A Walk into Soho

[Dr_Strabismus]

If I tread carefully, I can walk the six miles from my house in the suburbs into the heart of London's West End, almost entirely through parkland, as though they were giant green lilypads floating in the muddy pond of the city's streets.


There really is no city like it.



Enjoy these pics, which I took a couple of days ago.

 

[Dr_Strabismus]

Silver Birches in Golders Hill Park

This Park is famous for its cafe, which serves cheap authentic Italian food to its clientelle, which consists of Polish nannies with buggies and old Auschwitz survivors.


http://i105.photobucket.com/albums/m228/akasubjoe/walk/Golder-Hill.jpg

 

[Dr_Strabismus]

West Heath.

Golders Hill Park backs on to the West Heath, which is famous for its cottaging (outdoor gay enounters). Although the illicit thrill may have gone since gay sex was legalized in 1967, it doesn't seem to have diminished the number of men coming here at night.

The birches here are indiginous to England, and after a heavy storm I usually pick a fine walking cane from one of their windfallen boughs to help me up the steep hill to Hampstead.


http://i105.photobucket.com/albums/m228/akasubjoe/walk/West-Heath.jpg

 

[Dr_Strabismus]

Nearing the top of West Heath

A fine pair of muscly beech trees.


http://i105.photobucket.com/albums/m228/akasubjoe/walk/beeches.jpg

 

[Dr_Strabismus]

A detour through The Hill

This strange, dreamlike park hidden inside West Heath is almost always slient and empty. Occasionally you'll see ghosts here, but they tend to leave you alone, unless you've smoked too much weed, in which case they chase you along the palisades.

http://i105.photobucket.com/albums/m228/akasubjoe/walk/Trip.jpg

 

[Dr_Strabismus]

East Heath.

This wild heathland has changed relatively litte since prehistoric times. Just behind those trees lies the burial mound where Queen Boudicca lies.


http://i105.photobucket.com/albums/m228/akasubjoe/walk/East-Heath-1.jpg

 

[Dr_Strabismus]

Well Path.

This path leads to an ancient well, where people used to come to drink during the time of the plague. It didn't help. Now, witches gather there on the Solstice. The well-water tastes fresh and wild, and also of iron, which is due to the iron pipes.

You can see some of the heath's ubiquitous doggy ladies.

http://i105.photobucket.com/albums/m228/akasubjoe/walk/East-Heath.jpg

 

[Dr_Strabismus]

Hampstead Pond.

An English Sheepdog posing for a photoshoot for an advert. He ignored the swans and ducks; I bet he gets paid a fortune.


http://i105.photobucket.com/albums/m228/akasubjoe/walk/Hampstead-Pond.jpg

 

[Dr_Strabismus]

Pub in Belsize Park.

Three miles into the walk, and I take a shortcut through Belsize Park, built in the late a Georgian period as a suburb for City types

http://i105.photobucket.com/albums/m228/akasubjoe/walk/Belsize-Park.jpg

 

[Dr_Strabismus]

Primrose Hill.

This park is open twenty-four hours, when those original Victorian gas-lights are lit (with electricity, but they still give a beautiful pinkish light) .

It's where 101 dalmations was set, and you can see those lampposts in the Disney cartoon.


http://i105.photobucket.com/albums/m228/akasubjoe/walk/Primerose-Hill-1.jpg

 

[Dr_Strabismus]

Reaching the top of Primrose Hill

http://i105.photobucket.com/albums/m228/akasubjoe/walk/Primrose-Hill.jpg

 

[Dr_Strabismus]

Primrose Hill from the Other Side

A Real TellyTubbies pic, which captures the hyperreal light of that dazzling day.

http://i105.photobucket.com/albums/m228/akasubjoe/walk/Telletubbies.jpg

 

[cloudy]

beautiful pictures.

 

[Dr_Strabismus]

Crossing Regents Park Canal

Some girls from the nearby Islamic school on their way to the zoo.

http://i105.photobucket.com/albums/m228/akasubjoe/walk/Crossing-into-Canal.jpg

 

[Dr_Strabismus]

The Grand Union Canal

Winding from the Thames through to Stratford On Avon, this canal is now mainly populated by holidaymakers and pipe-smoking romantic outcasts, who make their homes on narrowboats, and seem to be permanently merry with beer and cider.

http://i105.photobucket.com/albums/m228/akasubjoe/walk/Canal.jpg

 

[Dr_Strabismus]

(dup post)

 

[Dr_Strabismus]

A Fountain in Regents Park, and a detail of it:

http://i105.photobucket.com/albums/m228/akasubjoe/walk/Regents-Park.jpg

http://i105.photobucket.com/albums/m228/akasubjoe/walk/Regents-Park-Fountain-Plaqu.jpg

 

[Dr_Strabismus]

Pigeons in the Fountain

I love the formality of Regents Park, but only after having walked through the wilder heath first.

I stared at the sparkling water for a long time, and thought of.... nothing, really.

http://i105.photobucket.com/albums/m228/akasubjoe/walk/Regents-Park-Fountain-1.jpg

 

[Dr_Strabismus]

The Fountain of Nothing


Still staring...

http://i105.photobucket.com/albums/m228/akasubjoe/walk/Regents-Park-Fountain-2.jpg

 

[Dr_Strabismus]

Tulip Trees in Regents Park

One of my favorite trees, so called because of the tulipflower sahpe of its leaves.

http://i105.photobucket.com/albums/m228/akasubjoe/walk/Tulip-Tree.jpg

 

[Guest]

Absolutely stunning Doctor. Both the pictures and the narrative. Thank you so much for sharing!

 

[Dr_Strabismus]

After shaking off Regents Park, I duck south into Fitzrovia, pass the trendy restaurants of Charlotte Street, till I reach Rathbone Place, and this famous pub, which marked Northern end of London in the 18th century.

http://i105.photobucket.com/albums/m228/akasubjoe/walk/Marquis-of-Granby.jpg

 

[Dr_Strabismus]

Hobgoblin Folk Music Shop, Rathbone Place

Frequented by Paul Simon in the 1960's when he visited London, and wrote and recored the "Parsley Sage Rosemary and Thyme" album.

Warning, don't go in there asking for a Fender Strat or a Marshall Top.

http://i105.photobucket.com/albums/m228/akasubjoe/walk/hobgoblin.jpg

(edit -- just noticed, they have a Strat hanging in the window. The times they are a-changing in the folk world...)

 

[Dr_Strabismus]

Hare Krisna girls

Across Oxford Street from Rathbone Place, just as you approach Soho Square, you can often hear the chanting and drumming of the hare Krisna people, upstairs from their tasty and cheap restaurant, "Govinda's".

http://i105.photobucket.com/albums/m228/akasubjoe/walk/Hare-Krisna.jpg

 

[Dr_Strabismus]

Soho Square

A couple of homeless people enjoying an early morning skinny Caffe Latte with an extra shot of paint-stripper.

http://i105.photobucket.com/albums/m228/akasubjoe/walk/Soho-Square.jpg