FREE GUIDED WALKS HOLBORN BLOOMSBURY ST GILES FARRINGDON CLERKENWELL

Size: px

Start display at page:

Download "FREE GUIDED WALKS HOLBORN BLOOMSBURY ST GILES FARRINGDON CLERKENWELL"

Paul McGee
5 years ago
Views:

1 FREE GUIDED WALKS HOLBORN BLOOMSBURY ST GILES FARRINGDON CLERKENWELL JULY SEPTEMBER 2018

WELCOME JULY WHERE TO JOIN OUR WALKS There, s no need to book, just show up at the starting points (unless

HOLBORN STATION KIOSK Meet by our bright orange information kiosk outside Holborn tube station, 88-94

CENTRAL SAINT GILES Find the red sculpture in the courtyard of Central Saint Giles, 1 St Giles High Street,

CHANCERY LANE STATION From Chancery Lane tube station take the exit marked Holborn Circus and meet by the

FOUNDING FATHER Wednesday 4 July A special walk for American Independence Day!

London. We visit sites in Bloomsbury and Holborn connected to his stay here. Thursday 5 July WALKING OUT!

2 WELCOME JULY WHERE TO JOIN OUR WALKS There, s no need to book, just show up at the starting points (unless the walk, s description says otherwise). HOLBORN STATION KIOSK Meet by our bright orange information kiosk outside Holborn tube station, Kingsway, WC2B 6AA. CENTRAL SAINT GILES Find the red sculpture in the courtyard of Central Saint Giles, 1 St Giles High Street, WC2H 8AG and you ve found the starting point. CHANCERY LANE STATION From Chancery Lane tube station take the exit marked Holborn Circus and meet by the junction of Holborn road and Brooke Street. Our guide will be waiting for you. FOUNDING FATHER Wednesday 4 July A special walk for American Independence Day! In the 18th century one of the Founding Fathers of the United States, Benjamin Franklin, spent some time in London. We visit sites in Bloomsbury and Holborn connected to his stay here. Thursday 5 July WALKING OUT! Friday 6 July The Pride London Festival is taking place this weekend. To celebrate the event we walk to sites in Bloomsbury and Holborn associated with lesbian and gay history, including the venue of the first Gay Liberation Front meeting in Britain. FARRINGDON STATION Our orange-uniformed guide will be waiting for you in Cowcross Street, in between the two station entrances/exits to Farringdon Station.

THE BLOOMSBURY GROUP Tuesday 10 July Visiting some of the many sites connected with the Bloomsbury Group of writers, artists and intellectuals.

3 JULY JULY BLOOMSBURY BEATLES Tuesday 17 July MAGICAL MIDTOWN (NEW) Wednesday 25 and Friday 27 July CRAWLING ANTS! Sunday 8 July 2pm. Central Saint Giles This walk visits locations in Bloomsbury, St Giles and Covent Garden telling the story of the rise, fall and rise again of pop star Adam Ant. Duration: 120 minutes. THE BLOOMSBURY GROUP Tuesday 10 July Visiting some of the many sites connected with the Bloomsbury Group of writers, artists and intellectuals. UNLUCKY FOR SOME Friday 13 July To celebrate Friday 13th we walk to sites connected to spells, superstition and prophecies. We visit locations in Bloomsbury from the careers of music legends The Beatles including places where they stayed, recorded and were photographed. Thursday 19 July MAN OF OTHER WORLDS Sunday 22 July 2pm. Central Saint Giles This walk visits locations in Bloomsbury and Holborn from the early life of H. G. Wells the boy from Bromley who became the father of science fiction and author of the classic books The War of the Worlds and The Time Machine. Duration: 120 minutes. This tour visits the site of the shop, still remembered by some as Gamagic. We also go to the location of the magic store that described itself as The largest mail-order house for novelties in the world, and we see the shop, still open today, that was visited by the famous magician Tommy Cooper! PEPYS SHOW Tuesday 31 July Samuel Pepys famous diary provides a fascinating record of life in London in the 1660s, covering the restoration of the monarchy and the Great Plague. On the walk we see sites in the Holborn area referred to by Pepys in his diary. I had the good fortune to take part in the superb Museum Mile walk today, led by Aly Mir. He has exceptional qualities as a leader: expertise, humour and ability to engage with participants. It was a treat to be introduced to several museums which were new to me. I will certainly return for extended visits and will spread the word to my international visitors. Prof. Eileen O Keefe, London Metropolitan University, 2017

AuGUST AUGUST Thursday 2 August SUFFRAGETTE CITY Friday 3 August We visit several sites in Holborn and Bloomsbury linked to the struggle for votes for women.

disease and executions. A TASTE OF INDIA Wednesday 15 August A special walk for Indian Independence Day going to sites near Holborn associated with Indian history and culture.

4 AuGUST AUGUST Thursday 2 August SUFFRAGETTE CITY Friday 3 August We visit several sites in Holborn and Bloomsbury linked to the struggle for votes for women. RETURN TO HANGING ACRE (NEW) Wednesday 8 and Friday 10 August We revisit the area bordered by Gray s Inn Road, Clerkenwell Road and Leather Lane to hear more about its grisly history of death, disease and executions. A TASTE OF INDIA Wednesday 15 August A special walk for Indian Independence Day going to sites near Holborn associated with Indian history and culture. FRIGHTFUL FARRINGDON Thursday 16 August Farringdon is today an area of exciting change, however, it has a frightful past which this tour uncovers. Included on the walk are a visit to the site of a notorious rookery from the 19th century, the scene of gruesome events during the time of the Reformation, and we hear about the execution of the famous Scottish rebel Sir William Wallace. SMOOTH FIELD Saturday 25 August 11am and 1pm. Farringdon Station A special walk to commemorate the 150th anniversary of Smithfield Market s opening in The tour explores the area surrounding the Market with highlights from some of Midtown s best Farringdon walks, including Frightful Farringdon s grisly executions; how local roads got their names from Farringdon Streets and their Story; the turmoil of the Peasants Revolt in our Peasants are Revolting tour; the history of the Charterhouse from our Charterhouse Square walk; plus the story of the famous Market itself from our Smithfield tour. We also include some new material about this fascinating and rapidly changing area that will soon be home to the Museum of London and new Crossrail stations.

AUGUST SEPTEMBER We went on the University Challenge walk which took us to several university buildings, including Senate House. As always, Aly hit the right notes on the walk.

He is so passionate, dedicated, has a great sense of humour and well-read which made the 120 minute walk so easy. So lucky to be a Londoner and to be able to enjoy these walks, never a dull moment!

5 AUGUST SEPTEMBER We went on the University Challenge walk which took us to several university buildings, including Senate House. As always, Aly hit the right notes on the walk. He gave us time to browse through these world famous premises. It s a joy to have him as a guide. He is so passionate, dedicated, has a great sense of humour and well-read which made the 120 minute walk so easy. So lucky to be a Londoner and to be able to enjoy these walks, never a dull moment! Annette Mascarenhas, Enfield resident, 2018 DR FEELBAD Tuesday 4 September Today we visit sites connected to Dr Crippen a notorious murderer from a century ago. Duration: 105 minutes. BETWEEN THE WARS Wednesday 5 September Today s walk takes us to sites in Holborn linked to the political history of Britain in the 1920s and 1930s. CRUEL CLERKENWELL Thursday 6 September Although present-day Clerkenwell is creative and cool, it has a cruel history. The tour visits the site of a notorious prison and a court that sentenced criminals to be transported down under. We also hear about a terrible murder that shocked the area 200 years ago and the story of a man eaten by a bear! REAL CINDERELLA Wednesday 29 August The first walk in our series about the rags-to-royalty life of Nell Gwynn, one of the most interesting characters from Restoration England. You don t need to go on both parts of this series because each walk is designed to be enjoyed either on its own or together with the other. MISTRESS OF THE KING Friday 31 August The second part in our series about Nell Gwynn, who became the mistress of King Charles II. You don t need to go on both parts of this series because each walk is designed to be enjoyed either on its own or together with the other.

Our guide has selected five of this beautiful gallery s amazing artefacts from different periods of India s history.

6 SEPTEMBER SEPTEMBER MUSEUM MILE: INDIA Friday 7 September 2pm. Holborn Station Kiosk A special Indian theme for today s Museum Mile walk. We start with a visit to the recently refurbished Sir Joseph Hotung Gallery at the British Museum. Our guide has selected five of this beautiful gallery s amazing artefacts from different periods of India s history. We then go to the Brunei Gallery to see its two temporary exhibitions - A Most Cosmopolitan Court - Foreign Influences in the Sikh Kingdom of Punjab and Madras to Bangalore: Historical Indian Postcards. The walk last 3 hours and will end near Russell Square at 5pm. Our guide will also mention the other eleven members of the Museum Mile to encourage people to visit them in the future. For a full list of all members of the Museum Mile visit 20 places only. Booking is required and admission to the walk is by ticket only. Booking commences online from 4 July Go to www. eventbrite.co.uk and search Bee Midtown Museum Mile walk. Please do not apply before that date because your application will not be accepted. Duration: 180 minutes. MAGICAL MIDTOWN (NEW) Wednesday 12 and Friday 14 September This tour visits the site of the shop, still remembered by some as Gamagic. We also go to the location of the magic store that described itself as The largest mail-order house for novelties in the world, and we see the shop, still open today, that was visited by the famous magician Tommy Cooper! TOY STORIES Wednesday 19 September The world famous Hamleys toyshop in Regent Street has its origins in Holborn. This walk visits the site of the first Hamleys toyshops and considers the wider history of toys. Thursday 20 September OLD ST GILES Friday 21 September Today we go to the site of the notorious St Giles Rookery and hear about its history. RETURN TO HANGING ACRE (NEW) Wednesday 26 and Friday 28 September We revisit the area bordered by Gray s Inn Road, Clerkenwell Road and Leather Lane to hear more about its grisly history of death, disease and executions.

7 ABOUT US This programme of walks is brought to you by BEE Midtown, where EC1 meets WC1. We exist to promote, celebrate, and build upon everything that s great about London s best-connected postcodes. Our areas are home to some of the world s biggest brands and household names. Midtown is not just a commercial centre. It s a hotbed of culture and creativity. It s a vibrant destination with something to offer businesses, residents and visitors. Together, we represent the new centre of London. We are Midtown. Holborn, Bloomsbury, St Giles, Farringdon & midtownldn BESPOKE WALKS FOR BUSINESSES If you are a local business, how about arranging a special walk for your staff? Choose from our existing programme or let us organise one on a theme of your choice. A walk makes a perfect part of a special event, staff day out, office party or leaving do. We can even include a quiz or a pub stop. If you have new starters, we also offer walks which combine local history with useful practical information. To find out more, call or info@bee-midtown.com

Unravelling the National Trust: Uppark

Unravelling the National Trust: Uppark Unravelling the National Trust is a series of exhibitions that aims to showcase extreme or conceptual craft in a site-specific context, showing in three different