In this 40 second video Jason Hawkes shots The City at night. Pay special attention to the Walkie-Talkie and the Cheese Grater, both of which are still under construction.

Jason is arguably one of the best aerial photographers in the world and has certainly photographed some of the most iconic and exciting aerial shots of London in the past decade. He’s documented the enormous changes that have taken place to London in that time.

For more of his videos watch:

• London From A Whole New Angle
• Over London Dusk & Night

Visit his website: http://jasonhawkes.com/

Only one way to go, and fortunately it’s south

While walking across Manhattan along 42nd Street offers many interesting sights to see, it’s not exactly a walking challenge. For that I decided to walk the length of Manhattan along 5th Avenue. and Broadway (the dividing lines between east and west).

I decided to begin my walk in Harlem and walk south to Battery Park. The reasoning was two-fold: one, I wasn’t sure what Harlem would be like and I’ve found that it’s far better to go through dodgy neighbourhoods early in the day than in the afternoon or evening. Second – as I’ve stated elsewhere on this blog – going south feels like you’re going downhill.

When I got off the number 3 subway at 135th Street, I concluded I’d probably made the right choice in starting rather than finishing here. According to this handy tool from the New Yorker, household wealth drops off quite quickly the further north you go from here. Now this isn’t to say that less affluent areas are guaranteed to be high crime, but I figure it’s better to somewhat safe than sorry.

The Harlem River, official starting point for the walk

From here I made my way north to the Harlem River so I could begin the walk south. I was very conscious that a stocky, white guy in shorts (it was only about 10C out) taking photos of things like street signs, probably stood out just a little bit. However, I was not alone, as another obvious tourist with a much more conspicuous camera than mine had also decided to come to the northern limit of 5th Avenue.

Given that I had over 10 miles to walk, I didn’t bother to stick around and chat. The first 20 blocks weren’t really that interesting, just social housing and other medium to low-rise apartment buildings with occasional glimpses of the Empire State Building offering just enough inspiration to keep going.

The Empire State Building in the distance

Marcus Garvey Park was somewhat of a surprising obstacle, since I’d not spent a great deal of time looking at a map before setting off. The quickest and most obvious route would have been to just walk straight through the park, but seeing a group of a about a dozen guys drinking beer from paper bags at 10am made me second-guess this decision and instead I just walked around it.

I passed more social housing projects, which I find somewhat surprising given how close I was to Central Park. My original image of New York was that anyone living within a few blocks of Central Park was likely to be at worst upper middle class. So it’s interesting to see that this isn’t always the case.

Sign for one of the many social housing projects I see along the first section of my walk.

Central Park transforms the nature of the walk as I no longer had any buildings immediately to the west of me and wouldn’t again for the next 50 blocks! This was the most open the walk would feel until the end.

I was somewhat tempted to walk through the Park instead of along the increasingly busy and traffic-clogged 5th Avenue, but I have found in the past that parks don’t really offer very interesting insights into a city. Plus, my wife and I had already visited it the day before.

Walking along the edge of Central Park

This turned out to be a good decision as I was able to at least see the outside of many museums along Museum Mile. The area also became noticeably wealthier. Gone are the social housing projects, replaced with buildings with one (or often more) doormen.

The Guggenheim is arguably the most interesting of the buildings along Museum Mile

While I didn’t really have time to visit any of the museums during my walk I figure I can at least pop in and use one their facilities. I decided that MoMa would make as good a choice as any other. However, I can’t even get into the building without a security screening and then I am told that all restrooms are after the ticket barrier (an adult ticket costs $25).

This is a marked contrast to the museums in London where you never have to pass through security checkpoints and often don’t have to pay for entry. Given there was nothing I could really do, I continued my walk south past the Central Park Zoo and to the southern end of Central Park.

I know this sign is supposed to be for handsom cabs, but looks more like an Amish buggy

I had now walked over 80 blocks, which sounds a bit more impressive than the actual distance of 4.5 miles. Once again the scenery changed completely going from being at least partially open to a concrete and steel valley of skyscrapers rising up either side of me. I was now on the world famous 5th Avenue – miles, both literally and figuratively, from the 5th Avenue in Harlem.

The world famous section of 5th Avenue

Not being one for shopping or crowds, I knew this section of 5th Avenue was likely to be my least favourite and it did not disappoint. I was constantly dodging groups of shoppers as I attempted to continue heading south. Of course, I can’t really complain too much as I was constantly stopping to take photos of things along the way.

As a 30 Rock fan this guy looked familiar…

Also the Royal coat of arms of the United Kingdom on the oddly named British Empire Building

There is a certain relief of being a tourist surrounded by other tourists. While I’m sure I got in someone’s way at some point along this section of the walk, at least I don’t stand out and can take my photos in relative anonymity. I reached 42nd Street which was the intersection with my much shorter east-west walk and meant that I’d now walked 100 blocks!

The Empire State Building which had looked so far away back in Harlem was now just a few blocks south. However, as I approached it, I found it nearly impossible to get a good photo. It’s simply too tall relative the surrounding streets.

In case you can’t tell, this is the best photo I could get of the Empire State Building

I’d also agreed with my wife to meet here and we could continue the rest of the walk together. As I’d arrived a bit earlier than I’d predicted I decided to see if I could get any better pictures of the building by going down some side streets and getting a little further off 5th Avenue. While, I failed at getting a decent photo I did stumble upon some more colourful businesses than I was expecting in the area.

This place looked anything but upscale.

I finally gave up trying to get a better picture of the Empire State Building, and met up with my wife. We grabbed a quick bite to eat and then we’re on our way together. Time certainly seems to pass much faster when we’re walking together and before I know it we’re at the Flatiron Building

Pretty. Toronto has one of these too!

While the plan is to eventually finish the walk along Broadway, we didn’t follow it at this point and instead continued down 5th Avenue to Washington Square Park, admiring the relatively low-key but undeniable wealth of Greenwich Village.

Looking back up 5th Avenue at Washington Square Park

At the end of 5th Avenue, after 140 blocks and 7.5 miles of walking it felt as though I should be nearly done. I mean, I’d walked all the way south from 142nd Street to the point where 5th Avenue ends and the streets are no longer numbered but actually have names. Reality proved slightly different as there was still another 3 miles of walking to come.

Looking south down Broadway

We shift the walk a few blocks east and continue down Broadway. It reminds us both of Yonge Street in Toronto, full of chain stores and restaurants – the sort of place you go when you don’t know where else to go.

Those words don’t sound like they should go together…

The monotony was eventually broken by the impressive Manhattan Municipal Building and the less impressive City Hall. Yet, they were just an added bonus as I had not gone out of my way to see them. Instead, I’d picked this route because I knew it would bring me past the 9/11 Memorial and the base of the ridiculously nicknamed Freedom Tower.

Silly name, but very impressive building

Unlike virtually any other memorial site in the world, you can’t just turn up and go in to the 9/11 memorial. Instead you can either book online or turn up and hope you can get passes to get in. On top of that there are a huge number of rules and regulations you must follow. Given that the goal was to walk Manhattan not spend all day in a queue, we only had a very quick look before continuing on.

New York Stock Exchange (NYSE), centre of global capitalism?

Our last stop before finishing was to have a quick look at Wall Street. While this may be the global centre of capitalism – unless you work in The City – it was all a bit underwhelming. The NYSE building is indeed impressive but less so than many others I’d seen that day. Perhaps I was just ready to be done.

A quick walk down the surprisingly empty and quiet Broad Street and over to Battery Park and it was. At 10.5 miles (4.5 of which accompanied by my lovely wife), it was shorter than any of my Tube walks except the Waterloo & City line. Yet, I feel like I’ve seen far more than I do on a typical Tube walk.

New York Harbor, the symbolic end to my walk.

I think this is likely due to the fact that this is the first time I’ve visited New York as an adult. Thus, the impact of seeing many of the sights of New York was much greater than in London, where I’ve seen the sights dozens of times prior to passing them on a Tube walk.

Beyond that it’s difficult to compare the two cities too much as they are so different. London is a much older, lower rise, sprawling city, whereas Manhattan is much newer, denser and more self-contained (being an island helps of course).

Besides that, there are only two other observations that come to mind. First, New York’s neighbourhoods feel more homogeneous than those in London. For example, Harlem felt pretty universally poor and Greenwich Village felt universally rich. Conversely, in London, you’ll often get council estates next to some of the most expensive real estate in the world.

Second, New York feels like it has fewer hidden secrets than London does; everything just feels a little bit more out in the open. In London, I’m frequently surprised by what I find on my walks, whereas in New York both walks yielded fewer genuine surprises than I would have expected. Both walks were the perfect way to see Manhattan, but it helped reinforce that London is my home.

What do you think about how I’ve portrayed Manhattan? Fair? Way off base? Let me know in the comments section below:

Last month when I was back in Canada, one of my oldest friends said in all seriousness: “What is there to do in London anyway?” As the video above shows, pretty much nothing.

‘It’s Got To Be London’ was shot by Tim Benzie and Paul Joseph who are trying to convince their niece and her boyfriend to come to London instead of taking a cruise (as if that’s really an option). To be honest the last thing London needs is more tourists in the summer. (With apologies to my family members who will be doing exactly that)

Nevertheless, if you’re trying to convince someone to come here versus anywhere else in the world try sending them this video. You can find out more about the whole project from their website: http://www.itsgottobelondon.com.

Want to know where all of London’s disused/ghost Tube stations are located? Well just use the map above.

Now I wish I could take credit for it, but that honour goes to Dylan Maryk. He’s managed to scrape Wikipedia to give a location for every single station opened as part of the Underground but that is no longer in use.

For a full size version visit the site: http://www.dylanmaryk.com/stations/

Geoff Marshall’s at it again with more secrets of the Underground, this time looking at the District Line. Want to know where you can find a swastika on the Tube? Where you can find a 1932 (pre-Beck) map? Where you can see two fake houses in one the most expensive areas of London? Go under a river at platform level? Or which station has two names?

To find out just watch the video above. I’m pleased I noticed and photographed almost all of these when I visited & walked the District line stations.

For more see Geoff’s other videos:

• Secrets of the Northern Line
• Secrets of the Victoria Line

For more Tube trivia be sure to visit his website.

Found via Londonist.

Click to enlarge

Who doesn’t love the tube map? Yet as you no doubt already know the Harry Beck style map we use today, severely distorts geography to make it easier to read. This was a vast improved over previous designs (one of which you can still see just outside Temple station) in terms of readability.

However, when you’re walking the tube above ground you want something a little more accurate. The map above courtesy of the new Google Maps shows just how far stations like Amersham, Chesham & Epping are from central London. Gives a whole new perceptive to just how massive this whole walking project has been to date, and how much further I still have to go.

While this is by no means the first time the modern Tube Map has been given the geographically accurate treatment, this is the only one I know of that not only includes the Underground but also the DLR, Overground and Tramlink as well.

Found via Reddit.

Edit: As several people have pointed out to me on Twitter there are a few errors in the map. See if you can find them.

Matt Parker and Tom Scott share a few secrets about where and when it’s faster to avoid signs at various stations and go against the flow of people. Nothing new for tube junkies.

They also given an example when it’s faster to walk above ground than trying to use the tube to get between certain stations. Something I’ve learned during many of my tube walks.

The London Underground lies for a few reasons, but the main ones are to control large crowds to avoid crushes of people and because of the design of the tube map for easier reading.

Found via Hacker News

Want to learn the secrets to a few of the Northern Line stations? Well Geoff Marshall, best known for his 23 attempts to break the world record for the fastest time traveling around the entire Tube network shares them in this video. Learn about the highest & lowest points on the underground, secret exits and the one station where you can leave only to arrive back where you started.

I’m sorry to see that I missed several of these when I did my Northern Line station visits a few months ago, perhaps an excuse to revisit them.

Found via Londonist.

I started my walk at the UN Headquarters

Last month I was lucky enough to be able to visit New York with my wife. It had been 14 years since I last set foot in the city and some things had definitely changed. As always I’m firm believer that you have to walk a city to know a city.

And so over the 5 days we were there we did a fair bit of walking. Here are some photos from my walk across Manhattan along 42nd street.

As you can see above, I started the walk on the eastern side of Manhattan right next to the United Nations Headquarters. I have to say that given the extremely sunny weather the building looked much nicer in person than it normally does in pictures.

The Chrysler Building, very difficult to photograph up close

Next up were the Daily News Building and the Chrysler Building. Trying to photograph these two Art-Deco skyscrapers really brought home how much taller everything is in New York compared to London. It also clearly marked me out as a tourist as most New Yorkers don’t bother to look up.

However, the highlight of the walk had to be the following:

This photo doesn’t even begin to do Grand Central justice

At 100 years old this year, Grand Central Terminal – as it’s officially known – still has more platforms than any other station in the world with 44 (more than twice the number at Waterloo).

While both Toronto’s Union Station and Grand Central were built in the Beaux-Arts style, they couldn’t be more different.

Grand Central is right at the heart of New York and it makes you want to linger, a feat which is extremely rare among railway terminals. It’s bright, airy and open – again something most stations in the world aren’t. Beyond that it’s the feeling you get from being there that you can’t put into words.

Moreover, it’s also something of an anachronism in a country so dominated by the car that a rail station can still play such a vital role in the life of a city.

Although I could easily have spent more time wandering around the station, I also wanted to continue on with my walk. The great thing about cities like London or New York is you generally don’t have to walk very far to find something interesting. Sure enough I soon came across:

The New York Public Library main building with the iconic yellow cabs in front

The main New York Public Library building was built two years before Grand Central, and just as Grand Central is one of the most impressive train stations in the world, the main branch of the New York Public Library is one of the most impressive library buildings in the world.

From here it was on to New York’s most famous landmark (and arguably it’s most overrated) Times Square.

Joining the army is the first thing I want to do when visiting New York…

Big, bright and bland. At one point the area had a bit of a seedy reputation, but you’d never know that today. Chain shops & restaurants dominate and you’re far more likely to get accosted by Elmo or Spongebob than you are by someone looking to mug you or sell you drugs.

I mean it even has one of these:

I’d hoped only tourists to London were foolish enough to support this place

After battling my way past the crowds I get to the other side of Times Square. Past here there’s not really a whole lot to see along the rest 42nd Street. This being the most interesting:

Not sure what it is, but it doesn’t really look like it would be too effective at anything

I soon reach the Hudson, which is a good place to end the walk. Overall, I think it sounds impressive to say that I’ve walked across Manhattan. However, at just under 2 miles it isn’t really. Yet as 2 mile walks go, it’s about as jam packed full of cool and iconic sights as you could hope for.

Still this walk left me wanting more. So I thought up a more difficult challenge. Instead of walking New York East-West, I’d walk it North South. Stay tuned for my next post where I describe walking the length of Manhattan along 5th Ave. and Broadway – from 142nd all the way to Battery Park.

A look back along 42nd Street.

The photo above was supposedly taken in 1940 during the Blitz. In the background you can see the Old Bailey with the Lady of Justice standing undamaged. It would subsequently become heavily damaged by German bombs and would not be fully restored until 1952.

Found via Reddit.

The latest in the TUBE TUBE series, this one centres around a night out and how expensive it can be in London. Given the choice, I’d still choose to spend £100 here then go to Bruges.

The video above is by Geoff Marshall a former world record holder of the Tube Challenge and also creator one of the best pages of tube trivia on the internet. It looks at the hidden side of the Victoria Line, something I may know a thing or two about as well. Enjoy!

Found via Londonist.com.

The second timelapse film from Mattia Bicchi this week, this one is simply titled London Timelapse. It features footage from November 2012 to February 2013 and includes locations such as City Hall, Covent Garden, Liverpool Street Station, Piccadilly Circus, Tower Bridge, London Eye, Westminster and Canary Wharf.

The shots of the Millennium Bridge and Battersea Power Station are particularly good with latter likely no longer possible in a few years time. Overall a really enjoyable timelapse, but I don’t think quite as good as his previous films: London Architecture Timelapse and Is Christmas Time. That said this is still miles ahead of most other timelapse film makers.

You can follow Mattia’s work on his website, Facebook, and Twitter.

Mark from the England Your England short film series tells the story of Mark who spent over a decade behind bars after being convicted for drug dealing. While it has been a difficult road, Mark has managed to find redemption by working as a counsellor for other people from similar backgrounds.

Mark’s chosen charity is User Voice, which is based on the idea that only offenders can stop re-offending. You can learn more about the film from the England Your England website.

Patrick, part of the England Your England short film series, is about 81 year old Patrick who continues to live an independent life in central London and helps those around him. It touches on ageing in the city and the feeling of alienation that sometimes results.

Each film in the series is helping to raise money for charity, with Age UK Camden being the chosen one for this movie. You can learn more about the making of the film and see other stills on the England Your England website.

Big cities in general and London in particular seem to lend themselves to timelapse videos. If you’ve read this blog for any period of time you’ll know I’m a huge fan of timelapse films and one of my favourite film makers is Mattia Bicchi. He’s done some amazing videos over the last year or so, including the London Architecture Time Lapse above.

This is another wonderful video that features many of his tracking timelapse shots and many architecturally interesting locations in London, that while well known, aren’t famous. The full list of locations include:

• Canary Wharf
• Tower of London
• Tower Bridge
• Strata Tower
• King’s Cross Station
• Palestra Building
• Royal Albert Hall (amazing tracking shot)
• British Museum
• RBS Building
• Broadgate Tower
• Wembley Stadium (amazing tracking shot)
• Heron Tower
• O2 Arena (amazing tracking shot)
• St. Giles Building
• The Shard
• National Maritime Museum (amazing tracking shot)
• Wellington Arch (great zooming shot)
• St. Paul’s Cathedral (amazing tracking shot)
• Houses of Parliament (great zooming shot)

Not sure how he’s able to find so many blue sky days in London. Among his best yet, so give it a watch.

You can follow Mattia’s work on his website, Facebook, and Twitter.

Richard from the England Your England short film series focuses Richard Roberts who both tunes pianos and sleeps rough with no fixed address. The film looks at our consumerist society and what we really need to be happy. I won’t say any more other than watch it.

Richard also runs a blog and you can find out more about the film here. The series is designed to raise money for charity with Westminster Boating Base being the chosen one for this movie.

This post is part of my Randomly London v. The Tube Challenge. Get the latest about challenge updates here. Donate to Bowel Cancer UK here.

Red Telephone Box Seen at Queen’s Park

My overall impression of the Bakerloo line was not altogether favourable when I visited the stations, and initially, walking it does little to improve this. However, this is due as much to mistakes on my part as anything else.

I’m walking the Bakerloo line from Harrow & Wealdstone in far north-west London to Elephant & Castle in the south-east. It’s a cool, overcast day in October when I begin – the perfect weather for walking. Nevertheless, things begin to go wrong almost immediately.

A Shaky Beginning

First of all, I’m sleepy because I stayed out late at a work party the night before, which means I am slightly hungover as well. Far worse is the realisation that the internet on my phone is no longer working. For most experienced and/or prepared walkers this wouldn’t be a problem, but for me it is.

While I don’t have the best phone, it’s perfectly sufficient to run Google Maps. Within a very short period of time, I’ve become wholly dependent on it to navigate London’s streets. Why use an A to Z when you have a map with GPS right in your pocket?

Fortunately, because I did the station visits the weekend before, my phone still has a rough map of the area – I’m just not able to zoom in. This is a problem because I want to know where to find the tube stations. At least the GPS still works so I can see where I am on the blurry, zoomed out map.

Side entrance to Harrow & Wealdstone Station

I set off from Harrow & Wealdstone station, through the car park hoping to follow the tracks until the internet on my phone resumes working. I quickly realise that this is perhaps not the best way to go and decide to take Station Road instead.

The area seems to have a mix of independent Middle Eastern, Indian, and Chinese stores and restaurants. Unlike so many other high streets in the UK, this gives the area a small bit of character. This is a good thing, because while the area seems relatively nice, this seems to be about the only thing it really has going for it.

As I continue my walk, the shops peter out and the road is lined with relatively new houses and low-rise flats; my impressions of dullness continue. The low point is probably Northwick Park Roundabout, which, like most suburban roundabouts, has no pedestrian signals or zebra crossings and is clearly not designed for humans.

Thirst, Wrong Turns & The Future of London

Churchill Hall Home to the Wembley North Conservative Club

Kenton Road offers no real improvement. I pass the rather sad looking Churchill Hall – seat of the Wembley North Conservative Club – just before reaching Kenton. At this point my lack of preparation shows again. I’m feeling rather thirsty, and of course, brought no water.

Instead, I decide to pop into the giant Sainsbury’s for a bottle. The size of store and the car park just reinforce the feeling of being in suburbia and contrast sharply with most of central London. Why walk when you can drive?

From here, the plan is to walk along the eastern side of the Bakerloo line tracks down to South Kenton. However, I decide to make a last minute diversion over the tracks to try and walk through Northwick Park.

Should have cut through Northwick Park Station (Metropolitan Line)

The problem is that the Metropolitan line tracks block all access to the park from the north. I keep walking until I reach Northwick Park tube station (on the Metropolitan line) and briefly wonder if I should go into the station to see if I can cut though. (I later find out you can.)

However, I decide to press on – figuring that another entrance to the park must exist. Turns out it doesn’t and I end up back at the lovely Northwick Park Roundabout. Knowing I’ve made an error I now have a choice to make; I can either try to retrace my steps or carry on from here. I opt for the latter.

I head generally south along the edge of Northwick Park, eventually reaching a sign that proclaims “Welcome to Brent Home of Wembley.” I know at roughly this point that I need to head east again, I’m just not sure where. I end up strolling along Carlton Ave. West, which is an unremarkable suburban street if I ever I saw one.

Welcome to Brent Home of Wembley

While there aren’t many people about, the few I do see are from a mix of ethnic backgrounds. This clearly demonstrates that London’s multicultural and global character is not confined to any one corner. Carlton Ave. West is but one small part of the next chapter in London’s continuous demographic change and evolution.

More Suburbs, More Getting Lost & A Small Reminder of Home

This line of thinking comes to an end, as I need to make a quick course correction back north to arrive at South Kenton – one of my favourite stations along the Bakerloo line. However, because of the wrong turns, I’m already behind schedule. The first thought that I might not be able to complete this walk in one day creeps into my mind.

South Kenton – the perfect suburban station

I do however take the time to have a quick look at the lovely – and completely deserted – Northwick Park. This is a great place if you want to be on your own or watch trains. I then make yet another mistake by going through South Kenton and walking down the other side of the tracks; another detour that I could have avoided if the internet on my phone was working.

As I approach Wembley Central, I walk through seemingly endless and unchanging suburban streets. The only problem is that I realise I’ve skipped North Wembley station. Now at this point I to make yet another decision: continue on or go back and visit the station I skipped. Even though I’m probably the only one who cares, I decide to do the walk properly and make the trek back to North Wembley.

Although I’m not happy about backtracking, the walk does yield one interesting find. On the way back up to the station I pass the closed Norfolk Arms pub. While the pub’s appearance and location are both somewhat interesting (it looks like a big house and it’s in the middle of a quiet suburban street), something else catches my eye.

Sign for Labatt’s Canadian Lager at the closed Norfolk Arms pub

As a Canadian, I seem to be drawn to maple leaves and there is a big one on the sign. Thinking this is just a coincidence, I’m even more surprised when I see that it’s a sign for Labatt’s Canadian Lager – a beer that isn’t too popular in the UK.

Moreover, if I could choose any Canadian beer to drink, Labatt’s would be near the bottom of the list. It’s sad to see yet another pub that’s closed its doors. In my opinion, this is a less positive trend that’s also reshaping the face of London.

Finally, I reach North Wembley station, where I turn around and go back the way I came. Here, I spot another former pub, but this one has been converted into a Tesco Express.

Tesco Express in an old pub

If I had walked the quickest route possible it would have been only 2.7 miles between Kenton and Wembley Central. However, my detours mean that I’ve actually walked 5.6 miles – adding more than an hour of extra walking time to my whole journey.

The Suburbs (Briefly) Come To an End

The walk from North Wembley to Wembley Central is short enough distance-wise, but the two stations feel worlds apart. Wembley Central is a hive of activity and people which is somewhat jarring after traipsing for 3 hours through the nearly deserted suburban reaches of North London.

It also feels as though we’ve left the suburbs behind and are now entering central London. However, this is somewhat of an illusion.

Not being a football fan, this is the first time I’ve visited Wembley. The high street is packed with people out on a Saturday. I pass by kebab, fried chicken, and every other sort of fast food take-away you could ever want. There are betting shops and banks. In short: it’s a very typical UK high street.

The one thing I do notice that sets it apart is a shop selling human hair – I assume for hair extensions or wigs, but I can’t be 100% sure.

Modern flats at Wembley Central

The new plaza in front of the station is nice, new, and clean and has a new low-rise tower block on the eastern side of it. Bizarrely, there are still signs for the 2012 Olympics despite the fact that they finished 3 month previously. I suppose they’re trying to hold on to the glory for as long as possible.

From here it’s off down High Road towards Stonebridge Park. I get a close-up glimpse of the stadium on my right, which somehow seems less impressive when up close. As I continue walking, the shops abruptly end and the street is once again lined with suburban-style homes.

After the buzz and crowds of Wembley it’s a little strange to feel like I’ve returned to the suburbs, even though I’m still walking towards central London. I reach the desolate Stonebridge Park station in almost no time at all, which is good because there is no reason to linger here.

Abandoned office building at Stonebridge Park

Terraced Houses, Poorly Placed Stations & Brazilian London

I quickly follow and then cross the North Circular Road and continue on. Once again, it’s a fairly short walk to reach Harlesden but along the way the suburban homes give way once again to traditional terraced houses in addition to newly built low-rise flats.

Interesting small park near Harlesden

The station building is both tiny and somewhat poorly placed – an afterthought sandwiched into small parcel of land off Acton Lane with views of the industrial estates across the tracks.

I depart immediately, once again passing a multitude of decent-sized terraced homes on my short walk to Willesden Junction. Along the way I pass the Girls & Boys mural from the Harley Road Public Art Project which aims to end racial stereotypes. It’s a noble project, but will probably not significantly reduce racism in this country.

Girls & Boys art project

As I approach Willesden Junction the area takes on a decidedly Brazilian feel, as I pass the Amber Grill, corner shops offering calling cards for Brazil, and of course, the Brazil Emporio Butchers. The station building is isolated from the surrounding streets and hemmed in by the various rail lines that pass through here.

As I continue my walk, I pass by Tubbs Road Pocket Park. I’ve never heard this term before, but considering that Wikipedia has an article about them, I suspect this just reflects my own ignorance. The park itself is small (as you’d expect) but provides a welcome bit of green to the area.

Tubbs Road Pocket Park

The Return of the Internet!

As I approach Harrow Road, I decide it might be time to check if the internet on my phone has resumed working. I’ve managed to get all the way from Wembley Central to here without getting lost, but from here, I’m a bit unsure as to which direction is best.

Miraculously, it is! This makes completing the rest of the walk much, much easier. It’s good news because the direction I thought to go turns out to be completely wrong. I’m beginning to feel the effects of walking for several hours and I start to seriously wish I was done.

Not sure where the so called “Artisan Quarter” is located

While there are still many Brazilian shops, there are also an increasing number of Middle Eastern ones. Yet, virtually all the shops here are independent, with almost no high street chain stores save William Hill. Another noticeable difference is the lack of pubs; I don’t pass a single one on this section of the road.

Parks, Trains & A Difficult Decision

Further along, I pass the West London Crematorium, the Hazel Road Open Space (another word for park it seems) and the Mason’s Arms pub. Then I’m at Kensal Green, which looks more like a barn than an underground station. I continue along Mortimer Road, which is lined with very smart, well cared for terraced houses, and the odd business thrown in here and there.

The Mews Coachworks

It feels like it would be a very nice place to live. The pattern continues right along to Queen’s Park – which interestingly is owned and run by the City of London, despite being several miles to the Northwest of it. After this rather pleasant walk it’s a shame that I have to turn off towards Queen’s Park Station – a concrete mess with entrances that loom like giant metal detectors.

As I pass over the railway bridge, I notice a rather bizarre sight: a plume of smoke coming straight towards me. It takes me a second or two to realise that it must be the steam train going along the tracks. However, the walls on the bridge are too high to see over and there isn’t enough time to get into the station to take a photo. Yet another opportunity missed.

Kilburn Park home of the council estate

Instead, I continue on to Kilburn Park and it’s a stark contrast to Queen’s Park. Kilburn Park has the feeling of literally being on the wrong side of the tracks. It’s getting dark out, and while I’ve never had a problem going through council estates, it’s not something I set out to do. However, in Kilburn Park they are impossible to avoid. I make my way quickly enough and fortunately don’t get lost.

On my way to the station, I pass the former Brondesbury Arms pub. The pub closed somewhat recently but the sign and the original tiling around the door remain. I wish more converted pubs would follow this convention; it serves as a reminder of what used to be there. That said, it can prove a bit confusing at times if you’re looking for a drink in a unfamiliar area.

Former Brondesbury Arms Pub

Finally, I reach Kilburn Park and it’s getting even darker out. All the detours at the start of the walk put me much farther behind than I would have liked. While continuing would be possible, it would mean not being able to take any decent photos.

Thus, I decide to stop here and continue on the next Saturday. It’s far from ideal because I had hoped not to have to split walks over multiple weekends until my sixth walk (the Jubilee line), but there’s nothing else for it.

The Journey Resumes and This Time It’s Sunny

Kilburn Park Station in the Sun

The second day of the Bakerloo line walk begins on a cool, cloudless Saturday at the end of October. Kilburn Park station looks fantastic in the sun and the surrounding area doesn’t look as bad as it had previously. I pass a medium-rise tower block being demolished but no sign of what will replace it. Yet another reminder that London’s face never truly stays the same for long, no matter where you live.

From here it’s a very quick walk down Maida Vale to Maida Vale Station. However, the area has once again transformed completely. Maida Vale is far and away the poshest and best kept area I’ve been to on the Bakerloo line.

I love seeing all the grand Victorian and Edwardian homes that have been lovingly maintained and they look particularly beautiful on a sunny day like today. I also have a twinge of envy as I walk among the rows of houses, knowing I’ll almost certainly never be able to afford any of them.

Alan Turing blue plaque

These thoughts continue to bounce around in my head until I notice a blue plaque for Alan Turing, who was one of the leading code breakers at Bletchley Park.

His life story and work is both fascinating and tragic and helps to put things into perspective a little bit. Soon I reach Warwick Avenue. From past experience, I know that another change in scenery is about to occur.

Canals, Motorways and Rail Stations

I’ve now reached Little Venice and the end (or beginning) of both the Regent’s Canal and the Paddington arm of the Grand Union Canal. The path along the Regent’s Canal is my favourite walking route in London and today is as nice a day as you get in London. So, the temptation to go off-path is very strong.

Very strong temptation to follow the Regent’s Canal instead

While I continue on with Bakerloo line, I do linger a bit to take some photos of the canal. This area would be perfect if not for the Westway, which is an affront to the eyes and seems to loom over and darken the area. Once on the other side, I have a quick look around the Paddington Basin and then on to Paddington Station, passing signs of the new station that is being built for Crossrail.

The Westway ruining views since 1970

Continuing along Praed Street past St. Mary’s Hospital and the blue plaque for Sir Alexander Fleming, I quickly reach the busy Edgware Road. On my left is the Hilton Metropole, one of the ugliest buildings in London. If I continue straight ahead, I’ll reach Edgware Road station, but it would be the wrong one. Confusingly, there are two Edgware Road stations on the underground.

To make matters even more confusing, while the two stations are less than a 5 minute walk from each other, they are not connected underground nor do they count as interchange stations for ticketing purposes. The fact that I’ve been asked for directions to these stations more than once suggests that it may be more than a trivial issue.

In any case, to reach the Bakerloo Edgware Road station I have to go back under the Westway at the Marylebone Flyover. This is another reminder of how much the motorway dominates this small section of London.

Very sneaky sign at the Green Man Pub

While the Westway is grey slab of concrete, the area is not entirely devoid of green. First, there is the Green Man Pub whose amusing sign you can see above. Second, there is a green wall just around the corner from the station entrance which offers a much needed bit of vegetation.

A very short stroll brings me to Marylebone station, which doesn’t look like much of a station at all. If anything, it looks more like a hotel when approaching from the west. We’ve once again entered one of the richer parts of London, just a stone’s throw from the more down-at-heel Edgware Road.

Marylebone Station looks more like a hotel than train station.

On The Nature of London Tourists

While not the absolute shortest distance between two stations, the walk between Marylebone and Baker Street goes by in the blink of an eye. As you approach the station, the crowds noticeably build and the number of obvious tourists seems to multiply exponentially.

There are three reasons why there are so many tourists here. One, Baker Street is a major interchange station. Two, the Sherlock Holmes museum is just up the street from here. Finally, Madame Tussauds – which gets a rare mention on the tube as you reach Baker Street.

Not sure why this is so popular…

While I tend to rant about tourists a fair bit on this blog, in my heart of hearts I don’t really dislike them. They are often clueless and get in the way more often than not (especially while entering or exiting the tube), but as a non-native Londoner, I too was once a tourist here and have done things that now make me cringe. Yet, I still find some tourist behaviour baffling.

I can understand wanting to see the Houses of Parliament, Big Ben, Westminster Abbey, St. Paul’s, Tower Bridge, etc. I can also understand wanting to go on the London Eye or go up the Shard. I can even understand wanting to visit famous markets such as Portobello Road or Borough. What I can’t understand are attractions like Madame Tussauds.

I understand that it’s famous, and given that it opened in its current location in 1836, there is obviously some history to it. However, if you’re reading this blog I suspect you have no idea how much it costs. The answer is that tickets at the door cost £30 per adult or £108 for a family of 4. You can save up to 50% by booking online and visiting at the end of the day – but let’s face it – that’s still insanely expensive!

But that’s not even the most remarkable thing – as I walk past, there is a huge queue that goes half-way towards York Bridge. So not only are people being charged an arm and a leg for the experience, they likely have to queue for a non-trivial amount of time to do so. I just don’t understand the appeal.

Fortunately, I’ve chosen to walk along the other side of Marylebone Road so there’s lots of space on the rather wide pavement. Another very short stroll later and I’m at Regent’s Park Station. While the second day of walking started off sunny enough, I notice that the sky has darkened considerably in the last 15 minutes.

Intersections & Clichés Come To Life

The curved terrace houses (now mostly offices) along Park Crescent

Regent’s Park is a fantastic little station and the area around it is wonderful as well. To the north, you have Regent’s Park proper and to the south you have Park Crescent, which boasts a collection of unique and stunning stuccoed terraced houses that curve along with the road. At the same time, I’m heading south and bracing myself for what I know is coming.

The walk down Portland Place is quiet and deceiving. One of the few people I come across is a lone Falun Gong supporter protesting across from the Chinese embassy Mind you, the two sides of the pavement are separated by four lanes of traffic and a pedestrian island. It’s amazing how quiet this street always seems when I’m walking along it, but it’s an illusion that will not last.

As I pass BBC Broadcasting House and Portland Place turns into Regent’s Street, it begins to pour, a reflection of my mood that’s so appropriate it feels like I’m living the world’s worst film cliché. Pathetic fallacy come to life. For you see, I’m approaching my most hated intersection in all of London: Oxford Circus.

I suppose I could always pop into McDonald’s and wait out the rain

Oxford Circus is exactly how I’d expected it to be – busy with clueless people everywhere. Because it’s now raining, huge numbers of umbrellas have been thrown into the mix as well. Yet, Oxford Street also represents a personal intersection because it’s the first time that two of my walks have crossed paths. Somehow, it seems appropriate that they should intersect here.

The good news is that I won’t have to visit Oxford Circus on any other walks until I do the Central line – the final walk in my series. As I briefly reflect on the intersection between my walks and savour the feeling of knowing I won’t have to come through here again for another 9 months or so, I do something very out of character: I decide to walk down Regent’s Street.

Twelve Days of Christmas Along Regent’s Street

I decide to do this for two reasons: one, there are banners across Regent’s Street for each of the twelve days of Christmas and I want to get photos of each one. Two, it’s the most direct way I know of getting to Piccadilly Circus. So, while the rain goes from pouring to sputtering, I snap photos as madly as any tourist.

Despite the crowds, I reach Piccadilly Circus relatively quickly. As expected, it’s filled with tourists despite the continuing drizzle. Since it’s not exactly my favourite part of London, I set off rather quickly.

From here, my best choice would be to walk to the southern section of Regent’s Street. For some bizarre reason, I’ve almost always found it be relatively quiet compared to the section of Regent’s Street north of Piccadilly Circus. However, I opt to go down Haymarket instead, which is inexplicably much busier than normal. Fortunately, at least the rain has stopped suddenly.

Traffic on Haymarket

Canadian & American Culture in London

I pass by the 24 hour Spar that once advertised Tim Hortons coffee. For those of you who aren’t Canadian, Tim Hortons is Canada’s largest fast food chain. I always found it a bit odd that they sold their coffee here from corner shops rather than standalone stores as they do in Canada.

I never went to get any here as I’m one of those rare Canadians who neither loves nor loathes it but now it seems I’ve missed my chance because it’s been replaced by the rather aptly named Costa coffee.

As I continue my descent down Haymarket, I begin to notice more and more men and women wearing NFL jerseys. I now know why there are so many people about, and this is confirmed when I turn the corner towards Trafalgar Square. It’s NFL Fan Day and fans of American football have duly taken over the entire square.

NFL fan day at Trafalgar Square

Judging from the voices I hear, not all the fans are American expats. As I walk past I catch snippets of conversion in a variety of English accents, and even hear a Scottish voice thrown in as well.

I pass the always impressive St. Martin-in-the-Fields church as I make the short walk to Charing Cross (once known as Trafalgar Square Station). When I reach the station, I notice a relatively large contingent of police, which I can only assume is a precaution if the crowds in Trafalgar Square get unruly. This appears somewhat unlikely as it’s usually the other type of football fans that seem to cause problems here.

A rather wet Villiers Street, quick walk between Charing Cross and Embankment

I get to Embankment (previously known as Charing Cross) with a minimal amount of effort. The distance between the station entrance here and Charing Cross is among the shortest on the network. At around 200m, Usain Bolt could do it in around 19 seconds or perhaps even faster as it’s slightly downhill.

Venturing South & Connecting All Three Walks

The next step involves crossing the Thames, but fortunately the Hungerford pedestrian bridge is right here and I make my way across. While I still think Waterloo Bridge gives you the best view over the Thames, the western Hungerford Bridge does provide some great views over the river as well.

Sun shinning everywhere but the Houses of Parliament

While it’s no longer raining, the clouds linger over the Houses of Parliament even though the sun is shining down on the Thames. Not sure if I should read too much into it, but it’s an interesting sight.

Once over the bridge and in South London, I pass by Royal Festival Hall and some of the temporary art installations. Then it’s on to Waterloo, which was the starting point of my first walk. This walk has now intersected with the two previous ones, connecting everything I’ve done up to this point.

After passing a few police officers dressed up as zombies for Halloween, I decide that the best thing to do is to cut go through the dark Old Vic Tunnels, or as the sign says, ‘The Tunnel Authorised Graffiti Area.’

The Tunnel Authorised Graffiti Area

If you’ve never been here before, it’s well worth a visit. It’s entirely free to enter and you can watch some very talented artists create some pretty stunning graffiti. Conveniently, it also brings me to Lambeth North, the penultimate station on this walk.

What is it about South London?

Westminster Bridge House former Necropolis railway terminus

The area around here is a bizarre mishmash of different types of buildings, some commercial, some residential, some privately owned, some council-owned. While I don’t really get much of a feel for the area, one thing I do like about this part of South London is the wide pavements, which gives everyone much more space for walking.

Yet, the area doesn’t feel particularly pedestrian friendly. While the pavements are wide, the roads are even wider. Thus, it’s an area you can easily walk through but not one that makes you want to stay. Few people want to sit at a café facing a very busy road. For now though, I enjoy being able to make quick progress.

The Imperial War Museum

The Imperial War Museum marks the last tourist sight on this walk and it does not disappoint. Although I haven’t been in in over 7 years, the building alone is well worth a look. Yet, what relatively few people realise is that the building was not originally a museum.

In fact, it’s the former site of the Bethlem Royal Hospital, which gave us the term bedlam and whose staff continue to treat mental illness from their Monks Orchard Road location. Whether the two uses for the building have any connection is up for you to decide.

As I continue the final few hundred meters of my walk it begins to rain again, perfect time to be finishing up. Before I do, I pass by the Prince of Wales pub, which is offering a Sunday Roast for £7.50. Earlier in the day, I’d passed the Warrington Hotel in Maida Vale which had a very similar one on offer for £15.

I think this says something about the differences between the incomes of people in the two areas. On the other hand, it could just mean that I’m hungry and craving a Sunday roast.

Elephant & Castle with London Road sign

Finally, I reach Elephant & Castle. Despite the rain, I force myself to take a few photos. In the process, I notice that the ugly metallic block in the middle of the roundabout is actually a monument to Michael Faraday. As far as I can tell, the monument houses a power substation, so it’s perhaps a fitting tribute.

Faraday Monument Elephant & Castle

This brings an end to my third walk. Unfortunately, it didn’t exactly go as planned. While it could have easily been done in one day, it has taken me two days to walk it all. My reliance on internet maps has shown its weakness.

Unlike my Victoria line walk, I don’t feel that the Bakerloo line has the same level of interconnections, so to speak. Besides being the only line where both the start and terminus stations have ampersands in their names, there isn’t much to connect Harrow & Wealdstone and Elephant & Castle. The former is in the quiet reaches of North London, while the latter is stuck in the middle of the busiest roundabout in South London.

Yet while the connections that the line provides are weak or perhaps non-existent, the walk has shown a few interesting about aspects about life in London and the 21st century. Relying on GPS on my phone to navigate is the first thing that comes to mind. Although I’ve only been able to do this for a few years now, I’m utterly dependent on it, and to be honest, I’m not really sure how I’d navigate London without a GPS map.

The second thing that comes to mind is that while large sections of London are changing all the time, the change is often uneven. I think you’d find few Londoners who like the Westway, but it won’t be going anywhere any time soon because, while incredibly ugly, it serves its purpose very well. The same can be said for housing estates; while they may not serve their residents in the best way possible, they may be preferable to the alternative.

Similarly, London’s suburban reaches aren’t a uniform thing. They can start, end, and be interrupted by places like Wembley. This reflects London’s ongoing expansion; throughout its history, London just swallowed up whole villages as it continued to grow.

Finally, London has not only swallowed up a large area of the UK, it’s also swallowed up people from around the world. Walking through London, you hear people speaking so many different languages and see people from all sorts of different cultural and racial backgrounds. The interesting thing is that this is a London-wide phenomenon.

So perhaps the best connection between Harrow & Wealdstone and Elephant & Castle is that while they’re totally different in look and feel, they do contain diverse groups of people, all of whom have chosen to move to or stay in London. London is as much an idea as a place, and it’s one that we all want to feel connected to.

Bakerloo Line Walk By The Numbers

• Track Length: 14.4 miles or 23.2 km.
• Walking Distance: 22.5 miles or 36.2 km.
• Time Taken: 9 hours 17 minutes (over 2 days).
• Average speed: 2.42 miles per hour or 3.89 km per hour.

Approximate Map of the Walk

View Larger Map

The London Perambulator is a wonderful short documentary about walking in London’s fringes. Although it was made in 2009, I’ve only just come across it. Directed and shot by John Rogers it focuses on Nick Papadimitriou and his walks on the edges of London.

It includes interviews with Will Self, Iain Sinclair and bizarrely Russell Brand. A lot of the discussion focuses on the psychogeography and deep topography of London; two terms I’ve never heard of before, but something I can certainly relate to on my tube walks.

I won’t spoil any more of it here, you’ll just have to watch it.

For more visit The London Perambulator website.

The 3 of us at Clapham Junction, the start and finish of the Overground Circle Pub Crawl. Proof that we can take photos at the same station during the day and at night.

Warning: The following account is not a part of my tube walking. It in no way endorses binge drinking or drinking along the Overground. It was an experiment to see if it was possible. It was in no way endorsed, supported, condoned or even tolerated by the Overground network and/or Transport for London. We did it so you don’t have to.

Well, it was bound to happen. Once the new Overground Circle opened on 9 December 2012, it was only a matter of time before some group of people attempted to outdo the Circle Line Pub Crawl using it instead. Turns out I was one of the first 3 people to complete it, on 16 February 2013.

So how does it compare to the Circle Line pub crawl? The Circle Line pub crawl goes through 27 stations, with 28 total stops, as you’re supposed to have a drink back at the original starting location. The Overground Circle has 33 stations, and we decided to adopt the Circle Line convention and have a final drink back at the starting point for a total of 34.

The Overground Circle.

As a two time veteran of the Circle Line pub crawl, I can tell you it’s just barely doable if you start before noon. For the Overground Circle I don’t think there is anyway you could do it by starting that late, so we agreed to start at 9am.

Now this created a problem of it’s own, because few pubs are open that early. The solution was simply to bring backpacks full of beer along with us and drink outside each station. This also solved the issue of trying to find a pub, as many of the stations on the Overground don’t have one conveniently located close by. All other rules would be decided by majority vote as we went along.

The following is some of what I can remember of the crawl:

Brad blocking me from the photo because we’re number 1 enemies.

I met my two Aussie friends – Natalie and Brad – at Jack’s at the Junction for a fry-up to line our stomachs before the upcoming onslaught of beer. After a little friendly banter from the cafe owner, we headed over to Clapham Junction Station – our first and final stop – and began drinking just after 9am.

My drink of choice was Beck’s 4.8% lager in 275ml bottles. I brought 24 in a backpack which meant it was heavy, but would get lighter as the day progressed. This was a poor choice, due to the relatively high alcohol content.

Natalie made the same mistake with some sort of generic 4.8% lager from Sainsbury’s, whereas Brad was the only with enough foresight to bring 2.6% beer (which tasted like water).

If you want to feel like you’ve made poor life decisions, I strongly suggest you try drinking on a street corner early in the morning. The whole thing just felt a bit wrong, but that didn’t stop us from asking a passer-by (who looked like she was returning from the gym) to take our photo.

Beers done and we were off! We decided to go counter-clockwise and so visited the newest section of the line first. We quickly passed the first several stations, drinking our beer in 5 minutes when the trains only come every 15.

4 stations in, at Denmark Hill

The original plan was to stop at pubs every 3rd or 4th stop. However, as we began so early, all the pubs were still closed. This meant no washroom breaks or glasses of water. By the time we reached Queens Road Peckham (6 stops in) we could all feel the beer’s effects and decided to buy some water at the local Tesco.

At this point Brad decided that he would switch to drinking whisky. He claimed he was going to take swigs equivalent to a single shot. Natalie and I had our doubts, but drank our beer and water outside the station while the security guard inside the Tesco just laughed at us.

Yep, I’m sure whisky will be a good choice…

Once we reached Surrey Quays we voted on a new rule: we could walk between stations so long as we had a drink for each one. This allowed us to go into Surrey Quays mall for a desperately needed washroom break and in theory helped delay the inevitable drunkenness.

However, in practise I don’t think it worked out too well as I have the distinct memory of turning into my tour guide persona and rambling on about Canada Water, while we drank on a park bench. Although, I don’t think I droned on about the Thames Tunnel (the first known tunnel under a navigable river) when we crossed from the south to the north side of the river.

Hot dog and beer at the Brew Dog Shoreditch.

We drank at several more stations and then arrived at Shoreditch High Street in time for our first pub stop and a desperately needed lunch. Our destination was the Shoreditch Brew Dog for some halves and big hot dogs. The food tasted so good and was much needed. Staying would have been much easier, but with food in our stomachs I felt as though I had a bit of a second wind.

Good thing too as we passed through the heart of hipster London. Surprisingly few people were around – 2pm in the afternoon is still too early. At this point we’d been drinking for hours together and I’d been filled in on all the gossip from our group of friends. We carried on drinking in parks or outside the station if one wasn’t on hand and started texting other people.

How the locals feel about hipsters at Dalston Junction.

This turned out to be useful because we met up with Sheree, another Aussie and fellow two time Circle Line Pub Crawl veteran, and Natalie’s flatmate Cara at the Famous Cock pub at Highbury & Islington. We’d already passed the halfway mark, but the addition of sober people at this point was crucial. It was becoming more and more of a chore to keep drinking, but we pressed on.

Some much needed reinforcements arrive.

I have little memory of the conversations, but I’m sure they were very intellectual given that Brad, Natalie and myself had drank through 18 stops while Sheree and Cara had not. Several more stations came and went until the 5 of us reached Kentish Town West. I work around the corner from here and it was a little odd being on a ridiculous pub crawl and so close to work. Still that didn’t slow us down from getting to the excellent Camden Town Brewery.

Brad and I made a final rule at this point where you could pre-drink an extra half-pint at the brewery and skip a stop later on. Both of us decided to do this. We left after we drank both our half-pints and got sandwiches for an early dinner. It was getting dark, but we continued.

From this point on my memory is somewhat hazy. I have no idea how well Brad and Natalie were doing, but as far I can remember they seemed to be doing fine. Here is a collection of random things I can remember:

• Drinking outside Gospel Oak Station.
• Drinking in a pub across a 4 lane road somewhere between Hampstead Heath and Willesden Junction (Google Street View can’t seem to help me find the location)
• Our Canadian friend Justin showing up at Shepherd’s Bush. He was key to helping us all finish.
• Drinking next to some Boris Bikes at Kensington Olympia.
• Getting in a disagreement at Imperial Wharf where I assured the station attendant that I had topped up my Oyster. Turns out I forgot to touch in or out properly at a station between Shepherd’s Bush and here.
• Waking up at High Barnet, not sure how I got there.

The penultimate stop and we’re still going. We’ve now visited all stations on the Overground circle.

The “good” news is that I did indeed finish as the photo at the top shows. The rather sad part is that I only have the vaguest memory of it happening. Therein lies the nature of The Overground Circle Pub Crawl and other slightly shorter ones like the Circle Line and Monopoly Board.

They are tests of drinking endurance, nothing more, nothing less. A quick back of the envelope calculation shows that I consumed around 40 units of alcohol (over 12+ hours) which I’m sure did nothing to improve my health. I honestly don’t remember what state Brad or Natalie were in, but I can’t imagine they weren’t much better.

If you’re expecting some sort of life lesson to take away from this, I’m sorry to disappoint but there isn’t one. We set-off to be the first ones in history to drink our way around the Overground Circle and we achieved that. Let history show that Brad, Natalie and Ian were the first three people to successfully complete the Overground Circle Pub Crawl!

Special thanks to Brad for doing the organising and Natalie for her company. I really enjoyed spending the time I remember with them. Also thanks to Sheree, Cara and Justin for helping us to finish the whole thing. Finally a huge thank you to all the Overground staff and passengers who we met throughout the day.

PS – For the time being I’m also the only person in London, and hence the world, who has completed the big 3 London pub crawls: Monopoly, Circle Line and now the Overground Circle. Neither Natalie nor Brad have completed the Circle Line crawl, although given their performance here I’m sure they could.