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The Lore and the Profits - a stroll through Covent Garden
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A bonus walk lasting about an hour. It's for when you have time for a stroll and find yourself in the vicinity of Holborn or Covent Garden.
We start at Holborn Underground on the Central and Piccadilly Lines in Zone 1. After acending the long escalator, go straight through the barriers out to Kingsway. Turn right and cross over High Holborn to see the 1950's tram underpass which unaccountably remains in Southampton Row. Then cross over and take a seat in the Sicilian Ave precinct (pictured) whilst I tell you all about Holborn and Covent Garden.
There's lots of history on this walk, but nothing heavy. Just snippets about the origins of the present look and feel of the place mainly dating back to the 1600's. After the chat we continue down Kingsway and turn right into Great Queen St, names after James I's queen, Anne of Denmark. You can visit the enormous imposing Freemasons' Hall where there are public exhibitions associated with the Masons. You can also see the site where the Football Association was founded and where they argued about the rules. Plus ca change.
Drury Lane signals the start of Theatreland and then Covent Garden. The highly fashionable houses of the early 1600's gave way to rowdy, brawling and seedy streets as the aristocrats moved West.
Bow Street is the heart of the walk. Here we see the old Bow Street Magistrates Court, recently closed. Here the Bow Street Runners, forebears of every police force in the world took over from the early volunteer 'thief takers.' Here a blind magistrate claimed to be able to distinguish up to 3,000 different miscreants by the sound of their voices alone. Here Oscar Wilde was arraigned for gross indecency, and an 89 year old Bertrand Russel with other supporters of CND was bound over to keep the peace in the 1960's. Fascinating history.
Then the highlight of the stroll if you are lucky - a visit to the Royal Opera House and the old Floral Hall. A refurbished gem of a place not to be missed. Try and get there between 10am and 3pm Monday - Saturday to gain admittance. The Paul Hamlyn Hall as it is know known (that's corporate sponsorship for you) is a must-see.
Finally you can cross the Covent Garden Piazza with its street entertainers, market stalls, eating places and other attractions to St Paul's Church. The walk finishes with a stroll along Floral Street and its shishi fashion shops and tiny alleys and courtyards. From Long Acre you can either brave the deep lifts down to Covent Garden Underground (Piccadilly Line Zone 1) or spend a few minutes retracing your steps back to Holborn.
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