The Forgotten War – In search of lost cousins
A chance discovery on the British Newspaper Archive back in May 2020 has taken me on a journey researching the life of a first cousin once removed in the hope that his closer...
Walthamstow and the Ballad of Master McGrath
Did you know that there’s a terrace of houses in Walthamstow built from the winnings of famous Irish greyhound Master McGrath? In my obsession with local history I’m always...
How to Move your Historical Society into the 21st Century – Part 2
Since writing Part 1 back in June Chingford Historical Society have, with my help, hosted 6 online talks and are going from strength to strength with an influx of new members...
How to move your historical society into the 21st century
Over the past few months it has been a bit of a steep learning curve for many of us in order to keep in touch with friends virtually and to try to get some sense of normal into...
The lost house in the woods
I started this blog post last September and for some reason it has languished in my drafts folder since then. In the past few weeks so many questions about this house have popped...
Doing my (little) bit to help the homeless
I have a confession to make. Before I started buying the Big Issue from the same person every week I was quite ignorant about homeless people. Shamefully I had never considered...
The Chigwell Row Medicinal Springs – a ‘lost’ manuscript?
There is one benefit to ending up (by slightly devious means*) on the Chingford Historical Society Committee in that amazing books keep being donated to the Society. I have...
The Welhams of Walthamstow
Update: A more up-to-date version of this post was published in the Waltham Forest Echo in May 2020 and can be read on the following link. However although it was correct in the...
Rat Killing at the Old Queen’s Head, Soho
I have a dilemma. Last night at London Historians' excellent History in the Pub where 8 speakers talk for 8 minutes each on a pre-determined theme I gave my talk on rat killing...
Walthamstow’s Forgotten Musical Heritage
Ten years on from qualifying as a City of Westminster Guide I wouldn't have imagined that one of my most successful walks would be in Walthamstow. I'm sure that many of my social...
Walthamstow Matters from 1962/63
I have recently become rather obsessed with old guide books and in fact have a backlog of ideas for posts taking excerpts from such books as they contain so much of interest. My...
A Carillon London Christmas
There is one building that really stands out on my Christmas Lights walk and for many of those on my walk not only is the look of the building a surprise to them but if we manage...
Book Review: Unlawful Things by Anna Sayburn Lane
Helen Oddfellow is a tour guide and an expert on Christopher Marlowe. After a local paper features her Deptford walk she is contacted by historian Richard Watson who needs her...
The Fascinating History of Twinings Tea
Have you ever noticed that the sign hanging outside Twinings' shop on the Strand shows that it sells coffee as well as tea? In fact Twinings started off as a coffee house and if...
Walthamstow’s Wonderful Community Mosaics
Like many people I know I always want to discover something new and in relation to my guided walks it's always a bonus to discover something that you have never noticed before on...
Twitter – a Beginner’s Guide (Updated for 2018)
This is the third version of my Beginner's Guide which I originally put together in 2012. 6 years on there are many different ways of sharing content apart from Facebook and...
Family history gems from the British Newspaper Archive
What a treasure trove the British Newspaper Archive is! I have just searched my maternal grandfather's name (Henry Fotheringham Ferguson) and discovered the Dundee Evening...
Charity Christmas Lights Walk 2017
This year for the third year running myself and fellow City of Westminster Guide (and Taxi Tour Guide) Ray Coggin will again be leading a Christmas Lights walk for charity. This...
Why I slept out for Centrepoint
Last Thursday night I took part in the charity Centrepoint's Sleep Out London in order to raise money and awareness of their work with young homeless people. We were in no way...
Foodie Themed Christmas Lights Walks December 2017
Most of the West End's Christmas lights will be going on in the next few weeks but do you know where the best ones can be found? Why not book on a tour with me. My foodie-themed...
4 free walks in one day?
It is almost time once again for the annual walking event which is Local London Guiding Day. This Saturday, 7th October four of the local London guiding associations will be...