please empty your brain below
"When a blogger has completed London, he has completed blogging."

And we don't wish you to finish just yet DG.

Liam | 07.09.22 - 7:04 a.m. | #

Amongst your vast and varied readership there must be someone who has strings connected to Heathrow who can arrange a special visit for this very purpose.

Joe | 07.09.22 - 7:09 a.m. | #

So my first thought of sending a copy of this Blog post to the appropriate person to help you complete your quest wouldn't be such a smart idea after all.

In any event many congratulations on your unique achievement, perhaps only the people who ride buses contingent come anywhere close to you. And, now I understand more about your choice of destinations to inspire your themes as you rotationally plunge through all the Routes London has to offer.

Ken | 07.09.22 - 7:13 a.m. | #

Very well done. Keep that ‘one’ because I don’t want to lose your blog. Who else would do all those long walks for me? 😉

Jo W | 07.09.22 - 7:22 a.m. | #

While I can never match the vast percentage of grid squares you've achieved, I can lay claim to having set foot in TQ0875 - and I wasn't even flying anywhere. Before the new T2 opened in 2014, they carried out some public trials, so I signed up and went along to pretend to be a passenger. I think my boarding pass said Chicago, but I only got as far as the departure lounge at the B gates. Which is definitely in the elusive square.

Just need to work out how many more to go now...

martin | 07.09.22 - 7:25 a.m. | #

If you do find yourself in Terminal 2, you do get some European flights departing from the B terminal. I flew to Athens with Aegean Airlines from there back in May.

You can also get back to the A gates on foot even if you're not flying from the B gates. There's just no moving walkways in the other direction. Perhaps your cheapest way to complete this task would be a cheap Aer Lingus flight to Dublin?

lumma | Homepage | 07.09.22 - 7:32 a.m. | #

Rather than rely on privileged access, what about an option available to others, offer to cut the grass or get a job as a security guard.

Still Anon | 07.09.22 - 7:33 a.m. | #

Once in the terminal you’re able to wander wherever, so you’d only need to get into Terminal 2 with sufficient time for a detour. Aer Lingus or Lufthansa probably the cheapest options

TomH | 07.09.22 - 7:34 a.m. | #

Alas! For if you were flying to Toronto now, and with Air Canada, rather than British Airways, you would spend time in the Hallowed Square, as I did a couple of weeks ago. Perhaps you need to revisit Toronto - it's a beautiful city, and I would enjoy your thoughts on it. Plus it has streetcars (trams), subways, buses, and express buses, mapped wonderfully, and with a new subway line due to open next year.

The Banbury Man | Homepage | 07.09.22 - 7:49 a.m. | #

Your whole grid square adventure is a testimonial to the density of public transport provision throughout Greater London. Even crossing under TQ0875.

Rod | 07.09.22 - 7:54 a.m. | #

I'm reminded of Arthur C Clarke's story "The Nine Billion Names of God".

"In a Tibetan lamasery, the monks seek to list all of the names of God. They believe the Universe was created for this purpose, and that once this naming is completed, God will bring the Universe to an end. " (Wikipedia)

Andy Riley | 07.09.22 - 8:16 a.m. | #

Quite an achievement and the level of diary-keeping is also quite something.

DG the baggage handler - I can totally see it.

Kevin | 07.09.22 - 8:17 a.m. | #

In the final para, the fourth square mentioned appears to be in Kent.

dg writes: fixed, thanks.

I've actually walked through the first of those on the Hillingdon Trail, and the third on a rural walk from Cudham to Pratt's Bottom, based on the Borough of Bromley circular walks, which I think you pointed me towards some years ago (thanks, they're lovely).

dg writes: see Monday's post.

Ed S | 07.09.22 - 8:41 a.m. | #

Not knowing the layout of LHR in detail, I'm faithfully presuming that you've conisdered and excluded what appears to be a dead-end lane in the north-east corner of TQ0875.

Colly | 07.09.22 - 8:53 a.m. | #

Qantas never crash; never crash...

David | 07.09.22 - 9:19 a.m. | #

I had visions of this ending with you being apprehended by Heathrow security and being dragged kicking and screaming in to TQ0875. Job done.

Re the dead end lane mentioned by Colly, it looks like the Google car got to the end of that if it's Exeter Road.

MKIan | 07.09.22 - 9:22 a.m. | #

If I'm not mistaken the BA concorde is in that square.... perhaps a "PRESS" tour might be possible to arrange. Or ask the heritage team if you can pop into their office.

Alistair Twin | 07.09.22 - 9:32 a.m. | #

This blog is always interesting but today it was really a thriller with all the suspense and plot twists!

A couple of years ago I had a birthday that lasted 36 hours, thanks to an intercontinental flight - not as much fun as child me might have expected.

Alan | 07.09.22 - 9:33 a.m. | #

Also the West base car park viscount way seems to need a permit for vehicles, but the pedestrian access seems unrestricted. And in there you seem to be able to walk pretty much up to the concorde.. might need to look like a plane spotter

Alistair Twin | 07.09.22 - 9:40 a.m. | #

Hurrah for juvenile record keeping! At least it removed that last element of doubt, even if it did go the wrong way!

I have every confidence that you will one day be able to tick off that last square, but please don't stop blogging when you do!

Cornish Cockney | 07.09.22 - 10:46 a.m. | #

I express great admiration for the feat and great regret that my diary-writing dedication extended only to a few childhood holidays and that said diary disappeared during a house move.

Gunnersaurus | 07.09.22 - 11:08 a.m. | #

A great post! Have really enjoyed this series. A part of me does wonder if the end of Exeter Rd in the NE of TQ0875 could be a contender. I'm sure you'd already investigated. And I'm certainly hoping you don't finish blogging just yet ;)

Jim | 07.09.22 - 11:10 a.m. | #

Wow, you've kept impressive detail in your logs to even include the gate number!

"Police today have arrested a man spotted climbing the fence to get into Heathrow airport. The man claimed he was trying to reach his final square in London, and has been detained under the..."

Mikey C | 07.09.22 - 11:21 a.m. | #

If the completist in you means you do want to knock off the last, a changeable/refundable one-way ticket is your friend. Perfectly acceptable to “have your business meeting called off” while you’re airside at Heathrow.

Henry | 07.09.22 - 11:24 a.m. | #

The solution is to buy a ticket for a flight leaving from T2. The ticket needs to be fully flexible. Check in, clear security and go to T2B to visit the square. Then go to the airline info desk tell them you can’t travel anymore. Ticket can be cancelled and then fully refunded.

James S | 07.09.22 - 11:56 a.m. | #

Could we see the next page of the 11 year old holiday journal please? I need to know what happened next after the false bomb scare!

Blue Witch | 07.09.22 - 12:27 p.m. | #

I was there on Sunday! It is mainly middle east and far east aircraft with the European ones at the main building.

scrumpy | 07.09.22 - 12:36 p.m. | #

The captain said it'd be 45 minutes before any passengers boarded, but they actually started 3 minutes later and we eventually took off at five past one to head across the Atlantic.

diamond geezer | Homepage | 07.09.22 - 12:39 p.m. | #

Thanks you. Not that exciting then.

And I'm intrigued about the seat 7E and that menu... was there just one class in those days and everyone got decent food, or were you travelling elite? 7E would be business or first these days.

Blue Witch | 07.09.22 - 1:00 p.m. | #

Well done, Diamond Geezer
Thanks for covering these places in Bromley that I had only cycled through really quickly many years ago

Le Ver | 07.09.22 - 2:01 p.m. | #

Now I'm wondering how much jail time an incursion would get you. At least the arresting officers would have an interesting story to tell after..."the bloke said he needed to visit every square kilometer in London...can you imagine?"

Steven | 07.09.22 - 3:35 p.m. | #

As an adult, do you still feel the same way about either cream cheese or danish pastries?

dg writes: my initial reactions were correct.

Penny | 07.09.22 - 5:13 p.m. | #

That is awesome...both the achievement and write-up. Nice one!

Andrew | 07.09.22 - 11:02 p.m. | #

Happy birthday Diamond Geezer - you're a phenomenon!

cau1khead | 08.09.22 - 9:47 a.m. | #

2B or not 2B - that is the question.

Peter | 08.09.22 - 11:15 a.m. | #

Dr Johnson was right: "When a blogger has completed London, he has completed blogging."

Philip Downer | 08.09.22 - 2:06 p.m. | #

I stood in TQ0675 last year, on a flight out of Terminal 5. It wasn't out of 5C, rather we were bussed from Gate 9 of T5 main building to a stand on the eastern side of the service area to the east of 5C. Therefore I walked on the concrete there, between the bus and the steps to the plane.

Al__S | 08.09.22 - 9:14 p.m. | #

The northeast part of the TQ0875 on the British Airways base looks accessible on OSM. I'll try to walk there tomorrow to see if it is accessible.

Sophie | 08.09.22 - 11:53 p.m. | #

Sophie wrote
>I'll try to walk there tomorrow to see if it is accessible.

...and she was never heard from again!

Wayne | 09.09.22 - 9:09 p.m. | #

Sorry, some stuff came up yesterday. I just visited the grid square. I'll send the photos when I'm back home.

Sophie | 10.09.22 - 4:34 p.m. | #

Here's an Imgur link to my visit to the grid square and walk to Hanwell. imgur.com/a/W3iSQK7

Sophie | 10.09.22 - 9:19 p.m. | #

Thanks Sophie!
...so it is possible :)
Never say never.

diamond geezer | Homepage | 10.09.22 - 9:24 p.m. | #











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