Bizarre standoff in Soho yesterday involving horses
Ted C
Posts: 11,730 Forum Member
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Yesterday evening I was in Greek Street in London's Soho having a drink with friends, when suddenly a couple of guys on a buggy being pulled by a horse sped past us going the wrong way up the street, then came back the other way. They did this a few times, and were followed by a second horse and buggy...they were going at quite a pace as well.
Shortly after, two police on horseback arrived, and then a whole raft of police vans, cars, including unmarked police cars. Greek Street was brought to a standstill.
Everything seemed centred on the part of Bateman Street that connects with Greek Street. I walked down to take a look at what was going on, but could only see a lot of police, some on horseback, people still in the street outside the pub etc, but no sign of the horses and buggy's. It looked either like the street was blocked off, or there was some sort of standoff going on.
Pretty sure the horse and buggy ride through Soho was illegal, especially going the wrong way up the street.
I had to leave shortly after as I was going to a gig nearby, but I cannot find any news reports of this today, and never did find out what happened.
Don't suppose anyone was around the area and saw this, or have read anything about it?
Shortly after, two police on horseback arrived, and then a whole raft of police vans, cars, including unmarked police cars. Greek Street was brought to a standstill.
Everything seemed centred on the part of Bateman Street that connects with Greek Street. I walked down to take a look at what was going on, but could only see a lot of police, some on horseback, people still in the street outside the pub etc, but no sign of the horses and buggy's. It looked either like the street was blocked off, or there was some sort of standoff going on.
Pretty sure the horse and buggy ride through Soho was illegal, especially going the wrong way up the street.
I had to leave shortly after as I was going to a gig nearby, but I cannot find any news reports of this today, and never did find out what happened.
Don't suppose anyone was around the area and saw this, or have read anything about it?
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Mind you, it's not the only illegal road activity that happens in Soho - the Frith Street bikers hiding their reg plates, unregistered cabbies and the rickshaw riders being just three of them!
That's just the tip of the iceberg...I used to work there a few years back, and the Pillars, where I was drinking last night, was my local.
There are the people out joyriding on boris bikes, who look like they have not ridden a bike in 30 years, probably on holiday and think it will be a 'jolly wheeze' to ride a bike...until a cars and lorries start whizzing past them and they suddenly realise they are not on a quiet country lane...pedestrians walking down the middle of Greek Street with their back to the traffic, with no concept that they are actually walking on a road at all...skaters, rollerbladers, and all sorts of assorted local nutters and a very high quotient of extremely drunk persons.
It's a lively part of town, that's for sure. The phrase 'All human life is here' could have been invented for it.
carlisle arms was my local, going back, well, quite a few years now. the landlady was a bit fierce and it was always empty.
always plenty going on in that area.
Not sure about polished and polite...it's become very bohemian and trendy, lots of cafes, bars, clubs, restaurants, its kind of a village atmosphere these days. Very, very busy and lively, especially evenings and weekends.
The two obvious changes from the 70's are the almost complete absence of sex shops, and associated sex-related premises.
And the second one is the large gay community and proliferance (?) of gay shops, restaurants and bars.
I have to say, I do like Soho these days...its a great place to go for a drink or a meal, and is always lively and yet its very rare to see any trouble, its quite relaxed.
Doing this sort of thing on closed lanes during events is one thing. Doing it in the centre of London during a massively busy Saturday on a bank holiday weekend was bonkers. Surprised the police didn't stop them earlier tbh.
Sounds like cyclists who decided on a change of 'steed' for the day.
that's where a gaggle of DSers used to meet up 7 or 8 years ago
You could sit outside on the pavement tables and watch all human life go by......:D
I was there last wednesday.
I feel sorry for people in wheelchairs in Soho.
That's true, but I don't see what much can change in the often narrow streets, other than stopping cafes and restaurants allowing tables and chairs to be used outside. Sometimes they've been warned not to do that, but still do it.
When I used to spend half of my life in Soho, my wheelchair-user friend used to wheel himself in the roads until we got to our destination, not ideal at all, but it's how he had to do it.