Here’s the news that’s got us talking here at LOTI HQ – in bite-size chunks
All of London’s Remaining Cabmen’s Shelters Are Now Listed
First introduced in the city way back in 1875, cabmen’s shelters – the little green wooden huts you may have seen dotted about town – were a place for cabbies (first those that drove horse-drawn carriages and later black cabs) a place to stop for a cup of tea and a hot meal. Between 1875 – 1950, 61 shelters were built but now only 13 remain, and now with the hut on Wellington Place in St John’s Wood receiving Grade II listed status, all of the remaining shelters are protected and overseen by the Cabmen’s Shelter Fund. Some, like this one in Chelsea, have been converted into cafes and are open to the general public.
Turns Out London Isn’t the UK’s Rudest City
Despite having quite the reputation for being unfriendly and standoffish, new research has found that London may not be the rudest city in the UK. Published at the start of March, a study by Preply (an online language-learning platform) ranked London as the UK’s second rudest city (or, second “least polite”) and Manchester as its rudest. This counters an article published by YouGov in 2022, which asked if Londoners were the “rudest people in Britain” based on a survey that found the percentage of people living in the city considered to have “very” good manners was the lowest in the country. However, Preply’s report is based on each city’s Tripadvisor reviews and Numbeo which they used to calculate a score out of 30 (Manchester got 3.6/30 while London got 6.6/30), rather than a dedicated survey. People with experience of life in both London and Manchester might beg to differ.
The Silvertown Tunnel Will Open in 2025
Six years after it was first announced, the Silvertown Tunnel has been given an opening date. The new tunnel is being built under the Thames, connecting Silvertown and Greenwich, with the intention of reducing the levels of traffic in the Blackwall Tunnel, as well as putting a dent in pollution. However, many have questioned whether the Silvertown Tunnel will in fact reduce pollution, as it is big enough to fit heavy goods vehicles (HGVs) – the Blackwall is not – and may see more of these high-emission lorries driving around the city. Still, the £2.2bn project is going ahead, and the tunnel is set to launch in 2025, as is a new toll at both the Silvertown and Blackwall Tunnels which could reportedly be priced at £3 to £5.
Iconic Nightclub Heaven Could Be Closing Down
It looks like yet another of London’s LGBTQ+ venues is at risk as the owner of legendary superclub Heaven, Jeremy Joseph, has announced that he may be forced to close. This is because the landlord (The Arch Company) is attempting to raise the rent by a whopping £320,000 per year – it already increased by £80,000 in September and now he’s facing another £240,000 hike. In December, Joseph had to close another of his venues, G-A-Y Late, but he insists that he’s fighting to keep Heaven alive. In an Instagram post, he wrote “the fight has just begun as it’s time to put public pressure on Landlords, this isn’t just about Heaven, this is about every Hospitality venue because if our rent goes up, it will increase the rent of other venues”.
Hafiz Mustafa 1864 Is Bringing Turkish Sweets to London
Hafiz Mustafa, a confectionary shop that was founded in Istanbul in 1864, has become beloved across Turkey – it now has several locations across Istanbul as well as in Antalya, Bodrum and one in Dubai, and now it’s coming to Knightsbridge. The business is famous for its traditional Turkish sweets, including baklava (made with a variety of different nuts), kadayıf, Turkish delight (flavoured with everything from pomegranate to rose to pistachio), halva, and milk desserts, all made with natural ingredients.
One of Brick Lane’s Bagel Shops Has Shut Down
On Tuesday, Brick Lane’s Beigel Shop shut its doors – which are normally open 24/7 – seemingly out of nowhere. The yellow shopfront is one of the street’s most recognisable, and the bagel slingers have reportedly had a long-standing rivalry with their neighbours, Beigel Bake. However, they’ve apparently slipped off the face of the earth as the shop is now shuttered, their website is no longer live and no one can get ahold of the owners. A notice in the shop window says that they’re only closed briefly for maintenance and will be reopening soon. Fingers crossed.
The Elizabeth Line’s ‘Ghost’ Marks Have Finally Been Addressed
If you’ve been to an Elizabeth Line station, you’ll have seen those marks behind the platform seats that almost look like chains of supernatural beings. These ‘ghost’ marks are caused by people leaning against the walls, leaving behind a sort of stain that many think looks quite cool, others eery, and some just downright unsightly. However you feel about them, they’re on the way out as Transport for London (TfL) is currently trialling new cleaning methods as well as vinyl covers to remove the marks and prevent them from coming back.
Lily Vanilli Is Providing Birthday Cakes for Those Who Otherwise Wouldn’t Get One
The East London-based baker behind the city’s most stunning cake designs, Lily Jones, is celebrating the 15th birthday of her bakery, Lily Vanilli, by giving back with the Birthday Project. This will be an ongoing initiative by which customers can donate any amount (from £1) which will go towards baking and delivering birthday cakes across all boroughs to young, disadvantaged Londoners allocated by the Mayor’s Fund. If you’re interested in supporting, you can do so here.
DLR Trains Are Getting a Fake Steering Wheel
Mayor Sadiq Khan has announced that Docklands Light Railway (DLR) trains will be trialling new ‘driving the train’ stickers and fake steering wheels to boost Transport for London’s (TfL) “customer and community engagement activities”. If you love pretending to drive the DLR, you now have official permission from the Mayor.
Peckham Rye Station is Getting a £40 Million Upgrade
Anyone who regularly passes through Peckham Rye station knows that it needs much more space and that’s exactly what’s coming with a whopping £40 million upgrade on the cards. The works, including wider platforms, a new entrance, a new concourse and lifts, will improve accessibility while keeping the Grade II-listed features intact but it won’t be complete until 2027.
Print Club London is Raising Money for Choose Love
Choose Love is raising money to support the millions of people trapped in Gaza and the displaced communities in southern Israel, which Print Club London is supporting with the sale of limited-edition artworks. All profits from the Choose Love collection go directly to the charity so you’ll be supporting a great cause by buying one.
The London Underground Will Appear on Google Maps Street View Soon
The Google Street View cameras are about to be trawling the London Underground as Transport for London (TfL) has announced that around 30 major Tube stations will be shown on their maps. Passengers will be alerted to the fact that cameras are in operation (at the likes of Waterloo, King’s Cross St Pancras and Green Park), but blurring technology will be used to protect their privacy. And we can expect the images to be released in 2024.