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You are reading Londonist : a website about London. MoreEditor : Lindsey Clarke Editor at Large : Hazel TsoiPublisher : Gothamist
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London Public Transport Freeze Up With crushing inevitability, public transport in London suffered major disruption last night despite official insistence the city was prepared for a “mega deposit of snow“. In the end the capital received a very pretty couple of inches but, as Annie Mole and Mayorwatch demonstrate, every single tube line was affected (even the Northern line, which looks fine on those screengrabs, had problems at least Golders Green-Edgware at one point). On Friday TfL and the Mayor had released a press statement describing what cold weather measures were in place, with points heaters, a team of engineers on standby and use of “ice mode” on the Metropolitan line (suspended north of Wembley Park last night) plus compressed air systems and wheel slip protection on the Central line (entirely suspended last night). Boris Johnson said: “Across all our roads and rails hundreds of workers are on standby to ensure that, should we receive a mega deposit of snow, we are in a position to keep the capital moving.” We suspect the Mayor may come to regret overdoing the rhetoric with “mega deposit”. His Twitter feed had this to say earlier: That “most” is technically true, but probably best not to tell that to anyone trying to use the Bakerloo, Central and Jubilee lines this morning. And as surely as night follows day, train services experienced problems too. Despite Southeastern and Network Rail spending around £40m each on cold weather preparedness, this was the situation at London Bridge last night: One train was actually announced as being “178 minutes late from Orpington“. The situation across all routes is far better this morning, though still be prepared for some delays and cancellations. Article paru le 2012-02-05 11:50:50

Alternative Tube Maps: The Chromatic Underground Click to view larger map Among the many reinterpretations we’ve seen of the Tube map, this has to be among the most visually pleasing: a chromatic diagram that represents “the intersections between the colours of the lines when their opacity is set at 50%”. It’s best viewed at a larger size to appreciate the intricacy of what’s going on. The diagram is the work of Francisco Dans, who previously designed the twisted Tube map we saw last year. As Francisco himself notes, it “doesn’t really correspond to reality”, but it’s an original way of looking at the network and would make an attractive wall print. Handily, it’s available to buy on Francisco’s website. See our comprehensive list of  Alternative Tube Maps Article paru le 2012-02-04 14:50:25

London Stand Up And Sketch Comedy: 5-11 February Where to find funny next week Sunday: Max and Ivan’s Roffle Club brings you character and sketch comedy from Clever Peter, Cariad Lloyd, The Three Englishmen and Nick Helm, all at the Leicester Square Theatre (7.30pm, £8 / £6). Monday: Still at Leicester Square Theatre, it’s Stand Up Tragedy: part cabaret, part variety, all tragedy. There’s massive list of guests, including Festival of the Spoken Nerd-ers Steve Mould, Matt Parker and Helen Arney, Alison Thea-Skot, Tony Hickson, Liars’ League, author Tania Hershman, Emily Lewsen and Radcliffe Royds from storytellers Spark London, MJ Hibbett, Richard Tyrone Jones, Vanessa Gebbie and possibly more, all put together by Dave Pickering (7pm, £10 / £8). Tuesday: Hip hop improvisers Abandoman headline The Distraction Club at the Phoenix (8pm, £7.50 / £10), plus more musical comedy from Wilfredo, Christian Reilly, The Segue Sisters, Matt Blair and your glorious hosts, Mitch Benn and the Distractions. Wednesday: Celia Pacquola’s quirky observations are deservedly getting her on TV: see her IRL at Duke’s Headliners in Putney (8pm, £6 / £7), with Benny Boot, Joel Dommet, Brett Goldstein and Carly Smallman. Thursday: Tonight is perfect to catch two very talented comedians at the Soho Theatre: Mark Watson (also novelist and part of the brilliant We Need Answers team) is on at 7.45pm (£15 / £12.50) followed by Andy Zaltzman (part Political Animal, part Bugle podcast, part cricket writer) at 9.30pm (£10-£15). Friday: This is an excellent line-up: James Sherwood, Tom Wrigglesworth, Ben Norris and the relentless Tony Law at Banana Cabaret in Balham (9pm, £14 / £10). Saturday: Canadian Dana Alexander headlines at tonight’s Hampstead Comedy Club (see her in action below), alongside Josh Howie, Chris Neil and host Ivor Dembina (8.30pm, £10 / £8.50). Book ahead: Following the excruciatingly honest and brilliant Do Nothing tour, there are still a few tickets left for Simon Amstell‘s new show at Richmond on 20 May (£21) and Shepherd’s Bush Empire on 8 and 9 June (£23 + fees). Tip us off to intelligent, alternative, friendly comedy gigs, clubs and shows around London: tips@londonist.com. Article paru le 2012-02-04 13:00:49

Preview: Novel Entertainments @ The Book Club Want to play some fiendish fun games for a fiver? A Door In A Wall are the outrageously clever and creative bunch behind the mad murder mystery games that send you crawling for clues around London. As a follow up to our joint Music Hall Chairs event last year, they’re wheeling out a mix of tried ‘n’ tested and totally new devilry for a night of ‘Novel Entertainments’ at the Book Club this month. Can you get the better of…. The Top Trump: a rapid-fire challenge of one-upmanship, celebrating the many faces of America’s favourite celebrity tycoon Smuggler’s Run: it’s customs agents vs contraband carriers in this game of bribery, deception and betrayal Chaebol: play your cards right to fight for control of a corporate empire via shrewd investments, shifting alliances and boardroom dealing Mix and Match: seek out your musical twin and avoid impostors in a game where dance is your only weapon Take up the Novel Entertainments challenge on Tuesday 21 February in the basement of the Book Club, Leonard Street, Shoreditch from 6.30pm – 11.30pm. £5 on the door. The whisper down the wind is that there may be a new big treasure hunt game coming up in May… Photo: Smuggler’s Run played at National Maritime Museum with Hide & Seek via the Hiding Seeking Flickrstream. Article paru le 2012-02-04 11:00:08

Extra, Extra Euston concourse: unlovely home to many angry commuters tonight. Train lines out of Euston are still crippled following this morning’s freight derailment. We wouldn’t advise walking. Some parking fines will go up mahoosively during the Olmypics. See who went to see Beckham’s pants on Regents Street. International Olympic Committee impressed with London’s preps. Mayor opens emergency St Mungo’s shelter for rough sleepers. The Occupy movement confronts capitalism head on…by capturing a community centre from a Scout group. Image by M@. Article paru le 2012-02-03 18:00:04

Get 20% Off Food & Drink @ Boxpark Shoreditch All February This is a sponsored post on behalf of Boxpark London’s ‘most-talked-about-new-shopping-mall-built-from-shipping-containers’, Boxpark Shoreditch is offering a cool 20% off food and drink for the whole of February. Use your month-long 20% discount to try burgers at Bukowski, salads at Chop’d, juices from Crussh, cake ‘n’ coffee in Foxcroft and Ginger, frozen yoghurt from Frae, Vietnamese at Hop Namo, Burritos by Mexway or pies by Pieminister throughout February. Claim your 20% off voucher through Boxpark’s Facebook page now. As an added bonus, you could be tucking into a #freelunch from Bukowski and Frae on Saturday or Hop Namo on Sunday if you follow @Boxpark on Twitter. And by #freelunch they mean proper meals for two people with booze or soft drinks included. Check @Boxpark for #freelunch between 8am and 1pm each day to see how you can enter! To find out more visit Boxpark online, like Boxpark on Facebook and follow @Boxpark on Twitter. Article paru le 2012-02-03 17:30:47

Open-City Announces Architectural Walks Around London Open-City, the organisation behind the immensely popular Open House London weekend, has just announced a new programme of architectural walks around the city between now and May. There are seven to choose from. All sound mouth watering if you enjoy exploring architecture. South London Regeneration – Borough, Bermondsey and Bankside, from the towering Shard to the area’s many experiments with housing developments. Hidden West End – The architecturally interesting buildings, old and new, that you might not have noticed in this most familiar part of town. East End Transformation – Discover how the development of Canary Wharf, the upcoming Olympics and other initiatives have radically changed the built environment of east London. The Square Mile – Of all the areas in London, its most ancient offers the greatest variety of architectural styles, from Roman walls to towering glass edifices. Boat Tour: Architecture of the Thames – Take a leisurely boat trip, first upriver to Battersea, then downriver to Canary Wharf , while an expert guide discusses the history and architecture of the river’s most important buildings. Photography Tour: The Changing Face of London – Another tour of the City, but this time with camera in hand and a specialist in architectural photography to guide your focus. Evening Residence Tour: The Gap House – Take a snoop around Bayswater’s unusual Gap House, a narrow residence squeeze between traditional terrace houses. Walk times, dates and costs vary, so check each individual page for further details and other booking information. Article paru le 2012-02-03 16:41:48