The Long Good Friday Revisited

In the 1980 classic thriller The Long Good Friday, Bob Hoskins character, Harold Shand gives his view on the future of Docklands;

"Ladies and gentlemen. I'm not a politician. I'm a businessman with a sense of history. And I'm also a Londoner, and today is a day of great historical significance for London. Our country is not an island anymore. We're a leading European state. And I believe that this is the decade, in which London will become Europe's capital. Having cleared away the outdated, we've got mile after mile and acre after acre of land, for our future prosperity. No other city in the world... has got right in its centre, such an opportunity... for profitable progress. So it's important that the right people... mastermind the new London."

While things don't go well for Harold - his vision of the future proves fairly accurate and the old docks are redeveloped and London does host the Olympics.

This walk visits many of the East London locations from the film, some of which are recognisable, some of which have changed beyond Harold's wildest dreams. Rob will also talk about the recent history of Docklands that brought the changes about.

Meeting Point: Tower Hill Tube Entrance

End Point: Canary Wharf