9 non-touristy reasons why you should visit Leicester Square
Shock horror - yes, I am really suggesting that you should visit Leicester Square as on the periphery of the square can be found some amazingly cheap places to go for food, for...
Old London by the Sea
Earlier this month I returned to the seaside town of Swanage, Dorset for the first time since a family holiday in the seventies. I have limited memories of the Swanage from my...
Epping Forest and a Tale of Two Houses
Having spent Open House Saturday leading two ninety minute walks around Secret Victoria I decided to concentrate my Open House visits locally today. I visited two very different...
3 Hidden(ish) cafes near Oxford Street
You might think that there would be nothing hidden from view in the vicinity of Oxford Street being one of London's busiest thoroughfares. Suprisingly there is. Each of these 3...
Do you know where these are?
London is surprisingly full of hidden artwork sometimes so tucked away that I do wonder if the only people to actually notice it are those on my walks. Although my walk tomorrow...
Can you help on 26th April?
When I ticked the box to be an "occasional volunteer" for the RNLI I hadn't anticipated ending up with a role that involves finding and coordinating collectors in the City of...
Why I’m supporting the London taxi trade
There is a misconception amongst many people I know that black taxis are expensive. However if you compare their service to other trades when you want quality then you get what...
The Edinburgh connection
I am currently helping a friend (Ray Coggin) with proof reading and editing of a diary which follows the life of his wife's grandfather who was a medical officer during the First...
Open House at the Romanian Cultural Institute
If you are a regular reader you might know that one of the first walks I did when I qualified as a City of Westminster Guide back in 2009 was a walk around Belgravia. One of the...
Free Walks! Local London Guiding Day 10.10.2015
Saturday 10th October 2015 (Scroll down for more details - without the need for a magnifying glass!) Save the date - Saturday 10th October is this year's Local London Guiding...
Tranquil Tottenham
Having lived for most of my life in the Chingford and Walthamstow areas I know this locality pretty well and now have a fairly good knowledge of the West End, the City and...
Discovering Clerkenwell and Islington via its Guiding Course
In the past 6 years since qualifying as a City of Westminster Guide I have put together and led many walks plus made some great friends and connections, heard some fascinating...
View from the Top – Westminster Cathedral’s Bell Tower
Yesterday whilst in Victoria for an optician's appointment I decided on the spur of the moment to go up the tower inside Westminster Cathedral. Why have I never done this before!...
Ivor Novello in Chingford
I always include a reference to composer and actor Ivor Novello on my Royals, Rogues and Retreats Chingford walk - from a fact gleaned from Chingford Past by Barbara Ray. Novello...
English Tourism Week walk
This year's English Tourism Week (14 to 22 March 2015) has a food and drink theme so is right up my street!Coffee Houses and Clubs - a food and drink themed evening tour of St...
Competition – Win 2 x walk places
Where in London are these gates?First person to respond by 6pm on Wednesday 11th March with the correct answer wins two places on one of my upcoming public walks. All my upcoming...
The Tudor Trail – Guest post by Ray Coggin of London and UK Taxi Tours
This Wednesday 21st January sees the launch of the BBC’s new mini series Wolf Hall. The story by double Booker prizewinner Hilary Mantel is set in the period 1500 to 1535 and...
Westminster – a handy loo guide
In the course of researching for walks since I qualified as a Westminster Guide in 2009 I have managed to discover a number of good loos. The previously free loos provided...
Free Carol Concerts – A Short List
My plan to update my annual Top 10 of Free Carol Concerts has been thwarted by the amount of studying I'm doing for the Clerkenwell & Islington Guiding course. However rather...
A lunchtime wander: London Bridge
In my other job as a legal secretary I have spent a considerable part of 2014 working for a firm situated close to Borough Market. There is an enormous amount of things to do in...
Christmas Walks – alternative office parties
Dare I say it but it is that time of year that people are starting to think about what to do for their work Christmas party.How about a Christmas Lights themed walk through the...