James Smith & Sons

Gentleman's Club

by Lee Mannion

What must if have felt like to be a gentleman? To stroll in London's streets while horse drawn carriages rattled by as street urchins sold papers and Dick Van Dyke popped out of a nearby chimney? For a whiff of how it might have been, step inside, sir (or madam). Here you will find the smartly dressed proprietor offering old-fashioned service to even the brashest tourist that might torture him again with that word 'quaint'. In all directions you will see umbrellas and sticks of every descrip ... Continue

Covet

Popped Up

by Claire Storrow

Covet in Islington is now working as a pop-up shop where new designers can show their wares--and hopefully sell them too. The designers will rotate every month to expose new talent but current favourites include Kirsty Kirkpatrick of Uncommonlybeautiful.com who creates pieces by expertly dismantling and reassembling old bits of jewellery and Andrea Garland an aromatherapist who puts together sweet smelling lip balms and packages them in gorgeou ... Continue

Smiths of Smithfield

Sending Out as SOS

by Julia Dennison

If you say 'SOS' to a hungry Londoner, they'll know what you mean. While they may not rescue you at sea or send you a message in a bottle, they will more than likely be up for nursing a hair-of-the-dog Bloody Mary with you over ethically-sourced ham, egg and chips at John Torode's Smiths of Smithfields ground floor brunch emporium. Smiths of Smithfields, or SOS, opens its doors to late-rising trendites when the rest of the neighbourhood is taking the day off. Indeed, Sunday is far from the day o ... Continue

Gray's Inn Field

Fields of Gray

by Lee Mannion

Gray's Inn Gardens has a multiple personality disorder. The sign on the gate describes it thus. Look on the NFT map and it's described as Gray's Inn Field but traditionally its known as Gray's Inn Walks. Whatever it is, its nice. Francis Bacon is responsible, having laid it out in 1606. One obvious thing to point out--you're surrounded by lawyers on 3 sides. The Masters of the Bench allow 'adult members of the public' in for a stroll between 12 noon and 2.30 pm, which presumably means you ... Continue

Taro

Quick Fix

by Lee Mannion

Things were bad. My beloved was not coping well with the idea of grabbing something quick to eat in Soho on a cold evening before we headed to a comedy night. I sometimes get PMT mixed up with Michael Jackson's PYT but I knew which one I was dealing with that night. Taro, admittedly not much to look at, at least looked clean, cheap, filling and like it might be quick. A big bowl of Chicken Ramen arrived for me, Chicken Curry Udon for her. Mine was good; punchy flavours, thoroughly warming a ... Continue

Tower Bridge

View From Afar

by henneke sharif

Looking at Tower Bridge from Bermondsey is like looking at a postcard the wrong way round. I mean this in a good way. If you stand by the river at Bermondsey at night, maybe Cherry Garden Pier, and look west you see proper London, the bright lights, big city. But look east and you'll see low sodium lighting, all orange and squat against the dark river. Tower Bridge is the old faultline between acceptable London--the west--and another place. Of course it's all changing now, and this low dark stra ... Continue