Just a couple of notes to warm the orchestra up.
1. That warmed-the-cockles-of-our-hearts remark that American chap made a few years back: “What I love about London Walks is the degree of granularity that you get.”
2. We – London Walks – thumb our nose at – we rout, send packing – that sad old saw, “we look but we don’t see.”
3. Every single bus tour of London goes along the Strand. They don’t see any of this.
4. Ok, it’s I spy with my little eye time. Here’s the image.
Fantastic, isn’t it. Whadda ya got? Whadda ya not got? You got a ship. You got chains. You got an anchor. You got foliage. You got a ram’s head. You got a sword handle. You got rope. You got iron rings. You got a globe. You got a lyre. You got a fish – a pretty determined, indeed angry fish. (Well, we’re down on the Strand – we’re where the wild things are – what’d you expect?) Didn’t see the fish? Look closely at the paddle. You got sails and masts. You got a beaded necklace. You got an urn. You got a bow-tied ribbon.
Wanna see it in real life? Well, it’s down there, you can go look for it.
Course you could also enlist the services of a London Walks guide.
Yeah, that’s a pitch. An unashamed one. Why not? They’re the best guides in London. Seeing the place with their eyes for a couple of hours will change the way you see London. A London Walk costs £9 – £7 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