DC Editor Adam writes…
For eight years now
I've lived in East Finchley. And for eight years I've been walking down to
Highgate on the south side of the Great North Road as it snakes past East
Finchley station.
On one of my day-off
rambles recently – yup, I'm a walking tour guide who walks on his day off – I
crossed the road.
Well hold the front
page, I hear you mutter. Hardly headline news.
Yet this simple act of
taking a few steps off the beaten track allowed me to see something, a tiny
London detail, that had been sitting right under my nose all along: An Edward
VIII post box…
Only around 160 such
boxes were made during King Edward VIII's short reign.
It reminded me of one
of the cardinal points of being a London Walks guide. It's less "What will
we see?" and more "How will we be shown?"
You can bet your boots
that each London Walks guide has chosen the best spot from the best angle from
a wide range of vantage points on her/his walking tour. Chosen them carefully on your behalf. We're able to point out
the unexpected, the "aaawww!" details to you because we've REALLY
looked for them.
All except, that is,
in the case of my own neighbourhood on my own workaday "commute".
Doh!
It reminded me of
something else: there is no such thing as a workaday commute in London. There's
always something to see.
If you can't join us
on a London Walk any time soon, then you can try this for yourself: walk a
different route every once in a while. It's a technique that's been cited as
everything from a potential aid for depression to a means of staving off mental
stagnation. And switch off your phone! We invented them, remember. That's why
they've got an off switch.
Happy walking.
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A
London Walk costs £10 – £8 concession. To join a London Walk, simply meet your
guide at the designated tube station at the appointed time. Details of all
London Walks can be found at www.walks.com.