A literary walk across London, inspired by 84 Charing Cross Road

From Green Park to Bloomsbury, via bookshops, art galleries, and cafés.

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If you’re a reader of this newsletter, you probably already know how much I love the world of 84 Charing Cross Road and its sequel The Duchess of Bloomsbury Street—both non-fiction books that read like novels.

For those unfamiliar with these books and their author Helene Hanff, here is a quick recap.

Helene Hanff was a successful TV writer born in 1916 in Philadelphia, and based in New York. Today, she’s best known for her book 84 Charing Cross Road, an epistolary collection published in 1970 that documents her 20-year correspondence with Frank Doel, the chief buyer at Marks & Co., a London-based seller of secondhand and antique books.

After years of dreaming and saving, in 1971 Hanff sets off on a long-anticipated journey to promote her book, and finally meet the friends she once knew only through letters. The Duchess of Bloomsbury Street is the memoir chronicling this memorable trip to London. I won’t reveal too much, but I couldn’t recommend it more. It’s just as full of old-fashioned glamour, charm, and zest as the epistolary book that precedes it.

I can’t quite pinpoint what it is about these stories that captured my imagination so deeply, but they have stayed with me.

In an attempt to find pockets of beauty and colour amid what felt like a relentlessly rainy and overcast London, at the start of January, I planned a one-day itinerary inspired by these books. It took me a few weeks of research and procrastination to make it happen, and sure enough, when the day arrived, it rained from morning until evening, at one point even turning stormy.

I’ve been living in East London for almost seven years, and sometimes I go weeks without setting foot in Central London. Especially since the pandemic, I’m more drawn to nourishing walks in large green spaces rather than the city’s draining energy.

But I do love going to art exhibitions, cafés, and bookstores. And many of my favourites are in Soho, Bloomsbury, and Mayfair.

While I tried to follow Hanff’s steps, visiting the addresses that she explores and mentions in the books, I also included a few of my own favourite spots along the way, places that weren’t around in the early 70s.

My itinerary wasn’t perfect; there were more places I wanted to visit, but didn’t have time for, or decided not to. For example, I would have loved to spend more time in Bloomsbury in the afternoon and evening but, by the time I got there, I was exhausted from all the walking and satisfied with my discoveries.

Overall, it was a fun and beautiful experience for many reasons:

• Following an itinerary allowed me to slow down and truly take in parts of the city I would normally just rush past on my way to other destinations.

• Walking with a purpose made me see London with fresh eyes. Sometimes, I forget how lucky I am to live in a city where there’s always something interesting going on.

• Since the day was dedicated to books, I didn’t feel any guilt spending hours in bookstores browsing every section, shelf and table at my own pace.

• And as a result, I ended up discovering countless books I didn’t know about.

So here it is, a look into a book-inspired day walking in London.

Come along, I hope you enjoy the stroll. ♡

“Theoretically, it was one of the happiest days of my life. The date was Thursday, June 17, 1971; the BOAC lifted from Kennedy airport promptly at 10a.m.; the sky was blue and sunny, and after a lifetime of waiting I was finally on my way to London.” Helen Hanff

6am - wake up, put coffee on the stove, feed the cat, sit ten minutes in silence while sipping the coffee, write morning pages, play sudoku while listening to a podcast.
7am - breakfast—bread and almond butter, get ready for the day.
8am - read a few pages from The Duchess of Bloomsbury Street, to set the vibe.
9am - leave the house

First stop: Green Park tube station

10am - exit the tube and walk past St James’s Street towards Piccadilly Circus. Once at the corner of Fortum & Mason, turn right and head down Duke St for the first detour of the day: The White Cube gallery in Mason’s Yard.

I've chosen to start the day in these quieter settings to feel grounded before heading into the busier parts of the itinerary. The current exhibition features paintings and sculptures by American artist Virginia Overton¹ and because it’s just me here at this time of day, I take all the time I need to enjoy each piece.

10.30 - exit White Cube and resist the temptation to stop at every gallery along my path because I still have a busy day ahead. Head to St James’s Street, then turn left, walking past the iconic Berry Bros & Rudd wine shop as I make my way towards The Mall.

St James Street, minus the cars, delivery vans and traffic.

And here she is: Buckingham Palace! 👑

11am - off to St James’s Park. Walking and conversing not far from me are two young men. Since, for once, I’m not listening to a podcast, I instead enjoy a little eavesdropping and get curious about their embassy-district chatter. I take my time as I leisurely stroll through the park.

I’m swept back into the city’s traffic as I step into Trafalgar Square, passing the National Gallery (not stopping today—I need more time to enjoy it… sob sob), and finally reaching St. Martin-in-the-Fields, a 18th-century neoclassical church designed by architect James Giggs.

I know I’m kind of rushing through this part of the itinerary, but it’s only because I’m so excited about what comes next.

11.30 - now to the part of the day I’ve been really waiting for: Charing Cross Road² and all of its wonderful bookstores, secondhand and otherwise.

I leave a piece of my heart at Henry Pordes Books, with its many hardback editions and vintage book covers. It’s impossible to get tired when spending time among the beautiful artworks and studying their typography, the colours, the fabrics. I will definitely return.

And… a bittersweet piece of news for fans of the book—here’s what now occupies 84 Charing Cross Road... drum roll please... a shiny, big McDonald’s. 😭

☹️

12noon - with plenty of time before lunch, I decide to buy ink refills for my fountain pen, and visit my new favourite stationery shop: Choosing Keeping³.

It’s love at first sight.

This place is magical. Every single item on display is achingly beautiful. From the wrapping paper to the countless notebooks, the Japanese water colour sets, the fruit-shaped candles, and, of course, the fountain pens. For anyone who loves writing, journaling, or simply being around pretty objects, this place is dangerously tempting. I wonder what would Helene Hanff think of it.

Here are just a few of the pictures I took at this stationery lovers’ paradise.

1pm - time for a lunch break, and I go with my usual: Koya in Soho. I always love eating at this counter, especially if I’m on my own. Today, I’m having the Kitsune Udon with sweet tofu and spring onions.

With a full stomach, I’m ready to take on the next part of the day, but not before stopping for a little coffee and chocolate truffle at Monmouth. The café is packed, so I snag an outdoor table where I shelter under my umbrella and spend some time people-watching.

2pm - after all the morning walking, a pause is necessary. Once caffeinated, I set off toward Bloomsbury.

I spend at least an hour at the London Review Bookshop. There are so many books that I long to read, and I feel overwhelmed. Every time I think of getting something new, I think about the never-ending pile waiting for me at home. So for today, I decide: just browsing.

Just next door, at 12 Bury Place, is another beautiful stationery shop: Present and Correct. Highly recommend!

3pm - I make my way back to Tottenham Court Road to spend time in the classic section at Foyle’s, where I finally end up picking up, fittingly, Street Haunting—an essay by Virginia Woolf about the joy of walking through the streets of London—in a Penguin’s candy-coloured edition.

4.45pm - on the bus back to Hackney.

Today’s itinerary, more or less.

I don’t know how, but I did manage to resist a lot of temptations along my walk today, except for these two: my next read and the blue Kaweco ink I needed.

7pm - home after a quick grocery run, exhausted and happy. Step count for the day: 16,145. Although the plan was to stay a little longer and maybe get a drink somewhere in Bloomsbury, I’m glad to be home watching tv and enjoying a bowl of spicy black beans.

good night x

thank you for reading ♡
Stefania

1. Virginia Overton is an American artist based in Brooklyn, whose site-specific work includes installation, sculpture and photography.

2. Charing Cross Road has been known since the early 20th century for its secondhand and antique bookstores, many of which are still around today.

3. The shop first opened on Columbia Road in 2012. This is a quote from their website: “Many are often curious about the name of our shop - why “Choosing Keeping? It’s simple, really: we wish for our customers to be considerate and discerning in their choices, and to honour and care for their purchases for years to come, thus choosing and keeping them.” Love it!