Wednesday 19^th May 2021

“Curtain Up! The Story of London’s Theatreland”

We joined actor and London Blue Badge Guide Simon Whitehouse on this virtual tour exploring 350 years of London’s West End Theatre heritage.

From plays and musicals to opera and ballet, we remembered the star studded first nights (and the odd spectacular flop!)

Highlights included:

– The story of the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane: the birthplace of West End theatre & the world’s oldest theatre site in continuous use since 1662. 

– The Agatha Christie Memorial and the story behind the longest running play in the world; “The Mousetrap”

– The Actors’ Church where two actresses are laid to rest & where we uncover the somewhat darker origins of Shaw’s “Pygmalion” – and much more….

This virtual tour was streamed online on Wednesday 19^th May 2021 at 11:00am.

This was a replacement for the postponed Dornywood House & Dorney Court visit which has been rearranged for May 2023.

 

Tuesday 11^th August 2020

“The Old East End of London”

In place of our postponed visit to Weston Park in August 2020, we enjoyed an excellent virtual tour by award winning Pepe Martinez, a London Blue Badge Guide and tutor, on one of London’s most fascinating districts.

This told us the story of wave after wave of people coming to London to seek refuge, looking for a better life. Using powerful images, video and google street views we saw the arrival of French Huguenots and the 1680’s through to the more than 10.000 Jewish Kindertransport children who arrived at Liverpool Street station in 1939.

 

Friday 18^th December 2020

Virtual online tour – “The Spirit of Christmas”

This Christmas special live online virtual day visit will be celebrating all things Christmassy. 

We recommend a mince pie and glass of Christmas cheer to hand as you enjoy this extra treat.

Presented by Tourist Guides Pepe Martinez, an award- winning London Blue badge Tourist Guide and accredited Institute of Tourist Guide Trainer who is currently tutoring on the London Blue badge training course, and Simon Whitehouse, also an award- winning Blue badge Guide and Lecturer at the Ithaca College London Centre.

This extra special Christmas extravaganza will be in two parts.  Part one will explore the history of all those Christmas traditions we now take for granted such as Christmas crackers, mince pies, Christmas cards and the Christmas tree.

After a short interval, part two will be a virtual Version of “Charles Dickens A Christmas Carol” which will be presented jointly by Pepe and Simon.

This event will be streamed online on Friday 18^th December 2020 at 11:00am via a link sent to members only and available by this link to YouTube for 48 hours only.

You might also be interested in Pepe’s “Blue Badge Premium Virtual Tours”. Click here for more information.