Acton Town

Of course I know it’s location and I know by the definition we applied when walking the Thames Path into Staines in 2022 I’m reminded that Heathrow is in “actual London” – as opposed to “London” Gatwick and God forbid “London” Southend – but even so, Heathrow does still feel a bit miles from central London, or indeed pretty much anywhere. The tube run from Hayes or the airport to the city or the West End just seems much longer than the Thameslink train from Gatwick to London Bridge or Blackfriars.

And on this day, Heathrow’s relative remoteness was a bit of an issue. There had been a track failure meaning that the Elizabeth line into central London was shut from the airport so every other route was a bit round the houses and miles from anywhere. Even getting to our hotel in Hayes wasn’t totally simple, but we made a plan to head towards Ealing and see what trains we could get on the way back.Read more