One of the joys of guiding is getting to know a building. Often I notice something only after many visits. Some weeks ago, at St Paul’s, I was staring up at the high altar and looking at a detail which had previously not caught my eye. It was a gothic church, and looked very much…
Oh to be in England
As alluded to in my last post, spring in England is sublime. Not to be missed. Yes, the weather is up and down, predictably unpredictable. There’s a rhyme we used to recite when I was a child: March winds and April showers bring forth May flowers. As the youngest of several cousins, all of whom…
Poets’ Corner
Having a bit of a Robert Browning moment, except I am in England thinking about England in April, while he was in Italy. Robert Browning grew up here in south east London. He attended a local non conformist chapel with his mother who was devout. Robert was, it seems, less devout than his mama, and…
As Seen on Instagram
In theory, all my instagram posts should also appear to the side of this page. They don’t and so far I have been unable to fix this, though you may notice I have changed the theme in pursuit of this end. So for the time being, and I admit this is likely to be fairly…
Talking London
London has the reputation as an expensive city, and that reputation is often justified, yet there are often good quality events which are free, or low priced. As a professional guide, I am required to increase my knowledge. The sheer range of talks available makes this a pleasure. Libraries are a great source of these….
Slave Trade Legacies
I have never thought of the legacies of the Slave Trade in terms of the Brinks Matt robbery until tonight. There was an excellent talk, followed by a lively and thought provoking discussion, at Lambeth Palace Library. James Walvin was the speaker, and the talk was titled The Black Presence in Transatlantic Slavery Archives. He…
A Slight Change
You may have noticed I have not posted much here in recent times. My focus has shifted to Instagram where you can find me @londonbyguide. However I have been asked about forthcoming public tours, and asking about how to book a private tour, so today I have added two new static pages. The public tours…
Living it Local
I am shocked at how long it is since I last posted here. In mitigation, I have been busy and I have posted on Instagram. Last weekend I had some welcome time off and spent most of it near my home in south London. Friday night I went to the Bussey Building in Peckham to…
Back at the Abbey!
Yesterday I was back guiding Westminster Abbey for the first time in two years. The joy! I have visited and caught up with Virger Ben, Marshalls Alex and Marcio. But not everyone has returned as restrictions have been lifted. Hopefully the new members of staff will be as helpful and friendly as the ones who…
Women’s History Month Tours
Almost March. So mad hares, pancakes and Women’s History. Quite a month. I’m offering tours both virtual and actual on women’s history. I’ll leave the mad hares and the pancakes to someone else. I say Women’s History, but you could just call it history. Just because women have been excluded from so many historical accounts…
Guided By Isobel 