This morning I travel from Eton to Canary Wharf, following the River Thames as it flows from Windsor Castle to the Isle of Dogs.

My journey takes me by car up Eton High Street, past the college, past the Thames Valley athletics stadium, through Datchet up the M4 to Brentford where I park my car in Town Meadow, walk to the station and take the train through Chiswick and Kew and Mortlake and Barnes and Putney and Wandsworth and Clapham and Vauxhall to Waterloo.

Where I change to the Jubilee Line that takes me under Southwark and London Bridge Station , under Bermondsey and onwards to the Isle of Dogs where I will emerge under the soaring towers of Canary Wharf

River Thames and Windsor Castle Taken from the Eton riverbank, a famous view of the castle. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

to listen to the great and good discuss investments.

The people I travel with are from all over the world, some are labourers, some financiers,

There is nothing in this wonderful diverse journey that does seems commonplace, until recently I would have conducted the trip on a bicycle. Later this year Lady Lucy will weave down river following the same broad path. This journey from Windsor to the estuary is written into our historical DNA.

Thankfully this morning I am not at the helm of my boat nor fighting through the sleeting rain on a pushbike but I’m on the internet in a South West Trains carriage , transmitting the awe and wonder that I still feel for London to this electronic page.

If you are reading this in Korea or San Francisco or Kentish Town or Reading, I hope you get some of my buzz. How lucky to live in Eton and Brentford and to travel these ancient ways by such diverse traction. How brilliant to share this journey with such a diverse bunch. How great to know that at my destination I will find great friends.

To have your health, to be solvent and to enjoy the comfort of a fine family is great. To be English ,even on a damp cold early morning is great. To be crossing this great capital city seems to be as wondrous as anything!