• Home
  • Weekend Walks
  • Private Tours
  • Corporate Walks
  • About Me
  • Contact
  • Writing
  • Things Are Afoot
Bowl Of Chalk - London Walking Tours

Things Are Afoot

A Double Female First in Parliament Square

10/5/2018

1 Comment

 
Picture
Five years ago I wrote about the rather testosterone heavy collection of statues in Parliament Square which includes such luminaries as Winston Churchill, David Lloyd-George and Nelson Mandela. Since then, there has been the addition of Mahatma Gandhi in 2015, and a couple of weeks ago was the unveiling of the square’s latest bronze resident, which I wanted to mention. 

This year (2018) marks the 100th anniversary of ‘The Representation of the People Act 1918’ which was passed by the then coalition government to reform the electoral system in Great Britain and Ireland. Prior to 1918, only adult men who owned property had been eligible to vote. These new laws gave universal suffrage to all men in the UK over the age of 21, and crucially, for the first time, women …albeit with a number of caveats. The right to vote was only granted to women over the age of 30 who were registered property owners with a value over £5, or married to someone who was. About 8.4 million women who had previously had no political voice, now had the right to vote. It would be another 10 years before women had equal suffrage to men, but none-the-less, the Act of 1918 was a huge step forward in the march for women’s rights and was the result of decades of campaigning.

Some of the women instrumental in pushing the cause, such as Emmeline Pankhurst and her daughters Sylvia and Christabel used high profile direct action to grab attention and highlight inequality. Emily Davison, died in 1913 from injuries sustained after she threw herself beneath King George V’s horse at the Epsom Derby and Mary Richardson slashed a painting at the National Gallery. Many women were imprisoned or went on hunger strikes for their cause. 

One woman, who was a leading figure in the women’s suffrage movement, shunning militant and provocative tactics for moderation and debate was Millicent Fawcett, and she was honoured recently with a statue in Parliament Square. Not only is it the first statue of a woman to be placed on this prominent site outside the Houses of Parliament, but the first to be made by a woman; Turner Prize winning artist Gillian Wearing. 

Fawcett spent a staggering six decades of her life fighting for equal rights, and is depicted carrying a banner which reads “Courage calls to courage everywhere”, a line from a speech she gave following the death of Emily Davison. The plinth on which the 8ft 4inch statue of Fawcett stands, bears the faces of 59 others who also fought tirelessly for women’s right to vote. 

It seems almost fitting that Millicent Fawcett died in 1929 at the age of 82, a year after women were granted the vote on equal terms to men; the cause she had spent her entire adult life fighting for. 
Picture
Picture
1 Comment

'The Invisible Enemy Should Not Exist' on the Fourth Plinth.

4/4/2018

0 Comments

 
Picture
​Last week, the latest artwork to be installed on Trafalgar Square’s fourth plinth was unveiled. It is called ‘The Invisible Enemy Should Not Exist’ by Michael Rakowitz and is made from 10,500 empty Iraqi date syrup cans. The sculpture recreates ‘Lamassu’; a winged deity which stood guarding a gate near modern day Mosul from c700BC until 2015 when it was destroyed by Isis. It is just one of 7,000 such objects either destroyed or stolen from Iraqi museums or archaeological sites since 2003. For over a decade, Rakowitz has been attempting to recreate these objects as part of an ongoing project. 

London has a plethora of statues of what I tend to just call ‘Dead White Men’ and when Trafalgar Square was originally developed in the first years of the 1840s, four such statues were planned. Charles Napier, Henry Havelock and King George IV can still be seen today, but the final statue of King William IV was never installed due to insufficient funds. Designed by Sir Charles Barry (Houses of Parliament), they got as far as constructing the plinth before calling it quits. I imagine it was always anticipated that the requisite money would be found, but 150 years later and London was still no nearer to getting its statue on what had become known as the ‘fourth plinth’. 

In the mid 1990s, Prue Leith, then Chair of the Royal Society of Arts suggested something should be done about Trafalgar Square’s lonely plinth, and five years later, artist Mark Wallinger’s sculpture ‘Ecce Homo’ became the first artwork to find a temporary home there, gazing down on the tourists and pigeons. 

Since 2005, the fourth plinth has become an official commission, a stage for rolling artworks which Londoners get to vote for. In recent years, many of the artworks have sought to reflect their immediate environment or the history of the square. Hans Haacke’s ‘Gift Horse’ (2015) brought together the National Gallery through English painter George Stubbs, alluding to the equestrian statue that should have adorned the plinth originally, whilst quite literally being tied to the London Stock Exchange through a ticker tape ribbon.  Elmgreen & Dragset’s ‘Powerless Structures, Fig.101’ depicting a boy on a rocking horse turning away from the other statues; quite possibly suggesting we should look towards the future rather than constantly back at the past (which we do) began its shift in 2010. Yinka Shonibare’s ‘Nelson’s Ship in a Bottle’ (2010) was obviously a direct nod towards Horatio Nelson who stands high over Trafalgar Square. The sails of Shonibare’s replica ship, the HMS Victory were made from patterned textiles typical of African dress, hinting towards the legacy of British colonialism and the expansion of the British Empire made possible by Nelson’s victory at Trafalgar. 

There’s been a couple of slightly more irreverent sculptures such as last years ‘Really Good’ by David Shrigley which I was a fan of, but I like the fact that Rakowitz’s current offering is casting the net wider and tackling the wholesale loss and destruction of historical and cultural artefacts on a vast scale; a catastrophe made possible after the US invasion of Iraq in 2003, in which our own government was complicit. At a time when people seem to be looking inwards and isolationism and nationalism are rampant, I’m pleased that Michael Rakowitz has been given a prominent stage for the next couple of years to hopefully encourage us to look up, widen our horizons and give people the opportunity to reflect on just one small repercussion of what is termed the ‘fog of war’. 

I look forward to discussing it with people in the future and see what visitors to London make of Trafalgar Square’s latest adornment. 
Picture
The Invisible Enemy Should Not Exist by Michael Rakowitz.
Picture
Really Good by David Shrigley.
Picture
Gift Horse by Hans Haacke
Picture
Hahn/Cock by Katharina Fritsch.
Picture
An empty Fourth Plinth.
0 Comments

Greenpeace additions to London statues in pollution protest

18/4/2016

0 Comments

 
This morning I was standing in Piccadilly Circus awaiting the arrival of a family from Boston for a walk around Westminster. There's a very famous statue in Piccadilly which everyone calls 'Eros'. Funnily enough, it was built as a fountain (not a statue) and was never officially called Eros, but I think, the Shaftesbury Memorial Fountain. Whilst I was standing there, a Police car pulled up, a couple of Police Officers got out, wandered over to Eros (I'll call it Eros too) had a look up at him, then got back in their car and drove off. Obviously, my interest was firmly piqued, so I investigated and discovered that this morning, Eros was looking a bit different, he was wearing a gas mask. 
Picture
Later in the morning we were standing outside Buckingham Palace and noticed that the statue of Queen Victoria also had some sort of gas mask. Around lunch time, Jason, who was on the walk, pointed at the statue of Horatio Nelson on top of his column in Trafalgar Square, exclaiming that Nelson also had a gas mask. Of course he did. We obviously discussed who could be responsible and what were their reasons ... deciding that it was some kind of protest about air pollution. It would seem that we were correct.

Early this morning, under the cover of darkness, Greenpeace activists scaled quite a number of statues around the capital, fitting each of them with their own unique and specially made gas mask; highlighting the need for improved air quality. Winston Churchill, Queen Boudicca, Oliver Cromwell and Thierry Henry are now all part of the same club. I hadn't even known that footballer Thierry Henry even had a statue ... so that was news to me. 

It would seem that the Greenpeace teams responsible for adding these accessories to the statues, did so with utmost care so as not to cause damage, and on top of that, you'll notice that each of the gas masks were designed specifically for the recipient. Horatio Nelson's mask includes an anchor and ships wheel, reflecting his sea faring prowess, whilst the mask worn by Eros is replete with hearts. Each mask was apparently made by artist Chris Kelly.

London is often in the news due to its high levels of pollution, so it's perhaps no surprise with the Mayor of London and London Assembly Elections about to take place next month that Greenpeace have chosen this moment to highlight the capital's pollution problem in a daring, visual and striking way, encouraging people to sign their clean air petition, calling for Prime Minister David Cameron to develop a clean air action plan. 
Picture
Picture
0 Comments

The Statues of Parliament Square

12/11/2013

3 Comments

 
Parliament Square was first constructed by Charles Barry in 1868, and despite its name (the 'square' part), became the first modern day roundabout in 1926. It sits flanked by Big Ben, the Houses of Parliament, St Margaret's Church, the imposing Westminster Abbey, the Supreme Court and numerous government offices. Despite its location, it is notoriously difficult to access, and unless you're prepared to play chicken with the ceaseless waves of traffic (which I wouldn't recommend), your best bet is to use the crossing on the Abbey side. There are ten statues in the vicinity, and eight on the square itself, but who are the eight on the roundabout?

Starting in front of Big Ben, you'll find a statue that I really like; the rather bullish, compact figure of Sir Winston Churchill (1874-1965), wrapped in an overcoat, with stick in hand. The statue, by Ivor Roberts-Jones was due to be unveiled by the Queen in 1973, but when it came to it, she let Churchill's widow, Clementine do the honours. During the May Day demonstrations in 2000, Churchill was unceremoniously given a new haircut, a Mohican, fashioned from a piece of turf.
Picture
Sir Winston Churchill by Ivor Roberts_Jones
Next up is David Lloyd George (1863-1841) who was Prime Minister from 1916-1922. Again, I really like this statue. It's by Glynn Williams and with Lloyd George's coat billowing and his hat held in his right hand, it seems incredibly modern and dynamic. This could be because in the grand scheme of things, it's pretty new, unveiled by Prince Charles in 2007. Lloyd George was a Welshman, and true to form, he is standing on a plinth made of Welsh slate. The statue itself was a contentious issue, as David Lloyd George some what blotted his copy book by selling honours to boost his party funds.
Picture
David Lloyd George by Glynn Williams
After passing the statue of David Lloyd George you will come across a statue of a man who looks like he has been caught in the midst of ice skating. The likely-hood of this being the case is minimal as it shows Field Marshal Jan Christian Smuts (1870-1950) who was the South African Prime Minister during WWII and the only person to sign the peace treaties ending both the First and Second World Wars. Similar to his Welsh neighbour, he stands on a plinth made of South African granite.
Picture
Jan Christian Smuts by Jacob Epstein
Moving on from Smuts, we delve back in time to a statue that was erected in 1876 by Thomas Woolner. It is of former Prime Minister, Henry John Temple, 3rd Viscount Palmeston (1784-1865). Nicknamed 'Pam', he was by all accounts a bit of a ladies' man, and died two days before his 82nd birthday. Apparently his last words were "Die, my dear doctor? That's the last thing I shall do!".
Picture
Viscount Palmerston by Thomas Woolner
Moving to the left, you'll find Edward George Geoffrey Smith Stanley, otherwise known as the 14th Earl of Derby (1799-1869) who became the first person to hold the position of Prime Minister three times and is still to this day, the longest serving leader of the Conservative party. He also helped to abolish slavery and interestingly, the statue was unveiled by Benjamin Disraeli in 1874. Disraeli, is now his next door neighbour in the square. There are four reliefs around the plinth, which depict various important moments in Derby's career.
Picture
Earl of Derby by Matthew Noble
So, Benjamin Disraeli, Earl of Beaconsfield (1804-81) was Prime Minister twice and a favourite of Queen Victoria. The statue is generally regarded as being an incredibly good likeness, which is perhaps not surprising seeing as the sculptor, Mario Raggi had made his bust from life, shortly before Disraeli died. On the photograph below you can see the statue of Abraham Lincoln in the background. It's a copy of a statue in Chicago by Augustus Saint-Gaudens and occupies the same patch on the other side of the road as the statue of George Canning.
Picture
Benjamin Disraeli & Abraham Lincoln
Next up we have Sir Robert Peel (1788-1850), resplendent in a pair of incredibly tight trousers; a man, who many people forget served twice as Prime Minister. The main reason for this is that he is predominantly associated with formulating the first united police force in 1829, which is also why policemen and women today are still known in the UK as 'Bobbies'. Bob, being short for Robert of course ... in case you didn't known that.
Picture
Sir Robert Peel by Matthew Noble
Last but not least is a man who needs no introduction, and is the only one on Parliament Square who is still alive (at the time of writing). It is of course Nelson Mandela who was born in 1918 and former president of South Africa. The statue was apparently originally intended to be situated outside South Africa house by Trafalgar Square, but was erected in its current position in 2007. Mandela was there himself for the unveiling, no doubt wearing a similar floral shirt to that worn by his statue.
Picture
Nelson Mandela by Ian Walters
Now, assuming you've read this far, it can't have escaped your notice that there are currently no statues of females in Parliament Square. However, with this in mind, apparently at the unveiling of his own statue, Nelson Mandela noted that upon visiting the square with his fellow activist, Oliver Tambo, forty five years earlier, they had joked whether a statue of a black person would ever stand in the same vicinity of Jan Christian Smuts. Well, he lived to see that day. There's plenty more room, so it'll be interesting to see who's next.
3 Comments

Weekend Roundup - 3rd/4th August '13

4/8/2013

0 Comments

 
August is upon us and my first walk of the month was with the Weinstein family from Israel. Here they are outside the church of St Dunstan in the West on Fleet Street, not to be confused with St Dunstan in the East, which has become, with a little help from bombing during the Blitz, a walled garden. In case you are in any doubt of the proximity of the church to Fleet Street (two words that were for decades a byword for the newspaper industry), the wall adjoining the churchyard is emblazoned with old newspaper titles. The statue behind them is of Elizabeth I, which I mentioned a bit ago in a post about London statues and their stories.
Picture
St Dunstan in the East - Fleet Street
In the afternoon I had the pleasure of meeting Gurudhan and Jennie from the States. I had the feeling they might be nice, as it had been suggested they come on a walk with me by their friend Dylan (also very nice) who had joined the east London walk earlier in the year and taken a few photos along the way. As they were the only two that had booked, we ended up doing a completely different impromptu walk that began at St Katharine Docks near to the Tower of London, then worked our way through the City of London to St Paul's ... and back again. Here they are standing by Tower Bridge, having just passed through Dead Man's Hole.
Picture
Tower Bridge
The walk can't have gone too badly, as they decided to come back for the Sunday east London walk, joining a group of eight people ... sorry nine people if you include five month old Arya. Here they all are standing on Curtain Road, which featured on a piece I posted ages ago, with 'then and now' photos of Shoreditch. The 'then' photo of Curtain Road was taken in 1900, when it was the hub of London's furniture trade.
Picture
Curtain Road - Shoreditch
Some Awards
Youngest - Arya
Tallest - Petra
Best laces (on footware) - Anja
Best Moustache - No winners
Best beard - Gurudhan

0 Comments

London Statues ... And THeir Stories

14/5/2013

0 Comments

 
Each Friday, or at least, most Fridays, I do a Friday quiz over on the Bowl Of Chalk Facebook Page. Last Friday's question related to the statue below, of John Wilkes, which would appear to be the only statue in London that has a squint, because not surprisingly, John Wilkes did have a prominent squint.  
Picture
John Wilkes - Fetter Lane
It got me thinking, that I've discovered that many of London's statues which people wander past every day have interesting, strange or mildly absurd stories attached to them, so thought I'd share a few of my favourites with you here ... in no particular order.

Elizabeth I
This statue of Elizabeth I nestles up in the church of St Dunstan-in-the-West on Fleet Street, and made in 1586 during the Queen's own life time, originally stood on the old Ludgate, but was saved during the Fire of London, and later placed in its current position. (It's currently hiding beneath scaffolding, and won't be seen again until the autumn). The statue however, in 1929 received its own income, when Dame Millicent Fawcett, an English Suffragist and early feminist left £700 to the statue in her will.
Picture
George Washington
It is said that when this statue of George Washington (which stands to the north of Trafalgar Square, outside the National Gallery) was given to us as a gift in the 1920's by the people of Virginia, they sent with it, a load of American soil to be placed underneath, as Washington had stated that he never wanted to set foot in England.
Picture
George Washington - National Gallery
Queen Anne
This statue of Queen Anne stands very prominently outside the main entrance to St Paul's cathedral. It's not the original, made in the 1700's by Francis Bird, but a Victorian copy made by sculptor Richard Claude Belt. According to author Tom Quinn, Belt was forced to make the statue from prison after he was imprisoned for fraud having already been commissioned to make the statue. It could be entirely possible as Belt did spend 12 months behind bars at about the same time.
Picture
Queen Anne - St Paul's cathedral
Charles I
This statue of Charles I just south of Trafalgar Square is the oldest bronze equestrian statue in Britain, made during Charles' life time. After the unfortunate Monarch had his head chopped off in 1649, a metalsmith called John Rivet was ordered to melt down the statue and turn it in to trinkets, which people could buy as macabre souvenirs of the execution. However, Mr Rivet evidently melted down something else, realising perhaps that fortunes might change, and kept the statue hidden until Charles II was restored to the throne in 1660 and bought it back. Incidentally, you can see Nelson's Column in the background, which comes furnished with its own fascinating stories.
Picture
Charles I
Prince Frederick, Duke of York
This 137 ft statue overlooks St James's Park and the Mall. Frederick was the second eldest son of King George III and when he died, every member of entire British army forewent a days pay to help raise the funds for the statue. Depending on which sources you read, they either did this gladly, or were forced to, as no one was willing to fork out the £21,000 needed to build it. Either way, when it was eventually finished in 1834 it was joked that the statue was so high up, so the Duke could escape his creditors. He died, £2 million in debt.
Picture
Duke of York Column
0 Comments

    Bowl Of Chalk

    Bowl Of Chalk based shenanigans. 

    Archives

    January 2023
    September 2022
    July 2022
    June 2022
    May 2022
    March 2022
    May 2021
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    November 2019
    September 2019
    May 2019
    March 2019
    November 2018
    September 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    January 2018
    November 2017
    July 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    November 2015
    October 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014
    March 2014
    February 2014
    January 2014
    December 2013
    November 2013
    October 2013
    September 2013
    August 2013
    July 2013
    June 2013
    May 2013
    April 2013
    March 2013
    February 2013
    January 2013
    December 2012
    November 2012
    October 2012
    September 2012
    August 2012
    July 2012
    June 2012
    May 2012
    April 2012
    March 2012
    February 2012
    January 2012
    December 2011
    November 2011

    Categories

    All
    1666
    18th Century London
    Actor's Church
    Adelaide House
    Admiral Arthur Phillip
    A Friend In Rome
    Air Pollution
    Air Raid Precautions
    Air Raids
    Alfred Hitchcock
    All Hallows By The Tower
    All Hallows-by-the-Tower
    Anne Boleyn
    Anne Of Cleves
    Apothecaries' Hall
    Architecture
    Arnold Circus
    Bankside
    Banqueting House
    Barbican
    Battle Of Trafalgar
    Benjamin Franklin House
    Ben Jonson
    Ben Wilson
    Bermondsey
    Berry Bros & Rudd
    Best London Walking Tours
    Big Ben
    Blackout
    Blitz
    Blue Plaques
    Books On London History
    Borough Market
    Boulevard Theatre
    Bow Street
    Brick Lane
    Brick Lane Mosque
    Bridewell Theatre
    Britain's Smallest Police Station
    British Museum
    Brockley
    Bruce Castle Museum
    Brunel Museum
    Buckingham Palace
    Buenos Aires
    Bunhill Fields Cemetery
    Burlington Arcade
    C215 - Christian Guemy
    Cabmen's Shelters
    Camouflaged Buildings
    Canary Wharf
    Cardinal Wolsey
    Carnaby Street
    Chad Varah
    Chancery Lane
    Charles Barry
    Charles Dickens
    Charles Dickens Museum
    Charles Ii
    Charlie Chaplin
    Charterhouse
    Cheapside
    Chewing Gum Art
    Chinatown
    Christchurch Spitalfields
    Christchurch - Spitalfields
    Christiaan Nagel
    Christopher Wren
    Churchill War Rooms
    City Of London
    City Road
    Clarence House
    Clerkenwell
    Clet Abraham
    Clockmakers' Museum
    Columbia Road
    Coronavirus
    Courtauld Gallery
    Courtaulds
    Covent Garden
    Covid-19
    Cripplegate
    Criterion Restaurant
    Curiosities
    Curtain Road
    Cutty Sark
    Dan Cruickshank
    Daniel Defoe
    Day Trips
    Dead Man's Hole
    Dennis Sever's House
    Downing Street
    Dr Johnson's House
    Duke Of Buckingham
    Duke Of Wellington
    East London
    Edwin Landseer
    Eine
    Elizabethan London
    English Heritage
    Eros
    Euston Road
    Executions
    First World War
    Fleet Street
    Florence Nightingale
    Floris Perfumers
    Floris - Perfumers
    Fortnum And Mason
    Fossils
    Fournier Street
    Fourth Plinth
    Foyles
    Freemason's Hall
    Fun London Facts
    Gainsborough Studios
    Geffrye Museum
    Geoffrey Chaucer
    George Dance The Younger
    George Frederic Watts
    George Frideric Handel
    George Inn
    George Washington
    Gillian Wearing
    Golden Hinde
    Grant Museum Of Zoology
    GreatFire350
    Great Fire Of London
    Great Marlborough Street
    Greenpeace
    Greenwich
    Greenwich Foot Tunnel
    Grinling Gibbons
    Guide To London
    Guy's Hospital
    Ham House
    Hamleys Toy Shop
    Hampstead
    Hampton Court Palace
    Hand Drawn Map
    Handel & Hendrix In London
    Harry Potter
    Hatchards
    Henry Croft
    Heron Tower
    Hever Castle
    Hidden London
    Historical Fiction
    Historic House
    History Podcast
    HMS Belfast
    Hodge
    Horace Jones
    Horatio Nelson
    Horniman Museum
    Horse Guards
    Houndsditch
    Household Cavalry Museum
    Houses Of Parliament
    Hoxton
    Hoxton Hall
    Hoxton Square
    Hoxton Street Monster Supplies
    H.R Higgins - Coffee Man
    Huguenots
    ICA
    I Love London Town
    Inigo Jones
    Invader
    Italian Gardens
    Jack The Ripper
    James Bond
    James Parkinson
    James Thornhill
    Jewel Tower
    Jimi Hendrix
    Jimmy C
    John Lobb
    John Milton
    John Wesley
    Kaspar The Savoy Hotel Cat
    Kaspar - The Savoy Hotel Cat
    Kensington Palace
    King Charles I
    King Edward Ii
    King Edward Iii
    King George I
    King George Iii
    King George Iv
    King Henry Viii
    King James I
    King's Cross
    King's Head Theatre
    Knights Templar
    Leadenhall Market
    Leicester Square
    Lewisham
    Liberty London
    Lions
    Lloyds Of London
    Lock & Co Hatters
    Lock & Co - Hatters
    London Airports
    London Books
    London Bridge
    London Bridges
    London Cabs
    London Churches
    London Eye
    London For Visitors
    London Galleries
    London Guide
    London History
    London Map
    London Museums
    London Parks
    London Sculptures
    London's Dead
    London Shops
    London Skyscrapers
    London Statues
    London Street Names
    London Transport Museum
    London Trivia
    London Underground
    Lying-in-State
    Margaret Thatcher
    Marie Lloyd
    Mayfair
    Metropolitan Police
    Mews
    Middle Temple Hall
    Millennium Bridge
    Millicent Fawcett
    Monopoly
    Monopoly Guide To London
    More London
    Mudlarks
    Museum Of The Order Of St John
    Naomi Clifford
    National Gallery
    National Portrait Gallery
    National Theatre
    National Trust
    Nelson's Column
    New Bond Street
    New Zealand House
    Nicholas Hawksmoor
    No2 Willow Road
    Norton Folgate
    Old Bond Street
    Old Kent Road
    Old London Bridge
    Old Royal Naval College
    Old Street
    Old Truman Brewery
    Oliver Cromwell
    Oxford Street
    Pablo Delgado
    Painted Hall
    Pall Mall
    Parks
    Parliament Square
    Paternoster Square
    Paul Don Smith
    Paxton & Whitfield
    Pay What You Want Tours
    Pearly Kings & Queens
    Pentonville Road
    Piccadilly
    Piccadilly Circus
    Pitfield Street
    Places To Visit
    Platform 9 3/4
    Portland Stone
    Postal Museum
    Postman's Park
    Prince Albert
    Private Tours
    Private Tours In Rome
    Private Walks
    Pudding Lane
    Punch & Judy
    Queen Anne
    Queen Elizabeth I
    Queen's Funeral
    Queen Victoria
    Questions From London Tourists
    Quirky London
    Regent Street
    River Thames
    Roa
    Robert Peel
    Roman London
    Ronnie Scott's
    Ronzo
    Rose Theatre Bankside
    Rotherhithe
    Royal Academy Of Arts
    Royal Albert Hall
    Royal Courts Of Justice
    Royal Opera House
    Royal Warrants
    Rugby
    Rugby Union
    Rugby World Cup
    Rules Restaurant
    Russel Hoban
    Samuel Johnson
    Samuel Pepys
    Saxon London
    Sculptures
    Shad Thames
    Shakespeare's Globe Theatre
    Shops
    Shoreditch
    Shoreditch Park
    Silicon Roundabout
    Smithfield
    Soho
    Soho Square
    Soho Theatre
    Somerset House
    Sotherbys
    South East London
    Southwark Cathedral
    Spitalfields
    Spitalfields Life
    Stafford Hotel
    Statues
    St Bartholomew-the-Great
    St Bride's Church
    St Clement Danes
    St Dunstanintheeastca4d4776b9
    St Dunstan In The West
    St Etheldreda
    St Giles Cripplegate
    Stik
    St James's Palace
    St James's Park
    St Johns Gate57173442d0
    St John's - Smith Square
    St Katharine Docks
    St Katherine Docks
    St Martin-in-the-Fields
    St Mary Aldermanbury
    St Pancras Old Church
    St Paul's Cathedral
    St Pauls Cathedral
    St Peter Cheap
    Strand
    Street Art
    Stretcher Railings
    St Stephen Walbrook
    Suffrage Movement
    Sweet Toof
    Sydenham
    Tate Modern
    Telephone Box
    Temple Bar
    Temple Church
    Thames Barrier
    That Dam Guide
    The Actor's Church
    The Angel
    Theatre Royal Drury Lane
    The Birdcage
    The British Library
    The Cenotaph
    The Dickens Inn
    The Eagle
    The Foundling Museum
    The Hardy Tree
    The King's Wardrobe
    The Mall
    The Mayflower
    The Monument
    The Old Curiosity Shop
    The Old Operating Theatre
    The Photographer's Gallery
    The Ragged School Museum
    The Royal Institution
    The Shard
    The Spitalfields Trust
    The Ten Bells
    The Theatre
    The Tipperary
    The Wallace Collection
    Thomas Archer
    Thomas Barnardo
    Thomas Coram
    Thomas Crapper
    Thomas Farriner
    Thomas Sutton
    Time Out London
    Tour Guides
    Tours In Amsterdam
    Tower Bridge
    Tower Of London
    Trafalgar Square
    Tudors
    Twickenham
    Twinings
    Urban Geology
    Va27d30ae324
    V & A Museum
    Vhils
    Victorian London
    Victorian Music Hall
    Victoria Park
    Vine Street
    Visiting Rome
    Weekend Walks
    Wesley's Chapel
    Westland London
    Westminster
    Westminster Abbey
    Westminster Bridge
    When Cities Are Empty
    Whitechapel Bell Foundry
    Whitechapel Road
    Whitehall
    William Hogarth
    William & Mary
    William Shakespeare
    William The Conqueror
    William Waldorf Astor
    William Webb Ellis
    William Wordsworth
    Winchester Palace
    Windsor Castle
    Winston Churchill
    Women In History
    Women's Rights
    WWII
    Xylo
    Ye Olde Cheshire Cheese
    Yeoman Warders
    York Watergate

    RSS Feed

  • Home
  • Weekend Walks
  • Private Tours
  • Corporate Walks
  • About Me
  • Contact
  • Writing
  • Things Are Afoot