Although off the beaten track from the large national galleries, 198 is no less an important part of London’s artistic heritage. Developed during the social unrest in the Brixton area in the 1980s, 198 has grown from a community arts space into an exciting contemporary visual arts body that is often the first place to see the next rising star of the London art scene.
Aside from the fact of the underground being the oldest running railway system in the world, I find the underground just an incredibly strange place. Sometimes it’s like I’ve entered an organised maze and just walk without even thinking. The photo is taken of the floor from one of the trains, it’s normally what you tend you look at when you’re on the train.
There is a rather beautiful faded glory to these mythical creatures, which flank the steps guarding the ruins of the Italian Terraces in front of the former Crystal Palace, which dramatically burnt down in 1936.
The many book stores dotted along this strip can provide hours of inspiration. Aside from those selling new books, several specialise in second-hand and antiquarian books.