was a Member of Parliament for 11 years.”

By the time the 2028 Mayoral election comes round, he'll have been Mayor of London for 12 years. Yet it seems he's keen for more.

Speaking to the Standard on Friday, Khan made playful comments about his putative election run: "I have already worked out the '28 campaign," he said. "Once the election begins, we know who the candidates are, I will have a strategy to deal with both Count Binface and Reform.”

(In case you're unaware, one of those is a joke creation with a raft of attention-grabbing but unworkable policies; the other is Count Binface.)

Khan is already the longest serving Mayor of London, racking up 10 years so far, compared to eight each for Boris Johnson and Ken Livingstone. A successful bid at a fourth term would set him up for a 16-year run at the top.

Of course, his comments are not binding, and may be just a gentle tease. They're also not definitive. Read those words again; he's not saying "I'm standing". He might have "worked out the strategy" on behalf of a different Labour successor. There is wiggle room. So far it's vague 'intent' rather than a definitive vow.

Which doesn't stop the Express running the headline: "Nightmare as Sadiq Khan Vows to Vows to Stand for London Mayor Again".

City Hall. Image: Matt Brown

Who are the other candidates for Mayor of London in 2028?

It's still early days, and most parties have yet to announce a candidate. The exception is Reform, who have put forward Laila Cunningham, currently a Westminster City Councillor.

Other Labour figures linked with the role include the MPs Dawn Butler, Stella Creasy and Rosena Allin-Khan (current incumbent of Sadiq Khan's old seat in Tooting). Actor Idris Elba had also been rumoured on an anti-knife crime ticket, but he's since denied any intention to run for the job.

On the Tory side, no clear front-runner has yet emerged. Sir James Cleverley, the former Home Secretary, has said he'd "be mad not to think about it". No word yet from the Greens or Lib Dems.

As for independents, the well-known architectural commentator and cycling advocate Peter Murray has thrown his hat into the ring. And, of course, a certain bin-faced space warrior is also likely to be on the ballot sheet.

BINFACE 2028. pic.twitter.com/IdV0rzgSYi

— Count Binface (@CountBinface) November 6, 2024

The new station would feature an enlarged concourse and a huge new office building, wrapped around the current station building. Image: ACME/Network Rail

A thumbs-up on proposals for the redevelopment of Liverpool Street station has been described by Griff Rhys Jones, President of the Victorian Society, as "a sad day for the City of London."

From the get-go, plans to reconfigure the Victorian train station to be able to cope with up to 200 million passengers a year — initially in a concept by Network Rail, architecture firm Herzog & de Meuron and Shard developer Sellar — have courted controversy, dubbed by Duncan Wilson, Chief Executive of Historic England as 'incongruous', 'oversized and 'misconceived'.

Those plans were subsequently pared back by the architectural practice ACME, which took over the project, albeit featuring a much larger concourse, eight new lifts and 10 new escalators — and notably — a 97-metre-tall glass office building wrapping itself around the old station building.

Today (10 February) the City of London Corporation green-lit these plans, praising a "state-of-the-art, fully accessible station... [making] the local area a much more enjoyable place to visit, work in and travel through."

Chairman of the City of London Corporation Planning and Transportation Committee, Tom Sleigh, went as far as to describe it as "A late, but very welcome Christmas present for the nation."

Heritage campaigners says they are "prepared for the long haul" in fighting off the new station plans. Image: ACME/Network Rail

These are not, however, the sentiments of various heritage groups, including the Victorian Society, whose well-known President has derided the City of London's claims, saying:

A disfiguring billion pound office block on top of a major heritage asset is not essential to the City's development plans, it is doubtful whether it will easily provide the profit to "improve" the concourse, and can only realise a small amount of extra space for the passenger. Its focus is retail opportunities which the commuter doesn't need. It will destroy an existing conservation area. It demolishes listed buildings. It is harmful to the surrounding historic fabric. It has been proposed on a false PR-led assertion that Network Rail is "under instruction" to build on top of its London Stations. It is not.

The project will still need to jump through some hoops in order to get final sign-off, however— something that the Victorian Society, and its Liverpool Street Station Campaign (LISSCA), is keen won't happen:

With the backing of thousands of supporters, LISSCA is prepared for the long haul. We will now await the decisions of the Mayor of London and, if necessary, the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government. We proceed knowing that public support for preserving the station remains strong.

Photo: Bex Walton via creative commons

The buildings of the Southbank Centre have now been Grade II listed by the Department for Culture Media and Sport.

The Hayward Gallery, Purcell Room, Queen Elizabeth Hall and skatepark undercroft are included in the listing, which is the result of a lengthy joint campaign Twentieth Century Society and Historic England (formerly English Heritage). They have recommended the Southbank Centre for listing on six separate occasions since 1991. It has been rejected each time — until now.

A statement by Twentieth Century Society said:

The decision brings to an end an unprecedented 35 year-long impasse, one of the longest running battles in British architectural heritage.

2026 is the Southbank Centre's 75th anniversary: the Royal Festival Hall was built as part of the Festival of Britain, and opened in May 1951. That building has been listed since 1988. The Hayward Gallery, Purcell Room and Queen Elizabeth Hall were opened later, in 1967-8, and are listed as of February 2026.

Photo: Jerzy Kociatkiewicz via creative commons

The latter additions, led by architect Norman Engleback, consist of board-marked concrete surfaces, with sculptural concrete air conditioning ducts and pyramidal glazing, designed as a deliberate contrast to the smooth, Scandinavian-style Modernism of the Royal Festival Hall. This led to the Hayward Gallery being voted "Britain’s ugliest building" by readers of the Daily Mail in October 1967, and its Brutalist appearances continues to divide opinions today.

The skatepark undercroft, meanwhile, completes a remarkable turnaround of fortunes. The space, popular with generations of skateboarders, was almost closed and re-sited a decade ago, but for a vociferous campaign to save it. Now it can't be touched.

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When it was revealed that Taylor Swift's new music video was filmed in Croydon's Whitgift Centre, we were braced for the inevitable Croydon-bashing (seriously, have these people even been to Croydon??). And while there was inevitably some of that, it was drowned out media over the weekend by a wave of nostalgia for the Whitgift's heydays on social media — lovely to see.

As @eastcrodyoncool said, "It’s so easy (and unimaginative) to trash talk Croydon — we love seeing locals help change the narrative of the area by speaking positively about it (and defending our underdog town in the comment sections!) ☺️"

Here are a few of our favourite social media posts on the topic:

The nostalgia

Aaaaww, it's giving "A beautiful, beautiful time lapse, ferris wheels, kisses and lilacs" (Swifties know...)

OMG WE'RE AS EXCITED AS YOU ARE.

And the follow up:

The fact-checkers

News outlets all over the world described the Whitgift as a "derelict" or "abandoned" shopping mall, but any self-respecting Croydonian knows that's not the case, and Londoners were quick to correct anyone who said otherwise — and fill them in on the Westfield debacle:

Not abandoned, just mostly cleared out to prepare for a Westfield shopping centre, and then it's struggled to fill itself back up after that fell through

— Garth (@ThatGarthGuy) February 6, 2026

That’s not abandoned, that’s the Whitgift Centre in Croydon which is still trading. The large department store at the far end with the pale blue sign which is boarded up was called Allders, hence the location is “Allders Square”.

— Tim Keeping (@TimKeeping) February 7, 2026

This is the Whitgift Centre in Croydon, it’s not abandoned, it’s just looked half deserted for almost a decade after about 13 yrs of false promises of it being redeveloped and modernised. Work to improve the centre only began last year. A lot of shows have been filmed there.

— Carl 🦩 (@deadeditors_) February 7, 2026

Americans finding out about the Whitgift Centre through Taylor Swift and assuming it’s an abandoned shopping centre is quite funny and sad considering how ALIVE it used to look and feel throughout the 2000s.

It was meant to be refurbished over a decade ago and it never happened. https://t.co/6YspJCHpgS

— Carl 🦩 (@deadeditors_) February 7, 2026

The best of the rest

A selection of other posts which made us chuckle:

they dont even SELL pretzels in the Whitgift centre!!!!

— Rowlet🦉King👑Gibbo (@echogibbo) February 7, 2026

No, but anyone who opens a pretzel stall there now — like, this week — would be a business genius!

(to which we quote Queen Taylor herself: "Babes don't threaten me with a good time").

BURN 🔥

We're assuming that's Bromley's Glades, in which case... BR1 music video next, Taylor? Father Figure video filmed in Menkind? Or just a sourdough masterclass at Bread Ahead? Whatever is it, we're here for it.

And finally...

Well, there's always one, isn't there?

Oh, and in case you've been living under a (pet) rock all weekend, here's the video in all its glory:

New toilets are plopping, sorry, popping up across the TfL network. Image: TfL/RegionVisitor90

New toilets have, er, dropped at a Northern line Tube station — as part of £15m plans to make TfL's network more fair, accessible and inclusive for customers.

An accessible toilet and a gender-neutral toilet — both with baby change facilities — are now available at Morden station, which until now had no public toilet facilities. The toilets are the latest in the 'Equity in Motion' plan from TfL/the Mayor of London, announced in 2024, and which has recently seen new accessible toilets installed at Clapton, Seven Sisters and White Hart Lane Overground stations.

TfL might be flushed with pride but it's not stopping there. Next on the list are new accessible toilets for New Cross Gate and Acton Central Overground stations, while further ones will be installed at Colindale (which has recently undergone a major transformation), Leyton, Northolt and West Ham Underground stations — as well as at Surrey Quays London Overground station — as part of wider station enhancement works.

One of the new accessible toilets at Morden. Image: TfL

While up to five million people use TfL's rail network every day, a report published in 2023 claimed that stretches are a veritable "loo desert". Indeed, the longest stretch without a toilet was the 12 stops between Elephant and Castle and Morden on the Northern line, something that's now been rectified with those Morden toilets.

Says Emma Strain, TfL's Customer Director: "We know that for many people, not being able to access a toilet can be the difference between going out on the network or not, which can have a disruptive and devastating impact on their lives. The opening of these new toilets at Morden is a significant milestone in our work to increase and improve provision on our network, building on our programme of improved facilities at Tube stations across the capital, and ties into our commitment to make our wider network as fair, accessible and inclusive as possible."

Elsewhere across the network, major refurbishment works will convert existing customer toilets into fully accessible facilities at Amersham Tube station, while upgrade works are underway at loos in Penge West and Crystal Palace London Overground stations. Stanmore, Watford, Bush Hill Park and Enfield Town stations will be getting upgrades in due course too.

TfL has a toilet Tube map on its website, although with the ongoing additions/upgrades, it's liable to be out of date.

The 38 bus route has been running since 1912. Image: Julian Walker via creative commons

Fancy hopping on a heritage bus, and not even paying a fare for the privilege?

All day on Saturday 14 March 2026 buses dating from the 1930s-1980s will ply the 38 bus route between Victoria and Hackney — one that's been running since June 1912. All buses are free for anyone to ride. (Note that official (modern) TfL services using the 38 route will still charge full whack.)

Most of the heritage buses will be Routemasters and RT-types, which, during the 1950s, formed the largest standardised bus fleet in the world.

The cavalcade of old timey buses comes courtesy of the London Bus Museum (as well as some private owners) and will run along the regular 38 bus route from 10am-5pm. Buses will travel in both directions, arriving every 10 minutes or so (a timetable will be available closer to the time). All you need to do is stick out your hand, flag one down and hop aboard. It won't cost you a penny — and you might even get issued an old school ticket from the conductor.

Given that the 38 stops in some of London's most touristy spots, expect services to be busy — especially if we're blessed with decent weather!

London Bus Museum Route 38 Heritage Day, Saturday 14 March 2026, approx 10am-5pm, free. Note that because of the buses' vintage, they're unable to accommodate wheelchairs and most modern buggies.