The Hidden Treasures of Mayfair: Mount Street Gardens

Hidden in the backstreets of northern Mayfair, just off Mount Street and a stone's throw away from the American Embassy, there is an oasis of tropical tranquility right in the heart of London: Mount Street Gardens.

Mount Street Gardens, Mayfair London

There and Back Again....

Gallery of a Public Transport Knitter

Some Vital Statistics

Excluding the London Underground network, 2.5 million people commute to work by rail in the United Kingdom every day. More than a third of those commute to work to and from London. With a population of 13,614,409, the London commuter belt, which is also defined as the Southeast Metropolitan Area, is the largest in the European Union. The geographical boundaries of the Southeast Metropolitan Area are in constant flux. As the urban sprawl continues ever on and transport links are improved or created, it is expected to further expand.

My stretch of the line is operated by Southeastern. 70% of Southeastern's services transport passengers from Kent and parts of East Sussex to the major London termini. On their website Southeastern claim to be transporting 570,000 commuters to the capital every weekday morning. I happen to be one of them.

Where the 'Ruling Classes' Hang Out...

Whilst tidying up, I came across an old copy of the Mayfair Times from August 2012, sporting a rather waxy - looking David Lauren on its cover.

David Lauren on the cover of the Mayfair Times, August 2012

For all those not familiar with the publication: Despite being priced up at £3.00, it is freely distributed across Mayfair's neighbourhood. When the usual twenty copies are pushed through the letter box of my office building, I tend to ignore them for the first few days until they eventually get escalated to their special filing cabinet, the recycling bin.