I am on my way to Soho via the Elizabeth line, which opened in 2022.

Long known as one of the most bohemian areas of London,

Soho is considered the place for enjoying the arts, revelry, and late night entertainment.

Next station: Tottenham Court Road.

We've arrived at Tottenham Court Road Station.

Ah, the gateway to Soho.

I'm so excited to explore this town.

Looking forward to checking it out.

It is now 10:30 in the morning...

Ahh, the sun is so bright!

Wow, how lucky that the weather is so fabulous!

Oh, look! There's a double decker bus.

That's totally my image of London.

I think I'll check the map.

I got off at the station, and I'm now here on Oxford Street.

Soho is south of here.

I think I'll head toward the most famous tourist spots in London.

Regent Street and Piccadilly Circus.

Wow. It's beginning to get crowded.

There seem to be a lot of small shops along this street.

Ah, a record store!

Oh, how cool is this!

And here's a clothing store!

And next door, a very trendy looking spot!

And over there, a sneaker shop and a clothing store!

What a fun place to shop!

Now, that guy is very stylish!

He layered two jackets and he looks so elegant.

-Hello.
-Hello!

It looks like they sell casual clothes here.

They say Soho is full of stylish fashionistas.

Oh, Look at her! She looks fabulous!

- Hello.
- Hi!

I love your coat.

Thank you.

What brings you to Soho today?

I'm actually coming to a little sample sale today.

So hopefully purchase some more items.

Your shoes are also very cool.

My cowgirl boots. Very fitting.

Oh, there's a cowboy on the back of the coat.

Is that why you're wearing cowgirl boots?

Well, I just like flared jeans, I like cowgirl boots,

and I'm kind of going for a bit of a Western look today.

It wasn't the intention, it just kind of came together. But, yes.

Ahh. You look fantastic.

- Thank you very much. Thanks guys.
- Okay, bye.

Now there's a man with fashion flair!

- What a great look!
- Oh, me?

- Of course.
- Full of put today.

- That's a cool outfit.
- Oh, thank you.

Just casual, ain't I?

Just, I'm expressing through my clothing. So, that's how I identify myself in it. Through my clothing.

So this is like the sports... That's it. I've just been always like this.

Because of my momma...She just told me that how you're dressed or...how you're dressed would be how you're dressed, so...

Always try to be simple and clean, not too much.

I like a bit of color. Obviously I'm black so bright colors look good on my skin. So that's why I like to wear a lot of bright stuff, so...

Soho, youthful energetic style. You see a wide range. Obviously, you got the LGBT community as well.

So, there's a lot of colorful individuals who you see dressed around. Yeah.

Thank you so much.

- Thank you, guys. You guys, good luck.
- Okay. Bye.

So everyone dresses the way they like.

Town that celebrates unique style.

Look at that colorful neon sign. Is that a store?

Soho Radio? A local radio station?

Oh, he noticed me.

He seems to be inviting me in.

You want to come in? We are recording, but come join in.

Is that really okay?

- Come on in.
- This is Tim.

- Hi there.
- Hello.

- And uh...this is our guest Steve, he's our guest today.
- Hey guys, how are you?

Doing good!

So yeah, we're just in middle of a show, but...Yeah, please come in. Yeah.

Thank you. Oh, did they restart?

Welcome back to the Soho Society Hour.

Yeah, we can probably wind up the show. We must talk about breakfast, brunch, etc.

Well, there's Palomar isn't it? On lower Rupert Street.

- There is.
- Yeah. That one is very hard to get a table.

- Co & Ko on Berwick Street.
- Not Israeli, but they are very delicious.

Good Korean food. That's my favorite...

I see. It's a talk show about Soho.

Right. Thanks for listening, folks. We've been the Soho Society Hour.

This is Taylor Swift to end the show.

Nice choice!

- Well done, folks.
- Great job!

And good morning. Good to see you all. Thanks for coming in. I hope um...

Thank you for inviting me. May I ask a bit about the program?

Absolutely. So, it's Soho radio, an internet radio station, so you can listen online anywhere in the world.

And you can listen again as well.

Tim is my regular co-host and also does the news, Tim Lord.

So you're in charge of the news?

I'm chair of the Soho Society and I've lived in Soho since 1991.

I see. How do you like living here?

I mean, I grew up in the country on a farm in a village.

And most of those places have changed fundamentally, because of the way agriculture acts.

But strangely what I love about Soho is, it still feels like a village.

In that, there's a community where you have people who have lived here for decades.

And they all know one another.

And they're... they're connected to the businesses. They care about the businesses.

And yeah, I mean, I think it's the best place in the world to live.

Really. Thank you so much.

Thanks for coming in. Good luck. See you later.

- Well, nice to see you. Have a great time in Soho.
- See you guys. Have a good time.

- Don't drink too much.
- Bye-bye.

The best place in the world to live.

The people who live here seem to deeply love their community.

And here I am on a main street. So, this is Regent Street.

The street gently curves and is lined with stone buildings. It is really nice.

Wow. Look at that electronic ad.

It sure has impact.

Oh my, so many people!

So, this is Piccadilly Circus.

I'm going to check the guidebook again.

"This fountain commemorates the philanthropic activities of the Earl of Shaftesbury, a nobleman born in Mayfair."

"A popular rendezvous point in London."

Now I get it. There are so many people here.

Yep, this is it! The look and atmosphere of this place! This is my image of London!

While taking in the afternoon sun, everyone on the street is enjoying the town!

And when I step off the main street, the whole atmosphere immediately changes.

Oh, there's a church over there.

It's quite magnificent.

Look, the bottom is built with bricks, and the top is made of stone.

The style looks different.

Guidebook time.

"This is St Anne's church, built in the later 17th century, bombed by the German military during World War II."

"It was rebuilt in the 1990s. Except for the clock tower that had escaped damage."

Hmm, the clock on that tower is a bit unusual!

And it is a miracle clock that survived the war.

There are some people entering the church.

- Hi.
- Hello.

Are you going to attend a service?

Um, no. We're volunteers. We live locally. We wind it manually.

And uh, it's a very old clock actually.

Oh, you're here to wind the clock? That sounds really interesting.

May I watch?

- Oh yes. Yeah, yes.
- Yeah. Come on up.

- We are going up there right now.
- Thank you so much.

Oh, the stairs are really narrow!

And steep.

Ahh, we've arrived.

Is the mechanism for the clock in that cabinet?

The cabinet is really there to keep dust and dirt that would get into the mechanism of the clock.

Wowww. So this is the mechanism of the miracle clock.

Look at this. Made in 1884.

There have been suggestions from time to time of installing electronic winding system, but we've resisted it.

Since it was restored after the bombing,

and so it was a major task to restore it.

I think there's been a very strong culture of preserving it and keeping it in good running order.

Whereas I imagine prior to that it was just a church clock and people...

People wound it as always.

But the fact of it being brought back is what was made it special, I think.

This is definitely something to be treasured!

So, I'm going to wind this side now, and those weights will start going up as I wind.

Ohh, I see.

I guess the force of the weights coming down pulls the wire to make the clock gears turn.

How often do you wind it?

The teams wind three times a week.

Hmm, three times... How long have you been volunteering?

- Oh, many years. Let's say about 16, 17 years?
- 16 years. We've been doing this. Yeah.

For that long?

Do you ever feel like it's too much trouble?

"Do I really want to do this? I'm really tired?"

No. Actually I don't think I have had.

No. I think our commitment to it or our sense of responsibility of keeping the clock running

and on time overrides any of that.

I think they enjoy the slightly quirky looking tower.

It's not like any other church tower around here.

Which feels very Soho, somehow.

Thank you so much.

- Okay. Enjoy your walk through Soho. Cheers.
- Thank you. Cheers. Yeah yeah. Cheers.

Good-bye.

A miracle clock that survived the war.

Protected by the people of Soho, it will probably continue to tick away for many years to come.

Hello, everyone. I'm Reverend Simon Buckley, and I'm the Rector of St. Anne's Church.

I'd like to introduce you to a little bit of the history of Soho and tell you something of the history of my church.

Soho was originally a pasture.

Royals and nobles enjoyed hunting here.

It is said that the hunting called "Soho" is how it got its name.

The town was developed from the 16th century with many nobles and wealthy people moving here.

As the neighboring areas such as Mayfair, began to develop. Many of them left Soho.

You can't really talk about the history of Soho without coming to Soho Square.

In this corner of Soho Square is a French Protestant Church built to serve the French community.

They first arrived as refugees in the 16th century.

In the late 17th century, the persecution of Protestants had intensified in France, so many of these people sought refuge in London.

They began settling in Soho.

On the other side of Soho Square is St Patrick's, a Catholic Church originally built to serve the Irish community here in Soho.

Over in this corner of Soho Square is a building that used to be a synagogue, serving Soho's Jewish population.

When you come to the square, it is easy to see how Soho has welcomed a wide variety of immigrants.

As Soho transformed to a town of immigrants, St. Anne's Church took on the role as the center of the area.

This painting tells a lot about of the histories of St. Anne's, but also Soho more generally.

In this panel, we see a Jewish rabbi, Henry Cardwell, the rector of St. Anne's Church, the Church of England, and a Roman Catholic priest.

Henry Cardwell decided that the Vestry Council, the governing body of Soho,

should be made up of people from different denominations, as well as people from different cultures, communities and religions.

And I think it still has that inclusive welcome for different people today.

Anyway, I hope you enjoy your walk around Soho, and I'm quite sure you're going to meet some interesting characters.

It is 2 PM.

Let me look at the map. I stopped by the local radio station,

saw Piccadilly Circus, watched the winding of the church clock, and I'm here now.

Berwick Street, known for international food stands is nearby.

I think I'll head that way.

Oh, it says Les Miserables.

So this is a theatre.

According to the guidebook,

"This is Shaftesbury Avenue, the musical Hall of Fame Street representing the West End."

"It was developed at the end of the 19th century"

"as part of a clearance measure in order to clean up the immigrant inhabited slums of Soho."

"After that, a number of theaters were built and Soho was transformed into an entertainment district."

Oh, it's the place Londoners and visitors go to enjoy themselves.

Oh, the birth of the West End is related to this area's history as a town of immigrants.

And beyond this is Berwick Street, which is lined with multinational stands.

Look at all the people lined up. It looks like a popular place.

And this is a curry stand.

Wow, that looks so delicious.

This is Turkish food.

I wonder what they sell here.

Hm? Is this chicken?

Ohhh. They all look so inviting!

Thank you. Nice weather, isn't it?

- This blow is a nightmare. The wind.
- Yeah. Oh my goodness.

- The wind blew you away?
- Of course!

She and her customer seem friendly.

Excuse me. What do you serve?

Well, the food is my own recipe.

Some fusion of African and South American.

Really. What do you recommend?

Jollof rice is that one there.

Jollof rice? What does it taste like?

Very very spicy.

Spicy food is a little difficult for me. I don't know if I could eat it.

Of course, you can.

We have two types of spicy. English spicy and African spicy.

Both seem a bit too spicy. But maybe next time.

All right, then. Thank you so much. It's good to see you. Thank you. Bye-bye.

Sorry for bothering you. Bye.

She was so friendly!

I wonder what these guys bought. Hello.

- Hello.
- Hi.

So many kinds of food to choose from.

Yeah, absolutely. Yeah. So it's a big choice, right.

- You went for what, Chicken Katsu or Indian meal?
- What'd you have?

- Afghani.
- Ah, biryani. There you go.

- Afghani.
- Ah, Afghani. Really. Okay. Good.

And he knows some keywords. Like, he always gets a bigger portion.

May I see what you bought?

Oh, you want us to show you? Yeah, of course.

There you go. Chicken. Yeah.

Ahh, that's katsu curry?

And what kind of sauce is that?

I've added a little bit of chili sauce at the top. So not as traditional as it should be but...

- Enjoy your journey.
- Enjoy.

Thank you.

Ah, a town of immigrants, grew and developed, creating Soho.

Ah, just look at all the people!

Hmm. Now, that is a very colorful flag on that building!

Wow. Now, that's a wall that stands out!

And this flag looks like the earlier one.

Could this possibly be...?

- Umm, pardon me.
- Hi. Yeah, good. How are you?

Hi. I've noticed a number of flags that are multi-colored...

Yeah, absolutely yes. So the rainbow flag is predominantly for LGBTQ.

And then the blue and pink is more for the transgender flag.

But really transgender also comes under the rainbow flag.

Why so many?

Well, this is Old Compton Street. And it's probably the home of the vast majority of Soho's gay bars and gay pubs.

Very, very accepting part of London.

Ohhh. Has it always been this way?

Certainly. I think, I mean, historically speaking, this particular street is steeped in history for the LGBT community.

Being a melting pot of everything, like, cultures, diversities,

different members of the LGBTQ community are all here, and yeah. It's completely accepting.

Everyone's welcome with open arms, aren't they?

Thank you so much! I'm sorry for interrupting you.

- No worries, guys. Thank you.
- Bye-bye.

So interesting to discover that Soho embraces not only individuals from different nationalities and ethnicities,

but also those with diverse backgrounds.

Look at that place across the street, it's packed with people!

What's going on there?

Ohh, it's a pub. But, it's only a little past 3:00 and that many people are already drinking?

- Hello.
- Hi.

Do you come here often?

- Yeah, we do. Probably one of our favorite pubs and old ones actually.
- It's the best pub.

Even though it's really popular, there's always a group of people who are regulars,

which is really hard to find in somewhere as big as London.

You might think as big as it is, you'd never see the same people two times,

but people come in and they wave hello and say "hi, how are you doing?"

"How have you been? I haven't seen you in ages," which is really rare and really nice. And that's why people like it.

- It feels like home, local.
- It does.

Nice!

- Cheers. Bye!
- Bye. Good to see you.

Thanks for talking!

Well, since I'm here, I think I'll take a peek inside.

Wow! This place is packed!

Oh, there are some seats available back here.

- I met my... first husband... second husband here. So that's, I suppose, something.
- Yeah.

- I met Laurie here.
- Was it love at first sight?

No. No! Interest at first sight, I think. But no!

Hmm, I wonder if they are long time regulars... Excuse me. Hello.

- Hi.
- Hello there.

Do you all come here often?

- I'm a local and regular, for now.
- I'm the landlady.

- There's the landlady. Mommy.
- Who lives over the shop.

That's interesting!

I remember the first time I saw you when you came in with Noel.

- You were very glamorous. Not that you're not now.
- Thank you.

- Well, I was a lot younger, 34 years ago.
- I think, stiletto heels.

Those were the days.

There's been so many fabulous things and fabulous people and

with that of course you get the downside of losing so many wonderful, fabulous people as well.

- But it's yeah, it's what I do. I can't imagine doing anything else.
- Not now.

This pub seems to welcome all kinds of people...

...which I would say as incumbent of Fitzrovia, has always welcomed, you know, the outsiders, the foreigners.

And of course, many of the establishments are run by, you know, Germans, French, Italians, what have you.

So they, you know, they found a home-far-from-home and there's still a diversity, and still...

- I've never really notice racism in Soho? Or sexism or...you know?
- What a great town!

Yeah. Absolutely yeah, I think. People can be themselves.

- And that's always very, very important.
- Yeah.

- Nice talking to you.
- Bye. Thank you.

Bye. Enjoy.

A town where people can be themselves.

Soho was formerly a town of immigrants.

And it seems that the acceptance of diversity continues to be engrained in the people today.

Hi, my name is Saule. And I live in Soho.

Originally I'm from Lithuania, but I study fashion in London.

And today I'm going to show you three places that show international flavors of Soho.

So, let's go.

Number 3... A very popular dessert in Soho, which was home to many French immigrants.

A classic French dessert: an eclair.

Crafted with the richness of French butter and adorned with an abundance of British fresh cream,

this pastry is a harmonious collaboration between two nations.

And then crowned with a lavish display of seasonal fruits...

Mmm. It's delicious.

The pastry's so light, the cream is fresh and so well balanced with fruit flavors.

Next, number 2. From another European gourmet country.

An Italian-style Milanese panini.

The fact is that after World War, I many Italians moved to Soho looking for work.

So, there are many authentic Italian grocery stores and cafes here.

That's the best chicken sandwich in London.

Chicken is so crispy, lettuce crunchy, brings the tomato flavor out so well.

Soho is the place where the world's top chefs are looking to open restaurants.

It is famous for its international and cutting-edge cuisine.

And number 1 is a modern take on the classic Turkish dish of grilled eggplant.

The eggplant is grilled over charcoal and then marinated in olive oil infused with garlic and lemon.

Top-grade British blue cheese.

Butter sauce with chili pepper.

And served with figs and almonds simmered in Turkish port wine.

Mmm! It is sweet and salty.

You need to combine everything together.

So you get the crunchy almond and the soft eggplant.

It's beautiful.

I hope you can all come to Soho and enjoy the diversity of food here.

It's been known to attract people from all over the world. Bye.

It is 4:30 in the afternoon.

Um, I'd like to look at the map.

I passed through the street in West End with lots of theatres,

then Berwick Street lined with multinational stands,

stopped by a pub popular with locals, and now I'm here.

Oh, what is that?

The sign says theater. So I guess it's a theater?

I'm going to peek inside.

Wow. The ground floor is a bar.

Very trendy!

My image of the West End is a place with lots of musicals.

So what is this place?

Excuse me.

- Hello.
- Hi. Welcome.

Hi. Is this the entrance to a theatre?

Oh, so you're in Soho theatre, and we are London's most vibrant producer of new theatre comedy and cabaret.

When did you open?

So Soho Theatre Company has lasted for about 50 years, but this exact building has been here since 2000. So just over 20 years.

So this a building that used to be a synagogue and it was the very part of the Soho community.

That's fascinating! May I look inside?

Yeah, absolutely. We've got Candy Gigi show which is amazing. Do you want to come and have a look?

- I'd love to!
- Great. Come on.

Wow. Thank you.

Just down here.

Ooh, it's a cozy theatre.

So, they might not be right. That was just me. And what are you doing musically?

This seems to be a rehearsal.

So that we go in so everyone goes "shhh" it's about to start,

we go into blackout, and then... Exactly.

And then it's like...

What kind of play is this?

- Hi.
- Hi, Sophie. We've got some friends from Japan who would like to meet you.

- Oh, great. Hello.
- Hi!

- Sorry to interrupt.
- Come on in.

- Come and join us.
- Welcome.

Um, may I ask what this play is about?

Sure. So, it's a one-woman horror comedy musical, about an Orthodox Jewish housewife.

Basically, she feels very trapped by her culture and by her religion and by her community.

And it's always been her dream to break out of Brauenwood and become the biggest superstar in the whole universe.

Did you choose the story because this location was formerly a synagogue?

Well, no. BUT.

But it feels amazing to stand and perform where my ancestors have stood and read from the Torah.

Or, you know, this is a place that really takes excellent risks,

and it's very accepting and open to like edgy leftfield unique performers

who bring something totally original to the scene of British comedy.

I think this show has found its home here on so many levels.

That's excellent. What are your dreams?

The world, actually. I... yeah, I've... To me,

I think the show deserves to be seen by as many people as possible from all walks of life all over the world,

and then beyond the world, and then like all sorts of planets outside of the world, and then outside of those as well, just beyond.

And one day we'd like a big orchestra as well. Because it's just me on the piano at the minute, but one day...

- Just you.
- Yeah, just me.

- But you are amazing.
- But one day, we'll have like 60 instruments and it'll be huge.

That's the dream, I think. For the music in the show. Definitely.

Wow, that is fantastic.

- Thank you for coming.
- Nice to meet you.
- Take care.

Thank you. Wishing you the best! Break a leg!

- So, you should be trying that.
- Yeah, let's go for it.

- If you just...If you...So you are there.
- So I'm here.

How wonderful to have such big dreams!

Ah, a town where everyone can be themselves and where they feel free to dream.

Ah, the sun has set. And so many people are out enjoying the town.

Soho has always accepted diversity and welcomed all sorts of people.

Though it's nestled in the heart of London,

Soho, invites you to immerse yourself in a unique blend of urban sophistication

and the enduring warmth of its people.