A bit of fun, Portland Road

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Shad Thames

In Victorian times, Shad Thames included the largest warehouse complex in London. Completed in 1873, the warehouses housed huge quantities of tea, coffee, spices and other commodities, which were unloaded and loaded onto river boats. During the 20th century the area went into decline as congestion forced shipping to unload goods further east, and the last warehouses closed in 1972, leaving the area forgotten and derelict. However, Shad Thames was regenerated in the 1980s and 1990s, when the disused but picturesque warehouses throughout the area were converted into expensive flats, many with restaurants, bars, shops, etc. on the ground floor.

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34 Montagu Square

On Saturday 23 October 2010, in front of 100 people, Yoko Ono unveiled a Blue Plaque at 34 Montagu Square. The Beatles' biographer, Hunter Davies, started the unveiling ceremony, with Rod Davis, from Lennon's first group, The Quarrymen, in the gathering. Ono said: 'I am very honoured to unveil this blue plaque and thank English Heritage for honouring John in this way. This particular flat has many memories for me and is a very interesting part of our history. In what would have been John's 70th year, I am grateful to you all for commemorating John and this particular part of his London life, one which spawned so much of his great music and great art'. Davis also commented: 'He would think it highly amusing that they've put up a plaque here, considering what happened here. If only they'd mentioned the drugs bust on the bottom of the plaque. Wherever he is, he would have a great chuckle about this one'.

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34 Montagu Square

Ringo Starr leased Flat 1 in 1965, shortly before his marriage to Maureen Cox. The Swiss Embassy was, and is, located at the back of the house at 16-18 Montagu Place, but in August 1965, an embassy spokesperson complained that Beatles' fans were defacing their back wall (in Bryanston Mews), with messages meant for Starr: 'Our back wall is now very unsightly and we shall have to redecorate. Our chauffeur, who is French and took part in the first World War, says the language some of these young people use is worse than anything he ever heard in the trenches'. Paul McCartney rented the flat from Starr in 1965 and asked Sommerville to install recording equipment (including two Revox reel-to-reel tape machines); planning to use it as a demo studio. He recorded here a demo version of 'I'm Looking Through You' in late March 1965, and worked on the composition of 'Eleanor Rigby' for the 1966 'Revolver'. McCartney later gave up the flat, and it remained empty until Starr sub-let it to Jimi Hendrix with Kathy Etchingham, and Chas Chandler with Lotta Null, in December 1966. Unfortunately, when Hendrix was under the effects of LSD, he threw whitewash over the walls, forcing Starr to evict him. Starr also lent the flat to other pop stars and friends over the next few years, when they needed a place to stay in London. When Lennon started a relationship with Yoko Ono in 1968, his wife and son moved into the flat on 21 June 1968, living there for three months, before returning to Kenwood, as Lennon and Ono preferred to live at 34 Montagu Square. They lived in the flat for several months, as the 'White Album' was being recorded. Visitors remembered that the flat was in a state of squalor, with dirty plates, cups, clothes, newspapers and magazines littering the floor, with the couple living on 'a diet of champagne, caviar, and heroin'. Lennon and Ono's experimental 'Two Virgins' album had been recorded at Kenwood, but its notorious nude cover photos were taken at 34 Montagu Square. On 18 October 1968, the flat was raided by Scotland Yard's Drugs Squad. Both were arrested, with Lennon pleading guilty to hashish possession and he was fined £150. After the raid, the landlord sought an injunction against Starr on 19 February 1969, forbidding anyone but Starr or his family to live there, and allowing no music or instruments to be played. Starr appealed, and a compromise was offered; only Starr or a family member would live in the flat. To finally settle the case, Starr sold the lease on 28 February 1969.

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Royal barge 'Gloriana' at St Katharine Docks

The Queen's Diamond Jubilee barge 'Gloriana' is the first Royal barge to have been built in over 100 years and cost £1,000,000. The project to build 'Gloriana' was initiated by Lord Sterling who stated he got the idea for a waterborne tribute to the Queen for her Diamond Jubilee from Charles, Prince of Wales. Lord Sterling financed the estimated £500,000 construction cost of the project. Additional backers included Sir Donald Gosling and Canadian billionaire Galen Weston. After leading the Jubilee parade 'Gloriana' was presented to the Queen as a gift. The materials used includes wood from sweet chestnut trees from Prince Charles's estate.

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St Katharine Docks

View from the Outer Dock towards the Inner Dock. The Dickens Inn is in the background.

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St Katharine Docks

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Tower Bridge

Work began on Tower Bridge in 1886, following many years of debate on whether a suitable design could be found to accommodate all interested trades and parties. Until that time, the only real method of crossing the Thames was at London Bridge, which was by now becoming hugely congested. An estimated 168,000 people and 20,498 vehicles were crossing the bridge daily, and not without long delays. There were two main criteria that the final design needed to comply with: firstly, to offer 140ft (43m) clearance for the tall masted ships to enter London pool, and also to allow continuous movement of people and traffic.

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Tower Bridge

Taking eight years to complete, at an approximate cost of £750,000 and claiming ten lives, Tower Bridge was officially opened on 20th June 1894 by the Prince and Princess of Wales - one of the great Royal occasions seen in the Capital. Tower Bridge remains as one of London's great landmarks, and is the only bridge in the world to have its own museum. In 1982 it was opened as a tourist attraction for the first time and attracts many thousands of visitors from the world over every year.

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Southwark Bridge

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Riverside view

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London Eye

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London Eye

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London Bridge

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Blackfriars Station

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The Beatles Abbey Road zebra crossing

Outside Abbey Road Studios. The famous Abbey Road crossing which featured on the Beatles sleeve of the album "Abbey Road" in 1969. The crossing was formed in 1934 and was made Grade II listed in 2010. There were a few horns honked by irate motorists - locals must hate this crossing. Tourists can be seen disrupting traffic there at all times of day and night.

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Abbey Road Studios

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Abbey Road Studios

The famous recording studios that The Beatles used during the 1960's. The outside wall is covered in graffiti by Beatles fans who are allowed to write on the wall.

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'Traffic Light Tree' in Westferry Road

This brilliant piece of artwork is standing over 8 metres tall it has 75 fully working traffic signal heads. It was created by Pierre Vivant for Christmas in 1998. It was initially hoped that the lights would be triggered to show flurries of activity on the London Stock Exchange, but this proved to be too expensive to put into practice.

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City of London Guildhall

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