Tag: london

Renaming train stations in London

Posted on January 22, 2016January 22, 2016 by Ewan Spence

CityMetric’s Johnn Elledge argues why the stations that will (eventually) be used by Crossrail are all using the wrong names. Like any good argument he not only spots the problem, but proposes a solution…. rename them all with slightly more logical arguments: Whitechapel is fine. We have no complaints about Whitechapel. Although since we’re here it seems a good moment to note the mildly ridiculous fact that, at Whitechapel, the London Underground runs overground, and you have to walk down some stairs to reach the London Overground. Which runs underground. It’s like they’re doing it deliberately. The full naming controversy

‘The Knowledge’

Posted on November 16, 2014 by Ewan Spence

Jody Rosen has a wonderful long-form look at ‘The Knowledge’ (the test taken by London Black Cab drivers to show they have memorised the streets and points of interest in London) over on The New York Times. The first paragraph sells it perfectly, and the rest of the article does not disappoint. A great topic and great writing as well: The examination to become a London cabby is possibly the most difficult test in the world � demanding years of study to memorize the labyrinthine city�s 25,000 streets and any business or landmark on them. As GPS and Uber imperil

I really needed more notice about Yahoo’s London Hack Day

Posted on April 19, 2013 by Ewan Spence

Dear Yahoo, those of us outside London generally need a bit more than one week’s notice around a London HackDay. So you can stand down the fire extinguishers, I won’t be able to make it, but thanks for the invite.

Let’s hack the Millennium Dome!

Posted on February 8, 2013February 8, 2013 by Ewan Spence

O2’s team behind ‘The Lab’ are taking over part of the O2 venue (specifically the IndigO2 stage) for a weekend of “500 developers, 2 days of learning, sharing, and building cool stuff.” It’s on the 20th and 21st of July, so save the date!

Steam returns to the London Underground

Posted on January 13, 2013 by Ewan Spence

They raffled off the tickets to be in the Victorian coaches. Which makes a change from the normal attempts to avoid the Underground at all costs.

Ever wanted to program a bus stop?

Posted on January 28, 2012 by Ewan Spence

Now you can, with Bus-tops in London! Bus-Tops is a collaborative public art installation across 20 London boroughs. There are 30 red and black LED screens dotted around London, on the roofs of bus shelters. Absolutely anyone in the world can create artwork for them, creating a new exhibition space for the public, and Public Art. 256×80 pixel grids, across London, with a ix of curated arts and the most popular user-generated content? Love it!