How To Navigate The Bubble Of The Square Mile

Cancelled trains, crowded bars and a war in the background

This entry of Field Notes comes to you from the City of London, this publication’s adopted home. The City can feel overwhelming, and this week has been a commuter’s nightmare. Cancelled trains and overcrowded Underground stations can get the better of you, and that’s where a good coping mechanism is needed.

Getting from A to B requires a good mindset, decent spatial awareness, solid navigation skills and sharp observation. Knowing where to take a shortcut can be the difference between making the 17:20 and standing idly on the platform waiting for the next departure.

I never leave home without my phone and my noise cancelling AirPods. Plumbed into my ears is a smorgasbord of sound, from an audiobook to the latest beats mixed by Marsh, my favourite DJ.

There is something therapeutic about listening to a gripping story as the train rumbles through the urban sprawl of the capital. Maybe one day people will listen to my audiobook.

I wonder if Jeremy Clarkson would narrate the book? We are both from South Yorkshire, and he respects Army veterans. Who knows. I have quietly added that to my to-do list.

Walking Around The City of London

Today, as I walked around the City of London, my eyes scanned the landscape. People went about their business as if the world around them did not exist. One thing is for sure, you definitely need to keep your wits about you in the city.

Mobile phone theft is a significant issue in London, with over 80,000 phones stolen in 2024 and a sharp increase from previous years. Criminals, sometimes using high-powered e-bikes, steal phones to sell them for profit, often exporting them to places like China and North Africa. While specific City of London figures are not isolated, they are included in the Metropolitan Police's data for the entire city. 

According to London Centric, phone thieves often bury phones in flower beds. Who knew? I'm always careful, and I live by the motto, if it's not needed keep it tucked away in a secure pocket.

The Chancellor has just delivered her budget, which has had plenty of criticism. Electric car owners are scoping their leasing agreements to see which break clauses they might have to pay for, and those on the minimum wage are trying to celebrate a measly increase in hourly rate. A war rumbles on in Ukraine, and the world feels unsettled.

Yet none of that seems to matter in the City of London. Restaurants are full and bars are bursting at the seams, even if the price of a pint is above £9. Ouch! How did we get here?

It makes me wonder whether those working in the City are really affected by world events, tax hikes and everything else that life seems to throw at them. Maybe the commute is its own small bubble, where the noise of the wider world struggles to get in.

Head up, eyes open and happy commuting.