A ghost walk in St Ives
On holiday in St Ives, Cornwall recently I was attracted to a ghost walk being held on the Sunday evening. Shanty Baba's Lantern Ghost Story Walk started at Westcott's Quay...
Another amazing experience in London
My attempts to get fit in time for climbing the 334 steps of the Clock Tower at the Houses of Parliament were in vain. I was out of breath on the several attempts I had...
Sunday in St James’s
My list of "must do" places in London and elsewhere is getting longer and longer yet I never seem to have the time to "do" any of them. However last Sunday on the way back from...
A Walk in the Rain
It had to happen sooner or later; last Thursday night was my first walk in the pouring rain. The literary walk around Mayfair for my book group had been arranged months in...
A Walk in the Sunshine
As everyone who lives in the UK knows British weather is unpredictable to say the least. Forecasts are likely to change slightly or completely. Even so as soon as the...
Wintry Walking
Back in December when I chose a date for my first Belgravia walk I was unable to foresee that London would be beset with very wintry weather and half the tube system would also...
A “sweetshop” for London obsessives
Today, after a very interesting walk around Clerkenwell with City Highlights and a brief stop for some soup (to warm up) I decided to go to the Guildhall Library with the hope of...
London Quiz Part 3/Invasion of the Pipers
Another night, another quiz. This time it was the City of Westminster Guide Lecturers Association Christmas party at the Adam & Eve pub and the questions were even more...
London Quiz – Part 2
Being in the winning team for the Londonist Quiz a few months ago I was excited when I read about a London quiz for London experts on the Londonist forum.Unfortunately the...
Practice Makes Perfect
Today I took part in the first of a series of walk shops aimed at those of us qualified guides who are looking to get away from our comfort zone areas (mine being St James's and...
Back on my feet
Having been more or less house bound/desk bound for the last month or so my toes are now well on the way to recovery and I'm back out there trawling the streets of Westminster...
Que sera sera
Not even a week after getting my badge I am already out of action with a broken toe. I tripped over the hem of my pyjama trousers which made me lose my balance and I slammed my...
My first Westminster Walk
Organising my first walk as a qualified guide on the evening after the badge ceremony was possibly not one of my better ideas. I should know by now that where wine is...
Ceremony at City Hall
Arriving on the 18th floor of Westminster City Hall in Victoria Street I was rather nervous. I was about to get my guiding badge from the Lord Mayor of Westminster, Duncan...
A Perfect Weekend
If only every weekend was like the weekend just gone. London seemed to be on a high and I certainly was having found out on Saturday morning that I had qualified as a City of...
Walthamstow Wanderings
Not one to sit around twiddling my thumbs after my guiding exam was over yesterday I felt at a loose end. As readers of my blog will realise my life has been taken over by...
A Busy Week
I had so many plans for my blog this week. However I have basically been out too much enjoying London with no spare time to write my blog. It's unlikely I will catch up with...
Cemetery Tour no. 2
Following on from my visit to Kensal Green Cemetery in February I went on a tour of the City of London Cemetery in Manor Park yesterday. I had stopped at the lovely café by the...
The Rialto – the tale of a forgotten cinema
I discovered a forgotten gem in London last night. The Rialto Cinema in Coventry Street (near Leicester Square) was described by Nikolaus Pevsner as having "the finest early...
A Secret Garden
London is full of secret places and I am enjoying searching them out. Hill House Garden is a little known part of Hampstead Heath. It would be hard to come across this garden by...
Running the Race
Tonight I watched a great event - the annual City of London Road Race. However I wasn't joined on the streets by hundreds of people. In fact I was the only person in my stretch...