Luke Abrahams

A regular guide to London’s sweetest spots What is this fancy-looking joint, then?Built by Lord Apsley back in 1778, this Grade I-listed mansion eventually fell into the hands of England’s most celebrated military hero, and former prime minister, the 1st Duke of Wellington, Arthur Wellesley. Snazzy carpets, opulent mosaic ceilings, glittering porcelain and a stonker of a semi-circular staircase await you. Pimped beyond belief, Apsley House makes Buckingham Palace look dowdy in comparison. Apologies, your Maj. Okay, so it's pretty, what else?Bang on Hyde Park Corner, this grand old Georgian house really is the definition of palatial OTT bling. Standing on the site of a posh old royal lodge, ‘Number One, London’ (as it’s also known), boasts one of the finest interiors in Great Britain: the Waterloo Gallery. Built to honour the Duke’s greatest battle, against Napoleon at Waterloo, the gallery has seven huge mirrored shutters, which were ironically inspired by the Hall of Mirrors at the Palace of Versailles – a fave of Napoleon’s. The room has red and gold damask wallpaper, gothic chandeliers, dozens of paintings and a very long oak dinner table, where King George IV was once seated when he paid a visit for supper. Anything else to see?More than 3,000 pieces of silver, tea services, shields, oh, and several priceless masterpieces by Velázquez and Rubens. Top it all off with Antonio Canova’s colossal marble statue ‘Napoleon as Mars the Peacemaker’. Apparently Napoleon was so embar

Life in London can be hard work. So for some much-needed LOLs, here are 19 tweets about everything from hellish tube strikes to gentrified Greggs. We've all felt the struggle of a fancy coffee shop...   Taken my family to wanky London coffee shop and they are NOT on board with the seating arrangement pic.twitter.com/YqlZCelPx6 — Sophie Gadd (@sophie_gadd) December 20, 2015    Let's not forget the horrors of the recent tube strike.   Remember to prepare for a long bus journey tomorrow morning. Here's what I'm taking:#TubeStrike pic.twitter.com/11cKwz9Cji — Alex Harrison (@AlecSaracen) January 8, 2017   Scenes at Waterloo: #TubeStrike pic.twitter.com/GjXIzFmC7q — Mike Freeman (@MrMike1990) January 9, 2017   *12 buses, 6 Ubers, crawls the final 2 streets*Colleague: how was your journey in?Me: yeah, not bad thanks.@SoVeryBritish #TubeStrike — Jamie McCormack (@timeforjamie) January 9, 2017   Happy Monday morning #London. Due to the #TubeStrike TFL has released an updated map of the underground network... pic.twitter.com/f1xItAcwKN — Gerry Stergiopoulos (@GerryGreek) January 9, 2017   And the recent savage 'snowfall'.   You havent experienced panic until London get's snow! — Tristan Evans (@TheVampsTristan) January 12, 2017   Snow in London 🙈 pic.twitter.com/DS6Svy0G8c — Hanane (@HananeLDN) January 12, 2017   That inch of snow in London looks treacherous #prayfortheUK — Chris Wragg (@chriswragg) January 12, 2017    The snow in London be like pic.

Whether you're doing a spot of shopping, shacking up in a trendy London hotel or simply roaming around a museum you've never explored before, you'll find that wherever you go in London, there are some pretty groovy, sexy and spectacular staircases hiding behind those dreamy Georgian and Victorian facades. From eighteenth-century neo-gothic swag in King's Cross to the ultimate in symmetry porn at The Ritz, grab a camera, set your best filter and snap your way through these dazzling architectural beauties. 1. The Nelson Stair, Somerset House   A photo posted by Samuel J Tyler (@samueljtyler) on Oct 5, 2015 at 4:09am PDT 2. The Ritz, London   A photo posted by Masha Pravda (@masha_pravda) on Sep 7, 2016 at 2:08am PDT 3. Henrietta Place Car Park, Welbeck Street   A photo posted by Tim Johnson (@mangofantasy) on May 17, 2015 at 7:11am PDT 4. Saw Swee Hock Student Centre, London School of Economics   A photo posted by A R C H I L E N S E (@archilense) on Jun 18, 2016 at 2:10pm PDT 5. Heal's & Son Department Store   A photo posted by Luke Abrahams (@labrahams19891) on Sep 6, 2016 at 11:34am PDT  6. The Dean's Staircase, St. Paul's Cathedral     A photo posted by Luke Abrahams (@labrahams19891) on Sep 10, 2016 at 3:59pm PDT  7. The Grand Staircase, St. Pancras Renaissance Hotel   A photo posted by Wilhelm Chang Photography (@wilhelmchangphotography) on Aug 27, 2016 at 2:48pm PDT  8. Allies and Morrison Studio, Southwark Street   A photo

Matilde Espírito Santo, aka mylondonfairytales, is a south-west London girl who's been ’grammin London for the best part of four years. Originally from Portugal, she moved here to do an MA and got into the Instagram game to combine two of her fave things: photos and the capital. Instagram royalty with oodles of followers, her stonkingly beautiful feed is chockablock with fabulous shots of pretty shop facades, flower shops, museums, regal-looking houses, doors, mews, vintage cars and of course, brunch. She shares her five top places to snap around the city.    A post shared by Matilde Espírito Santo (@mylondonfairytales) on Apr 22, 2017 at 1:18am PDT St Luke’s Mews ‘These Notting Hill mews are one of my favourite places to Instagram in London. Every time I go there, I can’t help myself and I have to take pictures of every single facade. Also, the cutest puppy lives in the pink house: look out for him!’ A post shared by Matilde Espírito Santo (@mylondonfairytales) on Oct 13, 2016 at 11:13am PDT Hillgate Place, Notting Hill ‘It’s amazing how beautiful, colourful, and peaceful Hillgate Place is, especially considering it’s just round the corner from noisy Notting Hill Gate underground station! The palettes are on point, and if you’re lucky, you can find some really nice vintage cars parked outside the pretty houses (if the Instagram gods are willin

If you watch ‘The Crown’, you’ll know that once a year Her Maj gets all glammed up to tell the lousy Parliamentarians what they’ve got to do for the next year. But why? To set the agenda for the government of the day, silly – she is head of the whole show. Here’s everything you need to know about the State Opening of Parliament.  What’s all the pomp and circumstance about?  In a nutshell, the centuries-old State Opening of Parliament marks the formal start of the Parliamentary year, and it’s the Queen’s job to lay out her government’s proposed policies and legislation in what’s popularly dubbed the ‘Queen’s Speech’.   The Yeomen of the Guard looking for gunpowder | © House of Lords 2016 / Roger Harris   What happens? It all begins when the Queen leaves Buckingham Palace, jumps in her fancy coach and is escorted by the Household Cavalry along The Mall, past Horseguards, down Whitehall and towards the Palace of Westminster. However, this year, things will be a little different: Her Maj will be driven to Westminster by car (blame the snap general election) and the crown will not be sent to Parliament in its own snazzy horse and carriage. On arrival at the Sovereign’s Entrance to Parliament, Her Maj is greeted by several hundred guards and Parliamentary representatives who escort her inside the palace. As trumpets bellow, she proceeds to the Robing Room. Here, the Queen would normally put on the Imperial State Crown, but because she’s getting older, her poor neck can no longe

Deep in the heart of London there’s a scandalously overlooked gem that goes by the name of Banqueting House. It’s fancy and opulent in every way imaginable, and here’s why you should visit it this weekend if the heat gets a bit too much.  What’s this lesser-known palace all about then? Shimmy on down Whitehall and you’ll stumble upon Banqueting House, a 400-year-old marvel originally built for pomp royal masques and debauched ceremonies. A thing of imposing scale and elegant architecture, it’s the only remaining part of Henry VIII’s Whitehall Palace and has played an important role in British international politics since it was built back in 1622. The place is now mainly used to greet ambassadors and heads of state – from Nelson Mandela to Barack Obama – from all over the world. Oh, and it’s the last room in London Charles I saw before he lost his head on a scaffold in front of the house in 1649. Grim.  Tell us more! Believe it or not, Banqueting House was the first building in England to be completed in the neoclassical style. Begun in 1619, the grand house was designed by east Londoner Inigo Jones, a famous fellow credited with starting the classical architecture boom we all see in London and throughout the country today. It’s actually the third Banqueting House to have stood on this site (the first two were destroyed by fires) and legend has it that during the Great Fire of London Sir Christopher Wren blew up the adjacent building to stop the fire destroying Jones’s master

It’s been featured in countless books, films and TV shows, but while Big Ben might be one of the world’s most famous landmarks, how much do you really know about the old bonger? With this month marking 158 years since the iconic chimes of the great clock boomed out into the London air for the first time, here are 16 remarkable facts about everyone’s favourite clock.  1. Ben was originally supposed to be called Royal Victoria, after Queen Victoria.    © UK Parliament   2. The tower ain’t called Big Ben. The proper way to refer to it is as the Elizabeth Tower. Formerly known as the Great Clock Tower, the British landmark was renamed in honour of Queen Elizabeth II’s Diamond Jubilee.  A post shared by Sara Helen Santini (@santinisarah) on Dec 31, 2016 at 9:18am PST 3. The Elizabeth Tower sways. Yes, like its unofficial cousin in Pisa, it leans – by about 0.22 metres towards the northwest – which results in an inclination of about 1/250. If you look at it continuously for about 20 minutes, you’ll probably notice it. © Lee Dyer / Via Flickr 4. Ever spotted those pretty Latin words under the clock faces but had no clue what they mean? From left to right they read: ‘Domine salvam fac reginam nostram Victoriam Primam’, which means ‘O Lord, keep safe our Queen Victoria the First.’  A post shared by Efe | London | 🇬🇧 🇳🇬 (@justefe) on Apr 27, 2017 at 12:00pm PDT   5. Ben has his own unoffici

Just over a hundred years ago, Victorian plumber Thomas Crapper (real name) invented the modern-day toilet. Known for the great quality of his products – the royals adored him – he and his company Crapper & Co not only gave Londoners fabulous pissers, they also gave this glorious city many firsts, including the world’s first bath, toilet and sink showroom on the King’s Road. Fancy. So what better way is there to salute Crapper and his loo-loving posse than by visiting one of London’s finest WCs? From a pee with a view to swanky spaceship shitters in Mayfair, here’s where to plant your fabulous tush in style.  A post shared by A N N A 🌵 (@annavmitchell) on Apr 23, 2017 at 10:38am PDT Crazy Bear, Fitzrovia  Two words: mega bling. The toilets in this very fine and posh hotel are kitted out with mirrored walls that not only dazzle but also allow plenty of ops for selfies.  A post shared by Morena 🌏🍴 (@mformorena) on Mar 22, 2017 at 1:46pm PDT Sketch, Mayfair  These spaceship pods are all over Instagram. Why, you ask? Well, just look at them! Hashtags for days. If you’ve never been to this posh Mayfair establishment, you’re in for a real treat. Incredible vintage and art deco-style rooms await you (and your phone), along with the futuristic toilets where birdsong calms you while you relieve yourself. Lovely.  A post shared by Lauren Mulvey (@lillymun) on Jul 4, 2016

The peeps at Westminster Abbey recently stumbled upon the Royal Peculiar's forgotten attic. Located 70 feet above the church floor, the gallery contains what Sir John Betjeman dubbed 'the finest view in Europe' – basically a perfect view of the Nave and the shrine of St Edward the Confessor. What's in there? you ask. Lots of pretty stained glass, altarpieces, royal armour and, rather randomly, the oldest existing stuffed parrot on the planet. The good news is, this 700-year-old attic, which has been given the very fancy name of the Queen's Diamond Jubilee Galleries, will be opening in 2018. So we can all have a look at that ancient parrot for ourselves. Until then, check out these awesome things you may not have known about Westminster Abbey: the place is much cooler than you think.    1. More than 3,500 bodies are buried within the Abbey’s walls – including Henry V and Elizabeth I, Edward the Confessor, Charles Dickens and Sir Issac Newton.  Tomb of Queen Elizabeth I © Westminster Abbey   2. The Abbey's network of groovy cloisters houses the oldest door in the realm. Made of solid oak from Hainault (yes, really), the Abbey Oak door (once thought to be covered in human skin) is said to date all the way back to 1050. Not only is the thing old, it’s the only surviving Anglo-Saxon door in England.  The oldest door in the land © Westminster Abbey   3. Since being built, the Abbey has hosted 17 royal weddings, the most recent being Will and Kate’s.      A post shared by Ror

In a city filled with thousands of dreamy passageways and the secret underground escape routes of a monarch or two, London's got it pretty good when it comes to the #tunnelporn front. From ancient sewers to the tube, here are 17 photos that prove London has the most photogenic tunnels in the world. 1. Waterloo tube station   A photo posted by @MissUnderground (@missunderground) on Feb 24, 2016 at 2:47pm PST  2. Aldwych tube station   A photo posted by BeansOnToast: Photos My Own. (@carlos_today) on Aug 8, 2016 at 12:13pm PDT   3. Bromley-by-Bow tube station   A photo posted by Patrick Li (@patrickli__) on Jun 7, 2016 at 4:22am PDT 4. Clink Street tunnel   A photo posted by laahang (@laahanglimbu) on Aug 7, 2016 at 2:06pm PDT   5. The graffiti tunnel (Waterloo)   A photo posted by Sarah Cassidy Goulden (@seeyalatersarah) on Oct 20, 2016 at 9:18pm PDT 6. The Islington tunnel   A photo posted by Kamya Somasundaram (@kamyasoma) on May 7, 2016 at 7:07am PDT 7. Crossrail   A photo posted by Bloomberg (@bloombergbusiness) on Nov 21, 2016 at 3:57am PST 8. The Doodle Man tunnel, Shoreditch    A photo posted by Christine Ramsden (@a.girl.around.the.world) on Apr 6, 2016 at 3:52pm PDT  9. Blackfriars Bridge   A photo posted by Ash Patel (@i.am.a5h) on May 2, 2016 at 3:22am PDT  10. South Kensington subway   A photo posted by Alex (@catlady.for.life) on Sep 17, 2016 at 2:45pm PDT 11. Poplar DLR station   A photo pos

Gunpowder plots, raging fires, two world wars and Brexit – it's safe to say that the Palace of Westminster has been through some pretty tough shit. Sadly, all this drama has finally taken its toll. After 200 years of neglect and lack of investment, the building needs an estimated £4 billion of restoration work to keep it standing. In fact, things have gotten so bad, that our mate Big Ben is about to be covered up for the next three years (sad times).  But while a programme for its renewal gets underway, there's still plenty worth celebrating about this iconic gothic beauty that has over a thousand years of royal, political and architectural history under its belt. Here are 18 awesome things you probably didn't know about the Palace of Westminster.  1. The original Palace of Westminster was commissioned by Edward the Confessor in 1045 to be a royal residence. But today's palace was built specifically for Parliament and modern democracy, and completed in 1870 by architects Charles Barry and his gothic-obsessed assistant, Augustus Welby Northmore Pugin.  © UK Parliament 2. Inside the palace, you'll find a hair salon, pub, rooftop hideaway, gym and this cutesy post office. © UK Parliament/Mark Duffy 3. Built in 1099, Westminster Hall survived a huge fire that destroyed two-thirds of the original Palace of Westminster on October 16, 1834. It's the oldest part of palace and is home to the largest medieval wooden roof in northern Europe. © UK Parliament/Mark Duffy   4. The Gra

East London-born photographer Emmanuel Cole began snapping the city after his uncle helped him buy his first DSLR back in 2011. 146,000 followers later, Emmanuel has become one of the city's top 'grammers and is known for his intimate and gritty documentary-style portraits of inner-city London life. From the streets of Brixton to Notting Hill, the train tracks of Bermondsey to the alleyways of Soho, this is one urban photographer every Londoner needs to take notice of. Here are his five favourite images.  December 13 2015 at 8.53pm    A photo posted by Emmanuel Cole (@ecolephoto) on Dec 13, 2015 at 12:53pm PST 'I took this shot sometime in 2014. I was on a photoshoot with a friend and as we were crossing the road by Leicester Square I noticed this couple sharing a cigarette as they are in the photo.  I asked the lady if she could help me recreate the moment while I was crossing the road. As you could imagine, this had to happen pretty fast as I was in the middle of the road. Lucky for me it all worked out well.' October 22 2015 at 12.15am   A photo posted by Emmanuel Cole (@ecolephoto) on Oct 21, 2015 at 4:15pm PDT 'I remember noticing this gentleman on the platform at Tottenham Court Road underground. His style really stood out to me. We ended up sitting opposite each other on the tube. A couple stops in, I looked up and saw exactly the picture I wanted to take. It was quite a nervy and intimate moment, but nevertheless it’s still a favorite of mine.' Fritz fro