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Bank of England

25/2/2015

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The Bank of England has been central to the Country's financial health since 1694. In that year King William III found himself running short of funds to finance his war against France. William Paterson and Michael Godfrey, two city merchants, proposed a public loan. The scheme was to found a national bank which would lend its share capital to the government. Investors would receive a guaranteed return – with money being raised through a levy on shipping and alcohol.

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In addition to maintaining financial and monetary stability the Bank also issues most of the country’s banknotes. These have special security features to make them hard to copy so that fake notes don’t undermine confidence in the real thing - Counterfeit notes are worthless.

The proposal was brought to the notice of the Government by Charles Montagu and the plan was approved. In just 11 days £1.2 million was raised by 1268 people and on 27 July 1694 the bank was incorporated by Royal Charter.

Bank of England Museum

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The Bank of England has its very own Museum - and it's free!
Open weekdays from 10am - 5pm but Closed weekends (& Bank Holidays of course) the museum relates the history of the Bank, and you can see the original Royal Charter.

Interactive displays provide the visitor with a 'hands-on' experience; and there's a virtual tour that allows you to see inside the Bank's vaults.

The Bank of England has been issuing banknotes for over 300 years.

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You can even get your hands on a real Gold Bar as well as examine those security features in bank notes.

From Monday 23rd March 2015 there will be a temporary exhibition at the museum entitled "Flora & Fauna" which charts the numerous plants and animals associated with the Bank through the centuries.

With the promise that "The display will provide an opportunity to see aspects of the Bank's architecture not generally accessible to the public, located as they are within private areas of the building, as well as artworks and artefacts not usually on display" this is an opportunity not to be missed.

Coins of the Realm

24/2/2015

To celebrate Britain’s ancient royal heritage, The Royal Arms or Shield has appeared on the reverse side of £1 coins since 2008 – but did you know that 6 other UK Coins have different parts of the shield displayed? It’s very obvious when you put them together like this:

Royal Mint

The Royal Mint has been in existence for 1100 years, although the minting of coins goes back much further - to the Iron Age (c. 750BC - AD43). During the Roman occupation (AD43-410) unsurprisingly it was Roman coins that were in circulation in Britain. In Anglo-Saxon times, before the Norman Conquest of 1066, there were as many as 70 places around the country minting coins, but by the 13th Century minting was chiefly done in London.

In 1279 the mint moved into arguably the most secure place in the country - The Tower of London - where it remained for over 500years! In the early 19th Century the Royal Mint vacated the Tower for new premises close by on Tower Hill which could accommodate the new steam-powered machines. Then finally in the late 1960s in readiness for decimalisation in 1971, the Mint began the move away from London to its present site at Llantrisant in South Wales.

The Royal Mint at the Tower

Historic Royal Palaces, in collaboration with the Royal Mint Museum, has put together an exhibition at the Tower of London entitled "Coins & Kings" which explores the story of the Mint during its Tower years.

The exhibition is located on the site of the original Mint (in Mint Street oddly enough) and comprises objects from the museum, interactive displays, and fascinating stories about some of the people and events which took place there. A King's Ransom; the Jewel Thief; even Isaac Newton features. Then there's the story of a mint worker falling into a deep and rather long sleep - not even a King could wake him.

The Tower of London features in my Highlights of London Tours, or if preferred I can arrange a specific visit and guided tour of this historic site. (Contact)

Shop ‘til you Drop

23/2/2015

With London Fashion Week in full swing at Somerset House in Central London my thoughts turn to haute couture shopping. Glittering names such as Chanel, Dior, Dolce & Gabbana, Giorgio Armani, Roberto Cavalli, Versace, Yves Saint Laurent and many others from the world of high fashion can all be found in one London thoroughfare – Sloane Street in Knightsbridge.

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A shopper’s paradise Sloane Street even has its own website which lists over 60 stores, no fewer than five outstanding hotels, and half a dozen restaurants & bars (click here).

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If you prefer to do your shopping under one roof then Sloane Street has its own Department Store too – Harvey Nicholls – where you can browse through 8 floors of fashion collections for women and men, fashion accessories and beauty products. If all this makes you peckish then on the 5th floor can be found a Restaurant, Café, Terrace and Bar; as well as a food court and wine shop. (More info here).

Still not enough for your “Shop ‘til you Drop” mission – well there’s another famous Department Store just down the road – it’s called Harrods.

To get there by London Underground take the Piccadilly Line to Knightsbridge or by bus take any of the numbers 9, 10, 14, 19, 22, 52, 74, 137, 414, 452, C1.

Alternatively, come on one of my Highlight Tours of London and afterwards I’ll drop you there, making sure of course that you have plenty of time for shopping!

To arrange a tour click here: Contact

Sherlocked - Elementary

22/2/2015

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With news of the discovery of a lost Sherlock Holmes short story written by Sir Arthur Conan Dolye in 1904 (more here) I am persuaded to review my notes of the many places in London associated with the great detective.

Picture: The Sherlock Holmes statue outside Baker Street Underground Station

Fleet Street

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Strand at Charing Cross

In the singular case of The Resident Patient Sherlock Holmes and Dr Watson went on a 3 hour London walk -

“What do you say to a ramble through London?"

I was weary of our little sitting-room and gladly acquiesced. For three hours we strolled about together, watching the ever-changing kaleidoscope of life as it ebbs and flows through Fleet Street and the Strand. His characteristic talk, with its keen observance of detail and subtle power of inference held me amused and enthralled”

Why not follow in their footsteps with a private guided tour?
See some of the many literary, film and television locations including:

The St James’s Street club mentioned in The Adventure of the Three Gables
The London Library Watson visits in - The Adventure of the Illustrious Client
The location used for Café Royal where Holmes is disastrously introduced to Watson’s fiancé in the 2009 film Sherlock
The building used for Mycroft’s Diogenes Club from the BBC TV Series
Visit the bar where Dr Watson first hears of Holmes and the Hospital where they first meet in the very first Holmes novel A Study in Scarlet
The theatre where in the case of The Adventure of the Retired Colourman the suspect claims to have been on the night of the murder.

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The list goes on – Trafalgar Square, Charing Cross, The Strand, Fleet Street, Smithfield Market, Old Bailey, Tower Bridge – there is even a Sherlock Holmes museum at (no surprises) 221B Baker Street. The museum is a recreation of the detective's lodgings featured in Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's stories.

If you would like a Holmes themed tour with your own Private Blue Badge Driver Guide just get in touch: Contact

Chatsworth House

21/2/2015

If it’s stately homes you want then Chatsworth has to be very high on the list! Originally built in Tudor times and developed over 5 centuries the place is steeped in history and home to some of the finest collections of paintings, sculptures, furniture, interior décor, books and other interesting items.

Chatsworth House is the ancestral seat of the Dukes of Devonshire (but don’t go looking for it in Devon – it’s in Derbyshire!) whose family name is Cavendish, apparently taken from the name of a village in, er, Suffolk.

The House boasts some fabulous State Apartments built to accommodate a Royal visit, which never actually happened. There are over 30 rooms to see including the State Apartments, the magnificent Painted Hall, Sketch Galleries, Library, Dining Room, and Guest Bedrooms, with the grand finale being the Sculpture Gallery.

The House stands on the bank of the River Derwent and has a 105 acre garden to explore and enjoy. Well marked walks and trails take you through beautiful landscapes with features such as waterfalls. fountains, a cascade, temples, grottos and, of course, a maze.

Wait! There’s more ….

Chatsworth appears in Jane Austen’s novel Pride and Prejudice as one of the estates Elizabeth Bennet visits before arriving at Pemberley. Then, in the 2005 movie of the same name, Chatsworth is Pemberley; and again for the TV Drama Death Comes to Pemberley (2013).

Scenes for the 2008 movie The Duchess portraying Georgiana Cavendish, wife of the 5th Duke of Devonshire, were filmed at Chatsworth.

The 12th Duke and Duchess of Devonshire will start welcoming guests to Chatsworth on 28th March 2015 – for more information click here: Chatsworth House

For your own Private Blue Badge Driver Guide Tour click here: Contact

British Museum

20/2/2015

Exploring the Myths & Legends associated with the Gods & Heroes of various Ancient Civilisations (from Assyrians & Aztecs to Greeks & Romans) is one of the countless themes that can be used as the basis for a tour of the British Museum which has one of the largest collections of items in the world – some 8 million!

Pictured left is a marble statue group of the God Mithras slaying a bull.

Mithras was originally a Persian God and is shown here wearing Persian clothing. The cult of Mithras was one of many religions adopted by the Romans as they expanded their empire - which included much of Britain from AD 43 to AD 410.

The British Museum, which is free to enter (though you can make a voluntary donation at the door), also has regular exhibitions and displays – current free ones include:

Connecting continents: Indian Ocean trade and exchange
Bonaparte and the British: prints and propaganda in the age of Napoleon
Shifting patterns: Pacific barkcloth clothing

Special Exhibitions coming soon (which can be booked online):

Defining beauty: the body in ancient Greek art - 26 March to 05 July 2015 – Adults £16.50
Indigenous Australia: enduring civilisation - 23 April to 2 August 2015 – Adults £10

Click here for more information: British Museum

To arrange a guided tour of the British Museum (as well as many other London attractions) with me please complete the Contact Form and I will be in touch.

Did you know that a Temple to Mithras was discovered in Central London during rebuilding work in the 1950s?

If you want to know more about London's Development from its Roman origins, through the Norman Conquest, the Great Fire and The Blitz and visit some of the famous places associated with these events then come on one of my Guided Tours.

By Dickens!

19/2/2015

Charles Dickens (1812-70) - one of the English language's greatest writers, he filled his storytelling with such descriptive detail, and thus brought all those now familiar characters to life - Fagin, Bill Sykes, Pip, Mrs Havisham, Mr. Micawber, Sydney Carton, the list seems endless.
Born in Portsmouth, Dickens spent his early childhood in Chatham, and lastly lived in Gads Hill Place, Kent; but for most of his career he was closely associated with London.

Today I visited the only Charles Dickens home to survive - 48 Doughty Street in the Bloomsbury area of London – now the Charles Dickens Museum. It was here that two of Dickens' ten children were born, where his beloved sister in law Mary died, and where he penned two of his most famous novels; Oliver Twist and Nicholas Nickleby.

A modest fee (£8 Adult, £4 children) secures entry and an informative booklet which provides for an interesting self-guided tour of the recently refurbished house. The Charles Dickens Museum Team has constructed the guide along a "serialised monthly theme" - a reference to how Victorian readers would have read Dickens' novels.

Each room contains various original items that belonged to Dickens featuring monthly parts describing their history and significance. The tour is like taking a journey through the author's life, and each room is a window on life in Victorian London.

More information about the museum is here: Dickens Museum

The Charles Dickens Museum is of course just the beginning - there are many, many places in London referenced in Dickens' novels and stories and also of significance to the author's own life and experiences.

To arrange a tour simply complete the Contact Form and I'll be in touch: Click Contact

Greenwich: Longitude 0˚

18/2/2015

Having just watched the movie Longitude, with the fabulous Michael Gambon as John Harrison and Jeremy Irons as horologist Rupert Gould, I am now planning for a family visit to the Royal Observatory at Greenwich to see the famous Harrison Clocks.

Having guided in Greenwich a number of times for guests I can highly recommend it as place to visit if you are in London, perhaps on holiday or taking time out from a business trip – it’s not far, only 7 miles from Trafalgar Square (allow 30 minutes by car).

An interesting & fun way to get to Greenwich from Central London is by boat on the River Thames – you can take a Thames Clipper (River Bus) from the London Eye (yes, do that too – fantastic views!) and it takes about 40-45 minutes.

In addition to the Royal Observatory, where you can stand astride the Prime Meridian – one foot in the West, the other in the East – there are many other attractions in Greenwich with something for everyone. Here are some:

The Old Royal Naval College – originally the Royal Hospital for Seamen, built on the site of Greenwich Palace where Queen Elizabeth I was born. Highlights here are The Painted Hall and The Chapel – both beautiful.
The Cutty Sark tea clipper - built in 1869 specifically to ship tea from China back to Britain.
The Queen’s House - commissioned by Anne of Denmark, wife of King James I (reigned 1603–25), and designed by architect Inigo Jones.
The National Maritime Museum – described as “the world's largest maritime museum, filled with inspirational stories of exploration and endeavour at sea.”

For more information click Royal Museums Greenwich

If you are planning to come to London this year and would like a private guided tour of Greenwich, or indeed any other places of interest, with me then please get in touch - click Contact

A Mansion Full Of Secrets

17/2/2015

Today I visited Bletchley Park which, between 1939 & 1945, was Britain’s most secret location. This was where, during World War 2, enemy codes were broken and Nazi Germany’s “unbreakable” cypher machine Enigma was cracked. The work at Bletchley was crucial to Allied war effort, saved many lives, and by all accounts shortened the war by 2-4 years.

I first visited Bletchley 2 years ago and was very impressed – everyone was very welcoming, knowledgeable and enthusiastic about the place and its history. Today I was astounded! The welcome, knowledge and enthusiasm were still there; but there was more – much more.

The Bletchley Park Trust has just completed the first phase of a restoration programme that has seen the virtually derelict Codebreaking Huts restored and fitted out with artefacts, displays and projections that really do take the visitor back in time.

There are information and display boards with explanations, photographs and quotes at key locations throughout the site; strategically placed loudspeakers provide an authentic acoustic backdrop, and all this augmented by a quite brilliant Multimedia iTouch Guide with commentary, photos, film clips, stories, puzzles - all for both adults and children.

Add to this a reconstructed and fully operational Bombe Machine (the Bletchley Guide who explained this was quite brilliant), Enigma machines, the enigmatic sounding Station X, vehicles, kit and equipment of the period, and (as if that’s not enough) a display dedicated to the 2014 movie The Imitation Game starring Benedict Cumberbatch as one Alan Turing with scenes filmed on location at Bletchley – well, enough said, a visit is a must!

Blooming Britain!

16/2/2015

Banish those Winter Blues and start planning your Spring / Summer Holiday in Blooming Britain! Whether you are a keen horticulturalist, enthusiastic gardener, or just like seeing beautiful flowers in formal gardens or shows, then Britain has some of best. (See sample 2015 Flower show list below).

Of course, it’s not just the plant life - Great Britain is a very diverse country with many attractions and places of interest to visit. So, even if flowers aren’t your thing, no matter what’s on your list - exciting cities (e.g. London, Manchester, Liverpool, etc.), the peaceful countryside of England, mountains and valleys of Wales, or the Highlands and Glens of Scotland – the best way to see or tour Britain is by car with a Private Blue Badge Driver Guide.*

Need some help with planning, or just want more information? No problem. Just get in touch and we can take it from there. Contact.

Some of This Year's Flower Shows around the Country

Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) Flower Shows 2015

Cardiff Flower Show Fri 17 – Sun 19 April 2015
Chelsea Flower Show Tue 19 – Sat 23 May 2015
Hampton Court Palace Flower Show Tue 30 Jun – Sun 5 Jul 2015
Tatton Park Flower Show Wed 22 – Sun 26 July 2015

England

Cornwall Spring Flower Show – Sat 28 - Sun 29 March
Blenheim Palace Flower Show Fri 19 – Sun 21 June 2015
Portishead Flower Show Sat 25 - Sun 26 July 2015
Sandringham Flower Show Wed 29 July 2015
Shrewsbury Flower Show Fri 14 - Sat 15th Aug 2015
Southport Flower Show Thu 20 – Sun 23 Aug 2015
London Flower Show (Victoria Park) Fri 11 – Sun 13 Sept 2015
Harrogate Autumn Flower Show Fri 18 – Sun 20 Sept 2015

Scotland

Royal Caledonian Horticultural Society
Spring Show (Edinburgh) Sat 28 - Sun 29 March 2015
Ayr Flower Show Fri 7 - Sun 9th Aug 2015

Wales

Cardiff (RHS) Flower Show Fri 17 – Sun 19 April 2015
Prestatyn Flower Show Fri 24 - Sat 25 July 2015

Northern Ireland

Garden Show Ireland (Antrim Castle) Fri 8 – Sun 10 May 2015

For more information on the RHS Flower Shows click here

*The Blue Badge is the highest level of tour guiding qualification in Britain.
I am a member of the national Driver Guides Association (DGA) - professional blue badge tourist guides providing private guided tours throughout the United Kingdom.