Hi everyone,

This week we’re all about Paddington Bear! There are 50 Paddington Bear statues across London to celebrate the arrival of the Paddington movie in cinemas.  Each bear is different and they’ve been designed by an interesting group of celebrities and artists.  At the end of December, the bears will be auctioned off to aid charity.  This week we have two routes that will lead you to see some Paddington Bears.  Monday we have a modified Hyde Park/Green Park route that leads you past six Bears and on Wednesday we have a Paddington route that leads you past nine bears including the original Paddington Bear in Paddington station.  If you’re not up for the new Paddington routes you can do the original routes planned for this week, Hyde Park on Monday and Notting Hill on Wednesday.

Here is the link to the map of ALL the Paddington Bears:

http://www.visitlondon.com/paddington/trail-map

To give you a little inspiration, here’s our small group from last Friday that found the original Paddington!

Keep running,

Jane

ROUTES

OPTION 1

Monday 1 December – Paddington Bear in the Three Parks (6-7 miles)

(Bring your Oyster card, we’ll tube home from Westminster or Green Park)

Bear 1

For this route, we head to Hyde Park in our regular way of Circus Road, to Grove End Road, to Lisson Grove/Seymour Place and into Hyde Park.  We’ll turn left and head along the Park Lane path to Hyde Park corner.   Follow the path to the end of the Serpentine and you’ll have found the first bear, The Journey of Marmalade, On the Bridge near the Serpentine Bar and Kitchen, Hyde Park, SW1X 7LA.

Bear 2

Exit the park at Sloane Street (near Harvey Nichols) turn right on Basil Street and run until you see Flutterby (by Emma Watson) at Hans Crescent, Knightsbridge Tube exit, next to Harrods, SW1X 0LZ.

Bear 3

Turn Right on Sloane Street and left on Pont Street.  Run around Belgrave Square and head back to Hyde Park corner.  Run under Wellington Arch and along Constitution Hill until you get to Buckingham Palace and see Golden Paws (by David Beckham) Canada Gate, Green Park, Opposite Buckingham Palace SW1A 1AA.

Bear 4

Run along the Mall and then cross St. James Park and turn left along Birdcage Walk.  At the end of the park, turn left up Horse Guards Road to see Paddington Jack, Clive Steps, Horse Guard Parade, Outside Churchill War Rooms, SW1A 2AE

Bear 5

Turn right on King Charles Street and then left on Whitehall to see Paddington is Great, Downing Street, Whitehall, SW1A 2AA.  

Bear 6

Head back down Whitehall toward Westminster Tube to see the sixth bear, Good News Bear, Great George Street, Parliament Square, SW1P 3AL.

You can take the tube home from Westminster for a 6 mile run or head back to Green Park tube for a 7 mile run.

OPTION 2

Monday 1 December – Hyde Park (5-8 miles)

Let’s work off that turkey with our ever versatile run to Hyde Park!

Click here for all of the Hyde Park interactive route maps

Start:  Everybody starts the same way… head west on Circus Road, turn left on Grove End Road and follow south as it becomes Lisson Grove.  Cross over Marylebone Road and continue on Seymour Place until the end.  Turn right and cross over Edgware Road and then take the first left on Stanhope Place to enter Hyde Park at the intersection with Stanhope Place. Cross into the Park—you’ll see a silver orb just inside the park.  

5 Milers:  Run straight when you enter the park and turn left when the path end.  Turn left again at Hyde Park Corner and head back along the eastern edge of the park before exiting at the Animals of War memorial and follow Upper Brook Street.  Turn left on Park Street which becomes Gloucester Place and then Park Road back to St. John’s Wood. 

6 Milers: Upon entering the park, turn right at the silver sphere and run until you meet N Carriage Road where you turn left.  Run down to the Serpentine, crossing over the bridge then left to run along the Serpentine. At the end of the Serpentine, turn left again and make your way to the eastern edge of the park before exiting at the Upper Brook St/Animals in War exit.  Continue along Upper Brook Street to Park Street, turn left, take it to Park Road and into SJW.

8 Milers: Follow the 6 mile run but do not turn left at No Carriage Rd, instead cross over [this is tricky, be careful] and follow until you reach the large broadwalk where you turn left.  Run past Kensington Palace (on your right) and take a left to run along the southern edge of the park towards Hyde Park Corner, then turn left on the eastern edge and exit at Upper Brook St/Animals in War exit as above.  Take Upper Brook Street to Park Street [left] to Park Road and home to SJW.

OPTION 1

Wednesday 3 December – Paddington Bear in Paddington (5 miles)

Bear 1

Start out the way we head to the Blomfield Street canal entrance, taking Circus Road, turn left on Grove End, right on St. John’s Wood Road, left on Cunningham Place and follow around until you cross Maida Vale.  Continue across to Blomfield Road and run past the canal entrance to Warwick Ave, turn left and enter the little park on the west side of Warwick Ave.  (You may need to use the zebra crossing further down on Warwick Ave to cross the street.)  You have reached our first bear, Love Paddington X, Rembrandt Gardens, Little Venice W2 1XB.

Bear 2

Head back to Blomfield Road and turn left until you get to the canal entrance at the Westbourne Terrace Road bridge.  Follow the canal path toward Paddington.  (This is the way we return from the Notting Hill loop, but we’re going in the opposite direction.)  The second bear is in the green open area in the middle of the office buildings at Sheldon Square, across from Itsu.  You’ve reached Texting Paddington, Sheldon Square, W2 6EZ.

Bear 3

Run along the canal and you’ll find the next bear just past Bishops Bridge Road.  You’ve reached The Mayor of Paddington, Canalside Plaza, W2 1LA.

Bear 4

Continue along the canal until you reach the entrance to Paddington underground station.  Run through the station until you find area between tracks 8 and 9.  You have reached the original Paddington, Platform 8 and 9 Paddington Station, W2 1AE.

Bear 5

From the platform, exit straight out of the station to London Street, stopping at Norfolk Square Gardens.   You’ve reached the next bear, Paddingtonscape, Norfolk Square Gardens, London Street, W2 1RU.

Bear 6

Continue on London Street and turn right on Sussex Gardens.  Follow Sussex Gardens until you enter Hyde Park at Lancaster Gate.   The next bear is near the Italian Gardens.  You’ve reached Paws Engage, Kensington Gardens, Lancaster Gate entrance, W2 3PS.

Bear 7

Exit Hyde Park and head back up Sussex Gardens until making a left on Norfolk Place and then right on Praed Street.  Turn left on Sale Place, you’re back at the Paddington Basin.  You need to be on the far side of the canal to see Futuristic Robot Bear, Merchant Square, Paddington Basin, W2 1JS.  

Bear 8

Continue along the canal to see on the right, Bearing Up, St. Mary’s Footbridge, Paddington Basin, W2 1AF.

Bear 9

Just a little further along on the right you’ll see Brick Bear, Canal Towpath, Paddington, W2 1AF.

Cross the footbridge to reach the other side of the canal and then return to St. John’s Wood along the canal in the same way that we started.  You’ve run 5 miles and saw 9 bears including the original Paddington!

OPTION 2

Wednesday 3 December – Notting Hill (4-6+ miles)

Start out by heading west on Circus Road, turn left on Grove End to St John’s Wood Road and go west, working your way to the canal entrance on Blomfield.  Enter the canal and run to the Ladbroke Grove exit then run down Ladbroke Grove to Elgin Crescent and make a left.  Continue to Ledbury and go right and then left at Westbourne Grove.  Run down Westbourne Grove over Bishop’s Bridge and down the steps into Sheldon Square [across from Paddington Station].  Go back along the canal and out where you entered, then run back to Starbucks.

You also have the option of a shorter run by not getting off the canal. Run half the distance you want, turn around and head home. As a rule of thumb, the two mile mark is the Westway overpass.

Friday 5 December – The Heath

It’s Friday again, so everyone up Fitzjohn’s.  You can pick your distance and whatever you choose, there will certainly be someone else interested in running that distance.  All of these routes are on the website.

In addition, every week there are a group of women who prefer to do a flat run.  We can help make sure that you find each other.  

4 miles:  A great way to ease into running the hill.   Run up to the Hampstead tube station and back.

5 miles: The Betsy Route

6-7 miles:  The partial Heath route

8 miles:  The full Heath route

Click here for maps of all of the Heath routes.

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