The March Soho Walk
Our next guided walk: Immigrant Songs - Sunday 16 March 2025
We’ve been running our occasional walking tours of Soho for three years. It started as a way of sharing the stories of music in the area that we’ve been researching for Substack — but it’s developed into a way of getting together with people (some old friends and some very new), having a chat and a walk with them, and ending up in the pub afterwards. So, a blend of conviviality, light exercise, a bit of culture and a drink. Not a bad way of spending a Sunday afternoon.
Our walks are a charity fundraiser — our walkers are simply asked to pay what they think the walk is worth to our nominated charity. We don’t handle the money — they pay direct. Centrepoint is a charity which helps young homeless people. It was founded by a priest based at St Anne’s Church on Wardour Street in 1969, and currently supports around 16,000 people each year right across the UK.
With every walk we do, new people come along, but we also find that some people keep returning to our walks time after time. This is great, because we like seeing them, but it’s also a challenge as we don’t like to bore them with the same old stories. That’s why we started theming the walks:
Greatest Hits put the emphasis on Beatles, Bowie, Amy and others.
Deeper Cuts took us into the realm of execution ballads, Yiddisher Jazz, Lovers Rock and calypso clubs.
Then our friend John had the bright idea of suggesting a Christmas themed walk which plunged us into the history of wassailing, the feminist origins of hymns and the hidden story of Wham’s Last Christmas.
We did a Music and Politics walk, although one of our walkers did wonder why we bothered since, in his view, all our walks were about music and politics anyway, which is a fair point.
Our last walk, How Soho Invented the Modern World, pulled together music, medicine, science, fashion and politics.
And we explore all of our themes through buildings — because every building tells a story.
Immigrant Songs
Our next walk is all about music and migration. London is a city created through migration - it has a 2,000 year old history of it. In our two hour walking tour of Soho we will share the stories of migration that defined the sounds of the most significant square mile in the history of music. From Charles Ignatius Sancho, the first voice of black music in Britain, through Jewish refugees and Yiddisher Jazz, Soho's black diaspora between the world wars bringing jazz and calypso, the Windrush generation, Lovers Rock, Afrobeat, and countless other genres. Plus Wham! Obviously.
Historically, Soho has provided a haven for migrants and refugees from around the world, as well as for marginalised communities. Its unique blend of openness, creativity, and close-knit proximity has fostered a culture of continuous innovation, leaving a profound impact on the world.
An afternoon stroll
By joining us, we hope you’ll gain a deeper understanding of how Soho's rich history has shaped the music we enjoy today. So you'll leave with fresh insights, access to a specially curated playlist, and a full colour map highlighting Soho's musical legacy. Plus, by participating, you'll be supporting the Centrepoint charity.
The walk starts at 2.00pm on Sunday 16 March and will take two and a half hours. You're most welcome to join us for refreshments afterwards. Wheelchair access on the walk is possible. Bear in mind that parts of the route have narrow pavements and could be crowded. We always check the whole route the day before to ensure that there are no access issues. If you have mobility or other needs please let us know in advance.
Want to join us?
If you’d like to join us, please go here and leave your details. We will then send you details of when and where to meet closer to the time plus a list of FAQs. The form gives you the opportunity to ask any specific questions.
Who we are
Jackie Hopfinger was formerly a social worker and Mike Press was a designer/academic. Now both full time Third Agers they share a passion for music, while Jackie is an accomplished photographer and Mike writes stories. In the fifty years they’ve known each other, this is their first collaborative project. Jackie lives in London while Mike lives in Dundee.
Sounds fun Mike! Especially the ‘Wham! Obviously’ bit 😂
I would love to go on one of your walks, next time I'm over which may not be until 2026, so please keep them going!