Yellow discs offer new clues to Southwark’s history

A pilot scheme by museum design company City Insights has been launched as part of the London Festival of Architecture and will run for six weeks from Saturday 19 June.

Between Blackfriars Bridge and Shad Thames, and along Tooley Street and Southwark Street, the company has identified more than 40 locations with great stories to tell.

Each hotspot is identified by a yellow plastic disc attached to a lamp post. The disc gives the local postcode. Users type in the postcode at www.city-insights.com to access a page of pictures and stories specially designed for the mobile web.

"The stories we found in Southwark were amazing – we have the Design Museum next to a spot where pirates were hanged, and even the railway station where commuting was invented," says researcher Dr David Berry.

"Southwark's history is so rich that it's practically dripping off the walls!"

City Insights director and museum expert Tim Gardom MBE added: "We're turning Southwark's streets into a type of walk-through history book, using stories that we know people will enjoy. It makes a walk by the river a totally different experience."

The pages are quick to download and free to access for anyone with internet access on their phone.