Cadogan Hotel, Sloane Street, London

This monstrous extravantly glazed Haywards No3 is outside the hotel famous for being the place that Oscar Wilde was arrested. Many thanks to Graham, one of my surfing friends who also likes a good coal hole. The hotel is closed for refurbishment so I hope this is on the list.

Chinese water 'torture'

It's torture that our own utilities don't use some of their millions of £ profit to pay artists to design utility inspection covers.

Our globe-trotting ambassador Lucy recently spotted this water manhole cover in Beijing. The pattern apparently shows the map of the water system.

'Manhole' summit in Japan

Prompted by an article in Private Eye's Funny Old World column I've discovered that in Japan there's recently been a 'manhole' summit attended by hundreds of inspection cover fans. I'm not sure a coal hole cover event would attract quote so many but it's worth a thought.  More details here: http://japanistas.com/en/archives/63510

Splendours of Hove

A long overdue welcome to our Hove Ambassador, Emma, who has sent me these fine montages of covers around the Palmeira / Brunswick Square hood. The one in the middle stopped Emma in her tracks, such was its enormity. It is also interesting because it's the only Haywards coalhole cover I've seen which lists their address as 96 Blackfriars Road, as opposed to the more normal Union St. Thank you Emma, keep sleuthing.

Upper and Lower Belgrave St, London SW1

Hayward Bros

Hayward Bros

William Pryor and Co, Dalston Junction

Hayward Bros

C Heap and Co, Leicester St

These ornate and beautiful beasts are in the heart of London's diplomatic quarter, littered with embassies and High Commissions. They included new Haywards designs and two new foundries or ironmongers in Heap and Pryor.

Outer Circle, Regents Park, London NW1

Some of the most expensive property in the world overlooks Regents Park so I was going for some seriously fancy coal hole covers.  Unfortunately,  most are modern  replacements except for this well preserved T Sampson cover from the nearby Euston Road.

York Square, London E14

I was recently in the Limehouse area of East London and straying a few yards north of the busy Commercial Road, stumbled across the Georgian oasis of the York Square Conservation Area and its surrounding streets including a Saxon church.

The buildings were nearly all handsome 2 storey brick homes, directly fronting onto York stone pavements. York Square itself has 2 pubs fronting onto it. I even saw a family of song thrushes in the churchyard. As you'd expect this close to the City, gentrification has set in and houses in York Sq sell for over £700,000.

There were some lovely coal hole covers around which were mainly not marked with the maker or suppliers name but I did find a CM McCarthy of 284 Mile End Road and another from Stepney. The area is mainly in Tower Hamlets and the Council has published a guide, although it doesn't specifically refer to coal hole covers.