During the Second World War London was home to, or visited by, tens of thousands of American Servicemen and women. When they wanted entertainment in the evenings they headed to the West End and the American Red Cross (ARC) Club was the first stop for many of them. There were several ARC clubs in London and many around the world offering meals and recreational activities, and the larger ones could provide overnight accommodations and facilities such as barbers and laundries.

Spitalfields, Shoreditch, and Penge have established themselves as London’s hottest spots when it comes to street art, where you will find uncensored, clandestine, and sometimes sanctioned works adorning any spare wall or surface in reach of stealthy street artists.