Hello there. My name’s Tom, I’m a lifelong London resident and this here’s mah blog. It’s dedicated to London in all its forms – the history, the geography, the art and literature, the weird little places that catch your eye. If it’s to do with London, I’ll blog it. Updated on Wednesday and Sunday evenings, plus whenever I feel like it.
About the title
A London Particular was a nickname given to the thick, murky and often toxic fogs that plagued London until the Clean Air Act was brought into effect in 1956. You know, the sort of thing that Sherlock Holmes is always running into as he chases Jack the Ripper. As the name was going begging, I thought it would make a nice title.
About the author
Yr Humble Chronicler was born at an unknown date, although the earliest documentation to mention him appears in the early 1980s. Following a period of drunkenness and debauchery, he sank into an opium-induced stupor in 2003. London Particulars is written during the fifteen minutes of coherence he enjoys each day.
Hi Tom I like yr Blog. Would like to quote you for an article. Please email today Weds. Thank you.
Dear Mr Wright, We have just become acquainted with ‘Steampunk’ through an article in The Evening Standard Mon 1st Feb, where your good self was quoted! As it happens my husband had written a ‘dream account’ about A Victorian railway up Everest!!- which seems to us to be in the Steampunk spirit!! We wonder what you might think of it! might we email it to you?Thank you, yours Leonie Summers
I’d be very interested to read that, I can be emailed at the new address, london.particulars@hotmail.com
Hi Tom,
wondering if you would mention our event coming up in April – authentically London. More than happy to send you a bit more info if you’d like.
Cheers,
Therese
Following last year’s huge success of the Tweed Run, organisers are pleased to announce Saturday 10 April 2010 as the date set for the second edition of this original London event. This quirky and fun event was first staged in London last year with entries reaching 250, and has since inspired copycat events world-wide including Boston, San Francisco, Chicago and most recently Washington D.C.
The Tweed Run is a social bicycle ride through London streets with all riders sporting tweed 1920s and 30s cycling attire. Participants can expect a day of leisurely riding in the company of fellow ladies and gentlemen dressed in plus-fours, Harris tweed jackets, merino wool team jerseys, silk cravats and jaunty flat caps, of course.
The ride is free to enter and participants will be able to register online at http://www.tweedrun.com from 27 February 2010. The event is expected to be hugely popular, and with participation limited to 400 riders, organisers are urging riders to register early.
The Tweed Run will depart from the heart of London at midday striking a leisurely pace. The ride is 14 miles long and the route will weave past a number of London landmarks including Trafalgar Square, Big Ben, Buckingham Palace, St Paul’s Cathedral with a civilized tea break in the park. The ride finishes in Bishopsgate with a party, swing band and prizes awarded.
I’d be more than happy to. It sounds rather jolly.
Tom, your blog is awesome
Why thank you kindly.
Hi Tom,
I found your blog on Shoinan’s ‘You Have Lost!’ blog. I’m from America and I visited London once, for four days. I fell in love with the city and I’m happy to have found a blog that deals with just London. You have so many different aspects of London covered. A lot of blogs fall into a rut where they cover just art, or just games, but from what I’ve read so far you blog about a ton of different topics.
I was wondering if, in the future, you could write an opinion blog on common places tourists go in London, and the places they SHOULD be going. I got to see all the landmarks when I went, but I still felt that I was missing that one moment of pure bliss that I could rant about when I got home as utterly London-esque. What do you all think of tourists in general? I’m sure you’ll be seeing a great many of them at the upcoming Olympics.
Anyways, the blog is great and I can’t wait to keep reading.
Not a bad idea, that. I find most of the tourist hotspots a little sanitised myself, I shall have to look into an entry along those lines. Just so long as I don’t step on the toes of the good people at Secret London, that is.
What’s Secret London? Err… I guess I’m a bit to touristy to understand.
It sounds like an organization that dislikes tourists! I hope that’s not what it is.
Secret London is this website dedicated to offbeat attractions – shops, cafes, museums, even pleasant places to sit and watch the world go by. It’s not anti-tourist, although a lot of its detractors don’t like the idea of these “secret” places being made public.
What-ho, Tom! Happy to have found your website, similar to my own; alas, here in the “former colonies” there are too few gentlemanly websites that embrace the fine life of being, well, a chap. I’d be grateful if you would add my site to your blog-roll or links list, in as much as the USA isn’t known for home-grown gents; but we do exist. Whenever I’m out of martinis, taking a break from playing 1930′s show tunes, or resting from tooling about town whacking the poorly dressed in the shins with my umbrella, I write at http://www.welldressedgentleman.com. Cheerio–
Hi Tom,
Hope all is well, my name’s David im an adopted Londoner (adopted from Liverpool – I know don’t ask!) and have a new design label creating London inspired things for real Londoners. Have a look at our range on http://www.drpd.co.uk if you’re interested – just stumbled across your blog and thought I’d introduce our stuff to you as you’re pro real London too
Be good to hear what you think of our stuff
Best
David
hi tom – can you poss give me an email? I’d love to speak to you about someone whose posted on your blog…
Tom, I came across your site while looking for a photo of the Underground. I’m writing a sort of travelogue for rail fans traveling to Dublin (although we made a side trip to London. I haven’t technically published it yet, but if you’d like to see a draft it’s at: http://familygardentrains.com/primer/prototype/ireland/ireland_trains.htm
The real reason I’m writing is for permission to use your photo. But you might enjoy my semi-droll “take” on certain aspects of rail travel in Dublin and London. If you want to get a back to me, please use the “Contact” link near the bottoom of the page. Thanks for the laughs – only spent 4 days in London but I know EXACTLY what this article is about.
Hey Tom! Just to give you a heads up, I’ve chosen you as one of my nominees for the Leibster award! Find out more here: http://catieatkinson.blogspot.co.uk/2012/11/liebster-blog-award.html
Have fun! Catie x
Hi Tom.
Just write to thank you for your blog. I’m a swing dancer and dj from Ukraine and I aslo write a blog about history of jazz standards or favourite songs. I was surfing the internet for story of “Mack the Knife”. Your article about John Sheppard is absolutely great. I’ll probably won’t write about it in my blog but it was a pleasure to read)