‘Gangs of London’
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We're venturing into the dark heart of the capital you don't see. Ready?
The long-awaited Sky original is here
There’s a city riddled with corruption, controlled by a complex network of international gangs. A city where power, money and ambition rule, and where blood is spilled in their pursuit. This is London, and for 20 years, its king was Finn Wallace. Until now. It’s 2020, and the most powerful criminal in London has been assassinated – and nobody knows who ordered the hit. His son, Sean Wallace, expects to take up his crown, but quickly realises that he will have to contend with rival gang leaders who are prepared to do anything to gain supremacy. From the creators of ‘The Raid’ comes ‘Gangs of London’: an adrenaline-fuelled nine-part series inspired by true events and real people. All episodes of this Sky original are available to stream now – but we’ve teamed up with Sky to help make your Time In even more entertaining by bringing you an exclusive look at the show’s characters, episodes and behind-the-scenes stories.
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How it unfolds
How much do you know about corruption in the capital?
High-level crime in London goes deeper than you might imagine. Test your knowledge by finding out whether these wild stories and mind-blowing statistics are true or false…
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Hidden haunts of London
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Go deeper into 'Gangs of London'
Itching to get stuck into a new series? Raw, visceral and adrenaline-fuelled, ‘Gangs of London’ is the perfect addictive drama to get you through lockdown.
Interview with Sope Dirisu and Joe Cole
The Wallaces
The Dumanis
The ally
The rivals
9 things you didn't know about Gangs of London
Episode 1
Finn Wallace – king of London’s underworld – is assassinated. Unbeknownst to the majority of law-abiding Londoners, his death is about to set off a violent chain of events. Gang leaders involved in the Wallace organisation meet under the guise of paying their respects to their fallen leader, when really, some are already plotting their ascension.
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Finn and Marian’s youngest daughter is the most distant to the family’s criminal operations. She loves her father but wants nothing to do with his business, choosing instead to work as an A&E doctor to give something back. However, following Finn’s death, her mother tries harder than ever to pull her back into the fold.
Valene Kane (‘The Fall’, ‘Rogue One: A Star Wars Story’)
Jacqueline Robinson (Wallace)
Sean’s older brother is the liability of the Wallace organisation and a constant source of concern to his mother and Sean, with whom he still shares a strong bond. He always fought for his father’s affections, but fell short – which led him to fall into drug addiction.
Brian Vernel (‘Star Wars: Episode VII - The Force Awakens’; ‘Dunkirk’)
Billy Wallace
Sean’s two objectives are clear: find who ordered the hit on his father, and cement his place at the top of the Wallace empire. As he soon discovers, achieving either is anything but straightforward. Tortured by worry that his father’s killer is within his organisation, Sean lets his violent and impulsive side take over, to the point where the Wallace organisation risks losing everything.
Joe Cole (‘Peaky Blinders’, ‘Skins’)
Sean Wallace
As Finn’s wife, Marian is the rock of the Wallace family and fiercely protective of her two sons. However, she is equally ambitious, and unflinching when it comes to doing what needs to be done to maintain power.
Michelle Fairley (‘Game of Thrones’, ‘Fortitude’)
Marian Wallace
A towering figure in London’s criminal underworld for two decades, Finn Wallace was the head of an organisation which united the capital’s most prominent gangs. He came to London as a young Irish immigrant and built an empire from nothing. Following his assassination, it’s up to his surviving family to protect it.
Colm Meaney (‘Star Trek: Deep Space Nine’, ‘Layer Cake’)
Finn Wallace
Episode 2
Episode 3
Episode 4
Episode 5
Episode 6
Episode 7
Episode 8
Episode 9
Ed Dumani, Finn’s former right hand man, puts Elliot’s loyalty to the test in a brutal way. The Wallace organisation continues to fray as the growing power struggle becomes bloodier and more insidious by the day.
Lives are lost as revenge is finally taken. New alliances emerge, and Sean discovers that a traitor has been in the midst all along.
The Wallaces are forced into hiding to save themselves as tensions between rival gangs reach breaking point.
The Wallaces and the Dumanis discover the truth about Finn’s murder, altering their bond forever. A double agent finally makes his move. A rival gang boss faces the consequences of his actions.
Finn’s son, Sean Wallace, is consumed by paranoia and rage – and rivals of the Wallace empire are starting to notice. Contenders for the crown start to emerge as Sean doggedly pursues revenge. Lowlife henchman Elliot begins to rise in the Wallace family ranks, but his allegiances may not be where they seem.
Sean’s thirst for revenge has led him to the very edge, and he wrestles with the man he has become. His mother, Marian, puts pressure on him to uncover Finn’s killer.
The action pivots to Kinney, the head of a group of travellers, and his son Darren, whose involvement in the murder of Finn Wallace has unleashed chaos and bloodshed onto his community.
Tensions between rival international gang members begin to rise as leaders start to take matters into their own hands. Elliot begins a dangerous romantic encounter, and Marian Wallace uncovers secrets from her husband’s past.
Alexander’s sister works for the Wallace organisation too, concealing the wealth of millionaires through property, interiors and fine art. She’s a single mother to Danny, but doesn’t let her responsibilities to him get in the way of her enjoying some of the perks of the business.
Pippa Bennett-Warner (‘Harlots’)
Shannon Dumani
Ed Dumani’s son is Sean’s closest ally in the Wallace empire. Closer to a brother than a business partner, Alexander became part of the family when the Wallace clan took him in when his mother was dying. Intelligent and charismatic Alexander is the perfect counterweight to fiery Sean, with his own views on how to run the Wallace organisation.
Paapa Essiedu (‘The Miniaturist’, ‘Kiri’)
Alexander Dumani
Ed Dumani and Finn Wallace met as young immigrants, hungry for a chance to make something of themselves in London. Together, they seized control of London’s underworld, and Ed has been Finn’s right hand man ever since. As a skilled tactician and businessman, Ed must work to keep Sean’s behaviour in check to keep the organisation together.
Lucian Msamati (‘Black Earth Rising’, ‘Game of Thrones’)
Ed Dumani
Low-level henchman turned key player, Elliot Finch’s star begins to rise in the Wallace family when he makes a clever discovery in the quest for tracking down Finn Wallace’s assassin. He gains Sean’s trust and begins working directly for him. However, what Sean doesn’t realise is that his allegiances are split in several directions.
Sope Dirisu (‘The Huntsman: Winter’s War’, ‘Black Mirror’)
Elliot Finch
The head of a family of travellers, Kinney may not have the wealth and influence of other gang leaders, but he remains one of the most feared figures in the city. When his son gets wrapped up in Finn’s death, he is forced to take on Sean Wallace’s rage.
Mark Lewis Jones (‘The Crown’; ‘Keeping Faith’)
Kinney
Lale is on a ruthless mission for revenge against Asif, who she believes is responsible for killing her husband. She runs a heroin smuggling business that funds her fight for Kurdish independence, which she operates from a secret bunker beneath her sister’s shop.
Narges Rashidi (‘Under the Shadow’; ‘The Girlfriend Experience’)
Lale
This Pakistani heroin mogul controls the majority of the supply entering the UK – providing the Wallace family with a large chunk of their income. But that’s not his only stake in London; his son, Nasir, is running for mayor.
Asif Raza Mir (‘Bashar Momin’)
Asif Arfidi
Luan is a highly ambitious Albanian gang man (and father) who sees Finn’s death as an opportunity to weaken the Wallace empire and take the crown. He’s recently entered a risky partnership that swiftly begins to spiral out of control.
Orli Shuka (‘War Machine’)
Luan Dushaj
Nine things you didn't know about 'Gangs of London'
Since pivoting to Time In, we’ve been committed to bringing you the absolute best of the city that you can experience from home. That’s why we’ve teamed up with Sky to bring you this insider’s guide to ‘Gangs of London’: a Sky original which is now available to stream.
1 It’s ten years in the making
If you love ‘Peaky Blinders’, then you’ll love ‘Gangs of London’; and, you’ll recognise some of its lead characters. The impulsive, violent Sean Wallace is played by London actor Joe Cole, who played John Michael Shelby in ‘Blinders’ – and Sean’s associate Jack is played by Emmett J Scanlan, who you might recall as Billy Grade. There are plenty more major actors in ‘Gangs of London’, including Michelle Fairley (Catelyn Stark in ‘Games of Thrones’ and Lucian Msamati (‘Black Earth Rising’).
3 Many of the actors aren’t strangers to organised crime…
So it’s action you’re after? You’re in very good hands. The series’ co-creator, writer and director, Gareth Evans, is known for his 2011 Indonesian action film ‘The Raid’: a cult favourite which cemented his name as a talent for stylistic, complex choreographed fight scenes. Joining the Welsh director is English horror doyen Corin Hardy (‘The Nun’) and French director Xavier Gens (‘The Divide’). Expect heart-stopping action sequences which incorporate pro martial arts moves.
2 Its creative team has seriously impressive credentials
‘Gangs of London’ is the story of revenge, ambition and a fight for supremacy. It begins as Finn Wallace, king of London’s underworld and figurehead of a complex network of international gangs, is assassinated. It’s up to his son, Sean Wallace, to assume his father’s place – but to do that, he’ll need to compete with powerful and dangerous rivals. It’s a concept that has been in the works for over a decade. What started as co-creator Gareth Evans' idea of what would happen if a major gang boss were assassinated has developed into a big-budget series that is far-reaching in its scope. It’s set in a fictionalised version of London, but is based on extensive research into the reality of gangland London, with input from ex gang members, criminologists and detectives, for a start.
Been to the theatre lately? If you’re partial to a bit of the Bard, then you might recognise some faces in ‘Gangs of London’. Co-starring alongside Joe Cole is Sope Dirisu as lowlife henchman-turned-key-player Elliot Finch. He received rave reviews as Coriolanus in the Royal Shakespeare Company’s 2017 production of the Shakespeare tragedy – you also might have seen him in the the ‘Nosedive’ episode of ‘Black Mirror’ or in ‘The Huntsman: Winter’s War’. Another key character in ‘Gangs’ is Paapa Essiedu, who turned heads as Hamlet for the RSC in 2016.
4 You’ll meet some talented up-and-coming stage actors
Of course all the drama that unfolds in ‘Gangs’ is fictional – but its creators based every major plot point on extensive research into the operations of international gangs to make it as true-to-life as possible. Former gang members including Karl Lokko and Duro Oye were consulted, as were criminologists and detectives. It’s not a random decision for the Wallace organisation to run a legitimate property empire; criminologists understand that most people involved in illegitimate businesses use fronts – and often, property is a safe bet. A major narrative in the show is the smuggling of heroin from central Asia to Europe along the Balkan Route; and in real life, and the show, certain regions of Turkey are the ‘handover’ points into the West.
5 Many of its narratives are based on real crimes
Speaking of the heroin trade, a major rival to the Wallace empire in ‘Gangs of London’ is Asif Afridi, who controls the heroin route into London from Pakistan and also has his (very corrupt) hand in politics. He’s based on real-life drug baron Haji Ayub Afridi, who ran the heroin route through Pakistan’s Khyber Pass, and was elected as a Pakistani politician in the ‘90s.
6 Some of its characters are based on real criminals
Like we said before, ‘Gangs of London’ portrays a fictionalised version of London… but that doesn’t mean you won’t be able to notice where bits have been filmed. The programme was shot in locations spanning every corner of the capital, from Aldgate to Canary Wharf, Chinatown to Hampstead and through Hackney. It’s an incredible cross-section of an incredible city; something that ‘Gangs’ star Sope Dirisu talked about in our interview with him and co-star Joe Cole.
7 You might recognise bits of London – wherever in the capital you’re from
In fact, arguably, it’s one of the most corrupt cities in the world. In 2017, it was found that an astonishing £90 billion is laundered through London every year. In particular, the capital is a hugely profitable drug market; from its source, the price increases by 2000 per cent, and it costs twice of what it does in France. The population is huge, the demand is limitless.
8 You’ll be amazed by just how corrupt London really is...
Here’s the clincher: gang lords are the hardest criminals to catch. These people often operate at a level above national boundaries, moving between jurisdictions – or, they run profitable legitimate businesses with many arms and countless individuals. The National Crime Agency was set up in 2013 to counter organised crime, and despite their huge resources (around £500 million a year), they still struggle. According to academics John Arquilla and David Ronfeldt new criminal networks have ‘no precist head or heart that can be targeted’. That said, every crime boss has a weak point, and every organisation is vulnerable to weakening from the inside – which is something you’ll discover as ‘Gangs of London’ unfolds.
9 … and how difficult it is to catch the heads of organised crime
Experience gangland London like never before with the long-awaited Sky original, ‘Gangs of London’. All episodes of this visceral nine-part drama are available to stream on Sky now. Head to our Time In page for our exclusive look at the characters, the episodes and behind-the-scenes stories.
Nine things you didn’t know about 'Gangs of London'
If you love ‘Peaky Blinders’, then you’ll love ‘Gangs of London’; and, you’ll recognise some of its lead characters. The impulsive, violent Sean Wallace is played by London actor Joe Cole, who played John Michael Shelby in ‘Blinders’ – and Sean’s associate Jack is played by Emmett J Scanlan, who you might recall as Billy Grade. There are plenty more major actors in ‘Gangs of London’, including Michelle Fairley (Catelyn Stark in ‘Games of Thrones’) and Lucian Msamati (‘Black Earth Rising’).
3 Many of the actors aren't strangers to organised crime...
4 You'll meet some talented up-and-coming stage actors
8 You'll be amazed by just how corrupt London really is...
9 ...and how difficult it is to catch the heads of organised crime
Meet Joe Cole and Sope Dirisu, your new favourite figures of the underworld
The stars of Sky’s super-intense new crime drama ‘Gangs of London’ – available to stream now – talk fight scenes, empathising with murderers and discovering the darker side of the capital
Joe ‘Initially, I saw the ‘Gangs of London’ title and thought, probably not for me, because I’ve delved into that world before. But as soon as I started reading it, I realised it was an incredible page-turner, and the characters were so rich. Plus, I knew Gareth Evans’ work already, that he’d done these really intense, highly regarded action movies.’ Sope ‘I got a bit of a series synopsis of what they were going to try and do, and as soon as I got to the end of that I was desperate to find out what happens next. So then it was all about working as hard as I could to prepare for the auditions to win the role.’
We hope you’ve got a strong stomach – you’ll need it for ‘Gangs of London’. This long-awaited Sky original (it’s been in the works for over a decade) is a blood-slathered, heart-stoppingly intense dive into London’s criminal underworld. Of course, ‘Gangs of London’ is entirely fictional (so don’t expect any major revelations on corrupt politicians or dodgy real estate developers) – but it is based on extensive research into high-level crime in the capital. Basically, think less scrappy spats between street gangs, more international corruption on an epic scale, where millions of pounds are at stake and scores are settled with huge shoot-outs. It’s fierce, but incredibly fun, too – and at the heart of it all is the bond shared between Sean Wallace (Joe Cole), heir to his father’s drug empire, and henchman-turned close ally, Elliot Finch (Sope Dirisu). Despite the frankly astonishing level of brutality that both of them display (directed by action legend Gareth Evans and captured beautifully by Matt Flannery), you’ll find yourself rooting for the pair. Both actors are no stranger to playing hard men. You’ll recognise Joe Cole (who hails from Kingston) from his turn as John Shelby in ‘Peaky Blinders’. Sope Dirisu (also a Londoner, from Edgware) starred as the sword-wielding Coriolanus for the Royal Shakespeare Company in 2017. But off-screen, Cole and Dirisu – who had never met before ‘Gangs’, despite both being in the National Youth Theatre – are as chilled-out as they come.
What first attracted you both to ‘Gangs of London’?
Joe ‘You always try to get to a space where you feel empathy for your character. For Sean, there’s this real dichotomy: he wants to protect his family but on the other hand he has this vehement desire to execute revenge. I’ve had a fairly pleasant upbringing so I’m rather different to Sean. There is real trauma with this guy… he’s a character that probably needs therapy. And I think in this season, his therapy is violence.’ Sope ‘Yeah, I think “working through some stuff” is a really nice euphemism for what Elliot is going through in this series. He’s running away from a lot, and in doing that he throws himself headfirst into the violence of his work. Every time we see him in these fight scenes, it’s a bit of exorcism going on.’
You’re both playing really tortured, complex characters. How did you get into that headspace?
Sope ‘I had to come into the offices where the production was based about a month and a half before we started principal photography to prepare. It was about learning the choreography like you’d learn a dance. It was super hard getting fit for it and learning the choreography, but when you take it to the set, and all the pieces come together, that’s when the magic happens. Gareth Evans directs it and decides how he wants it to look, but Matt Flannery shoots it – and a fight scene can really fall down if all these amazing things are happening but the camera isn’t quick enough to catch it. Matt does a really clever thing with the camera where he moves it, stops it, has it at different angles. He’s sometimes having more of a workout than I am to capture the fights! I remember when we had the cast and crew screening of the first episode, there were definitely a couple of gasps.’
Sope, your character is involved in some particularly hardcore fight scenes. What was it like training for them and shooting them?
Sope ‘A big difference is the misses. In theatre, you have a two-inch rule: if I’m carrying a sword (like in ‘Coriolanus’) I need to be in control of my sword, where it never gets any closer than two inches from someone’s face. Whereas on screen, I could not be punching a guy by 30 centimetres; it’s all about the camera angles.
How does learning a fight scene for the screen differ from theatre?
Joe ‘Gareth and Matt brought in my whole on-screen family: Brian [Vernel], Michelle [Fairley], and subsequently Paapa [Essiedu] , Pippa [Bennett-Warner] and Lucian [Msamati]. He spoke to us in incredible detail about the backstory of the series for an entire day. I don’t think it was planned – it just happened that way, we were so intrigued and just kept asking more questions! The characters are so deep and complex, and he marries that with action.’ Sope ‘It was really nice to see how Gareth paid as much attention to the dramatic pieces as the action – they were in concert with each other and never in competition with each other.’
Joe, what was it like working with Gareth Evans from a non-fighting perspective?
Joe ‘You definitely start looking at London in a different way. You look at the buildings and the architecture, and some of the people and the doorways they’re coming in and out of. I certainly became curious as to the bricks and mortar and who’s behind them… who put the money to invest in them… what the stories are behind those bricks.’ Sope ‘Yeah, exactly. I remember being told in Barcelona that a lot of the fruit and veg shops are fronts for something more illicit. But then I come back to London and do ‘Gangs of London’ and see all these corner shops that are selling fruit and veg, but there are four of them on the same road – and it’s like, “ohh, I see”. I think ‘Gangs of London’ is a bit of an insight into the stuff that people don’t want you to know. And if they don’t want you to know, you’re not going to find out about it. I’m not saying that Gangs of London is a documentary series, but it did make me think, what are we not being told?’
As Londoners, how did shooting ‘Gangs of London’ impact the way you experience the city?
Joe ‘Yeah! One of the great joys of doing it was that it was actually shot in London. Watching that first episode, there’s a scene where Sope’s jumping out of a black cab, and he’s in front of a busy London market. There are all people of all different religions and colours and creeds, selling all types of goods. And then in the background, literally just 100-200 yards behind them is this incredible London skyline, over the top of them. London really becomes a character in the show – I never quite understood what people meant when they say that but I got it with this one.’ Sope ‘Yes, we cover it so totally. We’d go from Kew, to Walthamstow, then to the Docklands area, and then we’d go from Aldgate Market to a high rise in Canary Wharf, alleys in Chinatown, then houses out in Hampstead. We cover London properly. And the multicultural aspect of it is joyful… we’re not shying away from how diverse London is, we’re celebrating it through the show, and I’m really proud to be a part of that in this day in this age, because I think it’s important. Joe ‘A long time coming, isn’t it?’ Sope ‘Absolutely. That’s the truth of London life: when I went to school, not everybody looked like me. And when I walk down the street, everybody doesn’t look like me or sound like me. And I think we’ve got a lot of those people and those experiences in this series.’
Do you think that the London in the show feels like the city you’ve grown up in?
Sope ‘De Beauvoir Square where we shot was really nice. It’s not like it’s hidden, I just didn’t know it existed. What’s really incredible about it is that literally two roads over I’ve frequented so much – up along Dalston Kingsland Road, two roads over you get this pocket of tranquil upper classness. It’s just so interesting how London, more so than other cities, you really get this blend of class – a blend of wealth and poverty. It’s so fascinating in the same way Joe mentioned; with the backdrop of the city, there is no separation of glass or wealth in London. Everyone blends in together. Even though class is definitely an issue in this country and disproportionate levels of wealth is an issue, London doesn’t discriminate.
Did you discover any new parts of London during filming?
Right now, a bingeable, addictive show is exactly what we all need to get through lockdown. And that’s what you’re about to get. Since pivoting to Time In, we’ve been bringing you the best things you can do from home – and one of those is watching the new Sky original, ‘Gangs of London’. All episodes of this action-packed drama are available to stream now, and we’ve teamed up with Sky to bring you a whole lot of extra insider info. The show, while entirely fictional, is based on true events which happened in London and real people involved in money laundering and drug-smuggling. So, we thought we’d test your knowledge of corruption in the capital.
London is Europe’s most valuable drug market
The National Crime Agency’s budget for last year was more than a billion pounds
£90 billion a year is laundered in London
80 percent of financial crimes in the UK go unreported
London’s cocaine market is worth £1 billion
The prison population of the UK has nearly doubled in the last 30 years
‘Mr Big’ was one of the UK’s biggest drug dealers
A City trader stole more than £32 million from tycoons and celebrities using a Ponzi scheme
The cost of heroin in the UK is about 1000% times higher than its source price
One man stole more than $1 billion from a bank
A former MP stole half a million pounds
The Big Smoke is clearly smoking (among other things) way too much. Every major city in the world sees it’s share of drug use, but London is a different animal. Sky News reported that the capital consumes twice as much cocaine as any other European city. Every. Single. Day. But it’s not just London’s appetite that makes it such valuable turf: getting drugs in is hard, which means the markups are bonkers.
True!
False!
The National Crime Agency, or NCA, actually had a budget of £448 million in 2015/2016. Still seems like a lot of crime-fighting dough, right? Well, not when you consider the budgets of its predecessors. When the NCA was born, it absorbed a bunch of other government agencies, the combined bankroll of which totalled £812m per year – and that was in 2013.
According to a BBC report in 2017, money laundering is the biggest criminal scandal in the capital. Even so, £90 billion is a LOT of cash. To put it into perspective, The Shard is valued at about £2b, meaning you could buy 45 Shards with the money that’s laundered in London every year. That or 15 billion £6 pints, we know what we’d rather have.
It’s actually closer to 90 percent. It’s hardly surprising that so many financial crimes occur in the capital when the risk of being reported is so low. It’s not just the finance industry that’s at risk either, according to experts, individuals, public services and even charities are all targets for fraud and other crimes. Stay vigilant, London.
Some seriously smart people (with seriously strong stomachs) at King’s College London tested London’s waste water to find out just how much of the white powder Londoners are consuming. The results are shocking: an average of 23kg of cocaine is taken in London every day. That’s more than half a million doses every 24 hours. Time to kick the habit, London.
Between 1993 and 2016 the number of prisoners in the UK rose from just over 44,000 to more than 85,000. What’s more, the average time spent in prison increased by nearly two years between 1999 and 2015. But does this mean there’s more crime? Not necessarily. The sharp rise is mostly accounted for by prisoners being sentenced to immediate custody, as well as longer sentences for sex and drug offences.
‘Mr Big’, who’s real name is Jonathon Moorby, was known to be one of the top drug dealers in the country before his arrest in 2014. Before his trial, he fled to Thailand, where he lived for three years before the police managed to track him down. In his absence, he was found guilty and given nearly 20 years in prison. Remember kids, drugs aren’t ‘big’ or clever.
An out and out City slicker (you know, the ones whose aftershave smacks you in the face on the tube), Nicholas Levene was living the high life on other people’s money. Famous for over the top parties – he once spent an eye-watering £588,000 on family celebration – Levene, known as ‘Beano’ (of course he was), was sentenced to 13 years inside for conning investors out of more than £32m.
It’s actually closer to 2000%. From the ‘Golden Crescent’ in Afghanistan into the UK, the markup is enormous as product needs to change hands many times as it makes its way west. This makes London a super-valuable drug market; heroin here costs twice what it does in France!
London-based Abbas Gokal defrauded the Bank of Credit and Commerce International for $1.2 billion. He was the chairman of what was once the world’s largest shipping company – before it emerged that he borrowed under the company name to fund his own lavish lifestyle. He was extradited back to the UK in 1994 where he was sentenced to 14 years imprisonment. He reportedly now lives in west London.
False
But only just – Robert Maxwell, father of Ghislaine Maxwell, famously stole around £450m from his companies’ pension funds. His life was a crazy story. He escaped Nazi occupation, fought in World War Two, moved to the UK, created a publishing empire, was elected MP for Buckingham and, finally, died mysteriously on his yacht. See, crazy.
Good luck!
Right now, we’re all about helping you experience your city from your sofa. It’s why we’ve changed our name to Time In, and it’s also why we’ve teamed up with Sky to bring you the inside word on the new Sky original, ‘Gangs of London’. This new nine-part show – is available to stream now – is entirely fictional, but based on real-life events, people and places who have shaped gangland London. We thought we’d share some of the city’s (real) secrets – some of them which nod to the London’s, shall we say, shadier side..
Ever wondered where Churchill would take cover during the Blitz? The answer lies in Mayfair, in an abandoned station on Down Street. Opened in 1902, served by the Piccadilly line and then closed in 1932 due to lack of use, Churchill and his war time cabinet used the space as a bunker. Churchill even nicknamed the space 'The Barn'. Since then, it's been used for filming, including for the terrifying 2014 horror flick 'Creep'. And if you want to peer around the eerie abandoned tunnels then you're in luck, because the London Transport Museum occasionally runs tours through the underground labyrinth.
Down Street tube station
You might have seen the film '1408', where a journalist heads to a haunted hotel room to debunk its haunted reputation. Ever the competitor, London has its very own haunted hotel room – in the form of the Langham's Room 333. Supposedly the most haunted hotel room in the city, reports of ethereal occupants frequently include a Victorian man and legend says that this is a doctor who killed his wife. Shudder. Amateur investigators have recorded their experiences in the hotel room, which you can find online, if you'd rather not head there yourself. (We don't blame you).
Room 333 at the Langham
Crooked letters hang off brickwork on an Aldgate building, reading 'Discount Suit Company'. You'd be forgiven for thinking that this was one of London’s deceased retail units, especially since there's an open shop below the sign and it certainly does not sell cheap suits. But discover the secret door and pace down a stairway and you'll enter an underground cocktail bar. A dimly lit speakeasy with highly skilled staff, the drinks menu is wacky, and off-menu drinks are just as much of a treat. Now you just need to find it.
Discount Suit Company
Behind an oh-so-normal looking door in Kensington is a townhouse frozen in time. Once belonging to Punch cartoonist Edward Linley Sambourne, the late-Victorian family home has been maintained but not updated since 1899, which means that it's a window into a past world. Tours give you some further insight into the period, from facts about interior decor to an explanation behind some rather peculiar possessions.
18 Stafford Terrace
If you want clues about London's past, don't spend all your time peeking around corners and inside buildings. Instead, look down, because you might just find something marvellous between your toes. This is the case if you're wandering along Charing Cross Road, where, beneath a sewer grate, lies the remains of Little Compton Street. A thoroughfare that still has Victorian signage, this mysterious Soho passage now forms part of the Cambridge Circus utility tunnels.
Little Compton Street
Fancy a bevvy in the east end? Then why not take a pew at the infamous Blind Beggar pub on Whitechapel road, where you can sip your drink safe in the knowledge that you're mere steps away from where gangster George Cornell was shot in 1966. Yep, this watering hole was the Kray twins' local and the site of the murder that put Ronnie Kray in prison for life. Luckily, you can now enjoy your IPA there without meeting a grizzly end.
Blind Beggar pub
Old Operating Theatre Museum Europe's oldest surviving operating theatre is housed in the church attic of the old St Thomas's hospital. To find it, you'll have to climb up a narrow, 52-step spiral staircase (so pop on your trainers, not your heels). Built in the early eighteenth century, this surgical theatre predates anaesthetics and antiseptics – which is enough to give us the jitters. And unlike now, surgical hygiene was not top of the priority list, which led to many deaths from post-surgery infection.
Old Operating Theatre Museum
Theres way more to Milroy's on Greek Street than first meets the eye. Sure, you can enjoy a delicious dram or sample one of the whisky joint's specialist picks, but if you're looking for a cocktail, then here's a secret. One of the bookcases is a door. Push it open and you'll enter into The Vault of Soho, where all manner of libations are shaken, stirred and supped. Basically, it's whisky in the front and party in the back.
The Vault of Soho
This hidden gem may have technically been vandalism, but it doesn't involve any criminals. In fact, it's coppers that are responsible for the unique history of Middleton passage. Look closely at the street's shabby brick wall, past the cobwebs and chalk marks, and you'll discover engraved numbers and letters. A mix of initials with corresponding badge numbers, the engravings form an unusual record of police who served in the local area during the 19th and 20th century. Many of the officers belonged to the old Met Police G Division, based in Kings Cross, which is why the letter G appears so frequently next to personal initials and numbers.
Middleton Passage
Sweet and unassuming little cafe Scotti's Snack Bar is low key enough in which to plan a heist - and supposedly, that's exactly what happened. It's been reported that the elaborate Hatton Garden heist was planned at Scotti's and also used as a meet up point for the gang in the days following the raid. Just goes to show that you never know who is sitting a table away when you're nibbling on a cheese sarnie.
Scotti's Snack Bar
London is steeped in folklore and glorious ghost stories. This spooky tale comes straight outta The Grenadier pub in Belgravia, which, in case you haven't noticed, has a ceiling covered in notes. But why stick money to a ceiling? Occult legend has it that a spirit named Cedric is trapped there. A young soldier who was caught cheating at cards and subsequently pummelled to death (eek), the money attached to the ceiling comes from visitors who want to help him pay off his debt and move on from the pub to the spirit world. Although, if we're being honest, being stuck in a pub doesn't seem like the worst place to be.
The Grenadier
Europe's oldest surviving operating theatre is housed in the church attic of the old St Thomas's hospital. To find it, you'll have to climb up a narrow, 52-step spiral staircase (so pop on your trainers, not your heels). Built in the early eighteenth century, this surgical theatre predates anaesthetics and antiseptics – which is enough to give us the jitters. And unlike now, surgical hygiene was not top of the priority list, which led to many deaths from post-surgery infection.
Room 33 at the Langham
