The internet is a global phenomenon, defying geography and scoffing at national boundaries. So it might seem odd to peer solely at the capital through our browser windows, but, trust us, the city looks sensational viewed on the small screen. Clearly, this very site is the font of indispensable London knowledge – but here we present 50 other corkers, all of them useful and entertaining, all of them devoted entirely to the Big Smoke. Go on, log on to London!
Blogs | History | Going out | Shopping and services | Communities
Blogs
www.london-underground.blogspot.com
The best blogs have a tinge of obsession about them, and Annie Mole’s site delves deep in its coverage of all things tube-related. There’s a comprehensive list of links to other London Underground sites, including www.talkonthetube.com which aims to get conversations going on all London lines.
Check out The ‘Guess Where Tube Quiz’, as submitted by Annie’s fellow enthusiast Ian D. It’s just pictures of stations with the names obscured but is a great office time-waster.
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www.diamondgeezer.blogspot.com
We have to declare an interest here: Diamond Geezer has written for TO on several occasions. But that’s because, in our opinion, he’s London’s most interesting blogger. Posting since 2002, he’s the online successor to the likes of John Betjeman, via Peter Ackroyd, though his recent ‘Seaside Postcard’ series could be a sign that his attention is drifting away from the capital.
Check out The Geezer’s ‘Seven Ages of Blog’, which best demonstrates his online savvy.
www.londonreviewofbreakfasts.blogspot.com
With reviews from a panel of testers, your first (and most important) meal of the day need never be a disappointment again.
Check out Egon Toast’s review of Alpino in Islington: ‘The beans, soggy scourge of the newly buttered slice of toast, were husbanded expertly by flanks of mushroom.’
pigeonblog.wordpress.com
The concept of writing a blog in the guise of a pigeon is original, and good for a quick laugh – keeping the thing updated with regular posts for three years takes a strange kind of genius.
Check out The ‘A pigeon that looks like’ section. Stare at the Britney Spears pigeon for long enough and you’ll convince yourself the bird’s a dead ringer.
www.londoncabby.blogspot.com
A black-cab driver’s blog that wins points for its sheer detail on everything from obnoxious fares to the mechanical upkeep of the classic London taxi. The anonymity of the author makes for a (sometimes brutally) honest snapshot of the trade.
Check out The photos of how bad a state certain inebriated passengers have left the cab in, which are a sobering reminder of why drivers are reluctant to pick you up after the work Christmas party.
www.onionbagblog.blogspot.com
Slipping around the city on his two wheels, camera at the ready, Mr Onionbag captures the fascinating details of life in south London in a way that epitomises blogging at its best.
Check out The excellent set of Lomo photos (casual, colourful snapshots of London).
www.london.thewayweseeit.org
This collaborative photo blog invites visitors to send in their snaps of specific areas of London, and aims to showcase the diversity of the city (particularly its little-known patches).
Check out The gallery of images for Cork Street, W1, is typically eclectic – stylised black-and-white shots next to reportage and beautifully observed details.
www.route79.org/journal
In the author’s own words: ‘From
London. By a British, European, second-generation Indian. Probably
confused – but proud to be them all! Half of my journey to and from
work is a 20- to 30-minute bus ride: London bus route 79 – between
Alperton in west London and Kingsbury in north-west London.’ If he
proves anything, it’s that bus rides are always good for daydreaming,
digression and philisophical musings.
Check out The slightly unrelated list of recipes, which reflect the author’s ethnic make-up – featuring everything from pakoras to lamb hot-pot.
www.beastsoflondon.blogspot.com
From
mussels in the Thames to black leopards in Bexley, keep a check of the
unlikely creatures that visit our capital. Make this your first stop to
report a sighting of your own (even if it is just your garden hose
mistaken for a python).
Check out The archives will tell you all about the wild inhabitants of our city’s recent past.
www.sub-urban.com
This
one is run by Jondoe and Stoop, two adventurous Londoners who have to
keep their identities under wraps given that their exploits frequently
test the boundaries of the law. They specialise in exploring
underground complexes (storm drains, tunnels, sewers) and derelict
buildings, posting photos and text about what they've found. They’ve
expanded throughout the UK in recent years, but their London
explorations were their first (and, dare we say it, best).
Check out Their forays into the River Fleet, not least because they once took Time Out’s Peter Watts along with them and he nearly drowned.
Blogs | History | Going out | Shopping and services | Communities
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19 comments
just for the record... our website is here...
http://www.hungamunga.co.uk
I think we should all meet under Waterloo Bridge at dawn with sharpened knitting needles.
well you cant say we dont live up to our name can you !
Me thinks there are some lessons to be learned here. Lets all do something positive and go get crafting instead.
ROTFLOL! Thanks ladies, this is one of the funniest things I've read in ages. Who knew knitting could be so cut-throat and, well, bitchy! Knit On!
It is clear that you don't like that the group got chosen. You think the girls "got their mates" to attack (I personally am a group member, but hardly know the girls, though I do have a great amount of respect for what they do). You accuse their events of being "all part of other people's events" which is utter rubbish since they solely organised the Knit Crawl and the Lion Scarf. Also the girls have worked with other groups and organisations such as IKnit and Twisted Thread in harmony with them, rather than jumping on their coattails as you seem to imply (and again all in their spare time for no pay!)
You can't like everything all the time, but it seems to me you should just let the girls have their moment, and leave it at that. You have told the world you think their website isn't good enough for the top 50. The rest of your put downs they could have done without, I think.
You tell them to take it on the chin, but you are basically putting down five very hardworking girls who go out of their way to organise events and write newsletters that benefit you. This seems rather ungrateful to me.
I think the girls who have replied have been remarkably restrained in their comments. And I love the website. It makes me laugh. Well done girls.
I think this all may have spiraled a little out of control! Charley, you are more than welcome back to the group and are completely entitled to your opinion on the site and the group itself. There was no move to gang up and we are sorry if you feel that way - those that have posted obviously feel very protective of the group and I'm sure they meant no offense to you. Perhaps we can all do a few stiches and cast off this matter now!
Charley, I am not picking on you but it seems to me that you're missing the point of of Time Out's article and being needlessly brash about it. The introduction to the article says: "here we present 50 other corkers, all of them useful and entertaining, all of them devoted entirely to the Big Smoke."
Stitch and Bitch London may not have the slickest website but their website has lead to a community being formed centred around knitting and being in London.
Fair enough, Hungamunga also do crafts but they don't necessarily have a London-specific theme. Also, iKnit is a yarn and knitting shop/cafe so it is primarily a business.
Flipin heck, there's nothing like a stitch n bitch scorned. I do get the newsletter, I have been to the group...all I wanted to say is I don't think, of all the craft sites in London, it deserved to be the only one in the top 50 BEST WEBSITES IN LONDON. I take it very personally that Amy says I'm slagging off a charity event - the link says 'check the progress of it' and I'm just saying that the progress has finished - Time Out's fault not yours. It was a brilliant idea and it looked fabulous. Maybe my beef is with Timeout for choosing the site and I realise you've probably got all your mates here to attack any kind of criticism and I'm feeling a bit ganged up on. Take it on the chin - it's just my opinion! You are all mighty and powerful and the best knitting group in the world, your sacrifices 'to spread the pure love of the knit' are truly astonishing and your projects (all part of other people's events - although I loved the knit-crawl too) are worthy of the highest praise - I just didn't like your website's all. Will I be allowed to come back?
sounds like sour grapes to me. thanks for the extra publicity though
Charley, Stitch and Bitch London meet every week. I would think that is fairly regular. How much more regularly would you like them to hold events?
Also they arrange events all the time. They did the Knit Crawl in the summer (which I loved), the Champagne bar at Ally Pally's Knit Show, and the UK Blanket for all the knitting groups. And they have stuff coming up all year.
Both sites you mentioned have had their Time Out glory in the past. Why not let Stitch and Bitch have theirs?
Charley, luckily most people in the craft community are more supportive of each other. You're wrong about the lion scarf event too - I just checked, it was less than a year ago. Pretty bad form to slag off a charity event.
I think it's awfully sad that a Londoner interested in crafts, is so critical of the stitch and bitch group being given a little credit. Shame on you Charley.
Charley, I think it is a terrible shame that you can't just be happy that craft is getting a nod, since you seem to support it so much.
It is also very sad that you can't let a non-profit group, who do so much for charity and have an passionate love of London, get a bit of praise.
If you have a website of your own, run a knitting group of your own, write a fortnightly newsletter, teach people to knit for free weekly, pay out of your own pocket to spread the pure love of the knit, then I would be very interested to see it, to see how we can improve.
OK, point taken. I'm an avid crafter and I just thought, IMO, that there were better craft websites available - afterall this was the best 50 websites in London article, not the biggest group or community, or non-commercial organisation list.
I've been to a SNB London meeting before, I've also been to a couple of other knitting groups who also meet weekly, run by people who work and they are free too. Funny thing is...your comment is almost an ad in itself! Happy stitching.
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