TfL Tube strike 2015: Unions resume battle after strike misery paralyses London traffic July 9, 2015 Londoners were forced to resurrect the Blitz spirit yesterday as the Tube strike all but paralysed travel in the capital. As commuters faced long walks to and from work, queues for Santander bikes, gridlocked streets, taxi rates almost tripled by Uber and fights for a place on crowded buses, unions praised drivers for the [...]
Chelsea’s house of Cold War secrets at 19 Upper Cheyne Row: Former spy’s home includes a bar that was funded by MI5 July 9, 2015 This semi-detached family house in a quiet corner of Chelsea seems inconspicuous enough, if a little dated on the inside. But it’s actually the scene of an impressive feat of British espionage that may have averted World War III. Nineteen Upper Cheyne Row has starred in numerous Cold War TV dramas over the years, [...]
Focus on St James’s: The home of the English gentleman July 9, 2015 In many ways, St James’s resembles the City. Sure, there aren’t any skyscrapers and it’s not half as old, but it’s SW1’s commercial hub and barely anyone lives there. As proud purveyors of men’s garments since the Victorian age, it boasts such prestigious names along Jermyn Street as Turnbull & Asser, Alfred Dunhill, while St [...]
Calling first-time buyers to Telegraph Works, Greenwich: The historic transatlantic cable factory being turned into new homes July 9, 2015 A CGI of the building. Apartments from £300,000 A little-known factory that sits near the Greenwich Docks once played an instrumental role in US-UK relations. Now developers are hoping it’ll establish a new relationship between this neglected former industrial site and first-time buyers in London. Around £120m has been invested to build 272 [...]
Contemporary luxury comes to the North Bank: The Westminster penthouses that are challenging traditional power architecture July 9, 2015 Westminster has drawn the pious and powerful for a millennia, but the only homes to service them seem to be stuffy period numbers with no central heating and little natural light. Sure, there’s plenty of Old England charm in a Georgian terrace, but it’s hardly the height of modern luxury anymore. Interiors from the [...]
TfL Tube strike 2015: Uber is profiteering from London’s Tube strike misery with surge pricing July 9, 2015 A London tube strike is pretty much guaranteed to spoil your day. But when Uber follows it up by announcing it is tripling its cab prices for the day, a difficult day can become a truly miserable one. We were genuinely shocked by the cynicism shown by our new US rival for its customers. Uber’s [...]
TfL Tube strike 2015: London mayor Boris Johnson admits Night Tube might miss launch date July 9, 2015 Boris Johnson has admitted the Night Tube may not start on time, on the day of the biggest London Underground strike in more than a decade. Speaking at City Hall this morning the London mayor refused to commit to the 12 September launch. “I'm not hung up on the date”, he said, adding: “We'll [...]
TfL Tube strike 2015: Uber surge pricing triples fares as travellers face transport chaos July 9, 2015 The price of getting an Uber has rocketed as London's Tube network was brought to a standstill by strike action. The ride-booking app introduces surge pricing during times of high demand, and the basic fare increased as much as 2.9 times the cost on an average day after the strike began during yesterday evening's rush [...]
TfL Tube strike 2015: This map shows the worst roads in London for congestion and traffic jams July 9, 2015 All 1,450-odd congestion hotspots (Source: TomTom) If you're planning on driving anywhere in the capital today, look away now: data by satnav manufacturer TomTom shows that just before 9am, there were 1,445 separate "congestion hotspots" – aka "traffic jams" – in London. According to the data, the tube strike caused 761 miles of tailbacks in [...]
TfL Tube strike 2015: Citymapper, walking maps and TfL advice – here’s our commuters’ survival kit July 9, 2015 Hit by the Tube strike this morning? Don't panic, says Transport for London (TfL) – although you might have to be flexible about your journey times. That was part of advice issued last night by London's transport authority – suggestions also include looking for alternative routes on the DLR, London Overground and national rail services. [...]