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unusual : Lost in London - 50 Secrets

In order to celebrate the momentous occasion of 50 issues, we have gathered together our favourite 50 London secrets. We've had a good rummage through the lostandfound archives, and asked you to send us ideas. We even spoke to BBC London listeners and asked for their suggestions.

What you are about to read, is a sublime list of great and eccentric things to do in our favourite city. We've given it all away: our favourite galleries, hidden bars, obscure museums, out-of-the-way parks and other strange and wonderful ideas for filling your weekends in London. And we've also included a celebration juke box, of our 50 favourite London tunes, for a musical interlude.

So finally, a great big thanks to all our readers, old and new. We've made it here thanks to your encouragement, suggestions, feedback, and above all because you've stuck with us. Here's to another 50 issues!

1
I get a bit excited when I think about Area 10. It's one of those things in London that shouldn't work. There's no money in it for starters, and it's founded on art school principles of chaos and coincidence. And yet this Peckham warehouse (behind the library) has been housing creative and challenging art performances, exhibitions and cabaret on an ad-hoc basis for three years. Their future hangs in the balance, and the venue has almost folded on numerous occasions, so take a chance and drop by for a super one-off, before it folds.

2
The lovely Daunt Bookshop on Marylebone High Street dates back to Edwardian times, and you can certainly tell. The long oak galleries are wonderfully stocked with travel books. Not only can you find guides, maps, and dictionaries, but all kinds of literature, organised by geography rather than category. You could waste hours browsing and wandering it's well-stocked floors.

3
The Smersh basement bar (5 Ravey Street, EC2) is pure Eastern European culture condensed into two intimate shell-like rooms. Russian maps line the walls, whilst vodka and Eastern bloc beers flow freely. This authentic iron curtain clad bar is raw, and rough around the edges. It's name derives from the ex-Soviet secret service organisation. It's a perfect hide away retreat should you need to go under cover in Shoreditch.

4
On a summer's evening, Richmond must be one of the most bucolic corners of London. The pubs along the river attract the hordes, and Richmond Park is very well known, but what about the Terrace Gardens? This small but lovely park slopes down from Richmond Hill to Petersham Road, with beautiful views across the bend in the Thames. Richmond Green, surrounded by beautiful Georgian terraces, is also an idyllic spot, offering some nice old pubs and cricket on Sundays.

5
St Augustine’s Tower – dis-used / re-used / un-used, what will happen next? St Augustine’s is a former church tower in Hackney Central with great potential to be a fantastic art space, if only things could be done at the wave of a magic wand!

6
There are not many more surreal things in London than sitting by the pool amongst hundreds of families and girls in bikinis, pretending to be in the Mediterranean. If you can live without the sand and surfing, and put up with the dubious levels of hygiene, then a Sunday afternoon at one of London's lidos is a Sunday well spent. You can find the four London lidos in Hyde Park, Tooting Bec, Charlton and Herne Hill.

7
For a central London room with a view, why not try the fifth floor of Waterstone’s in Piccadilly? The bookshop has a bar with great views over London and serves wicked cocktails.

8
Tucked away on Fleet Street is the beautiful St Bride's church. It has long associations with journalists, who even paid for the rebuilding after it was damaged in the blitz. The distinctive white tiered spire is widely held to have provided the design for the modern wedding cake.

9
A relatively new venue, Barden’s Boudoir, underneath a furniture store on Stoke Newington High Street, has become our favourite hidden musical gem. The venue has capacity for 300, a late licence, and frequently features shows by lesser known acts such as Lightning Bolt, Todd, Guapo, Enablers, Prefuse 73 and many more. It’s usually worth keeping an eye on their webpage - http://www.bardensbar.co.uk - because the shows don’t ever seem to be listed on any of the major ticket sites.

10
London is known for being one of the most expensive cities in the world, but there are still ways to live cheaply. From Chelsea to Hackney, just about every suburb has a selection of charity shops where you can find a selection of clothes, books and random bric-a-brac. Oxfam shops come top of the list for reading material, with quality books from 70p.

11
The Soho theatre is one of our favourite places in London because it stages innovative exciting theatre and at realistic prices too. The first 20 seats at each intimate 120 seat performance go for a fiver each and are usually £7.50 -£15 after that. They must be the only theatre in London to stage a live greyhound, and they regularly show comedy. Behind the scenes Soho is one of the only places in the country that will read every script they are sent and provide an individual critique, so another plus for any-one who fancies themselves filling Arthur Miller's shoes. There are workshops, open houses, awards and support for young writers at every level. See http://www.sohotheatre.com for listings.

12
The Horniman Museum is a little known curiosity, tucked away on London Road, Forest Hill. The museum houses an extensive natural history gallery, but what I really love is the Music Room. You can go in and look at instruments from around the world, and then choose which ones you want to hear played, and read about them through an interactive table. A treat for all music lovers, showing how great museums can be when they get it right.

13
The Circus Space is another quirky venue, nuzzling half way between the suited and booted masses of City Road and the rare, trendified air of Hoxton. The managers of this ex power station pull off a tricky juggling act between Cabaret performance stage, acrobatic arena, and circus skills training centre. Oh, and there's also a Trapeze Bar. The schedule changes frequently, with each cabaret of circus and performance acts appearing for no more than four nights, but the programme features acts chosen carefully from around the world. Tickets cost £20 and can be booked by calling 020 7729 9522 or by visiting The Circus Space, Coronet Street, N1.

14
If you don't live in South East London, then you should certainly make a trip down South some time, to visit one of our vast array of fabulous parks, cemeteries and beautiful green spaces. Nunhead Cemetery is perhaps the least known, but most attractive, of the great Victorian Cemeteries of London. The cemetery was closed for 6 years in the seventies, when United Cemeteries couldn't afford to keep maintaining it, which gives the whole place an overgrown, disheveled look, which adds to its romance. Consecrated in 1840, it is also one of the seven great Victorian cemeteries established in a ring around the outskirts of London.

15
You probably haven't been ice-skating since you were 15, but it's not just for sickly sweet American teen movies. Think of it as an excuse to wear all your favourite clothes at once. You can find skating rinks in Streatham High Road and Marble Arch.

16
Are you feeling as if London is a bit too clean and comfortable for you at the moment? Are you in need of late night entertainment of a seedier sort that doesn’t involve parting with vast amounts of cash or looking at naked women? Why not try one of London’s many late night pool and snooker halls? If you don’t mind the dingy lighting, sticky floors and general air of depravity you can enjoy a night’s entertainment for very little cash (the clubs normally charge about £4 for a whole hour on the table!). Our top tip for a night on the baize is Eastenders at 223 Whitechapel Road. Love the name, love the venue. The joint is open from midday to midnight, but unlike the other clubs there’s no bar, although fantastically you can take your own booze. Thumbs up for a messy night in the East End!

17
If you are looking for a vast collection of vintage clothing shops selling clothes from the forties to the nineties at great prices, there is only one place to go... Camden! Yes I know you all thought that Camden markets were about goths buying leather trousers and things with spikes on, but just pop round the back and you'll find out more. You need to ensure that you turn into the markets on the left and not the right (coming from Camden tube) and you will enter that mix of gorgeousness and grunge that is vintage.

18
Tucked away on the first floor on Foyles bookshop, Ray's Jazz Cafe is a haven for book shoppers and Sunday strollers alike. You can watch the bustle of Charing Cross Road with a great latte, or munch on a healthy organic sandwich. But the real highlight of the cafe is the live jazz band, who are somewhat strangely nestled among the CD racks next to the cafe. There's not much space, but bags of character.

19
Sketch, on Conduit Street, (just off Regent Street) is a many sided venue with a restaurant, tea salon, library, art gallery and bar. It is housed in an amazing Georgian building which has been remodeled with a mixture of stark white walls, 1960s sci-fi primary colour seating and 16th century fake gold rococo trimmings. It sounds insane, but it works extremely well. The art space, which I was expecting to be a little room with a TV, is a massive old ballroom with five glass domes in the ceiling and a huge square of white leather sofas. And check out the toilets. You won't want to leave!

20
If the works of Georgian eccentrics have ever held a glowing fascination for you, then you must visit the Sir John Soane's Museum (13 Lincoln's Inn Fields). Soane was an architect, and as well as designing this house to hold his ever expanding collection of treasures from around the world, he also designed the Bank of England and Dulwich Picture Gallery. Soane set up a trust fund to keep the house in its original condition, which explains why it looks the same as it did when he left. Highlights of the collection include a marble tomb to his dog, Fanny and an Egyptian sarcophagus.

21
The mighty Dragon bar (5 Leonard Street, EC2 ) has managed to make a name for itself as being one of the trendiest bars in London. The bare brick interior is dimly lit with Chinese lanterns and windows draped with voluptuous red velvet. Meanwhile down stairs the dark space is filled with 'comfort zone' swallow you up sofas. This is a super cool place to listen to heavy dub and get well and truly slayed!

22
Camberwell Arts Week has to be one of the most under-rated but best loved arts events on the London calendar. The event has been growing steadily for the last few years, and has become so successful that the events can't fit into a week, and so now the Arts Week is in fact a fortnight. Highlights include jazz and cabaret in local parks and venues, artists' open studios, and the Art College Degree Show. For a full programme visit http://uk.geocities.com/camberwellartsgp/.

23
If it's retro excellence you're after then look no further than the Phoenix Cinema (52 High Road, East Finchley). Full of historical interest and operating as an independent cinema since 1910, even the projectionist has been working there for 42 years, man and boy. Yet the programme remains as contemporary as they come.

24
Every-one has seen bars in London dressing up as galleries, with art works for sale, but the Approach Gallery (Approach Road) is a venue in its own right; it just so happens to reside above a pub. A novelty in itself.

25
Tucked away at the back of the Victoria and Albert Museum, lies a most peculiar cafe. The Gamble room is grandly decorated with Victorian tiles, stained glass windows and vast, ornate alcoves. And yet you can buy your decently priced cappuccino and sit at a modern cafe table. Incongruous, and completely beguiling.

26
The Crypt at St Giles church in Camberwell has been something of an institution over the years. Soak up the wonderful live jazz, with a drink and dinner, in the atmospheric surroundings of the church crypt. Music starts from 9.30pm every Friday, and you can find listings at http://www.jazzlive.co.uk.

27
Boston Manor tube station is one of the finest examples of Charles Holden's tube architecture, with its smooth brickwork and glass tower which lights up the night sky as a shining beacon of the beauty of the London Underground.

28
Have you always wanted to have a nosy around other people's homes and gardens? Do you see yourself as a bit of a Lloyd Grossman, a la Through the Keyhole? Well, for one weekend only, you can have your chance to visit garden squares across London, including many private gardens. On 11 and 12 June, for a measly £5 you can visit any of the 117 garden squares across the capital. Our favourite is the Inner Temple Garden, which was occupied by the Knights Templar from 1160, but there are plenty of gardens with an equally fascinating history. Full details can be found at http://myweb.tiscali.co.uk/london.gardens/squares.

29
Not everybody has a fascination with painful medical procedures, but if you do, the Old Operating Theatre and Herb Garret (St Thomas Street, SE1) is worth investigating. The museum offers an insight into surgery and medical practices before anaesthetics were invented.

30
Peckham is not known for its bars. Until a year ago there weren't any, but Bar Story changed all that. It's a lovely venue constructed out of a conservatory underneath Peckham's railway arches, which makes an ideal summer lounge location. It has to be remembered for putting Peckham on the map.

31
There's something for every-one at The Bedford in Balham, which can be described as a pub / theatre / night club / dance school / comedy club. The only place in town where you can drink ale and learn to lindy hop.

32
A big thumbs up for the Truman Brewery on Brick Lane, which hosts impromptu launches, fashion shows, art exhibitions and various creative events. It looks set to become the hottest venue in London, suitable for hosting 5 to 5,000 people.

33
Goodwin’s Court, a small street behind New Row and Bedfordbury, Covent Garden, hosts a row of beautiful 18th century bowed glass shop fronts. Nicholas Pevsner says they're the best preserved of their kind in London and rumour has it that Nell Gwyn used to live there.

34
For those of you who can tell your subtexts from your cultural resonance, the Renoir Cinema is pure art-house chic. Part of the concrete architectural gem, the Brunswick Centre, you might struggle to find a non-subtitled film in the programme, but just think how cool you'll look standing outside.

35
Alphabet (61 Beak Street) is the old dame of new media land and has an easy going unpretentious kind of vibe. Art works bedeck the ground floor space, whilst the basement bar sports sleep inducing leather car seats and a floor mural of Soho which has become its trade mark over the last half decade.

36
Shortwave has to be one of London's best freebies. Once a month you can be treated to a whole Sunday afternoon / evening of entertainment in the heart of Brick Lane. The line-up usually includes experimental film and splendid bands, spliced between groovy DJing by the event's organiser Rob Wray. I don't know how he does it, and I don't care so long as it continues. It's on this Sunday (12 June), so read the who's playing at www.shortwavefilms.co.uk.

37
If you're looking for somewhere a bit quieter for a drink in the heart of the West End, why not try the Phoenix Theatre bar (1 Phoenix Street, off Charing Cross Road). Entry is for members only after 8pm at the weekend, but you can sneak in early and stay for the evening, in a quiet, cosy atmosphere.

38
The Crypt Gallery in St Pancras is a new art space and has loads of potential. Something to keep an eye on in the future... You heard it hear first.

39
The Social Bar (5 Little Portland Street) was opened in June '99. Having run the Heavenly label for nearly a decade (think St Etienne etc) and the seminal Heavenly social club nites for four years they took the decision to build a bar that reflected the mood at the time. The design of the building reflects that: the upstairs has a feel somewhere between a New York speak easy and a Swedish sauna while the downstairs appears to have taken it’s main influences from NCP car parks the length and breath of the UK. All in all it makes a cracking small but perfectly formed bar with a well programmed assortment of brilliant yet barmy nites.

40
So the ICA isn't as small or obscure as the rest of our secret selection, but it definitely qualifies for an unusual and eclectic line-up. The policy for selecting music as well as art shows is to profile experimental artists. There are also plenty of talks and events covering a range of avant garde and obscure topics.

41
A video shop wouldn't usually find it's way into a peculiar listings page, but Star Video on Walworth Road is an irresistible independent. They're so well stocked you need to flick through a catalogue to make your selection; just don't ask for 50 copies of The Pacifier, or you might be disappointed!

42
We're talking about the world's only automatic dog wash, situated in our very own Hampstead. The theory goes that you're out on the Heath with your mutt, and suddenly fancy a pint, but are worried about the muddy paws and gruff stares from other punters. And that's where the Spaniard Inn comes in, with the dog wash. So there we have it: your dog's happy, your landlord's sorted and you get a pint.

43
James Bond wannabes will find everything they need for a good day's spying at the shop Spymaster (3 Portman Square), which specialises in communication and surveillance products. Everything from covert cameras and phone bugging to a fully armoured car can be ordered from here.

44
Peckham Library has to be one of the most striking, and least visited of London's modern buildings. The design, by Alsop, looks like a spaceship and a giant tin shed were set up by some friends, and made an unlikely and beautiful future together. It wins extra points for the fact that any-one can go in and have a look round the building. There are often events in the square underneath the library, and it joins onto the well-equipped public leisure centre Peckham Pulse. All in all a public-spirited treat.

45
Call me an old hippy, but the 491 Gallery gets me all goose pimply. The residents of this unique set of buildings have transformed a derelict rubbish filled site into a lively community, who run regular exhibitions, film nights, gigs and random events. My first trip to this squat / art project in Grove Green Road, Leytonstone, was one of my favourite nights in London. It was a strange evening, full of oddly dressed performers, asking the terrified audience to do and say things, well, that we were all afraid of saying and doing. It was different and very, very cool.

46
The beautiful Railway Fields Nature Reserve is a hidden spot at the Haringey end of the bustling Green Lanes. The park is a quiet haven, with woodland, meadows and marshland, boasting over 200 types of wild flowers. It's completely incongruous in such a noisy area, and a retreat for any-one finding it all too much.

47
If you're looking for evidence of London's dark and disturbing history, you need go no further than the capital's array of small, over-crowded churchyards. There are plenty to chose from, particularly in the city, but you can also find some wonderfully atmospheric gravesides just outside the centre. An early morning stroll through the mist in Fortune's Green is a wonderfully eerie experience.

48
There probably aren't many people left who can't conjure up Bohemian bliss at the mention of the words 'Bonnington Square', but for the uninitiated, here goes... A stunning square set back a few minutes from Vauxhall, which houses an extensive collection of exotic plants and a well kept park garden, as well as a great cafe, run by the residents of Bonnington Square. Great for a romantic stroll followed by cheap and cheerful vegetarian food.

49
There is music on most nights at the Windmill, an intimate little venue in Brixton's back streets (Blenheim Gardens, off Brixton Hill). Tickets are usually cheap, and the beer is cheaper.

50
The Ragged School Museum was opened in 1990 in three canal-side warehouses in Copperfield Road, East London. The buildings were previously used by Dr Barnardo to house the largest ragged school in London. In a re-created classroom of the period, visitors can experience how Victorian children were taught. There are also displays on local history, industry and life in the East End and a varied programme of temporary exhibitions.

And finally...

LORD ANT B’S LONDON JUKE BOX TOP 50 HIT LIST

Any mention of swinging London automatically brings to mind dolly mini-skirted girls, lively Discotheques and Carnaby Street. But there’s a lot more to the cool capital than just those attractions – music for a start; the kind of music that keeps the ear drums pounding in the hotspots that adds weekly excitement to the nations pop chart. londonlostandfound.com is proud to present (in no particular order) a snappy picture of some of the city's greatest hits. “Now that’s what I call London 50!”.

1. Maybe it’s because I’m a Londoner – Tom O’Mathley
2. Friday Night in London - Bryan Adams
3. Hey Young London - Bananarama
4. Hold Tight London – The Chemical Brothers
5. Lost in London – Dream Vision
6. Last Train To London - ELO
7. Pump Up London – Mr Lee
8. London Belongs To Me – St Etienne
9. London Boys – T-Rex
10. London By Night - Frank Sinartra
11. London Derrière – Quincy Jones
12. London Drunk – Swingin’Utters
13. London Dungeon - Misfits
14. London - Girls School
15. London In The Rain– Blossom Dearie
16. London Lady - The Stranglers
17. London Loves – Blur
18. London – Mr T Experience
19. London - Tangerine Dream
20. London Town - Bucks Fizz
21. Christopher Robin At Buckingham Palace – Petula Clark
22. Don’t Go Back To Dalston – Razor Light
23. (I Don’t Want To Go To) Chelsea – Elvis Costello and The Attractions
24. Muswell Hillbillies – The Kinks
25. North London Nightmare – The Rocks
26. Rainy Night In Soho – The Pogues
27. Spray Can Attack – The Stockwell Steppas
28. The Only Living Boy In New Cross – Carter, the Unstoppable Sex Machine
29. The Wombles Of Wimbledon – The Wombles
30. Tower of London - ABC
31. Up The Junction - Squeeze
32. WestEnd Girls – Pet Shop boys
33. White Man In Hammersmith Palais - The Clash
34. Your Arsenal - Morrisey
35. Streets Of London – Ralph McTell
36. Abbey Road - The Beatles
37. Baker Street – Gerry Rafferty
38. Do The Strand – Roxy Music
39. Electric Avenue – Eddy Grant
40. Lambeth Walk – Mrs Mills With The Pearly Kings and Queens
41. Wotcher Knocked ‘Em In The Old Kent Road – The Muppets
42. Big Ben Blues – London Philharmonic Orchestra
43. Down The Tube Station At Midnight – The Jam
44. God Save The Queen - The Sex Pistols
45. Has It come To This? – The Streets
46. Pop Goes The Weasel – Unknown
47. Step Toe & Son – Ron Grainer
48. They Don’t know – So Solid Crew
49. Up The Bracket – The Libertines
50. Waiting For Your Taxi – Ian Dury and the Blockheads

Attention listeners 'n' pop pickers, lend me your ears. Do you have an all time favourite London tune or one that reminds you of a particular time living in the Big Smoke? If so we would like to hear from you. Email your top tunes to editor@londonlostandfound.com.

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