(For the confused, a brief intro to the concept of flash mobs can be found at flashmobs.co.uk.)

Despite feeling a bit of a prat, I quite enjoyed this experience. I say this because it all seems a bit silly really – obeying a set of anonymous instructions, several hundred people all proceed to a public place and behave in an odd manner. Still, it was fun. Unfortunately my camera was running a bit low on power, but I got a couple of piccies, reproduced below.

The mob proceeded pretty much as the instructions described (see below), although there was some confusion as to when to shout ‘ahoy!’ and when finger-clicking was called for. Trying to remember to click your fingers every time someone used the letter Y was a bit tiresome, to be honest.

There were actually two flash mobs - one that ended up at Hungerford Bridge (which I attended) and one that ended up at the courtyard at Somerset House among the fountains with their umbrellas raised. There is a description of that mob here. There is also another post on the Hungerford Bridge flash mob here )dead link, long gone…).

London Mob 2 – the Rules!

[Mob Rules]

Just before 18.30:

[Gathering on the bridge]

Waving and shouting Ahoy!

[Looking out over the river]

There seemed to be quite a few people there, and everyone was laughing and not taking it all too seriously. There also seemed to be a fair number of people with cameras of a size suggestive of journalism, so I expect a certain amount of coverage, although interest will probably wane fairly quickly. There was even a chopper circling within moments of everyone’s arrival.

[Chopper]