High streets

During the summer as meetings reduced we decided to use the quieter weeks to get out and about. Calling it meeting-free Fridays we managed to keep to it over five weeks during the summer, moving existing meetings to phone calls or keeping the day clear....

Street Food: Hawkers and the History of London (Oxford University Press) by Charlie Taverner. Street Food traces the history of London’s street traders starting from the sixteenth century and bringing things bang up to date with the impact of the Covid-19 lockdowns. It takes us through...

We recently visited Woolwich for the first time, an area with a long history and importance to London. A walk with The London Society explored the municipal architecture of the town centre, it took in all styles of architecture and streetscapes from Victorian and Georgian to art deco...

We´ve been working on High Street Task Force projects recently across England where the evening economy has come up in discussions.This includes a town centre we were supporting with a new vision and visual identity, where the discussion turned to the evening economy and the...

The Fabric District CIC is working to develop the area a few minutes walk away from Lime Street station in Liverpool. It is home to historic buildings, indie businesses with a growing hospitality and creative sector and an international food offer.Its neighbours include University of Liverpool, The...

We were fortunate to spend a few days in Athens this month, a city we'd been meaning to visit for a while and we weren't disappointed.Aside from the big sights (as good as we imagined), we really enjoyed exploring the many different neighbourhoods that make...

Shakespeare North Playhouse opening marks another milestone in Prescot's revivalPrescot is a small town in the borough of Knowsley located approximately 10 miles outside Liverpool. With a history focused on watch making and more recently as the former site of BICC Cables it has had...

Winner of ‘Best large indoor market’ at the Great British Market Awards in 2022.Having visited the temporary market in Warrington a few years ago for a NABMA meeting, I was keen to see the new, permanent market.The market is in the new build Time Square...

The image shows an unchanged view of Liverpool over the years yet the city and this area has changed enormously. The view is not about looking back but in considering how the old and new work together. Particularly post-Covid it’s not all about reinvention and...

UK Cities of Culture tripsThe UK City of Culture title is relatively new, with only two events having taken place so far. The first was Derry/Londonderry in 2013, a city I’ve visited, but not during their year of culture. In 2017, Hull had the accolade,...