What are the lost experiences of London; stuff you could do until fairly recently, but can do no more?
Every year brings new sights, activities and experiences to London. But for every shiny bauble, an old favourite falls by the wayside. We've rounded up some of the more important ones from living memory, concentrating on proper 'experiences', rather than individual venues or businesses that we miss (see London buildings destroyed in the 21st century).
Silence in the City on a Sunday (19th century until recently)
Pick up any old guide to London, and it'll tell you that the Square Mile was effectively dead at the weekend. Without its office workers, the City was a bit of a ghost town, other than a few tourist pockets at St Paul's and Barbican. All that's changed now. The City has put in a lot of effort to promote its wider cultural offerings (as they'd phrase it), with sculpture trails, food markets, viewing platforms, mini-festivals and other attractors. The influx will be all the greater when the new London Museum opens in Smithfield in 2026. It's still possible to find quiet corners, such as the alleys of Cornhill or the precincts around Guildhall, but the wider Square Mile weekend feels very different to only 20 years ago.
Duck Tours (2000-2017)
Remember these guys? Ungainly yellow boats that could also drive on land? They were called Duck Tours, a more user-friendly rendering of the vehicle's official name of DUKW. They were originally built during the Second World War as a means to get troops and kit onto enemy beaches. After the war, the vehicles found civilian uses, including as tour boats. The London tours began around the turn of the Millennium. Originally marketed as London Frog Tours, they operated from a slip-road into the river next to the MI6 building at Vauxhall. The last tour ran in 2017, when construction of the Thames Tideway super-sewer cut off the launch ramp. The boats do still operate in other towns, and they may one day return to the Thames.
London Planetarium shows (1958-2006)
Just shy of its 50th anniversary, the stellar attraction near Baker Street passed over the event horizon, to be replaced by more room for Madame Tussauds. Its distinctive copper dome still stands, however, and currently houses a show about Marvel superheroes, rather than marvellous supernovas. Virtual stargazers can instead head to the Royal Observatory, Greenwich, whose Peter Harrison Planetarium has taken on the mantle, and with better tech.
Feeding the Trafalgar Square pigeons (1844-2003)
Many of us have childhood photos just like this one. Feeding the Trafalgar Square pigeons was a London tradition as established as Trooping the Colour, or standing on the right of escalators. Come the 21st century, however, and Mayor Ken Livingstone first banned the sale of bird food, and then outlawed feeding itself. This was to "create a more pleasant environment" and reduce the amount of bird poo in the square. Any malevolent being who dares to throw some crumbs towards the birds now faces a fine of up to £500.
See elephants in London Zoo (1831-2001)
London Zoo's amiable trunksters were one of its biggest attractions (in more ways than one) for most of its history. At one time, you could even take elephant rides here. Then, a quarter-century ago, the Zoo decided that it lacked suitable space, and the elephants packed their trunks for Whipsnade in Hertfordshire (where, many would argue, they still don't have the space they need). Similarly, circuses with live animals are also now a thing of the past. See our guide to every noteworthy elephant who ever came to London.
Skiing on Beckton Alps (1988-2001)
Remember the time Princess Diana rolled down a slag heap? That's effectively what happened in 1988, when the people's princess visited Beckton dry ski-slope, affectionately known as Beckton Alps. The artificial mound was created from decades of toxic ash deposition from the neighbouring gas works.
The slope was closed in 2001, and it was all downhill from there. Today, the 'Alps' remain unused and fenced off (half-heartedly... it's easy enough to get in if you want to).
Tethered balloon rides at Vauxhall (1997-1999)
Very few people seem to remember that you could easily book onto a balloon ride over London in the 1990s. The red, white and blue helium balloon would ascend daily over Vauxhall, like a giant Tunnocks teacake. The rides took place from Spring Gardens behind the Royal Vauxhall Tavern — an homage to the famous balloon ascents that had been a mainstay of the pleasure gardens in the 18th and 19th century. A similar attraction briefly operated near Tower Bridge, before the construction of (the now-former) City Hall.
Revolving restaurant at the Post Office Tower (1966-1980)
The one that everybody wants to experience. For 14 years, a meal at the top of the Post Office Tower was the hottest ticket in town... even if it was operated by Butlins. The restaurant offered the highest views of the capital achievable from any dining room. It also rotated, meaning you got to see the entire city while tucking into your prawn cocktail, crème brûlée and whatever else restaurants served in the 1970s. Contrary to common belief, the restaurant was not closed by the bomb attack of 1971. It continued through till 1980 when the Butlins lease ran out.
The rotating room is still up there. It still rotates. We've witnessed it. But it can only be visited on private events. That could soon change. The building, now called the BT Tower, was recently sold and looks set to be converted to a hotel. It's a fair bet that the revolving restaurant will return... though presumably with sky high costs to match the views.
Battersea Fun Fair (1951-1974)
Every London kid who grew up through the 50s and 60s has fond memories of the Battersea fun fair. Created in 1951 as part of the Festival of Britain, it featured a number of thrilling rides, including a famous roller coaster. 'The Big Dipper' was the London Eye of its day. The Duchess of Kent and her children took a ride in its opening year, while the Bolshoi Ballet climbed aboard in 1965.
Tragedy struck in 1972, when the drive chain, which carried the cars to the top of the structure, detached prematurely. The train hurtled backwards and derailed at the bottom. Five children were killed and many more injured. It remains the worst roller-coaster accident in the world, but is largely forgotten. The fun fair hobbled on for a couple more years, but eventually closed in 1974.
Laze on the Tower Beach (1934-1971)
For almost 40 years, the foreshore in front of the Tower of London was populated by optimistic sunbathers, on a strip of sand known as Tower Beach. The seaside simulacrum was created in 1934 when 1,500 barge-loads of sand were dumped at the water's edge. The artificial beach was hugely popular at a time before package holidays. Sadly, it was closed off in 1971 when pollution levels became too dangerous. Large patches of sand remain on site, but this part of the foreshore is usually off-limits for the public. You can, however, still enjoy a sandy 'bay' on the South Bank, at the area known as Ernie's Beach.
Ride a tram through central London (1861-1952)
London's first tram, pulled by horses, opened along Bayswater Road in 1861, with electric services beginning in the early 20th century (after a few earlier, failed attempts). They became a mainstay of London transport, as celebrated as the Tube or double-decker buses. Yet their lifespan was relatively short. Their lack of flexibility and high maintenance costs, along with several other factors, brought about their end around the same time that Elizabeth II was settling into her throne. Trams would return in a different form 50 years later, when the Tramlink opened in south London, centred on Croydon. The central area has been bereft of trams for over 70 years (though Mayor Ken Livingstone briefly flirted with a reintroduction).
Other reader suggestions
We put the question out to readers via social media: "can anyone think of other 'lost experiences' of London". We've copied a few of the more intriguing ones below.
- Almost all the specialist bookshops. One aspect I don't miss was the crazy system in Foyles...
- Cabaret Mechanical Theatre - a small museum of hand built automatons downstairs at Covent Garden Market.
- Climbing all the way to the very top of St Paul’s up inside the “Golden Ball”
- Greyhound racing (note: it is still possible at Romford dog track... but that's the only remaining circuit in Greater London).
- Museum of the Moving Image at the BFI
- The peace and tranquility of no mobile signal in the tube.
- Riding on a doubledecker bus immediately in front of The National Gallery at Trafalgar Square, now all pedestrianized
- Rock circus at the Trocadero. It was kind of Madame Tussauds for music. (And the Trocadero in general, as well as some of its attractions such as SEGA World.)
- Watching football at Highbury; White Hart Lane; Upton Park; Griffin Park; Plough Lane.
- Wine Tasting at Vinopolis.
