We all have our favourite sources for London news, travel alerts, restaurant reviews and the like, but when it comes to general London life you'd be forgiven for assuming @Londonist is the only Twitter feed you need to have any interest in. It turns out that there are others who tweet about London with as much passion as ourselves – here is a selection of the finest London tweeters offering facts and information, historical snippets and a healthy dose of irreverence.
We've said it before. We'll probably say it again. But... @thegunmakers is a bloody good pub!
— London Pubs (@londonpubs) November 7, 2013
London Pubs @londonpubs
How could we not start with a Twitter feed about London's pubs? Recommendations, news and reviews of the capital's best boozers is what they claim to provide, and a damn fine job they make of it too.
In response to queries we've received, yes we have checked. They have valid travelcards. At that point, the dolphins stop being our problem.
— TLF Travel Alerts (@TlfTravelAlerts) December 7, 2013
TLF Travel Alerts @TlfTravelAlerts
No, not TFL. Sporadic travel alerts and for the busy Londoner on the go, plus philosophy.
Seriously, can someone please draw a comic featuring 'The Fenian Fiend'? I would buy every issue, and damn the Empire to hell.
— Lee Jackson (@VictorianLondon) December 9, 2013
Lee Jackson @VictorianLondon
With a focus on the Victorian age and a magnificent Twitter avatar, Lee links us back beautifully to a bygone age with pictures, lost facts and a healthy dose of humour.
"Broken by Age or War" http://t.co/9wCXRFbBUz Blog.The Royal Hospital Chelsea. Did you know you could visit? Until recently, I had no idea!
— London Historians (@LondonHistorian) November 11, 2013
London Historians @LondonHistorian
The city's foremost historical association. A fine collector of intriguing facts about the history of good (and bad) old London.
“@standardnews: World's 'most expensive Christmas wreath' sale at London florist for £2.8 million http://t.co/dCDiY0d076” F**k you Tiny Tim
— Shit London (@shitlondon) December 9, 2013
Shit London @shitlondon
Tough to admit, but not everything about London is rosy. Sometimes, it's shit. This collects unfortunate news and pictures sent in by disgruntled Londoners for the gallows-based hilarity of the rest of us.
Just heard beautiful sound of a steam train travelling at speed, whistle blowing. Must be going in or out of King's Cross.
— Peter Stone (@LondonStone) December 7, 2013
Peter Stone @LondonStone
A Londoner who writes and tweets about the city he loves, interesting facts interspersed with musings on London life. We suspect he is quite pleased to have secured his particularly fitting Twitter handle.
Weasel & Stoat / Weasel (Coat) #cockneyrhymingslang #cockney
— Cockney Rhyming (@CockneyRhyming) October 7, 2013
Cockney Rhyming @CockneyRhyming
Keeping alive the bewildering language of the city, while suggesting a few new rhymes to add to the lexicon. "Gordon Bennett, we was elephant's last night. I must have spent a bullseye, I'm boracic. It's all come on top, the trouble's gonna go radio rental." Sorry.
Just agreed to do a talk in a library. Jesus, it's come to this.
- Jonathan Main (@booksellercrow) November 29, 2013
Jonathan Main @booksellercrow
Sarcasm and wit from the owner of a fine Crystal Palace book shop. Some of the strangest things to happen in all of London, it turns out, happen in book shops (@WstonesOxfordSt is similarly unlikely). For some reason he's lately been invaded by politicians. Or rather, his shop has.
Foxes were formerly sold at this London market, imported from France and sold alive in bags: http://t.co/gjv4qff2og pic.twitter.com/2fpiKvXqoC
— Hidden London (@hidden_london) November 3, 2013
Hidden London @hidden_london
Sometimes we are blind to our surroundings, ignoring the weird and wonderful in front of our very eyes. That's where Hidden London comes in, to explain that what we're looking at is not just an old lamp post, but an old lamp post on which Dickens' dog once took a leak.
I like setting fire to mice to see if they mind. So far they mind about 100% of the time.
— GusTheFox (@GusTheFox) December 5, 2013
GusTheFox @GusTheFox
Gus would be downright livid at that Hidden London tweet. The improbable adventures of a foul-mouthed inner-city fox, no less. What would you do if you were a fox roaming the streets of London scavenging for dinner? Tweet about it, obviously.
Who else deserves a shout as one of London's top tweeters? Let us have your favourite follows in the comments.
Photo by M@ from the Londonist Flickr pool.