LONDON on the Ground

A career aeronaut, one half of the 19th century’s ballooning power couple and a high profile media-savvy celebrity, she died in obscurity and was buried in an unmarked grave. On 28 June 1826, Margaret Graham became the first British woman to fly solo in a balloon, or in any flying craft. Her short flight across Islington from White Conduit Gardens covered only around one and a half miles, but assured her an enduring place in UK aviation history. This weekend is the 200th ann

Inspired by Arsenal’s historic achievements in 2026, this blog post looks at the origins of the streets on its trophy parade route. Arsenal Football Club will be parading in four open top buses around Islington on 31 May 2026 to celebrate the men’s team’s clinching of its first Premier League title since 2004 and the women’s team’s victory in the FIFA Women’s Champions Cup. The men’s team may also be celebrating a UEFA Champions League win if they beat Paris St Germain on 30

The Old Queen's Head, Victorian on the outside and Tudor inside. The popular North London watering hole on Essex Road appears to be like...

The challenger to Smithfield closed in 1837 after less than a year. A couple of years ago, at one of the excellent exhibitions at the...

Compare the view today with how it appeared in 1789. St Mary's Church on Upper Street in Islington is offering a rare opportunity to tour...

An old greetings card shows 'The Village of Islington or Iseldon In the Reign of Queen Elizabeth I'. I recently came across an old...

A quiet Islington side street tells of urbanisation, social history, post war reconstruction - and two walls. Britannia Row is a quiet...