London's Tweed Event by Hugh Elliott
03rd July 2026
In: News, Members' Articles
The Tweed Run by Hugh Elliott
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Sometimes, when I have been away and I get back to London, I think ‘ What a dump‘ or I have similar feelings. The city can be dirty, it is crowded at times, expensive and some may say unfriendly but it is great! I love the rhythm and beat of the city with loads going on and all the cultural diversity. However,each to their own.
To illustrate this I was recently by Waterloo Station with my D-Lux 7 on a Saturday lunch time and the Tweed Run went past. There were almost a thousand riders mostly dressed up in an assortment of outfits, some with tweeds, though perhaps it was a bit warm for a tweed jacket. All sorts of bicycles ranging from penny farthings (Ordinaries) to racing bikes to Uber hire bikes. It was wonderful to watch the riders go by, all mixing in with the London traffic, making up the rich tapestry of London life. The ride takes in various parts of London and stops for luncheon and afternoon tea in various parks. It all looks very genteel. You may find it hard to encounter a similar event in many other places. I will be checking the date for next year.
Hugh Elliott
___________________________-
Sometimes, when I have been away and I get back to London, I think ‘ What a dump‘ or I have similar feelings. The city can be dirty, it is crowded at times, expensive and some may say unfriendly but it is great! I love the rhythm and beat of the city with loads going on and all the cultural diversity. However,each to their own.
To illustrate this I was recently by Waterloo Station with my D-Lux 7 on a Saturday lunch time and the Tweed Run went past. There were almost a thousand riders mostly dressed up in an assortment of outfits, some with tweeds, though perhaps it was a bit warm for a tweed jacket. All sorts of bicycles ranging from penny farthings (Ordinaries) to racing bikes to Uber hire bikes. It was wonderful to watch the riders go by, all mixing in with the London traffic, making up the rich tapestry of London life. The ride takes in various parts of London and stops for luncheon and afternoon tea in various parks. It all looks very genteel. You may find it hard to encounter a similar event in many other places. I will be checking the date for next year.
Hugh Elliott
Comments
By Ken Davis: Hugh,
you certainly captured the feel of the event. One question always comes to mind, how do the riders handle a penny-farthing when they have to stop at traffic lights? By David Askham: What a fun event, Hugh. Does it take place annually, or was it a one-off parade? Thanks for sharing your pictures with us. By Pam Lewis: Like Ken I have always wondered how people get on let alone get off again th
Penny Farthing bicycles
Hugh the photos tell us about a very unusual event. How do they keep going in
the normal London traffic?
Well done By Cheryl: Superb. Unique step into history. Totally fascinating By Cled Lewis: What a great introduction to the article, it paints a lovely picture and then the choice of subject matter is the icing on the cake.
Thanks Hugh.
Cled Lewis By Caroline Lewis: Great photos Hugh, you definitely caught the atmosphere. Some interesting shadows too created by their somewhat eccentric costumes and velocipedes.
Good point well made. By Alan Humphries.: Thank you for sharing this with us Hugh, it really appears to begin event with lots of photo opportunities. Well done!( By Don Morley: Great shots Hugh, and pictures showing the value not just of having a camera with youand ready to use, but as importantly dare I suggest. also with the added versatility of a zoom rather than fixed length lens.