The sun makes
all the difference. As I wrote these words, the sky was blue. Airplanes left
their trails. The birds sang. People chattered. Time was drifting more slowly.
Life felt less of a struggle.
Generally, I
wear my shoes until they begin to fall apart. A new pair of Summer and Winter
shoes every couple of years. Last Wednesday, I was off to the Vans shop on
Carnaby Street. Tube to Green Park, then left out of the station, on to
Piccadilly, opposite the Ritz. Second left onto Dover Street, past the Mayfair galleries,
the doorman in top hat outside the Arts Club and a right on to Stafford Street.
The Duke Of Albemarle pub stands immediately on the left. Turn another left out
of Stafford Street, head over Albemarle Street, past a Paul Smith shop, through
the Royal Arcade and out on to Old Bond Street. At Tiffany & Co walk
over the zebra crossing and head down Burlington Gardens, passing round the
back of the Royal Academy, before the road twists past Savile Row and narrows
into Vigo Street, which opens out to meet Regent Street, just above the
glorious bend leading down to Piccadilly Circus. Over Regent Street, along
Glasshouse Street and into Brewer Street, a walk up Lower John Street, a cut through
Golden Square, then Upper James Street meets Beak Street, a final left and you
are at Carnaby Street.
This is a well-worn
path for me, leading to companies relating to my work, record shops,
clothes shops, pubs, cafes and restaurants. Interesting things that make the world go round. I have never once turned right on coming
out of Green Park station, let alone gone into Green Park itself. On this
particular Wednesday, the sun was shining and I had a little time on my hands.
It was the perfect opportunity to sit on the grass, eat my lunch and watch the
world go by.
I took my place
in the middle of a Green Park lawn, a path on either side of me, a construction
worker dozing in the sun, lying in front of me, (see HSD Image) and in the
distance, at the bottom of the park I could see an extremely familiar golden
statue. ‘I know that statue,’ I thought to myself, before realising it is the
statue located in the middle of the roundabout at the bottom of The Mall, in
front of Buckingham Palace.
Apparently, it
is known as the Victoria Memorial, designed by Sir Thomas Brock and was
unveiled in 1911. Seeing that statue was like a final geographical jigsaw piece
falling into place. To have lived in London for 22 years and to have not known
that Buckingham Palace is a five minute walk from Green Park station is a touch
ridiculous but in my defence, Buckingham Palace is not on my list of places to
visit and it has never clicked. If Sister Ray Records, Sounds of The Universe, or the Vans shop were
situated at Buck House, I would be there. In fact, I can’t remember having ever
purposefully gone to Buckingham Palace, so perhaps my lack of geographical
insight is not so far fetched after all.
Whenever I have
ventured on to The Mall, it has always been coming from Charing Cross Station
or walking through Covent Garden, via Trafalgar Square. It just goes to show
that you can live in London for a long time and you never stop discovering –
even if it is the geographical situation of one of the most famous and well
known landmarks in the entire world. One day, I may take the tourist trek from
Green Park Station to Westminster, via Green Park, The Mall, Horse Guards
Parade and Downing Street. One thing I shall not be doing again is buying a coffee
from the St.James’s Park kiosk – it tastes like piss...
