Roberts London is back, and the first evening out has all the essentials: illuminated landmarks, a few observations about life in the capital, the beginnings of Christmas and a plan for coffee that does not survive contact with reality. Welcome Back to London opens a new seasonal run of films, with Barry Roberts returning to the streets after a quieter period on the channel.
The film premieres on Sunday 15 November 2026 at 18:00 GMT. Join the walk from Trafalgar Square to Westminster, along the Thames and into Covent Garden.
Watch Welcome Back to London
Back where the London walks began
Near Trafalgar Square, Barry starts with an explanation. He began making these films around fifteen years ago, when there was rather more room in the week for exploring London, editing footage and sharing the results. The enjoyment has stayed. The available time has not.
Growing businesses and an increasing number of projects have made continuous weekly uploads difficult to sustain. Even a deliberately informal walking film comes with a substantial amount of work afterwards: editing, titles, descriptions, chapters, website articles and social posts. AI can help with that publishing work, but it cannot create extra days in the week.
The answer is a series with a beginning and an end. This first run follows London towards Christmas and the New Year, with a break afterwards and the possibility of further seasonal series. There is no promise of permanent weekly uploads. There is, however, the familiar pleasure of heading out with a camera and seeing what happens.
Westminster after dark: Big Ben and the photograph queues
From Trafalgar Square, the walk continues towards the Palace of Westminster. Big Ben is the obvious attraction, but the scene around it is just as revealing: red telephone boxes, carefully arranged photographs and queues for the view everyone has seen online.
Barry tries to stay out of other people’s pictures while showing how busy these familiar spots have become. Across Westminster Bridge, the illuminated buildings offer another perspective. Beneath the bridge, a popular framing of the Palace of Westminster comes with its own crowd—and a tunnel whose atmosphere is not entirely captured by a photograph.
These are observations from this particular evening rather than a guarantee of quiet conditions. The appeal of a famous viewpoint is usually shared by quite a few other people.
A quieter angle on the London Eye
Along the river, the London Eye provides a change of pace. Barry looks for a less crowded angle nearby, with illuminated trees helping to frame the scene. It is a reminder that moving a little beyond the busiest stopping point can change the picture.
Blue lights, passing pink neon and reflections make the riverside feel distinctly nocturnal. The walk also has a practical purpose: gathering footage of London’s landmarks for the films ahead. The city supplies the scenery; getting through the crowd remains part of the job.
Christmas is arriving on the South Bank
The South Bank winter market was already open when this film was made. There is a glimpse of the stalls and an appreciation of the smell of food, but the full festive exploration is being saved for another outing. Christmas requires a little pacing.
The route then crosses one of the Golden Jubilee footbridges, looking towards St Paul’s Cathedral and the City skyline. For another visit to this stretch of the river, explore our Southbank Centre Food Market film and Journal article.
Familiar streets, changing businesses
Between the landmarks, Barry reflects on a different kind of London change. Streets and buildings can remain familiar while the businesses inside them evolve. A favourite place might disappear; another might become so successful that a once-casual visit now involves a queue.
Success is preferable to closure, even when it changes the experience. That mixture of affection, irritation and curiosity is part of living in a city rather than simply visiting its sights. It is also a subject the new series will return to.
Covent Garden, decorations and the missing coffee
By the time the walk reaches Covent Garden, the decorations are in place but not yet illuminated. London is caught in that interval between putting Christmas up and switching it on. There will be time to return when the festive scene is complete.
The intended coffee stop has already fallen through: the café Barry had in mind was closed when he went to film there. Now the camera battery is running low as well. A final circuit of Covent Garden becomes the ending, with a farewell before the remaining power gives out—and then one more farewell when it turns out there is enough.
For more of the neighbourhood beyond the decorations, read our Covent Garden pubs guide.
The next Roberts London chapter
This return is about making space for a manageable collection of films: London as it changes, familiar places revisited, new discoveries and the build-up to Christmas. The walking, observations and occasional imperfect ending are all part of it.
Watch the opening film above and subscribe on YouTube for the rest of the series. And tell us: which part of London would you most like to see next?
For the personal story behind the return, read Barry’s note on why he is making Roberts London videos again.
