Tyrants And Clapham North

The Rise And Fall Of ‘Petty Tyrants’

Danny Hillis | Noema | 23rd April 2026

Hunting for hope amid authoritarianism. "Petty tyrants" are those who are "more focused on personal victories than on national priorities" and prioritise lavish public celebrations, ostentatious interior design and foreign wars. Napoleon III, Benito Mussolini and Ferdinand Marcos were of this type. The violent oppression is real and awful. But they have no legacy: "Truth turns reality into a relentless ally" (6,000 words)

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The Clapham North Mystery

Antony Badsey-Ellis | London Reconnections | 21st April 2026

Why is Clapham North, a busy London Underground station south of the Thames, one of only two to still have its original "island platform"? Because in 1900 it was a terminus. Now, every day, thousands of people cram down into a tunnel 30 feet in diameter where trains run both ways. Other stations with this configuration have been replaced, but they can't close this one for long enough (2,000 words)