As you walk through the City of London, history taps you on the shoulder. Go down that alley; have a look at that church; what does it say on that plaque? Who is remembered in that building? And that statue – why is it there?
The questions keep coming every step of the way and you search deeper for some answers. At the weekend, there are no bankers, financiers, insurance executives or stockbrokers crowding the pavements. Most of the restaurants are closed and the streets echo to the noise of mechanical diggers and drills. Huge cranes seem to have grown overnight and those city firms changing addresses have a stream of removal men coming through the door while, elsewhere others are moving in.
The weekday commercial activity of a working city is on hold; now it’s the time for walkers and tourists to look around without facing the jostling crowds. There is time to imagine what it must have been like here 2,000 years ago and wonder why the Romans decided to make it their centre of trade and commerce for 350 years. There is precious little to see from that period - but that doesn't matter if you have a guide to tell you what it was like.
So many have walked these streets over the centuries. Politicians and prostitutes, statesmen and soldiers, heroes and villans, beggars and preachers. Writers, artists, engineers and architects have all made their mark. Fortunes have been made and lost in minutes. It has been the scene of murders and hangings; there has been plague and pageantry…and so the list goes on.
I was born on the outskirts of London. The City of London moved on and so did I – yet now I’m back, organising walking tours of the Square Mile and inviting people to share some of the history and atmosphere of a City that remains one of the most remarkable on the planet.
In my Third Age, London has taken hold of me once again. I’m now a City of London guide, passing on my knowledge, telling stories and enthusing about the City to anyone who cares to listen. When they finish a two-hour walk, most people say the same thing - “London has so much history”.
It has, so why not come along on a LONDON FOOTSTEPS walk sometime. Give me a call and I’ll tell you all about the walks, where we can meet and what you can expect to see. London has never lost its magic. Come and experience it.
The questions keep coming every step of the way and you search deeper for some answers. At the weekend, there are no bankers, financiers, insurance executives or stockbrokers crowding the pavements. Most of the restaurants are closed and the streets echo to the noise of mechanical diggers and drills. Huge cranes seem to have grown overnight and those city firms changing addresses have a stream of removal men coming through the door while, elsewhere others are moving in.
The weekday commercial activity of a working city is on hold; now it’s the time for walkers and tourists to look around without facing the jostling crowds. There is time to imagine what it must have been like here 2,000 years ago and wonder why the Romans decided to make it their centre of trade and commerce for 350 years. There is precious little to see from that period - but that doesn't matter if you have a guide to tell you what it was like.
So many have walked these streets over the centuries. Politicians and prostitutes, statesmen and soldiers, heroes and villans, beggars and preachers. Writers, artists, engineers and architects have all made their mark. Fortunes have been made and lost in minutes. It has been the scene of murders and hangings; there has been plague and pageantry…and so the list goes on.
I was born on the outskirts of London. The City of London moved on and so did I – yet now I’m back, organising walking tours of the Square Mile and inviting people to share some of the history and atmosphere of a City that remains one of the most remarkable on the planet.
In my Third Age, London has taken hold of me once again. I’m now a City of London guide, passing on my knowledge, telling stories and enthusing about the City to anyone who cares to listen. When they finish a two-hour walk, most people say the same thing - “London has so much history”.
It has, so why not come along on a LONDON FOOTSTEPS walk sometime. Give me a call and I’ll tell you all about the walks, where we can meet and what you can expect to see. London has never lost its magic. Come and experience it.
I'd like to hear from you david@londonfootsteps.co.uk
