Lord Nelson and the Strand

On a bright, cold afternoon at the end of January 2003 I made my way down the Strand towards Trafalgar Square in the company of American audio artist and playwright Gregory Whitehead and BBC radio producer Neil McCarthy. Ahead of us, high up on the column in Trafalgar Square and silhouetted against a clear blue…

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Strandlines update October 2013

St Mary le Strand

It’s time for some news from Strandlines to our community. First of all, news about Dr Hope Wolf who did so much to create the site, design activities and inspire us all with creativity. Hope is going to a Junior Research Fellowship in Cambridge, starting now. The usual formula is to say we wish her…

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An interview with Savoy archivist Susan Scott

By Hadeel Mohamed There is a turning point in my interview with Susan Scott, the in-house archivist at The Savoy, in the moment following my faux-pas of detailing an fact I’d heard about the lamps outside the hotel. It turns out to be wholly untrue. But she is good-natured about my error and laughs me…

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Metropole Hotel Invoice

Metropole Hotel Invoice

This is an invoice regarding the Metropole (or Metripole as gt Grandpa spelt it). J Garrod was Joseph Garrod, my great grandfather. The business was carried on by Edward, my grandfather and James & William my father and his brother. It is still going, trading as Garrod Brothers in North London. The owners are still family,…

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Marble from Paros

Contributed to the 14th December objects discussion What is the object? A shard of Parian marble Where does it come from? A mineshaft on the island of Paros What connection does the object have to ‘place’: your local area, home, or place of work? In a way it’s a history souvenir, rather as you might pick up a shell…

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The shoes of London Fashion Week 2010

On the Strand this week the big glass window of Coutts the bankers has been hung with large white balls. Glamorous fashion photographs adorn its window and the window of Topshop. It’s been London Fashion Week – or five days, a size zero version of a week – and beautiful creatures have been drifting down…

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