THIRD TIME UNLUCKY FOR THE PIRATE WHO WENT TO THE GALLOWS

Captain William Kidd, the 17th century 'Privateer' who became a notorious pirate, came to an unceremonious end in Wapping. It happened at Execution Dock - so you know his fate!

It wasn't very nice either. Twice the hangman's rope snapped so it wasn't third time lucky for the pirate who had made his reputation in the Caribbean and strutted arrogantly around New York spending his wealth. Unfortunately, he took a gamble and refused to hand over some of his huge bounty to the English Crown - and that sealed his fate.

He was eventually sent back to London, tried and sentenced to death. His body was covered in tar, clamped in an iron cage and displayed on the riverside at Tilbury. It was a clear warning to other sea-farers not to change sides!

Not until the 20th century did some papers come to light which suggested that Kidd's argument and defence of his actions could have been valid. They were never heard at his trial and the rest, as they say, is history.

This is one of the stories you will hear on a LONDON FOOTSTEPS walking tour along the river path around the streets of Wapping, once an area alive with merchants, dockers, sailors but now the home for another kind of trader - city financiers who can afford the sky-high prices of apartments overlooking the river.

Why not find out more about LONDON FOOTSTEPS. http://www.londonfootsteps.co.uk

THE FLOW OF HISTORY

Creating a new walk is always a challenge. I can spend a long time searching through books and browsing the internet to get details, facts and anecdotes about a proposed route. I go out and walk the route by myself, just to make sure it works. Invariably I finish up with more than I need for a two hour walk - and THE FLOW OF HISTORY is no exception.

The River Thames is like a ribbon of history, wrapping itself around the centuries of London life in a way that no other geographical feature does. Other cities have dominating mountains, harbours, ancient ruins etc...London has the Thames.

If you ever want to know just how influential is has been then take THE FLOW OF HISTORY WALK - along the Thames Path from the Tower, over the Millennium Bridge to Bankside, along to Southwark Cathedral and back over London Bridge.

The small group of enthusiasts who enjoyed this walk on a cold, bright November morning were in no doubt - it was fascinating. I shall be doing it several times over the next few months because it has that magic forumula - fascinating history as well as familiar images of London. The casual tourist will enjoy the picture postcard aspects of this walk - but so too will someone who likes more historical meat on the bone!

If you want to know more then get in touch. I'd like to see you on a LONDON FOOTSTEPS walk around the Square Mile. Groups as well as individuals are welcome so have a look at www.londonfootsteps.co.uk.

MOVING DOWN RIVER

There are places in London which are off the main tourist route yet always worth a visit. One area is Wapping, just a mile downstream from Tower Bridge. This was once the bustling heart of the Pool of London, busy with ships loading and unloading their cargoes, hundreds of dockers working on the quayside and in the wharves; the cranes swinging out over the river lifting goods from the far corners of the globe and loading some of products which carried the 'Made in Britain' badge to distant lands.

All that is now consigned to the history. These scenes of 50 years ago have been replaced by the quiet calm of affluence. The warehouses have been converted into smart, expensive apartments; no more noise and dirt. People here eat in trendy restaurants, have expensive tastes and count their money.

Yet it's still worth going to have a look at Wapping. The High Street doesn't have any shops - just converted, towering warehouses. The D3 Docklands bus bounces over the cobbles and the estate agents sit in spacious offices waiting for people to come along with £500,000 to spend on one of the glossy properties advertised in the windows.

On a fine day you can see why people want to live here. If you're lucky enough to to be on your balcony overlooking the river and enjoying a pre-dinner drink, the money will seem well spent. Or you may pop along to the pub for a pint, places with dockside traditions and memorabilia like the Prospect of Whitby, the Town of Ramsgate or Captain Kydd.

Dinner? Well maybe a stroll up to St Katherine's Dock where you can have a budget Pizza or spend a lot more; there's always the London Hydraulic Company restaurant in Wapping, one of those much-loved themed eating places, where you sit surrounded by 19th century heavy machinery while enjoying the fish speciality.

This is affluent Wapping - but go less than a mile away from the river towards Shadwell and Cable Street and the taste buds really come alive. This is where the Bangladeshi community live - and the streets are bustling, the shops busy, the schools noisy, the food exotic and cheap and the restaurants inviting. It's a remarkable contrast - and shows how the diversity of London and its people is one of its great attractions.

Don't turn down an invitation to Wapping. The walk along the Thames Path from the City will amaze you. Wapping is a place where cash and culture collide. The docks are consigned to memory. What we have now is very different - but fascinating in its own way.

QUEENHITHE

It's hard to imagine that this was probably the busiest place on the river in the 16th and 17th century. The small inlet, Queenhithe, was one of the Legal Quays on the northern bank of the River Thames. Ships waiting to load and unload were jostling each other as they waited for a berth. There was a forest of sails and masts. Pilfering and smuggling was rife and even when the ships eventually tied up alongside at Queenhithe or the other wharves, the customs were waiting to collect their taxes and duties.

Now the river traffic is mainly pleasure launches. The River Police, formed in 1798 to cut the rising crime on the river and the quayside, are not likely to face any violent characters these days - just the odd drunk who jumps into the water from a riverside restaurant.

OPEN HOUSE IN LONDON

It was a great weekend for thousands of London enthusiasts who had a chance to visit places which are not normally open or accessible. Open House is a great idea - and a terrific success. Once again, people were travelling all over the capital and taking an opportunity to learn more about this great City.

Pat and I were interested in the livery companies - so we planned to visit four of them, starting off with the amazing Vinter's Hall down by Southwark Bridge. This building, built around 1670, has some great treasures, remarkable paintings, elegant rooms and a sense of history and tradition everywhere you look. The Vinter's are one of the great 12 senior livery companies with a charter dating from 1364

Then we went onto the Painters Hall in Little Trinity Lane. A new hall was built after the great fire of 1666 and it was badly damaged by an air raid in WW2. There are some fine paintings here - as you would expect - including two by Sir Joshua Reynolds. From there we went to Butchers' Hall, also rebuilt after bomb damage, and from there to the most recent, Haberdasher's Hall.

Haberdashers' is an excellent example of how a stylish building, light and airy and using modern building materials in a sympathic and effective way, can enhance the historical importance and tradition of a fine organisation (see picture) Dating from the 14th century, this Livery company controlled the making and selling of ribbons, beads, purses, gloves, pins, caps and toys and has survived since then to become one of the great charitiable institutions of the City of London.

All livery companies saw their power and influence beginning to fade away in the 15th and 16th century, yet they managed to retain their wealth and used it to finance education and support a wide number of small charities. Today, this role has earned the Livery Companies great respect and they are an integral part of City life.

Yes, Open House is a great day out. A bit tiring on the feet...but well worth the effort.

NOT A PRETTY SIGHT!

Come back here in 2012 and you won't see anything like this! It was taken near the River Lea, close to the Olympic site at Stratford. On a wet and dreary August day it was a glimpse of the derelict under-belly of London - and certainly not a place for a picnic! I shall keep going back to record the changes that take place over the next seven years.
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COOLING OFF BY THE RIVER

It was hot today - but strolling through the City and along the River Thames path was yet another reminder that London is a great City with so much to see and enjoy. I couldn't have chosen a better day to take Sarah and the grandchildren for a walk through some of the paths and passageways on a route from the Tower to St. Paul's.

There were no complaints from Henry (8), Molly (7) and Isabelle (6) . No moans, no tears. As long as they were kept fed and watered, the interesting sights and historical snippets of London did the rest. The Guide was quite good as well!

We started near the Tower, saw the original Roman wall, the execution site on Tower Hill and then went on to St Margaret Pattens church in Eastcheap and rebuilt by Wren in 1686. We went inside and saw the pattens which the ladies wore on their feet to raise them above the muck and debris of the market streets. (pictured) The children wandered around the church, into the churchwarden pews and the pulpit. They were enthralled - so credit to the staff in the church who made it all possible.

We looked at the Monument, London Bridge and then took the Thames Path to the Millenium Bridge (pictured). After going over to the south side and back, we went up to St Paul's and into Paternoster Square - where we met their Dad, Stuart, during his lunchtime break. Everyone was eating out, enjoying the sun and chatting; it wasn't crowded...maybe recent events have kept people away from our City.

Then it was back down Cheapside, into the Royal Exchange, through the alleys near St Michael's, Cornhill and on to the vibrant Leadenhall Market where everyone was eating and drinking outside. The stalls were busy and the whole atmosphere was alive under this remarkable iron structure designed by Sir Horace Jones.

On the train back from Fenchurch Street, we had a little quiz. Who founded Toc H? Where did Samuel Pepys live? Name the two fresh-water rivers flowing into the Thames? What does Resurgam mean? Who created the statue in Paternoster Square? Where was the first coffee shop in London? And so it went on.

The journey back to Leigh went quickly - and three tired little people, with their Mum, knew a little more about London life, traditions and history. But it was worth it...so maybe I should organise another of these "Walking Classrooms"

A TRIP TO CAMBRIDGE

Anyone interested in the history of London will know why Samuel Pepys made such an important contribution to our knowledge and understanding of this great city. His diary of that extraordinary period between 1660-69 has given us a detailed insight of life at the time of restoration of the Monarchy, the Plague and the Great Fire.

I went to Cambridge to see the diary. It is at Magdalene College with the complete collection of all the books in his library. It is privilege to see the diary itself, neatly written in that strange shorthand. It feels like the work of man who cared about what was happening to the world around him. (see picture Pepys Library)

No doubt there are many Pepys scholars who find a visit to this place creates a strong empathy with the diarist. Gazing at one of the volumes, opened at the page which described the morning after the Great start, it felt as though I was stepping back into history. This was almost real...like seeing a newspaper the day after a catastrophic event.

Then Pat and I went to Pembroke College. On a warm, summer afternoon the Cambridge colleges looked magnificient. In the college chapel, the sound of the organ added to the atmosphere.

Pembroke College chapel was Sir Christopher Wren's first architectural commission. Wren's uncle, an important and influential clergyman, used his position and status to offer the design contract to his nephew, Christopher.

The result is a tall, elegant chapel squeezed in by other buildings of Pembroke College. It was altered in the 19th century by Giles Gilbert Scott but remains a significant contribution to the life and reputation of the one of Britain's greatest architects. (picture, inside Wren's Chapel at Pembroke College)

Go to Cambridge if you can. Just 60 miles from London it has a lot to offer those who admire Pepys and Wren - and a lot more besides.

A QUIET SATURDAY IN THE CITY

A small group came along for my "INTRODUCTION TO THE CITY" walk last week and once again it proved very popular. It took just over two hours. Halfway round we stopped for a coffee break in Dowgate Hill and it ended with a few drinks in the Crosse Keys pub in Gracechurch Street.

The "INTRODUCTION TO THE CITY" walk started at Fenchurch Street. It has something for everyone. We cover the Great Fire, Samuel Pepys, Sir Christopher Wren, Leadenhall Market (pictured), the Coffee Houses, Charles Dickens, the Royal Exchange, the Bank of England, Mansion House, the Livery Companies, Guildhall and, of course, stop outside some of the churches which have been beautifully restored since WWII.

People are always amazed at the rich heritage and astonishing wealth of history in the narrow streets of the City. Those who have worked for years in this area seemed to have missed so much. The City meant work. People spent a lot of time at their desks, only going out for an hour or two at lunchtime. At the end of the day all they wanted to do was to get away quickly and catch the bus or train home. A few, though, preferred to delay the journey by having a pint or two!

So London, as a City with its rich history and great traditions, often passed them by. But it's never to late to catch up on missed opportunities so time spent on a LONDON FOOTSTEPS walk is well worthwhile.

The character of the City is ever-changing. On weekdays it's crowded; on Saturday it's almost empty.....and that is one of the attractions of a weekend walk. I shall be doing more of these in the future.

Presentation

David receives his City of London Guide accreditation from City of London Sheriff John Cobb at a ceremony in the Mansion House, London.

Nearly 2000 years of history

A two-hour walk through the streets, passages, alleys, and gardens of the City of London is a journey through the pages of history. When the Romans arrived nearly 2,000 years ago they saw the potential of this site on the banks of the River Thames. Here was an opportunity to settle, start trading and extend their great Empire.

Little remains of that early civilisation. It has disappeared almost completely as London was re-built over the centuries. Yet there are still some reminders of Roman times to be seen, especially the wall built around the City to protect the inhabitants and keep out the invaders.

Perhaps the most remarkable discovery in recent times has been the Roman amphitheatre. When the Guildhall Art Gallery was being built in the late 1980's, the construction engineers found the remains buried deep under the Guildhall yard. Today, a reconstruction of the amphitheatre can be visited under the Art Gallery and a circle of black marble round the yard marks the extent of this Roman arena.

http://londonfootsteps.co.uk

Carry On London

After horrors and turmoil of the past month, London is slowly getting back to normal. The City was born nearly 2,000 years ago and has suffered many tragedies and disasters since then. It has survived them all - and will do so again.