London’s Oddities
Walk through almost any area of London and you’ll find something that puzzles you – a quirkybuilding or bizarre piece of street furniture, a monument or fragment of signage that seems out of place, out of time or simply inexplicable.
Remnants of Roman wall erupt in unlikely places; richly painted bingo halls and modernist housing estates hide unexpected secrets; eccentric houses, mad monuments and fantastic feats of engineering recall London’s maverick residents; unexpected dips and surges in population, health or wealth remain curiously embedded in the city’s infrastructure.
This book collects scores of intriguing examples of the oddities that animate the city’s streetscapes, exp
loring the stories behind their creation, the twists and turns of their subsequent history, and the extraordinary lives of the individuals responsible for their existence. A walk though London will never be the same again!
Metro Publications, ISBN 978-1-902910-53-6
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London’s Houses
Shutting the door on the world outside and embarking on a journey through an historic house releases the magic of time travel.
London has an amazing range of houses regularly open to the public, and this book covers them all. From workhouse to palace, London’s Houses spans six centuries and features architects from Inigo Jones to Ernö Goldfinger and a cast of characters including Elizabeth I, Dr Johnson, Benjamin Franklin, William Morris and Jimi Hendrix. With architectural and social history, biographies and practical information, this book provides everything visitors need to plan a trip through theages.
‘This book is not a guidebook so much as a personal invitation to the best homes in London, from poorhouse to palace, from Ben Franklin’s to Sherlock Holmes’, Dickens’ to Dr Johnson’s. Vicky Wilson writes knowledgeably about bricks and mortar – but also about the people who lived in these houses across the ages. Her book makes you feel as if you know them as well as their homes.’ Ann Treneman, The Times
The new edition of London’s Houses is now available in full colour, with several new entries and major revisions for sites that have received revamps.
vicky wilson 