It’s that time of the year to answer some of the brilliant questions about London that people asked me on YouTube in this Q&A video shot in front of Southwark Cathedral. Such as:
best things about walking in London and most frustrating things
do’s and don’ts for walking across fields
if I had a time machine which era of London’s past would I do a walk in
if you could be any historical figure who would you be and why
Here are the questions answered in my mighty YouTube Q&A video: @jacquelinemacleod9699 Hi John, What made you decide to do these videos and podcasts ? Don’t ever stop – they are fantastic! I look forward to them each week @michaelessig6376 have you ever thought of returning to a past walk but at a completely different season or weather to get a different feel for the walk @danspencer862 John I’ve always wondered what you keep in that rucksack of yours? Your videos are just the best. @Jim196819 I’d love to see a walk around Canterbury or York with so much history. Have you ever considered one of those cities ? @mrbensharman Would you consider recording a podcast series of London walks that people could follow whilst listening. @CharlieGeorge_ If you could spend a month walking around another city anywhere in the world, where would you choose and why? @jpingram966 I was wondering if you’ll ever feature neighbouring Queenstown Rd ? It always seemed to me so underappreciated and full of history. @_richie I’d like to ask if you have a favourite modern London building – maybe one constructed in the last 20-30 years? @alib344 Out of all the historical figures in London’s history, who intrigues you the most and why? @miqueln1996 Hi John, would you be able to elaborate more on the concept of psychogeography?
Would a video about pagan London be a possibility? Thanks, Tom. @helenshiner6793 I would love to see a walk including the history of the Huguenots in London @paulfrancis8764 Hello John. Would you be up for a sideline in guided walks? @lindsaymanary9150 My question is how do you determine which areas you start your walk in. @TXMEDRGR I love your London walks but would you consider doing some other cities? @niels.brouwer What has been the most meaningful or thought-provoking conversation you’ve had during your walks? @marylaplante7261 Hi John, Is there any area of london that makes you feel a bit sad when considering how much history/architecture has been lost to modern development? @WoodsideWalker Have you recently found something out about London that’s surprised you and made you say “well I never knew that?” @dpeastman If you were to draw the route of all of your walks around London onto a map, what do you think would be the two most distant points that you could connect with a continuous line? @williamrobinson7435 Hi John. Have you done much on the various Guilds, Worshipful or otherwise, of old London Town? What is the historical relationship between the Guilds and The City Of Westminster? Or Guilds vs Church? How do The Guilds fit into the great 3D jigsaw that is London? @timgallivan1614 What’s your scariest experience while walking in London or surrounding area? @edit511_channel What is/are your favourite pub/pubs in London . What walk/pub crawl would you recommend? @michaeldillon3113 If for some unforeseen reason you were granted one last walk wish – which of the many perambulations you have completed would you choose to do ? As an extra feature what would be your preferred pub and pint at the end of said walk ? @robertgarvey5652 A few days ago, I was reading an online article about the Essex Way. It runs from Epping out to Harwich. Are you aware of this route or covered any part of it yet? @princegears8673 Hi John what is your favourite tube station ?? Favourite Underground tube line ?? And favourite bus route?? And why?? @bnpandsc Have you considered walking the historic River Wey from it’s rising at Haslemere to confluence with the Thames at Weybridge? @paddyharvey6101 Do you miss the walks through larkings orchards and fields, I can remember you and your dad and the jack Russell trotting off for your evening walks @robertcollins1583 Could you recommend a Sunday afternoon walk within zones 1 and 2 that ends in a great area or place for lunch. @battleoftheelements Are you planning to do a walk with those two chaps, can’t remember their names, but they joined you at Maiden Bower and at the huge barrows in Essex some years back. @NorthernCitrusParrot Have you had any issues with your knees? I recently started with arthritis in mine and I’m less inclined to walk. Any tips? @lewiswalker7803 Why not once a month do a ‘Notorious’ walk, depicting the atrocities that happened there, for example, the blitzed east end, Jack the Rippers Whitechapel/Spitalfields, area of 10 Rillington place, Plague pits, Dickens Victorian squalor walks Devils acre etc. Just a thought. @user-gu1we4si4z Hi John can you please visit Cornwall and do a late summer coastal walk ?
@ianjohnson2198 Hi John. Where do you think is the most relaxing place in all of London? Or maybe even top three? @AndrewDickson-bb1jl Would you consider doing a meet and greet/talk in a pub at some point? @re_patel How tired are you after a walk? @christineduke6096 Hello John,just wondered if you would be interested in some facts of Leyton around Skeltons Lane. @donniedarkomtb7048 You must do a piece on Hill Hall in Theydon Mount, Epping. Stunning mansion with tons of history which has now been converted into luxury £1m+ flats. Go see it! @sianwarwick633 Would you ever do a night walk, provided its safe and moonlit or streetlit or torchlit enough ? @robbojax2025 I can’t remember you doing a Marylebone area walk. @chrisprobert5340 If you were going to take a couple of kids out on a London trip ( I only know Soho) where’s something interesting, they’re about 7 I think, my girlfriend’s little ‘uns…love your shows… @CliveMarchant How many pairs of walking boots do you get through each year? @minijames2777 Do you have a driving licence, if no have you ever driven a car or do you dislike cars. Thanks for the great walks
Some of the Questions answered in Part 2 of my massive Q&A on a walk through Leyton
Obviously, they’re fictional places, but what are your thoughts on doing a ‘Rivers of London’ walk, that includes some of the more noteworthy locations in London, based on the novels by Ben Aaronovitch? This could be great for tourists and locals alike.
Tell us all your thoughts on Camberwell please.
What is the most stunning place you have visited?
When’s ur next book coming out?
Are there any parts of London that you used to not like but now like and vice versa?
What are your top 3 favourite London pubs?
Are you going to return to Carshalton?
Have you heard of the ‘Cuckoo’ estate in west London?
Could you pick your favourite street in central London ?
What is your favourite walk in Buckinghamshire?
What’s your most memorable encounter / meet with a celebrity?
Everything you wanted to know about London, walking, history, pubs and more. Thank you for submitting more than 200 questions for this massive Q&A. There was a huge range of topics from London history, gentrification, favourite walks, historic pubs, lost rivers, London books and so much more including walks outside London and why I make YouTube videos. Part 2 of this video will be uploaded soon. Some Questions answered in this video:
have you considered going on a walk spanning more than one day?
I also love reading fiction books that have London as their main setting, I’d like to know which ones are your favourites and why. I’m currently reading The Rivers of London Saga and I’m loving it. Thanks for your wonderful videos.
Would love to hear your thoughts on Wood Green and Green Lanes managing to avoid some of the gentrification that neighbouring areas have faced in the last few years
If you had to make a life or death decision on which type of last walk to take, would it be in the city or the country?
Have you ever had any ghostly experiences on your treks as you visit many ancient places?
Any plans to complete The London Loop in 2023? Favourite section of the loop and why?
Hi John. I’m a London cabbie and love your videos. Have you a favourite place in London to walk?
Have you considered doing a lost river walk WITH Ben Aaronovitch if he is interested.
Ben Aaronovitch
Have you ever done a walk, got home and thought well I wouldn’t do that again !.
You’ve explored some of the major “place making” new developments in some of your videos – North Greenwich, Olympic Village, Barking Riverside being some. Can you think of any that have come before them that you would mark down as a success?
East Village Stratford
I am really curious to learn from whom you inherited your clearly infinite curiosity and passion for history from?
What part of London has surprised you most, or specifically where were you when you turned a corner and were just awestruck.
Hi John love your videos. As you’ve done an Oxford video would you consider doing a Cambridge one?
You once told me you’re considering walking the length of the New River. It’s a huge task. Do you think you’ll ever do it?
What’s the lifespan of your walking boots
Which river would you be the deity of?
Do you enjoy every bit of the walk or are there parts you want to hurry through? Or is it possible to find something to like anywhere?
I’m just enquiring if you were aware of the Friends of West Ham Park’s campaign to stop the City of London Corporation developing the old plant nursery site, next to the park, with a block of flats?
while making your videos over the last several years, what ways do you feel this process has enriched your life?
John, what motivates you to keep making the videos you do and how much planning/time does it take to make your videos?
Hello John What is your inspiration for the path you have followed ?
What are some of your favourite/most memorable pubs that you have visited on your walks around the Herts, Essex and North London area?
Waterside Inn Ware
Do you think Psychogeography could have a part to play in Archaeology? Maybe a different way of looking at past environments.
would love to see you walk the river darent from maybe Dartford to Sevenoaks one day.
Hayes and Harlington has changed a lot since your last visit. New Crossrail. So many new developments.
Thanks for your great videos. I love them and London. I’m going to the Natural History Museum soon with a mate and wanted to know if you could recommend a good pub as I don’t know this area too well. Thanks for any advice
Some of the questions answered in this video: Have you ever visited Norwich? Would you ever consider filming there?
I know you are working on a new book, do you have any idea when it will be available and is there a place we can pre-order it from?
What is the best season for psychographic walking? (For me Sept and October in UK are primetime flâneur action with changing light and autumn colours) cheers!
If you had to up sticks and move to a different UK city, which one would it be and why? Cheers!
“you clearly adore your collection of books – but are there any in particular that hold a special place in your heart and why”
If you could suddenly be transported back in time during one of your walks, where would you wish to be and in what century ?
I was wondering if there was a specific place/road/ building, you would like to travel back in time to see built or the early evolution of? Keep up the great work.
I was wondering what tips you had for going on long walks, e.g. are there any good ways to prevent getting blisters on your feet (always a problem I find).
Have you ever thought about taking a dog along on one of your walks?
What do you find to be the biggest challenge when making one of your videos?
do you have a favourite type of architecture and if so, what is it?
Within Greater London, which are your top 3 Lost River Valley Urban Or Suburban sites? A precy of extant stuff on these updated would be good! Or comments on London’s brewing industry?
Which North American cities would you like to explore?
Hi John, do you have a favourite stretch of coastline in the UK?
Have you ever felt unsafe on any of your walks.
Have you ever gotten lost, or found yourself in a spot that wasn’t what you expected at all , on your walks ?
For all these walks you need good shoes … Could we find out what shoes are you walking in John?
Are any urban myths from London past or present actually true? And does it matter?
do you lament the loss of so much architecture in London when you see the awful buildings that get put in their place?
Do you see London in major decline?
Why do you walk everywhere, When you can just drive?
Any plans for a video on the History of the White City?
Do you do hikes and traditional mountain hikes?
Are there any short film/ documentaries on the horizon in a similar vain to the London Perambulator?
The other week I took a stroll around Wanstead Flats answering a whole load of questions that’d been sent to me via Instagram, YouTube and Patreon. It was great fun.
Some of the questions I answer in this video:
Hi John! Hope you are well. Apologies if this has already been asked but what is your favourite film about London? Take it easy.
A walk I’d like to do one day and you may find interesting is to visit all 20 Wetherspoons pubs in London, what do you think John? Only 20 in zone 1 which makes it walkable if you can still walk towards the end John
1) would still love to see you walk more of the southern side of the Thames, gravesend, higham, grain etc.
2) will you write another book one day?
Do you believe in certain places being haunted or retaining some past stories?
What is your favourite part of Britain that you always look forward to returning to?
Any more plans for walks in Europe? Loved ur Berlin trip
In your opinion, what’s the most underrated part of London? Equally, most overrated?
What’s the best place to get a good pint right on the river Thames in the summer?
