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Walks in London Over The Holiday Period

Sunday, December 27th, 2009

Firstly, a very merry Christmas to all those who have been following our London walks.

With Christmas day out of the way for another year it’s that period when people start to look at getting out and about to walk off some of those extra calories acquired over the festive period.

It looks like the pre-Christmas snow will be returning to London this week, or if not it looks like its going to get a bit colder.

All our London walks went ahead during the bad weather and those who joined our Jack the Ripper Tour on Monday night, when we caught the tail end of the snow shower said how much they enjoyed it and how it really lent to the atmosphere.

This week we’ve got our regular festive wanders up and running. Our Jack the Ripper Walk is sold out until into the New Year.

Richard, who spent much of December working on his new book on  Haunted Britain will be conducting his Christmas London Ghost Walks today, Sunday, then on Tuesday and on Wednesday.

In the meantime this is a great period to get out and about on our Free  Harry Potter London walk which, as well as taking you to all the Harry Potter movie sites in London, will also give you a full day out in London for free. The Harry Potter tour was featured in The Times on the Saturday before Christmas which resulted in a lot of requests for this free one of our popular London walks.

Looking ahead into 2010 we’ve got a big announcement coming in January, and our other free London walks will be going live towards the end of  January.

Snow willing, Richard will be off on his travels again in early 2010 and will be posting a daily blog of the locations he will be visiting as he prepares his book Haunted Britain.

Anyway, these are just a few suggestions of things to do over this  period as we prepare to bid farewell to the noughties.

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Our London walks for the holidays.

Tuesday, December 8th, 2009

With Christmas rapidly approaching we thought wed just give a brief mention of the London Walking Tours that we will be offering over the festive period.

Our Jack the Ripper Tour will continue every night at 7pm up until 23rd December 2009 after which it will take a rest for a few days. It will resume again on 27th December and then operate nightly until 30th December. We will gain be taking a break on 31st December and 1st January before resuming again on 2nd of January 2010.

Our London Ghost Walks are almost all completely sold out now up to Christmas. Over the Christmas period Richard will be conducting a special series of Christmas Ghost Walks in London. There will be an Alleyways and Shadows:- Old City Ghost Walk on 27th December ( a great opportunity to walk off all the Christmas excesses!). Two days later there will be a Ghosts, Ghouls and Graveyards Hidden Horrors Tour and then on 30th September the Alleyways and Shadows Walk will be the last ghost walk of 2009.

It’s also worth remembering that we offer a whole raft of free London walks that you can print off and do yourself. The most popular of these is the Harry Potter London Film Locations Walk which has gone mad with requests over the last few days. Indeed, we’ve been getting 40 requests a day for this one of our Self Guided Walks of London.

So we have plenty of events to keep you active over the Christmas period and, come the New Year, we’re going to be unveiling some very special new additions to our Walking Tours of London.

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Walking Jack the Ripper’s London - The book.

Monday, December 7th, 2009

Here’s a great Christmas gift idea. A signed copy of Richard’s book Uncovering Jack the Ripper’s London.

A walk through ripperland (or to be more precise the areas of Spitalfields and Whitechapel) is great - and don’t forget we do the Jack the Ripper Tour seven chilling nights a week - but how do you remember all the fascinating things you have heard?

Well Uncovering Jack the Ripper’s London tells the fascinating story of those 12 terror filled weeks in 1888 over which the Whitechapel Murders occurred.

You are taken step by step through the facts of the case;  are introduced to the police officers who hunted the ripper through one of Victorian London’s most densely populated and most crime ridden quarters;  and you learn about the way that the ripper murders became a cause that was used to bring social change into this skid row of the Victorian Metropolis.

The book is illustrated by numerous photographs that show you the area as it was then and as it is now. Some are black and white Victorian Photographs, some are full colour Photos specially commissioned for the book.

The book has been applauded as a refreshingly different look at the Jack the Ripper Murders in that it doesn’t attempt to play the “catch jack” game but rather concentrates on telling the story of the murders and how they impacted on London at the time.

The last posting day for Christmas delivery is 19th December. We will send your book by first class post within 24 hours of receiving the order.

So to order a signed copy of  Richard’s Jack the Ripper Book just click here.

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Christmas Walks in London

Friday, December 4th, 2009

Looking For Something to do in London This Christmas?

You know that Christmas feeling. Christmas Eve is all about looking forward to that big day. The day itself, December 25th is about the family. Kids opening their presents. Sitting down as a family and enjoying the Christmas meal. Next, it’s  Boxing Day and still more Turkey to get through!

Then comes those few days between Christmas and New Year. What can you do to get out of the house? Well, our walks of London will be operating.

On Sunday December 27th we will be conducting our Jack the Ripper Tour and it will then take place every night until 30th December.

Our Haunted London walks will take place on December 27th, December 29th and December 30th.

This is a great period of the year to explore the darker recesses of the old City of London because, with many of the offices closed for the festive period, the streets, courtyards and hidden passageways are totally empty of their day time populace. Shades of bygone times can stir at will and intrepid ghost hunters on our haunted tours of London can well and truly seek out those who have been just dying to meet them!

Another great idea, and this time a totally free day out, is to request our Harry Potter London Tour.

This is structured as both a London walk (you get detailed step by step directions that will take you all over London) and a treasure hunt that will keep the kids occupied throughout. The beauty of the Harry Potter Tour is that, because it is a pdf that you download and print off, you can do it as and when you like. You set the pace. You can stop off at any building or location that catches your eye as you go round. In short it makes for the perfect day out in London.

So if you’re looking for something to do in London over the festive period why not give one of our walks a try, and see for yourself why London is a great place to spend Christmas.

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The Top Ten London walks.

Thursday, December 3rd, 2009

We get many requests from people asking which of the London Walking Tours we offer is the best. Obviously this is a difficult question to answer since those who explore London on our Walks nearly always go away raving about what they’ve seen and heard.

Much has to do with your interests. Some people love Jack the Ripper Walks around the East End of London, whilst others find the London Ghost Walks that we offer are more to their liking. Indeed we often get questions about these two walks as to which one we would suggest as a must do.

Well, in truth, they’re both great walks albeit both are very different.

The Jack the Ripper Tour tells the full story of the Whitechapel Murders that rocked London in 1888. It is a story that is as much about social history as it is about crime and murder. You are taken through the very streets where the murders occurred and shown the places where the victims of Jack the Ripper lived and which were known to them.

The Haunted London walks on the other hand are a little more light hearted. They combine fascinating history with tales of ghosts and cover the places where ghosts have been seen.  There are two ghost walks that we conduct on a regular basis. On Fridays we offer the Ghosts, Ghouls and Graveyards Tour and on Saturdays we offer the Alleyways and Shadows old City London Ghots Walk.

So these three regular walks are up there on our list of top ten London walks.

So, in closing, here is that list in full.

1. The Jack the Ripper Tour.

2. Alleyways and Shadows: - The Old City Ghost Walks.

3. Ghosts, Ghouls and Graveywards.

4. The London of Dickens and Shakespeare.

5.  The Secret City:- A Walk Back in Time.

6. A Journey Through Dickens London.

7.  The Inns and Taverns of Old London.

8. Clerkenwell:- London’s Secret Village.

9. The London Story.

10. Pirates and Pressgangs:- A Docklands Pub Tour.

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Now that’s what I call a London walk!

Friday, November 27th, 2009

Have you ever found yourself spoilt for choice wondering which London Walking Tour is the one for you? It might sound a strange question but we do often get phone calls from people who find themselves spoilt for choice over exactly which one of our multitude of tours they should take.

Of course it very much depends on your interests. A good starter tour is perhaps our popular Secret City London walk which shows you some of the wonderful places at the heart of the old city of London. This really shows you how this great City really does hide its treasures from prying eyes and makes it all the more wonderful to discover the hidden places that lie tucked away behind the busy main roads.

Your interests may be more towards the literary? No problem you can explore the streets of Charles Dickens London on the several different Dickens walks that we offer. Or you can explore the district of Southwark on the south side of the River Thames, across the river from St Paul’s Cathedral, on one of our Shakespeare’s London walks.

If you interests are more towards the sinister aspects of London’s history then fear not (or should that be start to fear!) as we offer a regular Jack the Ripper Tour of London that departs seven chilling nights a week at 7pm. This is what we really call a London walk. It involves walking old, historic streets that have changed little since 1888 when Jack the Ripper stalked their shadows. It includes a cracking murder murder mystery that will keep you guessing with each twist and turn of both the narrative and the streets. But it also provides a glimpse of the fascinating social history of one of London’s most multi cultural districts.  All in all it is the perfect tour of London.

So when you are looking at our London walks and trying to figure out which one you should take, just read our detailed descriptions and see for yourself why the old saying “when a man is tired of London he is tired of life” still holds true today.

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Jack the Ripper’s London walk

Tuesday, November 24th, 2009

An intriguing point was raised on the Jack the Ripper Tour last night. One member of the group, who has done several London walks with us, asked  how the rest of London would have viewed the East End of London in 1888?

The truth is that in 1888 this area consisted of some of London’s worst slums. One of the great things about joining our Jack the Ripper London walk is that we start the tour right in the heart of the district where the murders occurred and, as a consequence, participants get a genuine “feel” of the character of the area.

One of the tragedies about the victims of Jack the Ripper is that they all came from a class of women that, whereas certainly not middle class, were, what could be described as “respectable” working class. But they all shared a common trait that consisted of a downward, drink-fuelled spiral that had seen them separated from their families and living transient existences in the Common Lodging Houses that peppered the East End of London at the time.

Meanwhile the Middle class citizens in the west end of London had plenty to fear about the massive under class that dwelt to the East of the City of London. There was a general fear that a revolution was iminent and that, were it to come, it would come out of the East End of London. Jack the Ripper, although being a danger to a certain class of women, i.e prostitutes, in a very small part of the vast Victorian Metropolis, became in many ways a physical embodiment of the nebulous fears that the Middle classes had about the vast underclass in the East End of London.

You can learn much more about this by joning us for our nightyl Jack the Ripper Tour which departs at 7pm from Aldgate East Underground Station. Booking is essenital as, unlike other London walks, we limit the number on our Jack the Ripper Tour.

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The Jack the Ripper walk - London

Tuesday, November 10th, 2009

Join us for our acclaimed Jack the Ripper Tour and get to see the places and the area where the infamous crimes occurred in 1888.

The Jack the Ripper murders took place over a twelve week  period in the autumn of 1888  in the districts of Spitalfields and Whitechapel In the East end of London. Five local prostitutes were murdered by an unknown killer who, thanks to a letter sent to a London News Agency in September 1888, became known as “Jack the Ripper”.

Our Jack the Ripper Tour explores the very places where the infamous murders occurred. It starts right in the heart of the area and visits more of the actual murder sites than any other Jack the Ripper London walk. Our guides are all experts on the subject who are familiar with every twist and turn in what is, without, doubt, the world’s most famous whodunnit.

You will hear about the horrific living conditions in the areas of Whitechapel and Spitalfields in 188.

You will learn of the police investigation as the officers of the Metropolitan Police, faced with a new type of criminal, tried to catch the killer in what was one of the most densely populated quarters of the Victorian metropolis.

You will visit the murder sites themselves and ponder how it was that the killer was able to commit these murders and then, apparently, melt away into the darkness.

You will hear of the contemporary suspects who, from time to time in the course of the investigation, were taken in  by the police only to be released again when no evidence against them was found.

So for a Jack the Ripper Tour that is both informative and enjoyable  be sure to join the experts and let them guide you through the abyss of London’s sinister east End.

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A London Pub Walks Update

Monday, November 9th, 2009

The Paracon 2009 in Dublin went well and Richard gave his talk on the supernatural aspects of the Jack the Ripper case. Saturday night saw him joining a ghost hunt at Wicklow Gaol that finished at 2.30am.

Sunday he flew back to London and is now updating his new series of London walks. Today he is off to stroll the banks of the River Thames adding the finishing touches to the Riverside London Pub Walk. There are a few creases to iron out before it goes live and photographs are going to be added to the finished London walk. In addition we’re looking at adding something slightly unique to this particular London walk.

The response to these free London walks has been great and many of you have written to say how much they have enjoyed taking the walks we offer in London and in Rochester.

We are even looking at our next free walk PDF and it is likely to be a wander around the London of William Shakespeare.

This will, of course, include the area of Bankside where the Globe Playhouse was located, but it will also include the lesser known aspects of Shakespeare’s Lost City. Another one of the Free London Walking Tours that is currently being worked on is a tour London sightseeing bus tour that you will be able to do using your Oyster or Travel Card.

Then, of course, you can still join our nightly guided Jack the Ripper Tour of London. This goes seven chilling nights a week and costs just £7 per person.

As with our Free London walks we like to make our Jack the Ripper Tour different in that we are the only one of the companies offering London walks that limits the number on our Jack the Ripper walk to a sensible and manageable number. To help us do this we ask you to book in advance.

So keep an eye on our blog as there are some great new walks and tours comin up over the next six months.

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A very apt quote for the day

Saturday, November 7th, 2009

We’ve always enjoyed giving you a choice about how you do our London walks. First an foremost we are fanatical about this great city and have a genuine desire to help people to see more of it.

Our guides range from top flight Blue Badge Guides who’ve done the very demanding course offered by the Institute of Tourist Guiding (we’ll be covering the Blue Badge in a future post) to well known authors who’ve published on topics as diverse as Jack the Ripper, Dickens London and Haunted Britain.

As far as our London Walking Tours are concerned we want to make it as simple as possible for you to find what you want. We won’t make you wade through a seemingly endless rant about how are competitors are all wannabes as it is our opinion that you’re simply not interested in childish name calling.  For that matter neither are we. We simply want to offer you great tours with sensible numbers and to that end we’ll highlight the differences (unique selling points to use adult language) that make our tours different and better.

What we will do is offer you a choice of joining us on one of our paid London walks - such as the Jack the Ripper Tour that takes place seven chilling nights a week, and our ghost walk that takes place on Fridays, Saturdays and on selective Sundays - or you can enjoy one of our free DIY walks in London that are provided as print off and do PDF’s.

These latter include our Harry Potter London Walking Tour and our coming soon Riverside London Pub Walk.

Our aim is pure simplicity. Which is why the following quote from Albert Einsteen in many ways sums up our ethos.

Any intelligent fool can make things bigger, more complex, and more violent. It takes a touch of genius - and a lot of courage - to move in the opposite direction.

 

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