LIP Central photowalk and Christmas dinner

Central group decided to have a post-Christmas do in January, which turned out to be a good decision as it’s less crowded and something to look forward to in this gloomy month. Steve, Astrid, Austin, Eve, Peter, Edey, Dorota, Prodeepta, Robin and Chris were expertly guided through Soho and Chinatown by Eve, a former Blue Badge guide, who used to guide bus-loads of French tourists through London and is a fountain of knowledge about the capital city and its quirky residents. Soho, as Eve told us, was once a royal hunting ground and the name she said possibly originates from the hunting cry “soho”. Street names like Greek Street reminded us that migrants are a big part of Soho’s history, and it has also played its part in medical history. Physician John Snow studied the 1846-60 cholera pandemic and its impact on Soho when he discovered that germ-contaminated water was the source of the disease, rather than air-borne particles. As a result, the city implemented a wide range of sanitation improvements. Among other highlights, Eve also guided us to Meard Street, home to many colourful characters, including artist and self-prescribed dandy Sebastian Horsley, who lived at No 7. A sign on the door once read: “This Is Not A Brothel / There Are No Prostitutes At This Address” as doorways on the street were often used by scammers to trick punters out of money.

We were later joined by Frankie, Raj and Alec for a dinner in Chinatown, including the famous Peking duck with pancakes. Here are some images taken on the night: