Sunday Morning - Speakers Corner, Hyde Park

Sunday morning was spent listening and watching the speakers in Hyde Park.

People have gathered at Speakers Corner since the Right of Free Assembly was granted in 1872. Lenin and Karl Marx are amongst the famous who have spoken there.

Although some speakers may be present on any day of the week, Sundays are the best day to visit.

I am sure that some people in the crowd are regulars and go to just have some fun and heckle the speakers! Many of the speakers are also regulars and even though often divided by their beliefs they can often be seen talking amongst themselves while between soapbox sessions.

On the day I went there was a range of speakers spouting forth on topics from reglion, oppression and the evils of alcohol. On the last subject I wasn't quite certain if the speaker was supporting or objecting to the use of alcohol!

Tip: Don't go to Hyde Park Corner tube station otherwise you will need to walk the lenght of the park - use Marble Arch tube station instead.

I turned up at 10:30am and found only one man on his soap-box. Returning later at mid-day there were several more. The weather was dry and cold with a cloudless sky so maybe the people who want to change the world also want a lie-in on a Sunday morning!

The gentleman in the top-left picture had a sign which read " I know everything". One heckler said "Well who's number 1 in the charts this week then?". He didn't have a response to that!