A collection of short films shot across the unique city of London, a colourful array of shorts, looking at the places, buildings, spaces, people and environment that make London what it is, one of the greatest and most interesting cities in the world.
Sometimes it’s good fun to look at the Victorians and explore their crazy inventions and ideas. Just hidden away on Fleet Street, and dealing with an early form of anti-social behaviour, is possibly their greatest invention of the absurd.
Continuing our theme of London’s most magnificent and interesting trees here is my third instalment – the gorgeous little Olive Tree in Clerkenwell.
Continuing the wonderful theme of London’s most magnificent and interesting trees, we explore Greenwich Park and the Queen’s Oak and some absolutely beautiful Sweet Chestnuts.
London has some of the most amazing and beautiful trees. This week I want to introduce you to one of my favourites: the Cheapside London Plane.
Hidden away in the thoroughfares of busy Smithfield, lies one of London’s true gems, St Bartholomew’s Church, its London’s oldest continually used place of worship, built in 1123 during the reign of Henry I. Its walls and weathered cloisters positively ooze a sense of deep history. A place you simply have to visit.
In the shadow of the modern London Bridge, nestled in the entrance to St Magnus the Martyr’s Church, lies an incredible relic from London’s ancient past, a piece of the old Roman dock, a heavy beam, which has been here since it was cut in 75AD.
Hidden away behind the hustle and bustle of Chancery Lane lies an astonishing area rich in history, one of London’s Inn of Courts: Lincoln’s Inn. It has been a home to the legal profession in London since at least the 14th century and within it is an incredible chapel with a marvellous stone undercroft, which has a rather moving past associated with it.
Everyone loves a great door and here in London there are some absolute beauties. Some are old and wobbly, some are tiny and mysterious, others ornate and grand. In the heart of the city near Bank and the Royal Exchange on Cornhill is one of my favourites. It has a series of extraordinary carvings which tell the unique history of the surrounding area..
London has many amazing squares, around 600 in fact, some are regal and splendid, others are jammed with tourists and bars. The one I want to show to you today, is London’s smallest and despite its size, it comes packed with some astonishing history and something probably a lot of people never knew.
One of my all time favourite buildings in London has to be the remarkable St Bartholomew’s Gatehouse at Smithfield, an absolute Tudor treat of a building, built in 1595 at the height of Elizabethan England. I simply go a little bit weak at the knees when I walk past and look and consider this building from a unique period of our history.
The weather in London this week has been absolutely amazing, as the heat builds, and the streets begin to simmer, it’s a great opportunity to drop into one of the many beautiful churches to cool down. I couldn’t recommend more the intimate splendour of Temple Church just off Fleet Street.
It really is great to be out and walking, be it in the countryside or in the urban environment. Either way you are walking, you are breathing, and you are interacting with the world around you. And that is always a good thing. When I walk I’m constantly looking for oddities, things that seem out of place, or quirky. For instance a 2,000 year old wall in a modern car park.
Postman’s Park is one of nearly two hundred parks, gardens and green spaces in the city. Tucked away not very far from the crowds at St Paul’s and Millennium Bridge it’s a beautiful little oasis. In the park is an extraordinary memorial from the Victorian age commemorating the heroism of ordinary regular people. It’s a fabulously moving place to visit.
In the heart of the city there lies an intriguing juxtaposition where our modern world meets the ancient. Buried deep underneath flows one of London’s lost rivers: the Walbrook. A new piece of public art brings this river once more to life.
When you’re walking around London, say you’re on your way to work, taking the kids into school or see some friends in the park, you are seldom aware that you are sharing the busy streets with ancient creatures who lived on this planet between 200 and 150 million years ago. But it’s the truth..
Welcome to London Stories where I endeavour to show you around this marvellous city of London. As it says in the title I’m looking for the oldest things in the city and thought I’d start near St Paul’s.
About time I introduced myself, this will be part of a series of films looking at particular places in London with interesting stories. As well as the films and photography I offer guided walks through the heart of London. Discover hidden stories, iconic landmarks, and fascinating history: let me bring the city to life. Perfect for locals and visitors alike, take a walk with me and uncover London like never before!
Started shooting around Bethnal Green last weekend Sunday, it was a little grey and overcast, but plenty of people milling around Brick Lane and its environs. I love this area as there is so much vivid graffiti and street art, everywhere a vibrance of colour and design, be it spread excitingly across the brickwork of the old brewery, even the wrought iron lamp posts are festooned with stickers and paint. Everywhere a sense of invention.
I’ve been walking through St James’s, London, for a few weeks in the autumn sunshine last year looking at some of the fascinating history in the vicinity and mapping out some new walks. Its such an evocative and elegant area of the city, walking around I wanted to explore the feeling of the place, explore the texture of the buildings, from the grand, the ornate, to the weathered.
It felt like the right time to lace up my boots: the desk needed attention, work needed to be done, but I needed to cover some miles, and head into the old city, to pace the old thoroughfares. Time to seek out the ancient, to uncover forgotten stories in old Georgian squares and down by the riverside listen to the currents flow. To search through layers and understand both the now and the then. The train seemed intent on leading me toward low clouds and mist, the parks and suburbs seemed sodden and grey. But as I stepped out from Liverpool Street, the sun broke through the clouds, and suddenly, everything was glorious.
On an early morning stroll through the city during the summer of 2024, the weather utterly glorious, I shot a few video clips, little moments in and around St Paul’s, thinking they might look good somewhere or other. First time using the phone after years of broadcast equipment. Let me know your thoughts. Thinking of doing some more, with a bit more variation and themes.
September 15th 2023 marked the beginning of something truly special at The London Walker – my very first ‘Rebels and Radicals and a brief history of English Activism’ walking tour! A walk exploring the history of rebellion from the crazy early Middle Ages, through the tremendously vicious Tudors, the Civil War and Regicide, the zany and flabby George’s to the mighty but cruel Victorian’s and ends with 1990’s TV youth culture. Whats not to like. I’m excited to share a little reel of the journey’s opening sights, captured earlier this summer when everything was still warm, bright, and beautiful. Enjoy.
I want to capture lots of little moments, of people interacting, chatting, embracing, laughing as they move through this wonderful metropolis, I also want to capture those moments where someone is alone and thoughtful, walking along the river, or like here, sat beneath the Victoria Memorial on the Mall. Each little film carries with it a memory, a moment.
A short film featuring that magnificent, most recognisable of London spaces Trafalgar Square. The square is named after the Battle of Trafalgar, a British naval victory during the Napoleonic Wars led by everyone’s favourite one-armed one-eyed hero Admiral Lord Nelson. Architect John Nash developed the initial design in the 1820s as part of a plan to improve the area around Charing Cross. The famous column was erected in 1843. A place for great brevity and serious protest, it’s also known as a place for celebration and performances. One of London’s most iconic landmarks, reflecting both the city’s past and its evolving character, it brings visitors from afar. I hope this video piece conveys its magnificence.
Filmed back in May 2023, glorious delightful warm sunny May. I took a stroll from Chancery Lane, worked my way along the river, then walked through the glorious area known as Temple, the legal district of London. Since the Middle Ages this has been a centre for law and the legal profession. You can walk in and admire the buildings, the beautiful gardens .
The London Walker 