Back in the 1960s/70s I bought my private visiting cards and notepaper from Dave Elkington who rented a room in Lamb's Conduit Street. Dave was a copperplate engraver and printer. In the room where he worked alone and in silence he had a table, at which he engraved his plates, and an ancient hand-operated printing press. He had no telephone and could only be contacted by post. His wife would call from a nearby public call box the advise when finished orders were ready to be dispatched. They must have lived very frugally. Despite his incredible engraving skills and the time it must have taken to execute each order, he charged remarkably little for his services.
Probably my favourite UA-cam video ever. I was posted to Holborn as a police officer in the mid 80's and as a history nut you can imagine how much I enjoyed walking the beat there. I love the cadence of your delivery and almost reverential way in which you connect with the past. Thank you so much John. Cheers.
Loved this walk, it brought back so many memories for me. I was in Great Ormond St hospital for 4 months at the age of 2yrs old, that was 74 years ago. 56 yrs ago I used to walk down Lambs Conduit St to the baby clinic on the corner adjoined to the hospital with my eldest son, it was called 'The Province of Natal'. I have walked though many of those Mews and streets. Played in Coram fields myself as a child and aslo with my son. We had two of those gas lamps down our terrace in Islington, the man used to arrive at 4pm every day on his bike carrying a long pole, he would unhook the litte glass door at the top then light the lamp. 9am the next day he would extinguish the light. The lamp post itself made a great swing using thick rope tied from the metal bar at the top, health and safty would cringe nowadays. The lamp posts also came in handy as breaks when roller skating with the old fashioned metal wheel roller skates 😁. Thank you so much, I did enjoy that trip back to my childhood and my old home country 💕🇦🇺
Hey great video yet again! thats me and my son Louie at the end 😂 On the way to collect my eldest Son from Coram’s. We’re honoured to have made the cut! Great meeting you. Love your videos man see you on the next walk.. wherever that may be 😎👍
My mum worked in Lamb's Conduit St during the 1970's and 80's as a Florist. She made many bouquets for dignitaries and celebs visiting Great Ormand Street hospital including the Queen, her claim to Fame. It was lovely to see the area again and do a bit of reminiscing, thanks for taking me back. A wonderful video, as usual.
I moved to London past May from the US and we were given a place to stay in this neighborhood (on Kings Mews) for our first 5 or 6 weeks and really loved it. Your walks have been a real inspiration for my own wanderings, exploring and learning a few of the secrets of this fascinating city. So it was really fun to see you in this video around the neighborhood that was my first proper introduction to London as a real lived-in place rather than just a tourist destination.
Did you stay with a company called Be London by any chance?! I’m currently staying in Kings Mews at the moment too and am enjoying it for the same reasons.
I'm halfway through your full playlist, having discovered your channel by luck a month or so back. Loving your enthusiasm and interesting back stories for every locale. Looking forward to many more videos in the coming months/years.
As per usual you provide a great film of a fascinating walk. I worked for the British Library for 37 years, 22 years in the British Museum building and 15 in the new St.Pancras building. I know Bloomsbury and Holborn very well. Apart from the many fascinating streets and buildings which you describe so well, I love all the squares in Bloomsbury.
Worked on Bedford Square for a while. My office at the back of the building overlooked part of the British Museum. Bloomsbury is probably my favourite part of London.
Having worked in Clerkenwell/Farringdon for nearly 50 years this is another area I know well. So many beautiful houses/buildings. As always, a very enjoyable walk. Thank you John.
I've spent the last 2 days with your videos in the background while I work. But this one really piqued my interest. I lived at 21b Great James Street when I first got married in 2004. I proposed to my wife in Ciao Bella's on Lambs Conduit Street on Christmas Eve 2002. Beautiful part of London with many fond memories and you captured it so well. Many thanks Rob ps The Peoples Supermarket was there then 😁
Thanks John. As a young electrician I re-wired some of those chambers at Grays Inn during the 80's. We had to use a special type of rat proof cable known as Pyro. The Inn had their own inspector who used to check our work each day, he was a WW2 veteran nearing retirement. I miss those old days so much.
what a lovely walk! Seeing London - specially old London- makes my heart burst with joy. I was in Lamb's conduit in 2015, visiting this quaint and beautiful independent bookshop called Persephone books. They've moved to Bath last year. Lovely street. Had a cup of tea at a coffeeshop called Bloom, a few feet away from the bookshop. Thank you so much, John!
I had just finished watching this walk while sitting on the rank at Waterloo and thinking I hadn't been into Grays Inn for more than 10 years when I was hailed to go there (north square to be precise) and it was lovely to see it in the flesh again One thing I noticed that you didn't point out was the water pump in the square with gold paint picking out the detail Great video
I used to leave Chancery Lane Station, turn right into Brownlow Street, which changes to Bedford Row, cross Theobalds Road and I worked in Gt James Street (can't remember the number - solicitors). Worked there for a year or so. Lovely to see that little trip again. Later I worked at Doughty Street Chambers (but Keir Starmer was not there then !!) but I never did go into the Dickens Museum 😒
Your videos bring back wonderful memories of when I was studying at the London School of Economics in 1987. There used to be so many unique shops and vendors back in those days, all sadly swallowed up by luxury flats and generic shops. Thank you for the walk down memory lane.
Absolute banger, John. My dad Iain lived on Rosebery Avenue, 1997-2016. His nickname coincidentally was Jockey, and I always coveted a spot on Jockey's Fields for him. I have thousands of overlaps with your videos, growing up in the UK until 2002. Keep up the great work, John.
When you were by Charles Dickens house I was saying to the screen The Coram's Foundling Hospital Museum is not far away so I'm glad you didn't miss it out. It is worth visiting. It's just a short walk from that special park. If you haven't got a child with you there is nice park,a garden square next door that you can sit in to eat your lunch. There was nice plantings there. I visited the Coram's Museum in 2018 as I was going to Chelsea Flower Show but I had an after 4.30 pm ticket which is cheaper and better because the light is all golden and gets dusky in a beautiful way and the show is less crowded and it's nice. Relaxing. It's very moving to see the tokens in the museum.
I worked based in Theobalds Road from 1975 until 1999 and in the beautiful Summit House in Red Lion Square. We used to drink in the Enterprise, the Lamb and the Sun. Spent many lunch times walking around Lincoln's Inn. Fantastic memories of many happy times. Thanks for posting John.👍😇
Gosh, John. This was phenomenal. I grew up on these streets; my first memories are from Lambs Conduit Street (early 80s) before we moved to 14 Rugby Street, opposite French’s Dairy. There was a funeral directors across the street and I remember my Nan (who was a little naïve, bless her) saying “That building is so unlucky... people keep dying". I also spent long days playing in Coram’s Fields; so many childhood memories. Thanks for a poignant and engaging tour of one of the most unique places in London.
Worked really close to the Cittie of Yorke and drank there many times really is a great pub. Enjoyed re-walking (with you) those streets again. I used to walk from Victoria Station to Holburn as often was quicker than catching the tube. Got to know a lot of the back routes and the real London. Very much enjoyed this and now off to watch the Clerkenwell one as worked there for years also.
Best wishes from a very muggy Brisbane Australia, John. Thank you for your wonderful videos which take me back to my wonderful working holiday in the UK 40 years ago. So enjoy them all!! Keep safe.
I was concerned when no video appeared yesterday. What a relief to see this lovely video in the area I studied when at art school in the 80s. Thank you John!
You look and sound to be a lovely man John. Empathetic, sensitive and fond of your memories of your son. Enjoying your videos immensely from Australia.
Hi John.. Great video of one of my old haunts. I used to work in Eagle St so spent quite a few hours walking around lunchtime and evening. Mewing is the avian equivalent to dogs molting. Hunting birds weren't flown during the mew so were kept inside.
I have to take issue regarding the perceived benefits of Sam Smith. They've taken over most of the truly historic London pubs, removing most of the variety in the process. The Princess Louise just down the road is a prime example. Fantastic pub, like an old gin palace. Pre Smith's you could go in and find around 20 pumps on the bar, each serving a different ale. Now it's just twiggy OBB. The one "benefit" is the price - but I feel it's poor compensation for the cost of what we lost
12:06 I 'worked' in a shared workshop in Cockpit Yard after graduating from Kingston Poly (we drank far too much coffee) for a couple of years back in the 80s. I got to know these streets so well back then. Great to see it again.
This walk brought back good memories of when I worked in the area as well as the friend who was my guide to many of its pubs and curiosities. My former employers used to make use of the Goodenough Club. You could hire it out if your business was concerned with educational purposes. It was, so colleagues from outside of London could stay in the Goodenough’s accommodation on Mecklenburgh Sq. The part you went past was where the refectory was based which offered an amazing value breakfast. Supposedly the best in London. Got me through some hangovers. And the Duke is a lovely pub.
Your taste in background music is simply perfect for your videos, which are a pleasure and so interesting! The knowledge and anecdotes, history and personal tidbits are priceless. Love these! Thank you.
Another great walk, John . Love WC1. My wife and I were walking from liv st to the strand on this day. I used to be a courier, so we walked over through EC1 over to high Holburn. I did say imagine if we bump into John Rogers , how exciting would that be to see him ? To actually see, we wasn't too far from you; it made us smile watching this video. Great work as always, John 👍👏👏
I lived near Gray's inn road back in the early 1970s and this walk through video is such a nice reminder of part of my youth. Packenham St was our family abode and playing soccer and fooling around in the Coram fields was our greatest fun on weekends or school holidays. Thank you John Rogers for your many delightful and educational walks around London, thoroughly enjoyable 👍.
hi john' thanks for another great and interesting video and hope you and your family and your dog are safe and well.look forward to the next video on sunday or monday or when ever.cheers john.
Moved from London to Amsterdam, then In 83 to the US. Hated London (Hackney) was glad to be gone, now in my Autumn years your walks have given me a fresh appreciation of the old Smoke and Blighty in general. Thanks keep on keeping on.
My dad’s working on a house on Great James Street at the moment, it’s been a few years of restoration work, the house is magical. I also used to work with him and we’d go for walks with his friend who’s a historian and has written books on Georgian architecture. Really lovely stuff! I’m coincidentally staying in this area at the moment and it’s truly my favourite part of London, so rich in history and you can see it everywhere.
Very enjoyable. Have never lived in London or indeed the UK but both are the backgrounds of most of my reading so it is wonderful to " see " places I have read about.
Used to work for a firm of solicitors many years back and would often take legal bundles to chambers, used to love walking round Lincolns Inn, the buildings and architecture are really beautiful, and would sometimes forget that you were in central London!
There is only one master walks, and that is you mr Rogers! I think this is one of my favourite videos. I loved the ending when you talked about your bribery tack ticks and then the guy with the kid on his back walked by probably doing the same thing you done 10 years ago or so. I love Lambs Conduit Street and Queens square is near by, good pub there is the Queens. Pre Covid I use to walk round there on my lunch breaks. Gonna take my kids to Corams fields soon I think. Really enjoy your posts, thanks John!
Well, I now have a lot of videos to watch having just discovered yours! Thank you from North Carolina USA for allowing me to see the sights of London that I most likely will never see in person! It’s lovely that you talk as if you are walking along with a friend, just showing the sights - makes me feel like I’m visiting an old friend!
Your channel popped up in my feed a few weeks ago and I’m so glad it did. I’m a Londoner living abroad and love your videos. They are always interesting and i feel like I’m walking with you, I like the music too. Thank you John!
One of my favourite of John's videos. It has a nice kind of winter Sunday afternoon peaceful vibe to it. I was bought back to it yet again as during my family tree research as I came across one of my great great grandparents living at 2 Lambs Conduit Passage in the registration district of Holborn in the 1861 census.
I use to work in an office near the first gate that was closed and use go eat my lunch in that park in grays Inn 12pm to 2pm brilliant memories I love this part of Holborn thank you for the walk John.
What a delightful way to spend half an hour! Thank you John, for rekindling many old memories of this area. I didn't know half of the detail you brought to us. Now, I noticed something in this video that makes me think I may have been misinformed. I remember reading that Manette Street (next to Foyle's) is the only London street to have been named after a Dickens character. But now I find Brownlow Street in what is, as you say, an area with strong links with Dickens. Seems that you can't believe everything you read! (Mr Brownlow belongs in Oliver Twist)
Not long ago I listened to Keep the Aspidistra Flying and I enjoyed it much more than I thought I would. I was a little afraid it’d be dull and inaccessible but I couldn’t have been more wrong. Thanks for making the connection- something you do quite well.
The irony of the close was brilliant. You were talking about happy memories with your son,when a man ,carrying his small son,recognised you and called your name. I wonder where he'll be walking when his son is at university?? Love these walks. Thanks.
Only just discovered your amazing videos John and I simply cannot wait to delve into your extraordinary library! I've already ordered a copy of the London Compendium on your recommendation! 👍
I used to work at the top of that art deco building :). Its a rooftop haidressers. The top two floors. I was there for 12yrs. Northington street will always have a place in my heart.
How lovely is this! Loved the chap at the end who recognised you. I love this area. Early memories of having to go to Eastman's Dental Hospital in Gray's Inn Rd. If I was very lucky my dear Mam would bring me to Coram's Fields afterwards. Absolutely enchanting walk, thanks as always John.
Thank you, for that lovely walk John, I used to enjoy walk around London on a Sunday when I Lived there, without a map and pre Google earth. I used to always try and finish around Bloomsbury because I was always looking out for Kenneth Williams .
Great stuff John - I wonder if the "challenging" architecture of today will blend so successfully with the older buildings as Deco does with what came before it? - good walk, as ever!
Fond memories of Lambs Conduit Street, espcially my regular order of ten hot buttered rolls and two cakes at the bakery there on cold winters days. Now, sadley no more. Having just left work (6pm) was stopped outside that very supermarket and had my driving documents checked by an individual who following his dissapointed that i was all legal! Then tried to arrest me for going equiped for burgalary. A legal screwdriver was in my bag. Another fail! Nothing changed there then, still a bunch of Dick heads:) A lot of people, including me, did not realise that many trade workshops were in the basements of the buildings. Does anyone remember the knife sharpener who operated in the street from time to time?
Thanks John for another great video. I worked for Liverpool Victoria at Victoria House in Southampton Row for 26 years but although I went down many of the streets shown in your video I am sad to say that I never noticed what was in them. Doughty Mews and John's Mews are familiar as the company owned a couple of Mews buildings in those roads where they kept the company vehicles. Lambs Conduit Street was also familiar as Holborn Bakeries was in that street and on birthdays it was the go to venue to buy cakes for work colleagues.
Brilliant I used to live up on Grays Inn Buildings , loved walking these areas back in the late 90s, look forward to more, another Brill video John they are now a Staple!!Thanks
Happy memories (i used to work in Bernard Street), had a works Christmas party in Goodenough College, many a retirement do in the upstairs room at The Lamb, and meals in Ciao Bella next door. Walking around that area at lunchtimes there is so much to see and do.
Fascinating. I lived in Leather Lane in the mid 80s, worked split shifts in a pub in Russell Square , so used to do variations of this route 4 times a day. Also looked after a flat in Doughty Mews for an American friend
Love your videos! Could you do some around West London? A lot of my family grew up in the Notting Hill/ Notting Hill Gate area, and Portobello Road, before it was gentrified!
Many moons ago, I was sent to High Holborn for some training. Didn’t get any time to look around the back streets etc… nice to see what I missed. As ever, ‘tis always a pleasure 👊🏼
Back in the 1960s/70s I bought my private visiting cards and notepaper from Dave Elkington who rented a room in Lamb's Conduit Street. Dave was a copperplate engraver and printer. In the room where he worked alone and in silence he had a table, at which he engraved his plates, and an ancient hand-operated printing press. He had no telephone and could only be contacted by post. His wife would call from a nearby public call box the advise when finished orders were ready to be dispatched. They must have lived very frugally. Despite his incredible engraving skills and the time it must have taken to execute each order, he charged remarkably little for his services.
Probably my favourite UA-cam video ever. I was posted to Holborn as a police officer in the mid 80's and as a history nut you can imagine how much I enjoyed walking the beat there. I love the cadence of your delivery and almost reverential way in which you connect with the past. Thank you so much John. Cheers.
many thanks L
The thanks go to you John. Lance
So wonderful to see folks recognising you, John. "Hey, John Rogers!!" 👋👋
Just shows you how great you are John!
Thanks for the educational walk, as usual much appreciated.
Special memories of living on Theobalds road around the time the peoples supermarket opened. Lovely part of the city.
Loved this walk, it brought back so many memories for me. I was in Great Ormond St hospital for 4 months at the age of 2yrs old, that was 74 years ago. 56 yrs ago I used to walk down Lambs Conduit St to the baby clinic on the corner adjoined to the hospital with my eldest son, it was called 'The Province of Natal'. I have walked though many of those Mews and streets. Played in Coram fields myself as a child and aslo with my son. We had two of those gas lamps down our terrace in Islington, the man used to arrive at 4pm every day on his bike carrying a long pole, he would unhook the litte glass door at the top then light the lamp. 9am the next day he would extinguish the light. The lamp post itself made a great swing using thick rope tied from the metal bar at the top, health and safty would cringe nowadays. The lamp posts also came in handy as breaks when roller skating with the old fashioned metal wheel roller skates 😁. Thank you so much, I did enjoy that trip back to my childhood and my old home country 💕🇦🇺
Hey great video yet again! thats me and my son Louie at the end 😂 On the way to collect my eldest Son from Coram’s. We’re honoured to have made the cut! Great meeting you. Love your videos man see you on the next walk.. wherever that may be 😎👍
My mum worked in Lamb's Conduit St during the 1970's and 80's as a Florist. She made many bouquets for dignitaries and celebs visiting Great Ormand Street hospital including the Queen,
her claim to Fame. It was lovely to see the area again and do a bit of reminiscing, thanks for taking me back. A wonderful video, as usual.
Enjoyable as ever thanks John
As an American I love watching your walks! I sadly will not be back to London to possibly see you, but thank you for the walks and the history!
You sir are definitely master of walks.just lovely.
I moved to London past May from the US and we were given a place to stay in this neighborhood (on Kings Mews) for our first 5 or 6 weeks and really loved it. Your walks have been a real inspiration for my own wanderings, exploring and learning a few of the secrets of this fascinating city. So it was really fun to see you in this video around the neighborhood that was my first proper introduction to London as a real lived-in place rather than just a tourist destination.
You just be a neighbour of mine. Welcome 🙏
Did you stay with a company called Be London by any chance?! I’m currently staying in Kings Mews at the moment too and am enjoying it for the same reasons.
@@AbiCroCro no, no company residency. Im a local 🙂
@@AbiCroCro I wasn't involved in the booking so I don't remember the name of the company. It was on the lower end close to Theobalds Rd.
Best sign off so far, and frankly will be hard to top.
I'm halfway through your full playlist, having discovered your channel by luck a month or so back. Loving your enthusiasm and interesting back stories for every locale. Looking forward to many more videos in the coming months/years.
Cheers Eden - massively appreciated
Thanks for the memories. An old Holborn/Camden native. I live in Australia now but loved growing up in Holborn until 1965-1990.
As per usual you provide a great film of a fascinating walk. I worked for the British Library for 37 years, 22 years in the British Museum building and 15 in the new St.Pancras building. I know Bloomsbury and Holborn very well. Apart from the many fascinating streets and buildings which you describe so well, I love all the squares in Bloomsbury.
My dad worked at the british library ( at the museum also at the new building at st pancreas before he retired,
Noice
Worked on Bedford Square for a while. My office at the back of the building overlooked part of the British Museum. Bloomsbury is probably my favourite part of London.
Hey John Rogers,, loved that ending. A man of the people
Having worked in Clerkenwell/Farringdon for nearly 50 years this is another area I know well. So many beautiful houses/buildings. As always, a very enjoyable walk. Thank you John.
This one put a smile on my face, thanks John
Spent many of times in the LAMB. Lovely old pub.
I've spent the last 2 days with your videos in the background while I work. But this one really piqued my interest. I lived at 21b Great James Street when I first got married in 2004. I proposed to my wife in Ciao Bella's on Lambs Conduit Street on Christmas Eve 2002. Beautiful part of London with many fond memories and you captured it so well.
Many thanks
Rob
ps The Peoples Supermarket was there then 😁
Thanks for sharing that memory Rob
@@JohnRogersWalks I'm so glad I have found your channel. It's a pot of gold.
Thanks John. As a young electrician I re-wired some of those chambers at Grays Inn during the 80's. We had to use a special type of rat proof cable known as Pyro. The Inn had their own inspector who used to check our work each day, he was a WW2 veteran nearing retirement. I miss those old days so much.
Excellent way to start the day and looking forward to reading The London Nobody Knows which I've just bought online.
what a lovely walk! Seeing London - specially old London- makes my heart burst with joy. I was in Lamb's conduit in 2015, visiting this quaint and beautiful independent bookshop called Persephone books. They've moved to Bath last year. Lovely street. Had a cup of tea at a coffeeshop called Bloom, a few feet away from the bookshop. Thank you so much, John!
I didn't know that Persephone Books had moved! What a shame they're not still in Lambs Conduit St...fabulous bookshop!!
Superb...👍.
I had just finished watching this walk while sitting on the rank at Waterloo and thinking I hadn't been into Grays Inn for more than 10 years when I was hailed to go there (north square to be precise) and it was lovely to see it in the flesh again
One thing I noticed that you didn't point out was the water pump in the square with gold paint picking out the detail
Great video
Brings back memories from when i was a bicycle messenger.. More of THIS!!!! Please..
I used to leave Chancery Lane Station, turn right into Brownlow Street, which changes to Bedford Row, cross Theobalds Road and I worked in Gt James Street (can't remember the number - solicitors). Worked there for a year or so. Lovely to see that little trip again. Later I worked at Doughty Street Chambers (but Keir Starmer was not there then !!) but I never did go into the Dickens Museum 😒
Your videos bring back wonderful memories of when I was studying at the London School of Economics in 1987. There used to be so many unique shops and vendors back in those days, all sadly swallowed up by luxury flats and generic shops. Thank you for the walk down memory lane.
Thank you for your invitation John, the pleasure is all mine
Absolute banger, John. My dad Iain lived on Rosebery Avenue, 1997-2016. His nickname coincidentally was Jockey, and I always coveted a spot on Jockey's Fields for him. I have thousands of overlaps with your videos, growing up in the UK until 2002. Keep up the great work, John.
When you were by Charles Dickens house I was saying to the screen The Coram's Foundling Hospital Museum is not far away so I'm glad you didn't miss it out. It is worth visiting. It's just a short walk from that special park. If you haven't got a child with you there is nice park,a garden square next door that you can sit in to eat your lunch. There was nice plantings there. I visited the Coram's Museum in 2018 as I was going to Chelsea Flower Show but I had an after 4.30 pm ticket which is cheaper and better because the light is all golden and gets dusky in a beautiful way and the show is less crowded and it's nice. Relaxing. It's very moving to see the tokens in the museum.
I really enjoy particularly the reflective/meditative music choices
I worked based in Theobalds Road from 1975 until 1999 and in the beautiful Summit House in Red Lion Square. We used to drink in the Enterprise, the Lamb and the Sun. Spent many lunch times walking around Lincoln's Inn. Fantastic memories of many happy times. Thanks for posting John.👍😇
Gosh, John. This was phenomenal. I grew up on these streets; my first memories are from Lambs Conduit Street (early 80s) before we moved to 14 Rugby Street, opposite French’s Dairy. There was a funeral directors across the street and I remember my Nan (who was a little naïve, bless her) saying “That building is so unlucky... people keep dying". I also spent long days playing in Coram’s Fields; so many childhood memories. Thanks for a poignant and engaging tour of one of the most unique places in London.
Worked really close to the Cittie of Yorke and drank there many times really is a great pub. Enjoyed re-walking (with you) those streets again. I used to walk from Victoria Station to Holburn as often was quicker than catching the tube. Got to know a lot of the back routes and the real London. Very much enjoyed this and now off to watch the Clerkenwell one as worked there for years also.
Best wishes from a very muggy Brisbane Australia, John. Thank you for your wonderful videos which take me back to my wonderful working holiday in the UK 40 years ago. So enjoy them all!! Keep safe.
I was concerned when no video appeared yesterday. What a relief to see this lovely video in the area I studied when at art school in the 80s. Thank you John!
You look and sound to be a lovely man John. Empathetic, sensitive and fond of your memories of your son. Enjoying your videos immensely from Australia.
Hi John.. Great video of one of my old haunts. I used to work in Eagle St so spent quite a few hours walking around lunchtime and evening.
Mewing is the avian equivalent to dogs molting. Hunting birds weren't flown during the mew so were kept inside.
Many thanks for the info Kes, mystery solved
I have to take issue regarding the perceived benefits of Sam Smith. They've taken over most of the truly historic London pubs, removing most of the variety in the process.
The Princess Louise just down the road is a prime example. Fantastic pub, like an old gin palace. Pre Smith's you could go in and find around 20 pumps on the bar, each serving a different ale. Now it's just twiggy OBB. The one "benefit" is the price - but I feel it's poor compensation for the cost of what we lost
12:06 I 'worked' in a shared workshop in Cockpit Yard after graduating from Kingston Poly (we drank far too much coffee) for a couple of years back in the 80s. I got to know these streets so well back then. Great to see it again.
This walk brought back good memories of when I worked in the area as well as the friend who was my guide to many of its pubs and curiosities. My former employers used to make use of the Goodenough Club. You could hire it out if your business was concerned with educational purposes. It was, so colleagues from outside of London could stay in the Goodenough’s accommodation on Mecklenburgh Sq. The part you went past was where the refectory was based which offered an amazing value breakfast. Supposedly the best in London. Got me through some hangovers. And the Duke is a lovely pub.
I'm drawn in to another age when I watch and listen to your little tours of the London back streets and alleyways, fascinating and informative. 👍👨🎓
Good to see you're still active.... all these videos are so informative.... history is being kept for future generations 👆❤️🏴☠️
Your taste in background music is simply perfect for your videos, which are a pleasure and so interesting! The knowledge and anecdotes, history and personal tidbits are priceless. Love these! Thank you.
Thanks Okie
Another great walk, John . Love WC1.
My wife and I were walking from liv st to the strand on this day. I used to be a courier, so we walked over through EC1 over to high Holburn. I did say imagine if we bump into John Rogers , how exciting would that be to see him ? To actually see, we wasn't too far from you; it made us smile watching this video. Great work as always, John 👍👏👏
Lovely video ,I feel I'm there when I'm watching it.London is the best city in the world.
I lived near Gray's inn road back in the early 1970s and this walk through video is such a nice reminder of part of my youth. Packenham St was our family abode and playing soccer and fooling around in the Coram fields was our greatest fun on weekends or school holidays. Thank you John Rogers for your many delightful and educational walks around London, thoroughly enjoyable 👍.
nice movie great to see these walks around London brings back many happy memories thank you
Lovely walk John thank you - such a charming section of streets.
hi john' thanks for another great and interesting video and hope you and your family and your dog are safe and well.look forward to the next video on sunday or monday or when ever.cheers john.
Moved from London to Amsterdam, then In 83 to the US. Hated London (Hackney) was glad to be gone, now in my Autumn years your walks have given me a fresh appreciation of the old Smoke and Blighty in general. Thanks keep on keeping on.
Worked up round there back in the 80s...great fun, great days.
Thanks John ..beautifully laid back and fascinating tour ..excellent ..
My dad’s working on a house on Great James Street at the moment, it’s been a few years of restoration work, the house is magical. I also used to work with him and we’d go for walks with his friend who’s a historian and has written books on Georgian architecture. Really lovely stuff! I’m coincidentally staying in this area at the moment and it’s truly my favourite part of London, so rich in history and you can see it everywhere.
Very enjoyable. Have never lived in London or indeed the UK but both are the backgrounds of most of my reading so it is
wonderful to " see " places I have read about.
I worked in London 30 years ago. This brings back alot of memories. Thanks
Used to work for a firm of solicitors many years back and would often take legal bundles to chambers, used to love walking round Lincolns Inn, the buildings and architecture are really beautiful, and would sometimes forget that you were in central London!
I worked in Gray's Inn Square more years ago than I care to remember! Hardly changed at all. Happy memories.
Wonderful video again, our small family French polishing business renovated a panelled area in the Grays Inn, sometime in the 90’s!
There is only one master walks, and that is you mr Rogers! I think this is one of my favourite videos. I loved the ending when you talked about your bribery tack ticks and then the guy with the kid on his back walked by probably doing the same thing you done 10 years ago or so. I love Lambs Conduit Street and Queens square is near by, good pub there is the Queens. Pre Covid I use to walk round there on my lunch breaks. Gonna take my kids to Corams fields soon I think. Really enjoy your posts, thanks John!
Well, I now have a lot of videos to watch having just discovered yours! Thank you from North Carolina USA for allowing me to see the sights of London that I most likely will never see in person! It’s lovely that you talk as if you are walking along with a friend, just showing the sights - makes me feel like I’m visiting an old friend!
Your channel popped up in my feed a few weeks ago and I’m so glad it did. I’m a Londoner living abroad and love your videos. They are always interesting and i feel like I’m walking with you, I like the music too. Thank you John!
One of my favourite of John's videos. It has a nice kind of winter Sunday afternoon peaceful vibe to it. I was bought back to it yet again as during my family tree research as I came across one of my great great grandparents living at 2 Lambs Conduit Passage in the registration district of Holborn in the 1861 census.
The literary heart of London, John. A nice walk, featuring some quirky architecture. Dickens (as highlighted) and V. Woolf territory. Many thanks!
And law 🤩
@@clair233 Indeed, I should have added J. Mortimer!
Nice one John. Perfect video for my lunch break.
Cheers Jay
@@JohnRogersWalks all good John. Always a pleasure to watch your videos. I see your subscriber spike by the way. Well done mate.
I use to work in an office near the first gate that was closed and use go eat my lunch in that park in grays Inn 12pm to 2pm brilliant memories I love this part of Holborn thank you for the walk John.
What a delightful way to spend half an hour! Thank you John, for rekindling many old memories of this area. I didn't know half of the detail you brought to us.
Now, I noticed something in this video that makes me think I may have been misinformed. I remember reading that Manette Street (next to Foyle's) is the only London street to have been named after a Dickens character. But now I find Brownlow Street in what is, as you say, an area with strong links with Dickens. Seems that you can't believe everything you read! (Mr Brownlow belongs in Oliver Twist)
Great job again John. The sign with the script writing on it about inner light was nice.
Not long ago I listened to Keep the Aspidistra Flying and I enjoyed it much more than I thought I would. I was a little afraid it’d be dull and inaccessible but I couldn’t have been more wrong. Thanks for making the connection- something you do quite well.
Thanks ive got about 4 videos to watch cant wait always keep them for best cheers john from liverpool👍🏻
I loved wandering round the inns of court so tranquil. A barrister od judge in full fig said 'Hello" to me-how polite.
Thanks you for sharing your day 👍🏻
The irony of the close was brilliant. You were talking about happy memories with your son,when a man ,carrying his small son,recognised you and called your name.
I wonder where he'll be walking when his son is at university??
Love these walks. Thanks.
thanks for that lovely observation Keith
Only one word .brilliant. keep up the excellent work 👏 👍
Fabulous walk. Thank you, John. All the best.
A fantastic watch, did not want it to end !
Only just discovered your amazing videos John and I simply cannot wait to delve into your extraordinary library! I've already ordered a copy of the London Compendium on your recommendation! 👍
Another fabulous video, so interesting and enjoyable, thank you.
I used to work at the top of that art deco building :). Its a rooftop haidressers. The top two floors. I was there for 12yrs. Northington street will always have a place in my heart.
Enjoyable walk as usual.Thanks John!
For years, I have been watching your videos, thank you, John!
Thanks Tom
Brilliant walk,you are so good at this,so inspiring..thank you.
Thank you John. I appreciate you sending me the link to this great video 🎩
Thanks for watching Emily
How lovely is this! Loved the chap at the end who recognised you. I love this area. Early memories of having to go to Eastman's Dental Hospital in Gray's Inn Rd. If I was very lucky my dear Mam would bring me to Coram's Fields afterwards. Absolutely enchanting walk, thanks as always John.
My first job was in Lambs Conduit Street. I remember lunchtimes in The Lamb in the hot summer of 1975.
Thanks John. Some great inspiration for our next London trip.
Thank you, for that lovely walk John, I used to enjoy walk around London on a Sunday when I Lived there, without a map and pre Google earth. I used to always try and finish around Bloomsbury because I was always looking out for
Kenneth Williams .
John, it is really nice to see you getting recognition whilst actually doing the walks.
Great stuff John - I wonder if the "challenging" architecture of today will blend so successfully with the older buildings as Deco does with what came before it? - good walk, as ever!
Fond memories of Lambs Conduit Street, espcially my regular order of ten hot buttered rolls and two cakes at the bakery there on cold winters days. Now, sadley no more.
Having just left work (6pm) was stopped outside that very supermarket and had my driving documents checked by an individual who following his dissapointed that i was all legal!
Then tried to arrest me for going equiped for burgalary. A legal screwdriver was in my bag. Another fail! Nothing changed there then, still a bunch of Dick heads:)
A lot of people, including me, did not realise that many trade workshops were in the basements of the buildings.
Does anyone remember the knife sharpener who operated in the street from time to time?
Thanks John for another great video. I worked for Liverpool Victoria at Victoria House in Southampton Row for 26 years but although I went down many of the streets shown in your video I am sad to say that I never noticed what was in them. Doughty Mews and John's Mews are familiar as the company owned a couple of Mews buildings in those roads where they kept the company vehicles. Lambs Conduit Street was also familiar as Holborn Bakeries was in that street and on birthdays it was the go to venue to buy cakes for work colleagues.
Brilliant I used to live up on Grays Inn Buildings , loved walking these areas back in the late 90s, look forward to more, another Brill video John they are now a Staple!!Thanks
Happy memories (i used to work in Bernard Street), had a works Christmas party in Goodenough College, many a retirement do in the upstairs room at The Lamb, and meals in Ciao Bella next door. Walking around that area at lunchtimes there is so much to see and do.
Fascinating. I lived in Leather Lane in the mid 80s, worked split shifts in a pub in Russell Square , so used to do variations of this route 4 times a day. Also looked after a flat in Doughty Mews for an American friend
Marvelous stuff John, love the Pubs around there, full of insightful knowledge..pity those Pubs were closed though...
Bloomsbury was my home for 8 years and I loved seeing the streets I’d walk daily. The red building at 12:14 was a Fire station back in the day.
Love your videos! Could you do some around West London? A lot of my family grew up in the Notting Hill/ Notting Hill Gate area, and Portobello Road, before it was gentrified!
Many moons ago, I was sent to High Holborn for some training. Didn’t get any time to look around the back streets etc… nice to see what I missed. As ever, ‘tis always a pleasure 👊🏼
Thanks John
That brought back great memories as my first job in 1980 was in Grays Inn Road so I know that area well.
Cheers Kev