21/09/26 - Soho

Searching for the previously undiscoveredWalk 3 in London's Hidden Walks finds me in probably my most visited part of town, Soho. How it changes - when I first came, 30 years ago, I can remember a pimp offering services, answering no, until we both laughed. "Do I want a woman? Do I want a man? Well what do you want then?"It's all sanitised now. The council refuses new alcohol licences unless there is table service to seated drinkers. After dark, I was surprised to see organised walking tours emerge, led by umbrella-wielding guides and followed by a posse of foreign thrill-seekers, presumably in search of London's darker side.My guide-book runs to about 20 pages of descriptions, with every other building having a story to tell. I'll limit the blog to just the bits that are of interest and new to me. Into SohoYou'll be unsurprised that most are drinking related. Later in the night, I will be completing a Fitzrovian Pub Crawl - attempting to recreate the golden era of London drinking.…