Old Street guide

LONDON's tourist landmarks: Buckingham Palace, the Tower of London, Nelson's Column, St Paul's Cathedral and . . . Old Street station. Following our enthralling guide to the charms of Old Street (Independent Traveller, 22 January), a registered tour guide, Elizabeth Stuart, writes to say that she has added it to her London itinerary.

'I took four tour groups around the station precincts this week on guided tours. We noted all the exits and gourmet features, some of us bought copies of the Big Issue. But, contrary to the impression given in your article, Steve the Shoe Repairer was not at all intimidating. Old Street station is a friendly place for groups to meet, eat and have their shoes repaired.' True: the Queen has a lot of things at Buckingham Palace - but not Steve the Shoe Repairer.

And more news from Old Street: Ruth Ling, the press officer at Inmarsat (which has the large glass building overlooking Old Street roundabout), says that her company is supporting a major project run by Islington council to improve the roundabout. 'Work under way includes cleaning up the subways and installing graffiti-proof linings and doors; improving security by installing television cameras in the underpass; and erecting an advertising structure above the roundabout, along with a glass sculpture and a canopy over one exit.'