The first "big weekend" of the Story of London festival concludes today. It's the Walking Weekend, during which Londoners are invited to "discover the city on foot to uncover the secret histories of the capital's streets, with over 100 guided walks". [walking weekend walks][Sunday events]
I'm sure that many people have been out enjoying Boris's "glorious celebration of London's past, present and future", although perhaps the threat of rain is deterring some from attending as many events as planned. So I'm continuing to invite my readers to tell me all about their SoL exploits. If you go on a festival walk or attend any festival event, or if you've already been, please write me a brief report and I'll publish it here on the blog. 150 words max, preferably emailed, and if you want to attach a photo all the better. Updates throughout the weekend, just as soon as they start flooding in.
1)Caroline attended a walk with Blue Badge Tourist Guide Jackie Stater The guided walk around Deptford, 'Sovereigns, Sailors, Shipwrights and Skulls', was excellent. Genuinely a special event for the festival, it was led by a Blue Badge guide who really knows the area and conveyed the rich history of the place as well as its current artistic activity. Ranging from the Creek to the High Street, from a thirteenth-century church tower to Herzog & De Meuron's Laban Centre, this was the perfect riposte to those (Daily Mail, I'm looking at you) who insist that Deptford is nothing but a crime-ridden slum. Best of all, the rain stayed away!
2)Martin attended the 'Heart of Hackney' walk with Blue Badge Tourist Guide Mary Sewell It seems that Hackney has more stories than you'd realise. I pass through the area often, but don't often stop to consider them. Blue Badge guide Mary took us around buildings we knew well around the centre of Hackney and Lower Clapton - the Town Hall, the Hackney Empire, St John's Church and the Round Chapel, telling us about the history behind them. She also pointed out details you might not normally spot, and well-hidden plaques revealing the old Manor House on what's now Mare Street, and the home of Joseph Priestly, who discovered Oxygen. Finishing off at Sutton House (a Tudor mansion that the National Trust seem unsure what to do with) she revealed that it was named after the founder of the Charterhouse School, Thomas Sutton - before it was discovered that he never lived there. Not all is as it seems round these parts. Martin adds "only me and my girlfriend turned up for the 4.30 tour, and there was only one taker for the earlier one"
3) John attended the 'HQS Wellington Open Day' on the Thames 1pm on Sunday found me standing on the gangplank leading to the ship Wellington, permanently moored on the Thames Embankment, near Temple tube station. Having gone past this ship hundreds of time since 1947 when she arrived in London, I looked forward to seeing inside. You can read about the ships history on its website, so I'll shall just write about the visit experience. Once on board you sign in (health and safety). The tours are led by experts in their field, (one guide worked for Cunard). You go along many corridors and there are plenty of stairs. The view of London from the decks is great (it was high tide, that helped). You can try your hand to turn the ships wheel, signal the engine room etc. At the location of the ship's bell we were told that when you are on a ship and see the bell then run your fingers inside it, if a child is Christened at sea they use the bell to hold the water and engrave the name inside the bell. (Bet you didn’t know that!)
The first "big weekend" of the Story of London festival concludes today. It's the Walking Weekend, during which Londoners are invited to "discover the city on foot to uncover the secret histories of the capital's streets, with over 100 guided walks". [walking weekend walks] [Sunday events]
2) Martin attended the 'Heart of Hackney' walk with Blue Badge Tourist Guide Mary Sewell
3) John attended the 'HQS Wellington Open Day' on the Thames
