SOLICITING IN HOLBORN

Phew, it's hot! But don't let that stop you joining a LONDON FOOTSTEPS walk to discover some more charm, mysteries and little gems in the streets and open spaces of the capital.

You're welcome to come along on Thursday, 1st July 2010 for a walk that touches on the grim past of London yet also shows why and how tradition is such a rich part of the city today.

SOLICITING IN HOLBORN is an ideal Summer walk and it starts at 11 am outside Holborn Underground Station. Look out for me. I'll be wearing a yellow tabard. The cost is £5.

If you're interested then give me a call or send an email beforehand so that I know you're coming.

SECRET CITY GARDENS (22nd April 2010)

It's time to step out onto the City streets with your LONDON FOOTSTEPS guide David Williams. The new Spring programme of walks, from April to July, is now available starting with the SECRET CITY GARDENS walk on Thursday, 22nd April 2010.

Starting at 11 am from the Platform 11 ticket barrier at Liverpool Street Station, the walk moves through the City from Finsbury Circus (see picture) and takes in some of the small gardens, churchyards and open spaces that have been transformed by the City of London gardeners.

The walk finishes near St. Paul's Cathedral at 1.30 pm. and the cost remains at £5 per person. It's terrific value - so make sure you book a place.

PROGRAMME OF WALKS: October-December 2009

LONDON FOOTSTEPS
Walking tours in and around the City of London
DAVID WILLIAMS
City of London guide/lecturer

70, Hadleigh Road, Leigh-on-Sea, Essex SS9 2LZ
Tel: 01702 710232 Mobile: 07831 857382
Email: davidwilliams@dwmedia.co.uk http://www.londonfootsteps.co.uk/

PROGRAMME OF WALKS

OCTOBER-DECEMBER 2009

The days are shorter and there’s a nip in the air but a walk through some of the historical areas of London will warm the cockles of your heart! This group of walks take us to places just beyond the City of London and into areas that not have obvious tourist appeal but are fascinating for anyone who wants to know more about the capital’s history.

If you are interested in coming along then please let me know beforehand. You can get an off-peak rail ticket and the £5 cost of the walk is payable on the day. If you have a Senior Railcard or a Bus Pass then bring that along as well.

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Saturday, 24th October, 2009:

SOLICITING IN HOLBORN
Some strange and inspiring stories are revealed in an area squeezed between the City and the West End. It is hard to imagine that Holborn was once an over-crowded, squalid area with a reputation for hard-drinking, prostitution and crime. Charles Dickens lived here for a time and was shocked by what he saw happening on his doorstep. Today, the area is closely associated with publishing and the legal profession but behind the modern office blocks are some intriguing stories.
Meet at Leigh-on-Sea Station at 9.15 am or near the ticket barrier of Holborn Underground Station (Central Line) at 11.00 am

Wednesday, 28th October, 2009:

MURDER, MEAT AND MEDICINE
The walk starts near Smithfield meat market so it may be appropriate that this was also a place of hangings, riots and bawdy entertainment. The surgeons and doctors at nearby St Bart’s Hospital, founded in the 12th century, were always busy but their skill has saved many lives over the past 900 years. There’s also a chance to visit the Hospital museum with its famous Hogarth wall murals.

Meet at Leigh-on-Sea Station at 9.15 a.m. or outside the Barbican Station (Circle and Metropolitan Line) at 11 a.m.

Saturday, 7th November 2009:

COVENT GARDEN
Covent Garden is a busy and fascinating place with a variety of shops, restaurants as well as displays from street performers and musicians. But that’s not all. It’s also about crime, violence and poverty and the theatre. Starting at Temple Station, this walk includes a visit to Somerset House, passes the home of the BBC World Service and establishes links with the Mercers Livery Company, the Bow Street Runners and many great British actors who are remembered in St. Paul’s Church, Covent Garden. The walk finishes in Covent Garden, once a great flower and vegetable market, where you are free to enjoy the atmosphere.
Meet at Leigh-on-Sea Station 9.15 am or Temple Station (Circle and District Line) at 11.00 am

Friday, 13th November 2009

KING’S CROSS: RAILWAYS AND REGENERATION
One of Europe’s biggest re-development programmes is now taking shape around what was once an area better known for prostitutes and cheap hotels. Shops, apartments, a University and concert hall are the modern face of King’s Cross – but who can recall the misery of Agar Town, the slums and rookeries and the commercial importance of the Regent Canal which left a deep impression on the young novelist Thomas Hardy; all this nearly 200 years before Eurostar arrived at nearby St. Pancras Station.
Meet at Leigh-on-Sea Station at 9.15 am or at the ticket barrier of Platform 11 Liverpool Street Station at 10.45 am

Friday 27th November, 2009:

STRIPPING SOHO BARE!
A wicked and sinful part of London? Not really. This walk takes us a mile or two away from the busy financial heart of London to an area that has always had a ‘lively’ and sometimes dangerous reputation. This is where the stars of theatre-land often rubbed shoulders with pop stars and the more dubious characters of London’s underworld. Yet in the narrow streets and squares are the reminders that Soho’s history is so much more than night clubs, the film industry and smart restaurants.
Meet at Leigh-on-Sea Station at 9.15 a.m. You can also join at Tottenham Court Road station and should meet in the booking hall of the Central Line station at 11 a.m.

Tuesday, 15th December:

BLOOMSBURY SQUARES

This area on the fringe of the City attracted the rich and famous from the 17th century onwards. Fine squares and grand homes were created; actors, painters, writers, politicians and the aristocracy settled in Bloomsbury. You have the chance to walk through these spacious squares and along streets of elegant houses, starting at Holborn and finishing at Russell Square.
Meet at Leigh-on-Sea Station at 9.15 am or at the ticket barriers just inside Holborn Underground Station at 11 am.

COME ON A WALK ROUND DOCKLANDS

Anyone who has marvelled at the high-rise office buildings on the Isle of Dogs now has a chance to see them at ground-level and learn more about the DOCKLANDS development.

There's a LONDON FOOTSTEPS walk on Wednesday, 12th August 2009

We meet outside the main entrance of the Canary Wharf station at 10.45 am. Cost of the walk is £5 per person and will last about 2 hours.

If you're interested then let me know. I can be contacted at info@londonfootsteps.co.uk.

INK SPOTS: FRIDAY 31ST JULY

Are you interested in joining a walk around the Fleet Street area? It will always be known as the home of the newspaper world. INK SPOTS is a journey through journalism and a fascinating insight into a street that gave its name to a whole industry.

We meet at St. Paul's Station (outside) at 11 am and the walk lasts for two hours. Great value for £5 per person.

Give me a call if you would like to come along.

DAVID WILLIAMS

THEATRICAL FUN IN COVENT GARDEN

The atmosphere in Covent Gardens is what makes this place so popular with visitors. The street performers, the restaurants, the shops - all combine to make this an exciting experience; it's a place where people have fun; they can laugh and applaud some talented and often bizarre acts yet also step inside the peace and quiet of St. Paul's Church and be reminded of some of the greatest names in theatrical history.

The attraction of a walk to Covent Garden is that you can turn a corner or stroll down an alley and be surprised and mystified. Why are there still so many gas lights in the streets; what has Punch and Judy to do with the Piazza; why are their eight Mercer's Maidens high on on the buildings in Dryden Street; what is the significance of Drury Lane Gardens.

Join me on the next Covent Garden walk to find out some of the answers. There are clues everywhere. Turn back the clock 150 years and you get a completely different impression of the place. In those days thousands lived in conditions that encouraged crime and spread disease. The area around the market were some of the worst slums in London. Fun meant going to the tavern and getting drunk or spending time with prostitutes. If you could afford it there was entertainment at the Royal Opera House or the Theatre Royal.

Make a note of the next time the COVENT GARDEN WALK appears on the LONDON FOOTSTEPS programme and make an effort to come along. You'll be surprised and sometimes shocked to learn more about this part of London.

PROGRAMME OF WALKS: JULY-SEPTEMBER

Summer is an ideal time to explore the history of London and this programme of walks between July and September will include some new themes alongside the old favourites. The usual meeting places will be Leigh-on-Sea station, Fenchurch Street station although Some of the new themed walks will mean going to other stations to join the group.

If you are interested in coming along on any of these LONDON FOOTSTEPS walks then please let me know beforehand. You can get an off-peak rail ticket and the £5 cost of the walk is payable on the day. If you have a Senior Railcard or a Bus Pass then bring that along as well.

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Saturday, 11th July 2009
LONDON BRIDGE ANNIVERSARY FAYRE
You may like to enjoy a day out on the Bridge which will be closed to traffic all day. There will events, performers and stalls and plenty of entertainment – including sheep being driven across the Bridge by Freemen of the City of London. This is not a LONDON FOOTSTEPS walk.

Wednesday, 15th July 2009
CART-MARKING CEREMONY
This is another well-established tradition that takes place every year. The Carmen’s Livery Company organise a parade of wheeled vehicles through Guildhall Yard where the Lord Mayor performs the traditional ‘licensing’ with a branding iron! There will be a short City walk through the narrow streets and alleys around the Bank before and after the Cart-Marking Ceremony.

Meet at Leigh Station at 9.15 am or join the group at Fenchurch Street station near the ticket barriers at 10.30 am. Those who want to meet at Guildhall Yard can do so at 11 am.

Thursday, 24th July, 2009
COVENT GARDEN
One of the popular tourist areas of London holds many dark secrets. This was a an area that was created in the 17th century and was later to become one of the capital’s busiest fruit and vegetable markets. The walk follows in the footsteps of many great writers and artists and takes in Drury Lane, Long Acre and St. Martin’s Lane. It was the rich, aristocratic who flocked to the area yet close by was St. Giles, one of London’s most notorious slums.

Meet at Leigh-on-Sea Station at 9.15 am or join the group at Fenchurch Street Station by the ticket barrier at 10.30 am. The walk starts at the Temple Station and you can meet there at 11.00.

Friday, 31st July, 2009
INK SPOTS
Fleet Street was once the home of Britain’s newspaper industry – but not any more. The great names of journalism are still remembered in and around the narrow streets and alley ways so our walk traces the literary history of the area and recalls some of the Fleet Street stories stretching back 600 years. We start on the steps of St. Paul’s Cathedral and finish near Chancery Lane Station.

Meet at Leigh-on-Sea Station at 9.15 am or join the group at Fenchurch Street Station at 10.30 am. Those who want to meet at St. Paul’s should wait at the Queen Anne statue at the front steps of the Cathedral (11.30 am)

Wednesday, 12th August, 2009
DOCKLANDS
This riverside area has changed dramatically in the past 30 years yet behind the towering office blocks and smart shopping arcades is a fascinating story of poverty and wealth, slave trading and long hours of work in terible conditions. Life in Docklands was harsh yet it was right at the heart of Britain’s world-wide trading empire. Those who come on this walk may like to visit the Museum of Docklands afterwards.

Meet at Leigh-on-Sea Station at 9.00 am. We travel to Limehouse and then get the Docklands Light Railway. Those joining the group at Docklands can meet at Canary Wharf Station (DLR) at 10.45 am.

Wednesday, 2nd September 2009
THE GREAT FIRE OF LONDON
It was on this day in 1666 that the fire started in Thomas Farryner’s bakery. Fires were not unusual in the City but this time it was to have disastrous consequences. Over 70 per cent of the buildings were reduced to smouldering ruins. The commercial life of the City was devastated and thousands were homeless. This walk traces the course of the fire from its start near the Monument until the flames finally died down four days later near the Old Bailey.

Meet at Leigh-on-Sea Station at 9.15 am or on the forecourt of Fenchurch Street Station at 10.30 am

Tuesday, 15th September, 2009
STROLLING IN SOUTHWARK
This area was once part of the City of London so its history and importance stretches back 2,000 years. Away from the busy streets around Borough Market and the riverside attractions of Bankside, Southwark has a turbulent history which touches on the worlds of Chaucer, Shakespeare and Dickens as well as having a fair share of crime and poverty.

Meet at Leigh-on-Sea Station at 9.15 am. Alternatively, you can join the group by meeting us outside W.H.Smith on the forecourt of London Bridge Station at 11.30 am.

Weekend, 19th & 20th September, 2009
OPEN HOUSE IN LONDON
This is an opportunity for you to visit some of the historic places of interest which are not normally open to the public. The City and West End attract thousands of people over the two days so it’s worth finding out what’s open and planning where you want to go and what you want to see.


IF YOU ARE INTERESTED IN ANY OF THESE WALKS THEN PLEASE LET ME KNOW. NUMBERS ON SOME OF THE WALKS ARE LIMITED. IF YOU WANT MORE DETAILS THEN CALL ME ON 01702 710232 OR SEND AN EMAIL TO davidwilliams@dwmedia.co.uk

HEADLESS IN HOLBORN

Perhaps one of the more gruesome stories about Holborn concerns the execution of Lord William Russell for his part in the unsuccessful plot to get rid of Charles II in 1683. Russell was thought to be one of the Rye House Plotters who were worried by the King's Catholic tendencies and wanted to see him out of the way.

Their scheming was discovered and the King took revenge. Lord Russell, son of the 1st Duke of Bedford met his end on the execution block in Lincoln's Inn Fields. But it was a messy finale. The executioner, Jack Ketch, has been described as clumsy and sadistic. It took five blows of the axe to severe Russell's head from his torso - and it wasn't the first time Ketch had botched a beheading.

He lost his job and was replaced by Paskah Rose and he didn't fare much better. He made the fatal mistake of stealing the Prosecutor's coat and for that criminal act, the executioner became the executed. Rose was hanged at Newgate.

This is just one of the anecdotal stories that the LONDON FOOTSTEPS group heard on the Holborn walking tour which started in Lincoln's Inn Fields and ended at Holborn Circus. It's just one of the walks in the Summer programme and if you want to come along then just get in touch through http://www.londonfootsteps.co.uk/

COME ON A CITY WALK

Isn't it about time you came on a LONDON FOOTSTEPS walk? The programme for April, May and June can be accessed on http://www.londonfootsteps.co.uk/ and places on these popular historical strolls round the City of London are filling up fast. At £5 per person it's a real bargain in these credit crunch times.

CARRY ON LONDON!

The bankers are suffering; a few windows have been smashed and London's reputation is looking a bit suspect at the moment but this is just another pebble on the beach of history. For nearly 2,000 years, this great city has seen triumph and tragedy, violence, bravery, tears, smiles, honour and tradition and so much more.

This is not the end of the world - it is an example of why London is one of the world's great capitals and stirs the emotions of so many. History has a way of repeating itself. Go back to 1780 and the time of the Gordon Riots; there was mayhem and murder as the Bank of England was just one of the targets of rioters who demanded change and a new order.

So don't think 2009 is a watershed in the history of London; it's another chapter. And if you don't believe me then come on LONDON FOOTSTEPS walking tour of the capital. Just go to our website http://www.londonfootsteps.co.uk/ to find the latest programme of walks and join the hundreds of history enthusiasts who know and appreciate that London is a great experience.

Walk the streets of this City with your guide David Williams and London will come alive. The present problems are just a brushmark in the canvas of history.

NOVEMBER WALK

Have you ever been to ROTHERHITHE? If the answer is no then now is your chance to put that right. The first of the winter walks is to this area South of the river and takes in some of new development in Dockland as well as some of the old riverside area that has links going back to the Mayflower and the Pilgim fathers.

Make a note of the date for this walk. It's FRIDAY, 28TH NOVEMBER 2009 and starts from Canada Water Station (Jubilee Line) at 11.00 am. If you want to come along then let me know. david@londonfootsteps.co.uk

THINK OF THE ROMANS WHEN VISITING STRATFORD!

There's less than four years to go. By the Spring of 2012, London will be one of the most-talked about cities in the world and when the Olympic Games finally get underway, the global media coverage will be extraordinary. I'm wondering though. What are we actually doing to make sure that London is ready to show off its full historical and traditional potential.

I recently went on an an organised trip to the Stratford site. If you get a buzz from seeing construction sites, trucks with huge wheels, men in hard hats - then this was just the place to go. I was more interested to see how much the area had changed since my last visit three years ago.

It was a total transformation. There was not an inch of greenery on the site whereas my the photographs I took back in 2005 pictured the place as a wild-life haven - and a graveyard for smashed and burned-out cars. Can't expect much else really - but we have lost a slice of East London that was fascinating in a grotty sort of way.

Come 2012 it will be bristling with gleaming, modern buildings and sports facilities. The change will be far greater than Barack Obama is currently promising for the United States. What happens to the site afterwards is another story - but it will certainly not be anything like it was in 2005. There is one doubt, however; back then there were signs everywhere of dereliction and vandalism. We can't be sure - but it's not unusal to see Olympic venues drifting into decay and becoming eyesores and a drain on the finances of local authorities.

Remember what happened to London - Londinium - after the Roman Empire collapsed at the start of the 5th century AD. London was abandoned and over the next 100 years the City became deserted; buildings collapsed; the streets were overgrown and only occasional nomadic tribes inhabited the place. Let's hope we won't be recalling this story in the years following the 2012 Olympics!

Twenty years ago, no-one would have metioned Stratford and the Olympic Games in the same conversation. It just wasn't a talking point. Now it's a regular feature acoss the media and by the time the Games open it will be the major event of the decade for this country. Will we be ready to cope with all the hype, organisation and millions of visitors? Of course we will - but I just wonder how many people still believe that "it will all come right on the day". Complacency may prove to be disastrous.

VISITORS FROM BELGIUM

It's always a pleasure to show friends from other countries around the City of London - especially when they want to discover some of the hidden secrets of the Square Mile. Too often we concentrate on the major tourist attractions - Buckingham Palace, St. Paul's Cathedral, the Tower of London - so a walk round the alleyways and passages of the City sometimes seems less exciting.

Tony, Ann, Yves and Thomas Doutreligne came from Ghent in Belgium recently and had a special request - to see some of the modern buildings in the City. We had a great walk ... and I hope they come back sometime to see and learn more about the City of London.

WHERE WILL THEY DIG UP THE MISSING LETTER?

Just a quickie. Anyone who comes to London to improve their English - and there are millions who do - may be puzzled by some of the strange spelling mistakes that appear on signs and notices around the capital. Take this one which was displayed on the Thames Path by the Tower of London. Oh dear! Off with their head!

PROGRAMME OF GUIDED WALKS

AUGUST-OCTOBER 2008

Join DAVID WILLIAMS, your official City of London guide, on the new season of walks. Some of the old favourites are included and there are walks to some unusual yet fascinating parts of London.

Have a look at the programme and book your place now. Group numbers vary between 10 and 25 people. You can meet us at Leigh-on-Sea Station or it may be more convenient for you to join the group in London.

The cost is just £5 for the walk, pay on the day.


Friday 1st August 2008

STROLLING AROUND SOUTHWARK

It’s not all about William Shakespeare and the Globe Theatre. As we move through the narrow streets and passage-ways you will hear stories about Charles Dickens, the Marshalsea Prison, Thomas Guy, founder of Guy’s Hospital and the grimy industrial conditions of the 19th century before finishing up on the riverside and learning more about saucy Southwark and ‘Winchester Geese’.

Meet at Leigh-on-Sea Station at 9.15 am or outside W.H.Smith the newsagents on the concourse of London Bridge Station at 11 am

Friday, 15th August 2008

WAPPING AND THE THAMES RIVER POLICE MUSEUM

This ever-popular walk around Wapping never fails to amaze those who think of this area as a forgotten, uninteresting part of the capital. You won’t be disappointed. The old docks are now housing estates but this is where you hear about the exploits of Captain Bligh, the painter J.M.W. Turner and Captain Kidd the pirate. The visit to the Police Museum takes you back to an age when Wapping was notorious for crime, poverty and disease. Now it costs over £1 million to buy a penthouse with a river view.

Meet at Leigh-on-Sea Station at 9.15 a.m. or 10.45 a.m. or outside Tower Hill underground station.


Monday 8th September 2008

INK SPOTS

Fleet Street will always be remembered for printing empires and great writers But the newspapers have moved to gleaming temples of technology in Docklands and we are left with memories. This walk is about the men and women who have appeared in print over centuries – and a visit to the journalists’ church, St Brides – is the highlight of the walk.

Meet at Leigh-on-Sea Station at 9.30 am or in the booking hall of Blackfriars Underground Station at 11 a.m.




Saturday, 20th September 2008

INTRODUCTION TO THE CITY

The City – or Square Mile - has been the financial heart of Britain since the Romans established Londinium nearly 2,000 years ago. Today, it is in the grip of the biggest construction boom since the War - so finding the hidden history down alley-ways and narrow streets is a challenging aspect of this walk. At the weekend, when the streets are quiet, it’s a chance to re-discover some of that history.

Meet at 9.30 a.m. at Leigh-on-Sea Station or outside the main entrance of Fenchurch Street Station at 10.30 a.m.


Friday 3rd October 2008

‘ORRIBLE HOLBORN

It is hard to imagine that Holborn, on the western edge of the City, was an overcrowded, squalid area with a reputation for hard-drinking, prostitution and crime. Today, it is closely associated with publishing and the legal profession but behind the modern office blocks are some intriguing stories.

Meet at Leigh-on-Sea Station at 9.15 a.m. or in the booking-hall of Chancery Lane Station (Central Line) at 11 am.

Monday, 13th October 2008

ROTHERHITHE AND DOCKLANDS

This area south of the river is now re-named Surrey Quays. The transformation since the Surrey Commercial Docks were closed in the 1980s is startling yet the maritime traditions live on. It was from here that the Pilgrim Fathers set sail for America and the first underwater tunnel was built by the Brunels. It was badly bombed in the Second World War but the heritage was not destroyed.

Meet at Leigh-on-Sea Station at 9.15 a.m. Those joining at Rotherhithe should meet at Canada Water Station (Jubilee Line) at 11 a.m.

Friday, 31st October 2008

MURDER, MEAT AND MEDICINE

The walk starts near Smithfield meat market and you won’t be surprised to learn that this was also a place of hangings, riots and bawdy entertainment. The surgeons and doctors at nearby St Bart’s Hospital, founded in the 12th century, were always busy but their skill has saved many lives over the past 900 years. There’s also a chance to visit the Hospital museum with its famous Hogarth wall murals.

Meet at Leigh-on-Sea Station at 9.15 a.m. or outside the Barbican Station (Circle and Metropolitan Line) at 11 a.m.

LONDON FOOTSTEPS:

Email: info@londonfootsteps.co.uk

David Williams: Tel: 01702 710232 Mobile: 07831 857382

TRADITION LIVES ON - AND WHY NOT!

The Lord Mayor of the City of London meets the Master of the Carmen's Company

As the City of London faces up to the credit crunch, stagflation and a falling Stock Market, take a moment to think about some of the strange and fascinating ceremonies that have origins that go back over centuries. This week there have been two or them - the Knollys Rose Ceremony in Seething Lane and Cart Marking in Guildhall Yard.

What relevance do they have with life in 21st century London? I believe the answer is everything. They demonstrate that the City has a rich and varied history based on traditions and values that are just as important as they were back in the days when the City was, as it is now, the world's leading financial and mercantile centre.

To find out more about the ceremonies themselves have a look at the web sites of All Hallows by the Tower http://www.allhallowsbythetower.org.uk/ and the Carmen's Livery company http://www.thecarmen.co.uk/ They rarely make the pages of the tourist brochures but can add a touch of intrigue and colour to the City streets.

Sir Robert Knollys went off to fight with John of Gaunt in the 14th century leaving his wife to live in a City that was over-crowded and dirty. It wasn't much fun - but she purchased a house in Seething Lane and had a bridge built across the road to the open ground opposite and so avoided meeting the 'great unwashed' passing outside her front door.

The bridge didn't have ' planning permission', but Sir Robert was a loyal servant of the crown so his wife was asked for a nominal rent to keep the bridge - one red rose annually.

The bridge has long since gone but the garden became associated with Samuel Pepys who lived and worked in the area in the 17th century. Today the Watermen and Lightermen Company organise the annual Knollys Rose event to remember a man and his wife who showed respect and devotion to the monarch.

The cart making ceremony is a reminder of the time when all wheeled vehicles on the streets of the City had to be licensed by the Carmen's Company...an early version of the congestion charge! It is a parade of vehicles, old and new, some horse-drawn, and each is honoured with a special 'branded mark' on a special plate fitted to the vehicle. This time it was carried out by the Lord Mayor, David Lewis.

EARLY SUMMER WALKS IN THE CITY

The programme of walks for May-July is now available - a mix of old favourites and something new. There are visits to the SANDYS ROW SYNAGOGUE and DRAPERS HALL, a chance to see the old CART-MARKING CEREMONY at Guildhall and a new walk, HOW ABOUT HOLBORN?

If you want to know more about how you can book a place on these walks then just contact DAVID WILLIAMS. Don't waste a minute. Numbers are limited and it works on a pre-booking first come-first served principle.

Thursday, 22nd May 2008

SECRET CITY GARDENS
London in late Spring is when the colours of nature transform the streets, squares and alleyways. The window boxes are in bloom and the Corporation Parks Department work overtime to maintain the 150 green spaces and churchyards that are so important in a City that is continually changing and growing. Come and see for yourself!

Meet at 9.15 a.m. at Leigh-on-Sea Station or 11 am at the ticket barrier of Platform 11 at Liverpool Street Station.

Tuesday, 27th May 2008

THE JEWS AND THE CITY
A visit to the oldest Ashkenazi synagogue in England, Sandys Row, will start this visit to the Spitalfields area. Since coming to Britain with the Norman invaders, the Jews have been an integral part of London’s financial and commercial life and their history is a feature of this walk on the fringes of the City. This walk will cost £7.

Meet at 9.00 a.m. at Leigh-on-Sea Station or 10.30 am at the ticket barrier of Platform 11 at Liverpool Street Station.

Wednesday, 4th June 2008

MURDER, MEAT AND MEDICINE
The walk starts near Smithfield meat market and you won’t be surprised to learn that this was also a place of hangings, riots and bawdy entertainment. The surgeons and doctors at nearby St Bart’s Hospital, founded in the 12th century, were always busy but their skill has saved many lives over the past 900 years. There’s also a chance to visit the Hospital museum with its famous Hogarth wall murals.

Meet at Leigh-on-Sea Station 9.15 a.m. or outside the entrance to
Barbican Station at 11 am.

Monday, 9th June 2008

VISIT TO DRAPERS HALL
The history and role of the Livery companies are little-known to outsiders but have played a significant part in the development of the City of London since the 13th century. The Drapers are one of the 108 companies that still flourish and you will not be disappointed by seeing the grandeur and opulence of their building in the heart of the City. This visit and short walk will cost £8

Meet at 9.00 a.m. at Leigh-on-Sea Station or 10.15 am at the ticket barrier of the main entrance of Fenchurch Street Station.

Wednesday, 18th June 2008

CART-MARKING CEREMONY (Guildhall Yard)
Some of the ceremonies and traditions of the City seem like a throwback to another age – and this is one of them. Cart-marking began in 1681 when carts and ‘carrs’ required a licence – or mark - from the Common Council and the ancient ceremony, held annually by the Worshipful Company of Carmen - survives as another curious reminder of the City’s long and eventful history.

Meet at Leigh-on-Sea Station at 9.00 a.m. or 10.00 a.m. outside the main entrance of Fenchurch Street Station.

Thursday, 3rd July 2008

ROTHERHITHE AND DOCKLANDS
This area south of the river is now re-named Surrey Quays. The transformation since the Surrey Commercial Docks were closed in the 1980s is startling yet the maritime traditions live on. The Pilgrim Fathers set sail for America and the first underwater tunnel in the worldwas built by the Marc Brunel and his son. We also visit a Norwegian church for coffee and waffles!

Meet at Leigh-on-Sea Station at 9.15 a.m. Those who want to join at Rotherhithe should meet at Canada Water Station (Jubilee Line) at 11 a.m.

Wednesday, 9th July 2008

HOW ABOUT HOLBORN?
It is hard to imagine that Holborn, on the western edge of the City, was an overcrowded, squalid area with a reputation for hard-drinking, prostitution and crime. Charles Dickens lived in the area and was shocked by what he saw happening on his doorstep. Today, it is closely associated with publishing and the legal profession but behind the modern office blocks are some intriguing stories.
Meet at Leigh-on-Sea Station 9.15 a.m. or in the booking-hall of Chancery Lane Station (Central Line) at 11 am

SECRETS OF ROTHERHITHE

If you ever wanted to be convinced about the fascination of London then go and explore those areas of the capital that rarely get a mention in the guide books. Take Rotherhithe for example, just a mile down from Tower Bridge, along Tooley Street and Jamaica Road, and there you find an area that was once alive with ship-building and repairing, cargoes being loaded and unloaded and all the activity associated with a riverside community.

Before the second World War, the area was a maze of docks. When they finally closed in the 1970s and became derelict, Rotherhithe faced a grim future. But the transformation has been remarkable; most of the docks have been filled in and replaced with houses and shops. Surrey Quays is a paradise for shopaholics.



But massive redevelopment has not obliterated all the memories. The streets and some of the buildings around St Mary's Church have survived; so too has the old school built in the early 18th century and somewhere in the nearby churchyard - now a small garden - is the resting place of Captain Christopher Jones, skipper of the Mayflower which took the Pilgrims to America early in the 17th century.



The Sands Film Studio and Photo Archive is worth a visit; so too is the Brunel Museum in the recently renovated pumping house which was part of the remarkable 19th century project to build the World's first underwater tunnel. There are surprises too; the Norwegian and Finnish communities, established in Rotherhithe when timber from the Baltic countries was a major import, still have churches in area offering a friendly welcome to visitors.



If you want to discover more about Rotherhithe then join a LONDON FOOTSTEPS walking tour of the area. They start at Canada Water station on the Jubilee Line. Get in touch and I can give you more details. info@londonfootsteps.co.uk

VISITING THE LIVERY COMPANY HALLS

The Livery Companies of London are an integral part of the city's history. They exist today - 107 of them - although they no longer have the same role and responsibilities as they did over 500 years ago.

In those times they were strict guardians of the city trades and crafts...the Mercers, the Goldsmiths, the Butchers, the Armourers and Brasiers, the Bakers and, yes, the candlemakers....the Tallow Chandlers and the Wax Chandlers....and so it goes on. They all have a wealth of fascinating stories to tell.

There are no equivalent organisations in today's business and commercial world but the Livery Companies survive, promoting modern industries by financing education and training in schools and colleges.

Take, for example, the Coachmakers and Coach Harnessmakers who once had complete control over this craft; their original Livery Hall was lost in the Great Fire of 1666 and the replacement was destroyed, like many others during a bombing raid on 29th December 1940. Now they share some space with the Worshipful Company of Tallow Chandlers who have a hall in Dowsett Hill which still retains many of the features from the period of restoration in 1672.

The first LONDON FOOTSTEPS outing of 2008 was to the Apothecaries' Hall in Blackfriars Lane. This fine hall, rebuilt in 1670 after the Great Fire, is an architectural gem and one which is always worth a visit. The Beadle, John Williams, is an excellent host. No wonder it is one of the most popular outings on the LONDON FOOTSTEPS programme.

If you want to find out what walks and visits are coming up in the next few weeks -including a tour of Fishmongers' Hall - then get in touch with us by emailing info@londonfootsteps.co.uk You can reserve a place on any of the future outings.

WALKING AND TALKING

The astonishing interior of Drapers' Hall, one of London's senior livery companies.

Seeing London is one thing; sitting and listening to a lecture is another. The best way to combine the two is by using a Powerpoint presentation - and that's something which is a popular feature of the lectures that I give on London subjects.

Take THE RIVER OF HISTORY, for example. It's a very popular walk, from the Tower to the Millenium Bridge. It traces the path of London's history from the arrival of the Romans when they established Londinium in AD 43 to the remarkable story of the Wobbly Bridge - even though it doesn't wobble anymore.

It's a great walk, lots to see and talk about, and one that converts easily into a Powerpoint presentation. So in the depths of winter in a crowded village hall somewhere deep in the countryside, I can almost bring that experience to life for members of a local History Society, the Women's Institute or a gathering of the U3A.

The talks diary is already filling up for 2008 - and I've got a couple of firm dates for 2009. There are nearly always requests to come back - with Samuel Pepys, the Great Fire of London, City Churches and the role of the Livery Companies being popular choices for follow-up visits.

If you have a group, society or organisation that may not be able to join a LONDON WALK then the next best thing is to book a talk. Check out my profile and send me an e-mail if your interested and I'll come back with all the details.

But don't forget the walks! Strolling through the history of London in the Spring and Summer is an experience you shouldn't miss.