Oxford Street. Love it or hate it, if you live in London, we're willing to bet that you've been on this busy thoroughfare in the last year. Oxford Street has been a topic of much talk these past few months — thanks to the failed attempts to pedestrianise it and as a host for Extinction Rebellion's protest — so we're delving into the street's past, present and future.
The best way to tackle such a gargantuan topic? With an episode of our new podcast, Londonist Calling.
First up, we chat to Londonist's Senior Contributing Editor Laura Reynolds about the future of Oxford Street and why pedestrianisation went wrong. Then we're joined by Alex Cox from the British Newspaper Archive, who's dug up some amazing tidbits about the street's history. Finally we chat to our Editor-in-Chief Will Noble about his tourist tat odyssey.
You can listen to the podcast below, or subscribe via iTunes or Stitcher. Or wherever you source your podcasts.
Here are a few links that delve into more topics discussed on the episode:
- Cancelled: Oxford Street Pedestrianisation
- Coming To Oxford Street: Pedestrianisation Without Pedestrianisation
- The Underground Shopping Arcade 30 Seconds From Oxford Street
- In Search Of London's Execution Sites
- These London Souvenirs Are Absolutely Hilarious
If you've got any feedback on the new show, let us know in the comments on this page, or email us at [email protected]. We'd love to hear your thoughts. Also if you could give us a rating or review on whatever service you use, that'd be really helpful too.
And below is the answer to the trivia question we ask on the show, so don't scroll down further if you haven't listened yet.
On the show we asked: Which shop occupies the building, that, during the second world war, the basement of which was used as a broadcast studio for the BBC?
The answer? Topshop.
