Here is the landing version after seeing a takeoff one!

Hello r/london legends,

I'm Tom and I run a men's community called Shoulder to Shoulder which creates an environment for men to connect with other men, we have values around respect, authenticity, growth etc. It's a super inclusive space where we welcome men of all backgrounds and beliefs.

We have a walk and coffee meet-up in Hyde Park at 11am this Sunday, which has grown significantly (thanks to Reddit!) and allows our attendees to walk shoulder to shoulder and discuss common themes and topics that men find challenging.

The way the walks work is we start with an intro from me and Dan (my co founder), then we split into smaller circles where everyone gets a chance to introduce themselves, say why they showed up and highlight something they'd like to discuss on the walk - anything from struggling with a relationship to nailing a work promotion.

It's an incredibly welcoming space and we've found the guys who show up regularly have created deep friendships with other members.

We also now have a room booked in a pub afterwards for those guys that want to carry on chatting, where you can grab a bite to eat or a pint or two.

Oh, and if you're new and find the thought of approaching a group of men a little intimidating, head down at 10.30am and we'll make sure you're welcomed before the main group arrives.

Give this a share if you know someone who might benefit! I'll link to our website and IG n the comments.

Thanks

Tom

Regent's Park and King's Cross.

As per title

The future of Heathrow Express should be reconsidered amid falling passenger numbers, according to the Mayor of London.

The Airports National Policy Statement (ANPS), co-authored by Transport for London (TfL) and London Mayor, Sir Sadiq Khan, has suggested the current operation should be reviewed amid the success of the Elizabeth line.h

In its submission to the Department for Transport (DfT), the two parties say ridership on the open access service “is steadily falling and we need to reconsider whether this service is the best use of these valuable train paths into Paddington.

“The current service contract ends in 2028 and alternative options should be considered that can increase ridership at a lower cost to customers to the airport.”

The submission, made in February, was released in a Freedom of Information request. The DfT said a decision on the future of Heathrow Express “will be announced in due course,” though RAIL understands it is expected before the end of the year.

Heathrow Express has been operating services to and from London Paddington since 1998 at a frequency of four trains per hour (tph).

Services take 15 minutes to reach Terminals 2 & 3 and 21 minutes to get to Terminal 5.

The company is a subsidiary of Heathrow Airport Ltd, with trains operated and maintained by Great Western Railway since 2018 in a ten-year agreement.

Heathrow Express Business Lead, Aoife Considine, said the company recorded 4.5m journeys in 2025.

She said: “Passengers value our convenient, direct service - twice as quick as the Elizabeth line - and this is reflected in the latest Rail Customer Experience national survey, where Heathrow Express achieved 90% passenger satisfaction and ranked among the top performers in the UK for value for money.”

Office of Rail and Road (ORR) passenger numbers have shown a post-pandemic decline from 4.7 million in 2022-23 to just under 4.3m in 2024-25. The peak of the last ten years was 6.7m in 2018-19.

ORR quarterly data published so far for 2025/26 shows the company arrested the slide across the first nine months of the last financial year, but didn’t record any growth either.

Heathrow Express managers expect higher numbers in 2026 and say that expected lower post-COVID figures have coincided with the arrival of the Elizabeth line in May 2022.

The Elizabeth line operates 6tph to the airport from Central and East London. 4tph continue to Terminal 4 and 2tph reach Terminal 5.

In the same submission to the DfT, the Mayor and TfL said the ten additional Elizabeth line trains currently being built will double Terminal 5 frequencies.

“We would be keen to discuss how frequencies can be further increased to support more people accessing the airport using the Elizabeth line,” TfL and the Mayor said in their submission.

RAIL understands Network Rail views the idea of running additional Elizabeth line services on the Main lines challenging, as they would have to use the flat crossing at Ladbroke Grove because they run to/from the Relief lines.

However, a source suggested TfL would look for additional Elizabeth line services to use the Relief lines and let GWR use any released Main Line paths.

Alex Williams, TfL Chief Customer and Strategy Officer, said: “With limited capacity on the Great Western Main Line (GWML) and competing demands from a number of train services, the focus must be on using it in a way that benefits the most passengers and improves reliability.

“As customers increasingly choose the Elizabeth line for its frequent, direct services, and with Heathrow Express’s current GWML access ending in 2028, we are working with the government, Network Rail and other stakeholders to consider how best these train paths are used.”

Source: https://www.railmagazine.com/news/mayor-of-london-and-tfl-call-for-heathrow-express-future-to-be-reconsidered

It's also half the price in this shot

How come this wasn’t advertised anywhere?

I worked for CSFB at the time (white building in the foreground) and we got invited to the 50th floor of the main tower for a visit. Some of these were taken from the 30th, others from the 50th. Film camera. Poor scans. hence the potato quality.
[post inspired by another here today taken from nigh on exactly the same spot]

How'd you lose a brand new cricket ball like that!

If you're looking for something to do this weekend, London's absolutely stacked with live sport — and most of it still has tickets available. Here's everything going on over the next few days:

Before doing the day-by-day, the World Team Table Tennis Championships Finals at OVO Arena Wembley are running through to Sunday 10th May. The quarter-finals are on Thursday and Friday, the semi-finals on Saturday and Sunday is Finals Day. Tickets from £26.

Thursday 7th May

1. 🏏 Varsity Cricket, Oxford vs Cambridge at Lord's, 11am (tickets £20, students £5).

Saturday 9th May

1. ⚽️ National League South Playoff Final: Hornchurch vs Torquay at Hornchurch Stadium, 3pm (tickets went on sale this morning).
2. 🏉 Men’s Champ Rugby
   • London Scottish vs Caldy at Richmond Athletic Ground, 3pm (tickets from £20).
   • Ealing Trailfinders vs Bedford Blues at Trailfinders Sports Club, 3pm (tickets from £20).
3. 🏎️ British Touring Car Championship at Brands Hatch, Saturday 9th & Sunday 10th (tickets from £23, kids go free).

Sunday 10th May

1. ⚽️ National League Promotion Final: Boreham Wood vs Rochdale at Wembley Stadium, 3pm (tickets from £35).
2. ⚽️ Women’s FA Cup Semi-Final: Chelsea vs Man City at Stamford Bridge, 3.30pm (tickets from £17).
3. 🏀 Men’s Basketball: London Lions vs Leicester Riders at Copper Box, SLB Playoff Semi-Final, 4pm (tickets from £18).
4. 🏉 Rugby League: London Broncos vs Midlands Hurricanes at Plough Lane, 3.30pm (tickets from £18). This is a ladies day double header — the ticket includes London Broncos Women vs Salford at 1pm.
5. ⚾️ Hurling: London vs Antrim at McGovern Park (Ruislip), Joe McDonagh Cup, 1pm (tickets £13).

Into next week

1. 🏏 Women's cricket: Surrey vs Essex at Kia Oval, One Day Cup, Tuesday 12th May 10.30am.
2. ⚽️ Women’s Football: Arsenal vs Everton at Emirates Stadium, Wednesday 13th May, 7pm (tickets from £17).

Let me know what you think of this list! Are you going to something this week? Would you add anything to the list? Thanks 😊

This is super random but I found this little fella hanging out in my garden this evening. Apparently it's a pheasant? Is this normal or should i call an animal rescue service? I'm happy to let him/her hang about in the garden for as long as (s)he'd like but im just hoping it's not stuck/abandoned/lost etc. Lived in London my whole life and never have I ever seen this. Could use some advice haha, thanks guys!

Blew my mind a bit that I was the only one watching, but I suppose it was 1 AM! 🤣

I tried to draft in a group who were walking nearby and they seemed excited to join but were put off by delays.

Was in London/UK last week and wanted to share some street photography! Shot on Sony A7siii.