Easter weekend in London is traditionally a time for Heather and I to treat the great city like our away short break destination. And with dry weather forecast we decided to combine a visit with a chunk of the Thames Path.
So on Easter Saturday we took the train from Oxted to Battersea Park and set off from Albert Bridge along the north bank to Tower Bridge, and got as far as London Bridge. Well we did have a few detours including the Apple Store in Covent Garden, Fire and Stone for a pizza lunch, Somerset House for an exhibition on games, including bad chess and a pool table made even more difficult, and 2 Temple Place for an exhibition of Sussex modernist painters. Eric Gill of the typeface fame was particularly bizarre. 
Apart from the cyclists that insisted on using the pavements instead of the cycle paths, the walk was brilliant. Some lovely sections along the river with great views into the Chelsea hospital, along the Houses of Parliament and the embankment were very memorable. Wow, London was crowded in places. My theory that many locals go away for the weekend leaving the city nice and quiet was shot out of the water. Tourists were visiting in huge numbers probably taking advantage of the lower pound.
We detoured again briefly to look at the office in St Bride lane and then discouraged from taking the wobbly bridge by the sheer numbers on it, continued along the north bank to London Bridge, deciding that the next stretch could wait until the following day.
We’d done about 10 miles in all, with a couple in Battersea Park and some detours, and about 6 miles of the Thames Path proper. A very enjoyable day out and back tomorrow weather permitting.
The Lawsons on the Loose 