Sometimes London can seem a very cold place. A City in the square mile that is all about big money deals, pin stripe suits and brief cases. There doesn’t feel like there is much space for sentiment, let alone family and relaxation.

But today I participated in two separate events in Central London, and couldn’t but feel that London had opened its arms to everyone and that Big Business had been replaced momentarily by family and fun.

London’s Skyride event took place today between 10am and 4pm when 15 kilometers of Central London roads were closed to traffic and opened to cyclists. I knew the day was going to be a success when I couldn’t actually get on to a train at my local station because of the sheer number of bicycles that had already boarded at earlier stations. By the time I got to London the number of cyclists had swelled, they seemed to be everywhere, and more were arriving all the time. I joined the Skyride on the Mall, and my earlier thoughts were confirmed – if the success of the event were to be measured on number of cyclists alone, then this had already been a success and it was only 10:15.

I followed the designated route from the Mall, past Trafalgar Square and to the Embankment, where I found two elegantly dresses gentlemen in top hats riding penny-farthings. Along the Embankment I passed many families all out cycling together. Young children were either on baby seats on the back of their mum or dad’s cycle, or they had arrived with their own little bicycle – there were many small children cycle – they must have relished their opportunity to “ride with the big boys” and enjoy a cycle where usually they would never have the opportunity.

I completed the Skyride at Tower Hill, not making the return leg back to Buckingham Palace,  but electing rather to take part in the second of the day’s events – the London Open House.

The London Open House is an annual event, now in its 17th year. This year about 700 buildings of different ages, architectures, types and styles opened their doors to the people of London, and it was absolutely free.

I decided to visit City Hall, the odd shaped glass bulding on the south bank of the Thames, just alongside Tower Bridge. I started at the top of the buidling – the ninth floor, and took in the amazing views of the Thames and London. I then made my way down the incredible spiral stair case that flows down the buidling from 9th floor to ground floor. It really was an really fantastic visit, and I was not surprised to see that the queue to enter the bulding had swelled substantially by the time I finally left.

Today London seemed a warmer, more welcoming place, and it had nothing to do with the awesome Autumn sunshine.

Three cheers to Mayor Boris Johnson! It’s not often you get a genuine opportunity to thank a politician, but in this instance I think Thanks are in order.

Yesterday I wrote about Transport for London’s latest revision to the famous Tube map, wherein not only did they omit the zonal pricing markings, but they removed the River Thames from the map too!

Well Mayor Boris has returned from his few days in New York and has reacted angrily to the loss of the River!

“Can’t believe that the Thames disappeared off the tube map whilst I was out the country! It will be reinstated….”, the Mayor Twittered today, and immediately he stood by his word and instructed TfL (Transport for London) to reinstate the River and the zone indicators.

Tfl have said that they will return the Thames to its rightful place on tube maps in the next revision, due to be made in December.

So the City gets a Christmas present – old man Thames will be on the Tube map again.

Three cheers for Mayor Boris – thank you for supporting London and its citizens!

How true it is that you never notice things until they are no longer there…

Transport for London (TfL) make regular updates to the London Tube Map, keeping it up to date with changes to stations and lines, and these regular updates pass the average Londoner by without causing much fuss.
However, in the latest revision, a large part of London has been omitted – the River Thames!

Now you might think the the River would be fairly redundant on a Tube map – a transport system that travels around London far below street level – including several tunnels beneath the Thames. But for Londoners the distinction between “North” and “South” of the River is an important one. For tourists and visitors knowing which stations are in close proximity to the River is important. The River Thames is as much a point of reference, orientation and coordination to London as Magnetic North is to a compass. So to lose it from a map as fundamental as the Tube Map is bound to cause significant consternation.

Relax, I hear you say, it’s just a River, and the average Londoner and regular tube user already knows their North from their South, their Embankment from the Canary Wharf.

But you haven’t yet heard of the second omission off the latest Tube map – the zones!

So imagine planning a journey and not knowing how much it would cost!
Having a Zone 1 to 3 travel card – but not knowing what stations that entitles you to visit?

I am confused…! What POSSIBLE improvement to our transport system could removing the pricing zones from the map possibly give us? How would the removal of these colourfully shaded areas and replacing them with stark white blankness possibly enrich the life and make the journey of Tube users easier?

I assume that Transport for London bosses must have decreed that the use of coloured ink in their printing presses must be reduced and the shaded Zones had to be culled.

I simply CANNOT imagine why removing the River Thames and the pricing zones could ever be deemed an improvement.

But there it is… sadly, in stark white…!

See the new map here.