A Bridge Too Far

And the Kindness of Strangers

On Thursday morning, staying in town for work, I ran along the river. After the South Bank, I ran across Tower Bridge, visualising the moment in April when I will run across it at the half-way point of my fifth and final London marathon. Running London is one of my favourite things and I have done it hundreds, if not thousands of times, when I lived there, and whenever I visit since. Entirely without incident.

Sadly on this occasion, and shortly after taking this photo, I was mugged by a toerag on an e-bike who grabbed me and left me face down on the pavement on Southwark Bridge as he sped off with my phone, and thus my life. All I remember is seeing the light on the screen of my phone fly away, I heard a voice (I think mine) shout “no” and then I hit the deck.

When I got up - shocked, shaken, crying, barely able to breathe or to speak and with absolutely nothing on me but my running kit and my hotel key card, I felt beyond vulnerable.

Fortunately for me, a good Samaritan stood just metres away. He came over, told me his name was Ray, asked if I was ok and what could he do to help. He offered me his hat, jacket and his coffee to keep me warm. Called the police. Asked if he could call anyone for me - which of course he couldn’t because without my phone and in a state of shock, I didn’t know a single number. I remembered my husband’s email address and he let me use his phone to email home. He stayed with me until I could breathe, and offered to walk me back to my hotel. Perhaps most importantly of all in those desperate moments, he reassured me that this was not my fault and that things would somehow be ok.

He didn’t have to do any of this. And stopping to do them probably made him late for work and disrupted his day. But he did, and his kindness and compassion began a wave of goodness.

Since then the support from friends, family and work colleagues has been amazing, almost overwhelming. But it all started with lovely Ray, who had never met me before in his life, but decided to show up nonetheless and just be a good human.

So that’s it. Plain and simple. This week’s shot of inspiration - show up, give a shit, and be one of life’s good people. Because we outnumber the toerags by many hundreds to one. Let’s keep it that way.

So this week, whatever crosses your path at work, or home, or in life…

Be more Ray x