DIY London Historical Half

I love running through cities - it's a great way to experience them. One day last July I took the train to London Bridge station and started a 21K run round London - The London Historical Half, I called it. The week before I had finished Arthur Ransome’s ‘Bohemia in London’ book, and that inspired me. Starting at Borough Market I ran alongside the Thames until the narrow bridge crossing to St Paul’s Cathedral. Then it was through Fleet St stopping to read some of the historical stuff on the way - writers and newspapers published in Fleet Street dating back to the 16th Century, though the street has been around since the 13th Century - one of the oldest roads in London. I then ran past the Law Courts over Waterloo Bridge to the South Bank opposite the Houses of Parliament. Here I came across the DIY wall of remembrance for all the covid victims - it just went on and on so far. Amazing and sad.. Kept on past MI5 to Battersea Park where one guy was practicing his ‘chops’ with a samurai sword . Then over Chelsea bridge to Cheyene Walk, home in the 17th and 18th centuries to bohemians of the book that inspired the day. Basically ambitious artists would travel up on foot or horse drawn cart from the country to Cheyene Walk and live in poverty for their art, but have a great time doing it. It was all fields then to Soho and beyond. I walked into an ancient small church from the Middle Ages and earlier where they were having a social gathering and got introduced to the vicar there who gave me an impromptu guided tour. It was a really special moment and I was so grateful. What a nice man. After this I ran up to Hyde Park, through trail and over the Serpentine, past the Albert Hall, Speaker’s Corner and across to Soho where I had an omelette and chips before ending the adventure at the Photographer’s Gallery, a place I love, just off Oxford Street. London is so great for mini- adventure days like this. And that was my home-made London Historical Half sightseeing adventure run.