To enlarge, I'd driven to a friend's house, then walked to catch a bus to The Elephant, and walked again to join the march at Trafalgar
Square. We walked on to Hyde Park, and listened to several speeches. During the march there were a few fireworks let off a short way behind, but no-one, including the police, took much notice. A group of black clad balaclava'd people were about at the time, with anarchist flags, being herded to keep together, and it was noticable that other marchers were keeping a gap between them and the main group.
When we left the park, through Mayfair, it was about 3.30, and we found ourselves walking back alongside those still going peacefully towards the park along Piccadilly. As we approached Fortnum's we watched climbers putting up a banner on lamposts, there was a bang, and smoke, and shouting, and the march stopped. The side road by Fortnum's was blocked, there were three police vans with only the drivers in, surrounded and climbed on, and we went back towards the Ritz. As we went down the next side street, we saw a cohort of riot police set off along Jermyn Street towards Fortnums. Along Jermyn Street there was a solitary protestor pulling faces at people in Fortnum's cafe. The police had formed a line across the road. Back on Piccadilly we could see that the tail end of the peaceful march, behind the violent lot, were stationary.
There were a few musicians in Trafalgar Square, and a short march down past St Martins in the Fields.

Did the people of that idyllic hamlet go on the Countryside march? With buses laid on by the squirearchy? Don't go.. lose your job? Did they have road blocks today?

And isn't there something odd about someone who finds Henley so attractive not being on the Tideway today?
Penny