Soho, London: Day 3

It is now 5:00 p.m. After a five-hour sleep, Greg and I take the Tube down to Soho, in London's West End, where we revel in the vibrant street life. The London Tube is a remarkably complex system of a dozen lines, running simultaneously, and providing highly efficient service. In contrast to the Toronto Transit System (TTC), the London Tube trains are punctual, frequently-running, and clean, with comprehensible audio-recorded messages. The messages themselves, in contrast to those in Toronto subways, are well-composed, with a kind, respectful tone. Surprisingly, these seem to make all the difference in making me feel well-served and welcome on the trains, not dismissed or condescended on (TTC take note!).

Soho, for much of its history, was farmland, until Henry VIII trans-
formed it into parkland in the mid-16th century, for the Palace of Whitehall, the English monarchs' main residence in London for 150 years (it was destroyed by fire in 1698); Whitehall was the largest residence in Europe at the time, with 1500 rooms. The name Soho appeared in the 17th century, and is believed to have come from the rallying cry of hunters.

Soho was first granted to Henry Jermyn, the first Earl of St. Albans; but it was a labourer, Richard Frith, who initiated the development of the area. The original intention had been to transform Soho into another fashionable neighbourhood, such as Bloomsbury, but the aristocratic residents gradually vacated it, and by the 17th century, Huguenots - French Protestants escaping persecution from French Catholics - progressively settled, founding a church there; however, the area rapidly declined from neglect. By the 19th century, most of the aristocratic families had moved away, and drinking establishments, music halls, and prostitution had replaced what had once been a largely residential neighbourhood.

Today, Soho is a highly diverse residential and commercial area. It is one of London's most popular social hubs, consisting of endless varieties of shops, restaurants, pubs, and clubs. It is where all ages, persuasions, and orientations congregate to watched and be watched. It is a flaneur's paradise.

Walking around, marvelling at the extent, variety, and colour of the various shopping arcades, boutiques, and restaurants, we are reminded of strolling in New York, except that London, being older, has more charming old Victorian piles, many of which have renovated interiors that reflect a modernist aesthetic. It is a great way of combining the old with the new. We dine in a small restaurant in the heart of Soho, serving simple Continental fare.

We continue wandering and end up at Foyles Bookshop, on Charing Cross Road, where we spend the next hour browsing. Bookshops are our commonly-shared weakness, so we often visit them on trips. Foyles is famous, so we had high expectations of its offerings. But even we were surprised by the range of subject matter, together with the sheer number of books within those categories. The multi-storied shop even has a comprehensive selection of textbooks of all disciplines. Of note is how reasonably-priced the merchandise is, in contrast to what we'd expected. I buy a novel for about $5.00 and Greg, a number of books for less than $100.00. So far, we have found prices for goods, in general, to be lower than expected. It's likely due to the strong Canadian dollar.

It is now 10:00 p.m. We leave Foyles and hop on the Tube again, this time heading to the Victoria Embankment, on the shores of the River Thames. Exiting the Tube Station, we are struck by the difference between this landscape and the one we were just in. In Toronto, much of the downtown is fairly uniform in its layout, form, and architectural styles, even down by the waterfront. London neighbourhoods, it seems, are far more diverse in aesthetics, age, and feel. I like how this diversity allows one to choose an area to be in, depending on one's mood.

From the Embankment, we cross Waterloo Bridge to the South Bank, an area experiencing rapid expansion, where many of London's cultural, artistic, and theatrical institutions are based. Examples include the replica of the Globe Theatre, where Shakespeare's plays continue to be staged; The Tate Modern, a huge art gallery housed in a former electrical plant; and the National Theatre, where many of the plays of Alan Bennett - one of my favourite playwrights - are staged. This latter building is still open, so we browse the book shop (all institutions here have bookshops, which add to their appeal, at least to us). We don't linger as the place is about to close, but we do manage to buy a few books of plays (new Alan Bennett, woo hoo!), before heading back to the hotel.

Being April, the evenings are cold, especially near open water. It's now around 11:30 p.m.

References: 
1. Wikipedia
2. TimeOut Guide (London 2010)

See slide show below to see more images (click on slide show to enlarge):