Running City London 2018

Stage 1

77 Hatton House, Hatton Garden

51.521902, -0.109137 (OpenStreetMap, Google Maps, Yandex Maps)

Blue plaque near the west tip of the house

Third line from the bottom

THE MAXIM GUN

108 38 Laystall Street

51.522663, -0.112669 (OpenStreetMap, Google Maps, Yandex Maps)

Mosaic to the right of the black school gate

Number of birds

3

111 42 Northampton Road

51.525543, -0.107085 (OpenStreetMap, Google Maps, Yandex Maps)

Red stand across the road from the eastern wall of the building

Who is wearing sunglasses?

Sunflower / cherry / tomato / bee

113 King Square Gardens

51.526882, -0.098872 (OpenStreetMap, Google Maps, Yandex Maps)

Gazebo next to the Lever Street entrance

Wording on the metal flag

King Square

141 Junction of Merlin Street and Wilmington Street  

51.527199, -0.110126 (OpenStreetMap, Google Maps, Yandex Maps)

Address plaque at Merlin Street

Word at the top right

Finsbury

Historical background

TFL Lost Property Office
// Do you have any idea where lost in London's transport things go? Sometimes, of course, immediately to their new owners. And the others? No, not to scrap! To the Baker Street, to Sherlock himself!
Nearby to the house of the famous detective there is a TFL Lost Property Office. It turns 85 years old this year. Everything found in transport is brought there, all things are carefully classified and their data is entered in the computer system ‘Sherlock’. Findings are stored for three months and, after this period, the Office will dispose them at its discretion. Something will go for recycling, something — to charity or for sale in favour of the Office, something goes to the museum. A plush full-size gorilla was named Eddie and remained in the Office to please its' employees. During the war, people often forgot helmets and gas masks in transport. And now the list of founding is headed by books and documents, this is almost a third of everything found. With some gap they are followed by handbags, clothes and phones. Passengers forget ten thousands of umbrellas in a year, and this is only 3% from the forgotten. Sometimes Office's staff return umbrellas in a circle, handing them out to the subway on a rainy day. Passengers often surprise Office's staff not by lost things, but by the fact of losing. How can you not notice that you came out of the subway without five-foot figure of Spider-Man? Turns out this is possible. And without skull in the bag. And without false teeth. And without a fourteen-foot boat. By the way, is your control book in place?

144 White Conduit Street

51.533753, -0.108758 (OpenStreetMap, Google Maps, Yandex Maps)

Group of signs next to the ‘Costumier’ shop

What does the sign with the black cat advertise?

Cigarettes

183 36A Camden Passage

51.535652, -0.102932 (OpenStreetMap, Google Maps, Yandex Maps)

Pub opposite. Window with the ‘Fish & Chips’ inscription

Year below the inscription

1860

185 Phoenix Place

51.524936, -0.113586 (OpenStreetMap, Google Maps, Yandex Maps)

Gate across the road entrance to Mail Rail

Bottom line of the Security Warning poster

www.nsl247.com

70 64-68 Kingsway  

51.516835, -0.119584 (OpenStreetMap, Google Maps, Yandex Maps)

Shakespeare’s Head pub

Signature of an official

Signature

Historical background

Oxford Street
// The famous Oxford Street in London remembers the Roman conquerors. In those days the Londinium has not reached its current size, there was a rural area instead of the Westminster district, and instead of the Oxford there passed the Roman Road Via Trinobantina, one of the most important routes to and from the town. Romans were gone, London was rising, and the road gradually grew into the city. It was called the Tyburn Road, the Uxbridge Road, the Worcester Road, the Oxford Road, and finally acquired its current name. It also was the way of hanged, marching at Tyburn to the end of their lives, was filled with slums, and because of this, the richer people didn't love to settle there. By the end of the XVIII century the gallows were removed, and a variety of entertainment options — the Pantheon, theatres, pubs began to appear on Oxford Street, and then wealthy people caught up and began to build houses there.
Trade at the Oxford Street has flourished and almost superseded the ordinary life in the XIX century. At the end of the XIX century there were traffic jams on the road already!
Now it is the busiest shopping street in Europe. On it's two kilometres fits about three hundred shops, markets and supermarkets, there are inconspicuous points of sales, hidden coffee shops, secret passages and viewing points. In short, this is a magical place. Take care of your Galleons!

Bonus checkpoints

161 Bingfield Park

51.539195, -0.120565 (OpenStreetMap, Google Maps, Yandex Maps)

Fragment of a castle in the southern part of the park

Years on the paper held by the dragon

Bonus time 30 minutes

1982, 2005

162 Tilloch Street

51.540897, -0.117298 (OpenStreetMap, Google Maps, Yandex Maps)

Graffiti with parrots

What is the top left parrot holding?

Bonus time 20 minutes

Microphone

165 Strand  

51.512231, -0.115882 (OpenStreetMap, Google Maps, Yandex Maps)

Station entrance between numbers 169 and 170. Padlock on the grid

Number above the keyhole

Bonus time 30 minutes

440

Historical background

Closed Tube Stations
// London underground holds the seventh place in the world by the number of stations — there are 270 stations. And if you add to this list 77 stations that no longer exist or have left the subway, London will quickly jump to the third place, this says something about how much the land is dug under the British capital. Why so many stations were closed? About a half of them are closed due to low passenger traffic. The fifth part was unnecessary, because other stations were opened nearby, almost as much — due to various technical reasons and reconstructions. Four stations were closed during the war, but never returned to service. And with one station came just the opposite, it returned from oblivion during the war, and was closed again five years later. Not all of these stations have been demolished, some of them are abandoned, some filled with shops, and thirty stations are still working, but now they work with the common trains. The closed half of the Charing Cross station is most fortunate — movies are often being shoot on it. In addition, somewhere in the parallel imaginary London 62 stations live, which were conceived, but never built; it's the whole city, the amount comparable to the entire network of stations in St Petersburg! It is notable that the most frequent reason for abandoning these stations is that the company failed to raise funds and the construction permission expired. Fourteen stations remained on paper because of it.

186 1 Homer Row

51.519312, -0.165589 (OpenStreetMap, Google Maps, Yandex Maps)

Clock above the door

Time on Old Marylebone Road side of the clock

Bonus time 30 minutes

9:46

Stage 2

69 31­­­–32 Soho Square  

51.514792, -0.13256 (OpenStreetMap, Google Maps, Yandex Maps)

Soho Square entrance. Commemorative plaque on the wall to the right of the entrance

Last word in the fourth line

BOTANISTS

Historical background

London Theatres
// Until the latter half of the XVI century, the British public was entertained by troupes of actors, who traveled across the country. They loved performing in the capital, because there was always a lot of spectators. The city government did not liked them a lot — sometimes plays were not religious enough, sometimes people were distracted from work or the crowds were too large. In short, there was no problem to find some trouble. The actors, in order not to, mostly played in inns, courtyards and in the homes of wealthy people, including the Queen. By the middle of the XVI century, the actors began to think about their own buildings, in order not to share profits with taverns and, correctly selecting a plot of land, to get out of the control of the City Council. The first theatre, ‘The Red Lion’, was built in 1567 in Whitechapel. It had no success and was closed in a year. The second theatre with a simple name ‘The Theatre’ appeared nine years later in Shoreditch, and it had success. Further theatres began to grow like mushrooms after a rain — ‘The Curtain’, ‘The Swan’, ‘The Rose’, Shakespearean ‘The Globe’ and others. When Puritans led by Cromwell came to power, they closed all the theatres. The ban was lifted only with the restoration of the monarchy after eighteen years. At the same time the Royal theatre on Drury Lane was built. Charles II favoured the theatre. It was him who issued the royal decree that from now on female roles must only be play by women as he felt disturbed looking at bearded ‘female’ characters. Theatres continued to multiply and develop. There are about one and a half hundred theatres now in London. Not counting concert halls and sports arenas.

83 Hanover Square

51.514203, -0.143555 (OpenStreetMap, Google Maps, Yandex Maps)

Information stand. Parks and Gardens Opening and Closing Times

The latest closing time of Remaining Open Spaces around the year

9.30 pm

87 Square north of the junction of Shaftesbury Avenue and Bloomsbury Street

51.516694, -0.126423 (OpenStreetMap, Google Maps, Yandex Maps)

Flowerbeds with frame bicycles

Quantity of bicycles

8

88 Archway to Neal’s Yard from Monmouth Street

51.514636, -0.126724 (OpenStreetMap, Google Maps, Yandex Maps)

Graffiti

Label on the bag

Harrods

131 Trafalgar Square  

51.50736, -0.127695 (OpenStreetMap, Google Maps, Yandex Maps)

Equestrian statue to the south of the square. Tablet on the ground to the north of the statue

First word of the penultimate line

MILEAGE

Historical background

London Noses
// In 1997, the unknown placed on London attractions' walls 35 alabaster noses.They appeared on the walls of such crowded places as the Tate gallery, St Pancras and others. Most of the noses were seen and shot down in the first months, but almost a dozen of them survived and became part of the urban environment. Gradually they began to acquire legends. One of them promised a fortune to anyone who will find the seven noses in Soho. As another legend goes, there is a spare nose for Admiral Nelson's statue on Trafalgar Square. The third legend has it that there is an impression from the nose of Napoleon, glued on the wall so passing cavalrymen could pinch Napoleon's nose. The secret was revealed only fourteen years after. The noses' author revealed himself, it was Rick Buckley, the artist. He said he protested against the increasing proliferation of CCTV monitoring, that poked its' nose into people's privacy. The form of protest was partly inspired by Gogol's story about the escaped nose of major Kovalev. Subsequently, the British edition of Gogol's Nose illustrated with photos of Buckley's noses was published. Of course, Buckley had followers. Designer Tim Fishlock placed a few ears on the walls of London, not in protest, but just like that. And now everyone has a chance to talk to the wall, it's the perfect listener.

//Sherlock Holmes
// Sherlock Holmes got into the Guinness book of records as the most filmed character in the world. There are more than two hundred films about the famous detective, and much more theatrical productions, radio plays and other signs of worldwide fame! The very first film adaptation was the American silent film of 1900 ‘Sherlock Holmes Baffled’. It lasted only forty-five seconds. Who played the burglar and the detective, and where had the stolen stuff been gone, the history doesn't record. The first series of the first British film Holmes adaptation came in 1931, it was 'The Sleeping Cardinal'. Only five series were filmed. One of them did not not survive, the rest can be viewed on YouTube. Sherlock Holmes was played by Arthur Wontner and Dr. Watson was played by Ian Fleming. Unfortunately, we will not see the old England the films, all filming took place in the pavilion. The action of the most postmodern film adaptation, ‘Sherlock’ TV series, is happening nowadays.
The most recent film adaptation, the English-American animated film ‘Sherlock Gnomes’, shows us the secret life of the stone inhabitants of London.
The authors of the movies saw their characters in different ways, but one thing remains constant — the address is 221B Baker Street. And now the question is this! From what kind of a phone booth model the garden gnomes company, led by Sherlock Gnomes, called? It's elementary, isn't it? ;)

132 Swiss Court

51.51045, -0.131422 (OpenStreetMap, Google Maps, Yandex Maps)

Pillar with signs in the western part of the court

All words that contain diacritical marks

Genève, Zürich, Graubünden, Neuchâtel, Liberté

167 15 Gresse Street

51.517239, -0.133005 (OpenStreetMap, Google Maps, Yandex Maps)

List of courses on the glass to the right of the entrance

What does it say in the brackets after ‘INTENSIVE’?

12 WEEKS

173 Junction of Broadwick Street and Carnaby Street

51.512722, -0.13822 (OpenStreetMap, Google Maps, Yandex Maps)

Large mosaic mural on the wall. Sportspeople holding a cup

How many sportspersons are standing in row?

5

184 48 Long Acre

51.513373, -0.124074 (OpenStreetMap, Google Maps, Yandex Maps)

Oval plaque on the opposite building

Difference between the years on the plaque

11

50 36 Riding House Street  

51.518961, -0.139512 (OpenStreetMap, Google Maps, Yandex Maps)

The Green Man pub

Signature of an official

Signature

Historical background

Red telephone box
// Standardisation of telephone communication and country's telephony in Britain was considered at the beginning of the twentieth century. It was especially difficult and expensive telephonise the countryside because of the long distances, and the way out was a system of telephone booths for public access. The First World War stopped this process for a long time, and the first standard K1 phone booth in Britain was created only in 1921. It was an elegant concrete construction with a pyramidal roof and a remarkable door sign ‘Open Always’. Only five remained, and just two on the streets. The following models made by G. G. Scott had a domed roof and were made of iron, with the exception of concrete K3. Plywood K5 was not put into production, no true copy exist even in museums. But the biggest success of sir Scott was the K6 model, everyone's favorite English red telephone booth, one of the British symbols. It was created in 1935 by the 25th anniversary of King George's V reign and had been produced for thirty-three years. Despite the appearance of more modern models and the overall reduction of the street telephone network, there still remain more than ten thousand K6 booths in the streets. Written-off booths are not necessarily thrown away, many of them are turned into art objects, mini-libraries or something else unusual, for example, shower cabins. Paddington bear called Browns from K6 booth. Harry Potter and Arthur Weasley went to the Ministry of Magic via the telephone booth K2. Now you know that too.

Stage 3

36 25 Howland Street

51.520827, -0.138885 (OpenStreetMap, Google Maps, Yandex Maps)

Signs with musical notes

Word that is mentioned twice on the westernmost row of the signs

of

63 25 Gordon Street

51.525564, -0.133145 (OpenStreetMap, Google Maps, Yandex Maps)

Round commemorative plaque

Copy the line that follows ‘OF’

TROPICAL MEDICINE

65 Thornhaugh Street  

51.521882, -0.128183 (OpenStreetMap, Google Maps, Yandex Maps)

Brunei Gallery entrance. White sign to the right of the entrance

First word of the bottom line

APPROVAL

Historical background

Red telephone box
// Standardisation of telephone communication and country's telephony in Britain was considered at the beginning of the twentieth century. It was especially difficult and expensive telephonise the countryside because of the long distances, and the way out was a system of telephone booths for public access. The First World War stopped this process for a long time, and the first standard K1 phone booth in Britain was created only in 1921. It was an elegant concrete construction with a pyramidal roof and a remarkable door sign ‘Open Always’. Only five remained, and just two on the streets. The following models made by G. G. Scott had a domed roof and were made of iron, with the exception of concrete K3. Plywood K5 was not put into production, no true copy exist even in museums. But the biggest success of sir Scott was the K6 model, everyone's favorite English red telephone booth, one of the British symbols. It was created in 1935 by the 25th anniversary of King George's V reign and had been produced for thirty-three years. Despite the appearance of more modern models and the overall reduction of the street telephone network, there still remain more than ten thousand K6 booths in the streets. Written-off booths are not necessarily thrown away, many of them are turned into art objects, mini-libraries or something else unusual, for example, shower cabins. Paddington bear called Browns from K6 booth. Harry Potter and Arthur Weasley went to the Ministry of Magic via the telephone booth K2. Now you know that too.

81 Baker Street Station  

51.522501, -0.156628 (OpenStreetMap, Google Maps, Yandex Maps)

Entrance from Marylebone Road. Statue near the entrance. Engravings on the pedestal

Line repeating twice

Abbey National plc

Historical background

TFL Lost Property Office
// Do you have any idea where lost in London's transport things go? Sometimes, of course, immediately to their new owners. And the others? No, not to scrap! To the Baker Street, to Sherlock himself!
Nearby to the house of the famous detective there is a TFL Lost Property Office. It turns 85 years old this year. Everything found in transport is brought there, all things are carefully classified and their data is entered in the computer system ‘Sherlock’. Findings are stored for three months and, after this period, the Office will dispose them at its discretion. Something will go for recycling, something — to charity or for sale in favour of the Office, something goes to the museum. A plush full-size gorilla was named Eddie and remained in the Office to please its' employees. During the war, people often forgot helmets and gas masks in transport. And now the list of founding is headed by books and documents, this is almost a third of everything found. With some gap they are followed by handbags, clothes and phones. Passengers forget ten thousands of umbrellas in a year, and this is only 3% from the forgotten. Sometimes Office's staff return umbrellas in a circle, handing them out to the subway on a rainy day. Passengers often surprise Office's staff not by lost things, but by the fact of losing. How can you not notice that you came out of the subway without five-foot figure of Spider-Man? Turns out this is possible. And without skull in the bag. And without false teeth. And without a fourteen-foot boat. By the way, is your control book in place?

97 Langham Street to the west of Hallam Street

51.518748, -0.143015 (OpenStreetMap, Google Maps, Yandex Maps)

Memorial opposite BBC Radio 1 entrance. Inscription on the pedestal to the right of the right shoe

Second line

Jennings

106 3 George Street

51.517973, -0.151861 (OpenStreetMap, Google Maps, Yandex Maps)

The wall with the coat of arms to the left of the entrance. Writings on the wall

Word after ‘RONSON’

Esquire

116 Marchmont Street

51.524554, -0.124622 (OpenStreetMap, Google Maps, Yandex Maps)

Plate describing the art installation on the pavement 30 metres to the left of the Brunswick Centre entrance

The latest year

2009

30 31 Marchmont Street

51.524445, -0.124991 (OpenStreetMap, Google Maps, Yandex Maps)

The Marquis Cornwallis pub

Signature of an official

Signature

Stage 4

28 33 Queen Square  

51.521481, -0.121676 (OpenStreetMap, Google Maps, Yandex Maps)

Sign on the corner of the building, starting with ‘THIS CORNER STONE’

Last word of the fifth line

Honourable

Historical background

The Cabmen's Shelters
// In a time when horseless carriages had not been invented, there was a law in Britain, forbidding drivers to leave their cabs on the streets. This deprived them of the opportunity to relax and have a snack between trips. Tired cabmen gathered at pubs where someone could look after cabs for a small fee, and had a rest there, not always keeping sobriety. In 1875, cabmen were decided to be taken care of, and a special charitable Fund was founded, which sponsored the building of 61 ‘Cabmen's Shelters’ in London. ‘Shelters’ nicknamed ‘Green Cabbie Huts’ had a length no bigger than a horse and a cart and stood on the busy roads. Despite the small size, they had a small kitchen, a lounge room for 10-12 people, and sometimes a toilet. There it was inexpensive to get hot food and drinks and read a newspaper. Alcohol, gambling and profanity were strictly prohibited.
With the advent of cars ‘Green Cabbie Huts’ gradually lost actuality, and most of them were demolished. But thirteen of them survived, one of the ‘huts’ had to move from Leicester Square, which was transformed into pedestrian, to Russell Square. It is still possible to buy cheap coffee and snacks to take away there. But to be lowered inside to take a rest, you, as before, have to be a cabman!

42 Percy Circus

51.529185, -0.11475 (OpenStreetMap, Google Maps, Yandex Maps)

The house between Great Percy Street and Vernon Rise. The round commemorative plaque on the façade

Second line

Ilyich Ulyanov

46 4 Britannia Street

51.530069, -0.117357 (OpenStreetMap, Google Maps, Yandex Maps)

Letterboxes to the left of the entrance

Sign on one of the letterboxes that does not contain numbers

LANDLORD

115 London House, Mecklenburgh Square

51.524565, -0.118106 (OpenStreetMap, Google Maps, Yandex Maps)

Mecklenburgh Square entrance. Plaque in the leftmost archway

The hyphenated word

re-naming

151 Caledonian Road

51.535295, -0.117218 (OpenStreetMap, Google Maps, Yandex Maps)

Bridge across Regent’s Canal. Thornhill Bridge Community Gardens to the west of the bridge

Number of birds on the wall

7

153 Granary Square

51.534748, -0.125039 (OpenStreetMap, Google Maps, Yandex Maps)

Stairs towards the canal in the southern part of the square. Round information sign across the canal from the stairway. The top one of the curved metal signs nearby

First name on the sign

Andrew (Andrew Storm)

155 St Pancras railway station  

51.530263, -0.125034 (OpenStreetMap, Google Maps, Yandex Maps)

Giant sculpture on the first floor in the southern part of the station. Man leaning against the ear and reading a newspaper

Year on the newspaper

2009

Historical background

Kings Cross
// The Kings Cross has seen almost everything. There was a crossing over the river Fleet, the church of Roman missionaries, a market, roads, hot spots, hospitals, industrial area and a railway. A furious army of Boudicca fought the Roman invaders here (presumably). Some said here, on the territory of present-day Kings Cross terminal, Boudicca was buried (actually not), and there is a boarding the Hogwarts Express in the same terminal (and that's the truth). Kings Cross station was built in the middle of XIX century on the same place where a monument to king George IV was, this monument gave a name to the area and the station. The monument was demolished, but the name remained. The terminal was built with two platforms. Progress does not stand still, and a century later, when Donald Bisset overheard the quarrel between Kings Cross and St Pancras, the number of platforms became ten. Now there are twelve of them, but you will not find the platform number 12, because the numbering of platforms at Kings Cross station now starts from zero, to the delight of programmers.

// St Pancras
// St Pancras station, almost the same age as King's Cross, stands nearby to it. Both railway stations played an important role not only for passenger transport but also for freight transport. Carried coal, fish, potatoes and much more. Since its construction, St Pancras has taken also special beer trains at least three per day. It is now surprising to hear that half a century ago it was considered unnecessary, and plans to demolish this beautiful building and its adjacent hotel and to transfer trains to King's Cross and Euston were seriously discussed. Fortunately, thanks to the leak of this information from British Rail, the idea of the of St Pancras demolition became known, and it caused public outrage. St Pancras was recognised as an architectural monument. Since 2007, after a long renovation, it has been receiving international Eurostar trains. A monument to the main activist against the destruction of St Pancras, poet John Betjeman, stands at the railway station.