Carolineld

LATEST ARTICLES ( 813 )

• Chiappa Ltd: Organs in Clerkenwell

  

  The sound of fairground organs, still heard on 'galloper' carousels, is distinctive and evocative - but less known is that much of it comes from an unassuming... Read more

  Posted on 11 January 2026 CULTURE, DESTINATIONS, HISTORY

• Top Five for 2025: London, Paris, Chester and Chichester!

  

  It's hard to believe that this blog is over 17 years old. That does mean it's always fun to look back over past posts, and the new year is a good time to find... Read more

  Posted on 04 January 2026 CULTURE, DESTINATIONS, HISTORY

• Season's Greetings!

  

  Merry Christmas - with a little glimpse of one of Paris's beautiful arcades, the Galerie Vivienne. Read more

  Posted on 25 December 2025 CULTURE, DESTINATIONS, HISTORY

• Albert Bridge in Colour

  

  The Albert Bridge is perhaps London's prettiest Thames bridge, and certainly its most fragile. Right from the start, there were issues: in the 1880s, Joseph... Read more

  Posted on 21 December 2025 CULTURE, DESTINATIONS, HISTORY

• A Long Way from Home - in Bronte Country

  

  This milestone is in Haworth, Yorkshire, whose most famous residents were the Bronte sisters. The small town has lost its industrial atmosphere since... Read more

  Posted on 14 December 2025 CULTURE, DESTINATIONS, HISTORY

• A Long Way from Home

  

  ... But can you guess where I was?(I'm sure that 1/4 makes all the Read more

  Posted on 07 December 2025 CULTURE, DESTINATIONS, HISTORY

• Weathered and Worn: Battle Abbey's Stones

  

  When he won the Battle of Hastings. William the Conqueror had Battle Abbey built at the site. It was completed in 1094, although of course there have been many... Read more

  Posted on 30 November 2025 CULTURE, DESTINATIONS, HISTORY

• Aldwych Station and the Future of Travel

  

  Closed for over three decades, and only attracting 650 passengers a day even when it was open, Aldwych Station seems like an odd relic. Read more

  Posted on 23 November 2025 CULTURE, DESTINATIONS, HISTORY

• An Extraordinary Entrance

  

  Before reading on, take a moment to think where this fine building entrance might be found, and its likely age. If you don't already know St Mary Redcliffe,... Read more

  Posted on 16 November 2025 CULTURE, DESTINATIONS, HISTORY

• Aldwych Station Posters: Truth Or Lie?

  

  The underground station at Aldwych was always a bit of an anomaly: a single-stop stub of the Piccadilly Line from Holborn. There were various plans to extend th... Read more

  Posted on 09 November 2025 CULTURE, DESTINATIONS, HISTORY

• Railway Stations! A Hundred of Them!

  

  Britain is in the midst of Railway 200 celebrations, but it's not alone in its affection for rail travel and infrastructure. There's a fantastic website... Read more

  Posted on 01 October 2025 CULTURE, DESTINATIONS, HISTORY

• PostBoxTree

  

  Here's a fun London curiosity: a postbox which has become part of a plane tree. The postbox bears the cipher of Edward VII, so it was placed here in Drayton... Read more

  Posted on 28 July 2025 CULTURE, DESTINATIONS, HISTORY

• Shepherd's Bush Mystery

  

  At the eastern end of Shepherd's Bush Green, near a pedestrian crossing, is a mysterious ventilation pipe. It's shorter than a sewer stinkpipe; and there are... Read more

  Posted on 14 July 2025 CULTURE, DESTINATIONS, HISTORY

• A Bedouin Tent in West London

  

  Between a terrace of houses and a traditional English church in Mortlake, West London is a surprising mausoleum. Not only is it much larger than might be... Read more

  Posted on 07 July 2025 CULTURE, DESTINATIONS, HISTORY

• Mysterious Metalwork Quiz: Answers

  

  If you haven't tried the quiz, have a look here first! If you have, the answers are below. 1. The football and initials are a clue: AC for Arsenal Club. Read more

  Posted on 30 June 2025 CULTURE, DESTINATIONS, HISTORY

• Mysterious Metalwork Quiz: Where Was I?

  

  Five picture, five places. How many do you recognise? All are in London; none of these photos have featured on the blog before.1: 2: 3:4:This one really needs... Read more

  Posted on 23 June 2025 CULTURE, DESTINATIONS, HISTORY

• Surprise Lion!

  

  Among and around all the shiny retail at Waterloo Station are endless interesting details. Most recently, I noticed this lion head decoration on platform 15. Read more

  Posted on 16 June 2025 CULTURE, DESTINATIONS, HISTORY

• Chester's Newest Statue: Thomas Brassey

  

  Happening to be in Chester on 28 May, I was able to watch the unveiling of a new statue right in front of the railway station. Read more

  Posted on 02 June 2025 CULTURE, DESTINATIONS, HISTORY

• Street Art Signpainters

  

  High on an Amsterdam street are these tiny characters, working hard at painting a replacement for a missing street sign. They are the work of Frankey, a prolifi... Read more

  Posted on 26 May 2025 CULTURE, DESTINATIONS, HISTORY

• Wooden Paving in Paris

  

  The paving in this small and charming Paris passageway is unremarkable at first glance. On closer inspection, it is actually a rare survival of a nearly... Read more

  Posted on 19 May 2025 CULTURE, DESTINATIONS, HISTORY