Week 1 - Borough Market & Thames Runs

So we’ve now had our first week in London and it’s been great. Already feel very at home and like I’ve been here for ages!

Work-wise, nothing much has changed – as I’m doing various bits of freelance work, I could just as easily be in Timbuctoo (as long as I had a working internet connection!). So my days don’t feel much different. I’ve got plenty of work at the moment, most of it with a Scottish theme, which is good in some ways (i.e. this expensive London rent needs to be paid!) but slightly strange in others as I find myself deliberately avoiding networking down here at the moment as I know I don’t have the capacity to follow up on any contacts. I’m planning to change that after Christmas once I’ve got various bits of work complete.

Our flat is lovely; although it’s smaller than our place in Edinburgh, it’s designed in a way that makes it feel very spacious. It’s top floor in a converted brewery block (how trendy huh?!) and the absolute best bit about it is the view from our bedroom window over to the “Gherkin” (Norman Foster-designed London landmark for anyone who doesn’t know!). It gives me a little thrill every time I look out.

We’re within a stone’s throw of the Thames and all kinds of famous sites – the Globe Theatre (original site and reconstruction), the Tate Modern, the Golden Hinde reconstructed model, the London Dungeon, the Clink Prison Museum.

I went running three times last week – up and down the Thames Path in various permutations. On Sunday morning, I was out at 9.30am and it was amazing – really clear, bright morning and hardly anyone around. I ran from our flat along the river as far as Canary Wharf (about 4-5 miles), with the Thames gradually getting wider on my left side and block after block of luxury waterfront apartments on my right side. It was beautiful and incredibly peaceful. But waterfront living seems bizarrely soulless – there was no-one around, which I found quite disturbing – all the flats have got gorgeous balconies which I’d have thought were perfect for having Sunday morning coffee & croissants (or whatever!). But no, no-one to be seen – what a waste!

The highlight of our weekend was the Borough Market, which is just round the corner from the flat – London’s biggest food market and a real sensory overload. It’s unrelentingly middle class trendiness personified and probably quite a far cry from its roots, but great to wander round nonetheless.

Plans for this week are all centred around work – we’re both back up in Scotland for meetings – but am already looking forward to next weekend and more exploration!