Walk: A Night in Knightsbridge

Tonight, London Literary Walks took us for A Night in Knightsbridge - sure to be as good as ever. Another group I can heartily recommend, and often do. I had no late meetings, so set off in good time. I could take either bus from the stop across from the office, and wouldn't you know it, as I waited to cross, both of them passed! Never mind, another happened along within just a minute.

I'm still tired.. just too much going on in my life, as usual - I'd nearly dropped off by the time we came to the stop where I had to change, on Oxford Street. Then I had a helluva wait there, as the TFL app told me my next bus would be along in a minute - then added a few minutes, then a few more, until it was over 10 minutes after the initial estimate, as bus after other bus came. What is it with some buses..? When I finally got on, it was to a crawl down Oxford Street - jeez, was I sick of shops by the time we reached the end and traffic sped up!

Now, Google Maps wasn't telling me anything past where to get off - by which I understood that there'd be practically no walking distance to the pub, Paxton's Head. So when I got off, I had a look around - couldn't see it at first, the sign obscured by others. When I spotted it, I also noted a huge crowd standing outside! Happily, when I figured out where the door was and went in, it wasn't so bad. Gorgeous pub, I must say, with original engraved mirrors and Victorian features. The table where I found the couple of folks who'd got there before me was laid out in squares, as a games table! not that we participated.

My first port of call was to the toilets, down a spiral staircase and through a heavy, wooden door. Would've been nice if there had been toilet paper, and if the flush had been adequate - happily, the hand dryer at least was fully functional. I'm obviously not cured yet, mind - I nearly expired on my trip back up the stairs, and was glad of a pause at the bar while I waited to be served, so I could get my breath back. Glad also of a seat, which I'd secured when I first got there - and we had a convivial drink and chat before leaving.

I nearly expired again on the slight incline, shortly after leaving the pub. Never mind, I had a break before crossing the road, and recovered myself as we stopped for our guide to regale us with tales of the Great Exhibition, which had been right there! Not to be underestimated, it was a wonder, not only of that age, but of ages to come, and made many people's fortunes - Mr. Schweppes, for instance, who provided refreshments, and Mr. Thomas Cook, who organised day return train trips for spectators..

Oh, but we saw so much more. We passed the original London location of the Bunny Club, saw where Mr. Gray wrote his Anatomy.. were spied on by residents:

More photos here. Being Knightsbridge, of course we happened across some posh shops..

We passed the late Lillie Langtry's house, where I did wonder whether our guide was going to get to her most notorious claim to fame! In all, as usual, we were awakened to just how much history can be found in the quietest backstreets - and it was a gorgeously sunny, if chilly, evening for it. Minor panic ensued when our guide tore off at a lick - well, sometimes you just gotta do what you gotta do, y'know? The evening ended, for some of us, in The Gloucester, advertised as "The only pub on Sloane Street". Where I had yet more stairs to climb, to the quieter seating area upstairs. Phew, but I survived.

Catching the bus home (which, again, I'd just missed), I came across my first ever interactive bus stop! Where I caught up on the news:

Tomorrow, North London Friends is going to Quiz, at the Noel Coward Theatre. This is based on the true story of an audience member who coughed at the right answers from the multiple-choice selections, in Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?, thus enabling his co-conspirator to take away the top prize. Well, the group have onstage seats, which they sold themselves - they didn't show any availability when I looked, though, so I booked my own in the rear stalls, with the benefit of a Theatre Token I'd earned with Seatplan reviews. I then let them know I was coming.. and they've finally added me, yay. So I get to be sociable, too, with what is a very sociable group!