Independent London Blue Badge Guide - Unique tours...

Below is a selection of tours I offer or I will create your own personal tour to reflect your particular wishes:

A walking tour around the historical seat of monarchs and prime ministers.

Enjoy a private tour of Westminster Abbey – scene of coronations and royal events - and St Margaret’s Church [with its American connections] and a visit inside the UK Parliament to listen to the debate in the House of Commons or the House of Lords. As an accredited parliament guide, I can give you expert guidance on the proceedings – past and present – of this famous institution. Max group size 6 persons.

To coincide with the momentous election of the first African American to the US presidency – Barak Obama - discover fascinating details about the presence of black Africans and West Indians in London already during the 18th century – and much earlier – exploring Westminster as above, but including a visit to the National Portrait Gallery. Here details of the anti-slavery campaign, famous court cases, abolitionists and who would be the first black Prime minister in the UK? A tour to inspire and surprise.

This is one of the world’s most famous museums, incomparably rich in collections from Ancient Cultures and brimming with treasures of world historical importance e g Egyptian mummies, the Rosetta Stone, the Parthenon Sculptures from Greece, palace reliefs from ancient Iraq etc. But this is also a collection that inspired books and films -even murder! - testifying to the ingenuity of individual explorers and writers.

Treat yourself to a personalized tour of some of the most fascinating objects on display and find out about the people behind the finds; have the cultural context, background and history explained to you and listen to entertaining anecdotes. 

Max group size 20 persons.

This was previously an area completely avoided by tourists associated with poverty, grime and the polluted and industrial remains of the collapsed shipping and dock commerce. Things have however changed with the clean up and rebuilding of Docklands into an attractive, waterside neighbourhood also including a 21st century financial quarter at Canary Wharf. Now, further and much more dramatic change is underway with the construction of the 2012 Olympic Village and Park in one of the poorest areas. Come and explore the unprecedented urban regeneration in Newham and Stratford and discover parts of London that even Londoners themselves are unaware of.

Tow paths, vast docks, canals, industrial heritage and stunning architecture.

Max group size 25 on foot. Tours of the area can also be done by coach with larger groups.

Yes, many English lawyers and judges do still wear wigs and on this tour you will be able to see this with your own eyes as we visit the Royal Courts of Justice as part of our walk. A chance to explore a very picturesque, hidden away part of London known as Temple with quaint alleyways and courtyards which is still at the heart of England’s legal system. See where Shakespeare himself acted in his plays and where Mahatma Gandhi qualified as a barrister plus of course learn of the extraordinary workings of the judicial system in the UK including its most recent reforms in 2006. Hear of famous cases and lawyers and visit the Inn of Court boasting both Lady Thatcher and Tony Blair as “benchers”. The area is also a popular film location e g the Da Vinci Code. A visit inside Temple Church with its famous crusader links will be included if it is open. Max group size 25 persons.

TREASURE HUNTS  a) THE BRITISH MUSEUM   b) THE CITY OF LONDON

Follow imaginative clues leading you to explore hidden objects, views, and sites and discovering surprising and unexpected parts of an area. Divided up in small teams, you will compete the course during a limited timescale, there will be emergency aids if you get stuck but the challenge is to think laterally and creatively in order to win – and be all the wiser as a result. This is a clever and fun exercise which makes the discoveries all your own. Whether looking for Egyptian mummies or secret graveyards! Max total group size is 50.