Hammersmith Walk

Tonight, back with London Literary Walks for a Hammersmith Walk. Ooh, and I finally got a locker! so I didn't have to make a run home first with my laptop. Left in good time - but this far out, it was never going to be a bus - had to be Tube. Google maps suggested that, instead of heading to the nearest station to work and taking the Central and Piccadilly Lines, I could walk a little to Mansion House and take the District Line direct. It'd be just as quick, and I wouldn't have to change. So that's what I did.. and what a good idea! Airier, less crowded, and I got a seat straight away. You forget how nice this line is, when you hardly take it..

A short walk from Hammersmith Broadway brought me to The Draft House, where we were meeting. And for once, I spotted them right away, just inside the window - and with a good view of a large screen that, by the time we left, was showing the match.

A nice, spacious pub with a good house white and, as I was to discover, rather good fries, ordered by one of the group, who shared.

This was a most pleasant walk, in the green and leafy glades of Hammersmith. We passed many imposing buildings:

..as well as places where famous people dwelt, or worked:

It wasn't all sweetness and light, with us stopping outside the house where the Golden Dawn used to meet, which sparked off quite the discussion about Aleister Crowley, and demonology in general. But it was a light-hearted one, most of us repairing afterwards to the most attractive pub, The Queen's Head, to continue the chat. It turned out to be another comfy place: plenty of space, a decent house white, and a recommended pub quiz!

And so back - Central and Piccadilly for me this time, headed home as I was. Looking forward to the next meeting of this group!

Tomorrow, back for our monthly social with ex-colleagues from my last company - this month, gee, you'll never guess.. someone suggested Japanese! :-) So we're off to Shoryu - upon seeing the menu, my boss remarked that it seemed very good value - particularly for Covent Garden! And then I'm back to Ireland for the weekend. Interestingly, my new company has an extra "bank holiday" - they brought in an extra day off some years ago as a reward for people who'd worked hard on a release - and they kept it! So we have two bank holidays in a row. Which means I coincide with Ireland, which has a bank holiday the first Monday in June instead of the last one in May..!