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Blue Badge
Tourist Guides throughout the
United Kingdom
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The national professional association for Blue Badge Tourist Guides
with members in every part of Britain
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International Tourist Guide Day
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Saturday 19 February 2005
Programme of Events
London
FREE London walks and gallery tours
Join a FREE London walk or gallery tour to celebrate International Tourist Guide Day 2005. Some 30 different tours will be offered; each tour will be led by a professional Blue Badge Tourist guide – acclaimed as the best in the business.
All events take place on Saturday 19 February unless indicated otherwise
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Do-It-Yourself Tours
Not sure how much time you have? Prefer to go at your own pace?
Follow one of our two short Do It Yourself London Footprint trails through pedestrian friendly parts of central London. For these “DIY” tours … just turn up at the starting point – Embankment Tube (Circle line will be closed this weekend) – any time between 10 am and 4pm, collect our free map and set off at your own pace. Blue Badge Guides will be prominently posted at key points along the way to inform and entertain and direct you. The two “DIY” London Footprints walks are:
and
Transport for London is sponsoring these two walks as part of the Mayor’s vision to make London the Walking Capital of Europe by 2015. There are six routes as part of the Strategic Walks Network. The DIY walks touch on two of them; Jubilee Walkway and Thames Path.
Make sure you find out details of the rest of the Strategic Walks by going to: www.tfl.gov.uk/streets/walking/home.shtml
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Blue Badge Guides Walks and Tours
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Blue Badge guided walks and tours are all offered free on a first come, first served basis; total numbers at the discretion of the guide, normally no more than 25 per group.
The theme of the walks - of course - is mostly Blue!
1. Blues and Royals - a walk around Whitehall area
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| Starting with the boys in blue, our policemen, and finishing at Buckingham Palace with the men in scarlet! |
| Meet: |
St James Tube, Broadway exit |
| Time: |
10.00 am |
| Tour Length: |
1½ hours |
| Blue Badge Guide: |
Trevor Phillips |
2. Blue Suede shoes - Rock & Roll London
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| Discover part of London's great musical tradition |
| Meet: |
Oxford Circus Tube exit 6 (Argyll St) |
| Time: |
10.30 am |
| Tour Length: |
about 2 hours |
| Finish: |
Tottenham Court Road tube |
| Blue Badge Guide: |
Glen Portch |
| 3. Picasso’s Blue period and beyond |
| a guided tour of International Art in the Tate Modern |
| Meet: |
South end of Millennium (wobbly) pedestrian bridge. |
| Time: |
10.30am |
| Nearest Tube: |
Southwark |
| Tour Length: |
1½ hours |
| Blue Badge Guide: |
Jon Blanchard |
4. Little Boy Blue - City of London’s story with a little help from nursery rhymes
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| From London Bridge to Mother Goose: real events, real people; find out more |
| Meet: |
Duke Street Hill exit of London Bridge tube
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| Time: |
10.30am |
| Tour Length: |
2 hours. |
| Finish: |
Bank tube |
| Blue Badge Guide: |
Eileen Cox |
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Please note that this walk will include steps. |
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5. From State Beds to the Crystal Palace . .
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| Henry VIII’s writing case, Mary Queen of Scots' embroidery . . .explore the fascinating British galleries of the Victoria & Albert Museum |
| Meet: |
by reception desk of Victoria & Albert Museum |
| Time: |
10.30am |
| Nearest Tube: |
South Kensington |
| Tour Length: |
About 1½ hours |
| Blue Badge Guide: |
Simone Mathews |
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6. Blue Bloods, Clubs, Fops & Dandies
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| A walking tour of Mayfair, telling a tale of outrageous Regency rakes, fops & dandies (trend setters of the early 19th century and beyond), along with swishy clubs, modern day billionaires, and an odd Royal connection thrown in for good measure. |
| Meet: |
Green Park tube (North exit on corner, outside station.) |
| Time: |
10.30 am |
| Tour Length: |
2 hours |
| Blue Badge Guide: |
Clarissa Fell |
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7. American London . . from George Washington to Benjamin Franklin
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| Discover American connections in London |
| Meet: |
George Washington statue, outside the National Gallery in Trafalgar Square. |
| Time: |
10.45am |
| Tour Length: |
1½ hours |
| Nearest Tube: |
Charing Cross or Leicester Square |
| Finish: |
Charing Cross |
| Blue Badge Guide: |
Rose Pockney |
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8. You can bank on it . . Stocks, sex and scandal in the City.
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| A fascinating walk through London’s financial heart |
| Meet: |
Bank tube, Cornhill exit (by Royal Exchange) |
| Time: |
11.00am |
| Tour Length: |
1½ hours |
| Blue Badge Guide: |
Susan Sworn |
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9. Votes for Women . . the blue stocking revolt
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| Hunger strikes, protests, marches; find out more.. |
| Meet: |
Temple tube (to be confirmed) |
| Time: |
11.00am |
| Tour Length: |
1½ hours |
| Blue Badge Guide: |
Simon Rodway |
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10. Exotic seasoning . . . a foodies' walk around Soho
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| Explore this fascinating part of London and finish just in time for lunch! |
| Meet: |
Leicester Square entrance to Hippodrome |
| Time: |
11.00am |
| Tour Length: |
1½ hours |
| Nearest Tube: |
Leicester Square |
| Blue Badge Guide: |
Kim Dewdney |
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11. Roses are red, The Guide's Badge is blue . . ish, Shlep through the East End, you don't have to be Jewish!
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From French Huguenots to Banglatown; the East End has been home to many different immigrant communities - explore this fascinating area of London
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| Meet: |
Aldgate tube |
| Time: |
11.00am |
| Tour Length: |
About 1½ hours |
| Blue Badge Guide: |
Russell Grant |
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12. The Square Mile . . . the 2000 year old story of the City of London
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| Stroll around the historic streets and alleyways of the City, starting at the Monument to the Great Fire 1666, ending with the magnificent Guildhall |
| Meet: |
Monument exit of BANK tube station |
| Time: |
11.00 am |
| Tour Length: |
About 1½ hours |
| Nearest Tube: |
Bank (Northern Line; Circle line closed this week end) |
| Finish: |
Guildhall |
| Blue Badge Guide: |
Sue Jackson |
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13. Stars and stripes . . . Americans in Mayfair
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Find out just how many have been “over here” in this beautiful area of London
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| Meet: |
Green Park tube, ticket hall |
| Time: |
11.00am |
| Tour Length: |
1½ hours |
| Blue Badge Guide: |
Brian Jenkins |
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14. In the Footsteps of Charles Dickens
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| Nobody knew London quite like Charles Dickens; every evening he would walk for miles through its streets and alleyways and along the Thames river bank. Follow his trail. |
| Meet: |
Holborn tube |
| Time: |
11.00am |
| Tour Length: |
2 hours |
| Blue Badge Guide: |
Marielies Jackson |
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15. War & Peace
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Explore the Imperial War Museum, its galleries and the people who made a difference . . .
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| Meet: |
outside the museum |
| Time: |
11.00am |
| Tour Length: |
1 hour |
| Nearest Tube: |
Lambeth North |
| Blue Badge Guide: |
Sean Simpson |
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16. Red blood, blue murder
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| Explore the historic Smithfield area and beyond; a meat market for around 1000 years and where martyrs and criminals were burnt and bodies stolen! |
| Meet: |
Smithfield, outside St. Bartholemew's Gate (entrance to the church) |
| Time: |
11.00am |
| Tour Length: |
2 hours |
| Nearest Tube: |
Barbican, Farringdon or St, Paul's |
| Finish: |
Holborn Circus |
| Blue Badge Guide: |
Guy Pickford |
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17. Pottery, Princes and Politics - surprises south of the river
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| This walk shows the enormous variety and diversity to be found in London. |
| Meet: |
Corner Lambeth Bridge and Albert Embankment. |
| Time: |
1.30 pm |
| Tour Length: |
2 hours |
| Nearest Tube: |
Vauxhall |
| Blue Badge Guide: |
Liz du Parcq |
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18. From State Beds to the Crystal Palace . . .
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| Henry VIII's writing case, Mary Queen of Scots' embroidery . . . explore the fascinating British galleries of the V & A Museum |
| Meet: |
by reception desk of Victoria & Albert Museum, Cromwell Road. |
| Time: |
2.00pm |
| Tour Length: |
About 1½ hours |
| Nearest Tube: |
South Kensington |
| Blue Badge Guide: |
Simone Mathews |
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19. Bear baiting, brothels, theatres and breweries
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| Explore colourful Southwark, the haunt of rogues and vagabonds since Shakespeare’s day |
| Meet: |
Duke Street Hill exit of London Bridge tube |
| Time: |
2.00pm |
| Tour Length: |
About 2 hours |
| Blue Badge Guide: |
John Ashton |
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20. Stars and stripes . . . Americans in Mayfair
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| Find out just how many have been “over here” – the last stop on the London Monopoly board! |
| Meet: |
Green Park tube ticket hall |
| Time: |
2.00pm |
| Tour Length: |
1½ hours |
| Blue Badge Guide: |
Brian Jenkins |
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21. Blue collar . . . from dockers to dot.com
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| Explore the ever-changing Canary Wharf area, finishing at fascinating new Museum of Docklands |
| Meet: |
Canary Wharf tube; Heron Quays West exit (Jubilee Line) |
| Time: |
2.00pm |
| Tour Length: |
2 hours |
| Blue Badge Guide: |
Rachel Kolsky |
| 22. Picasso’s Blue period |
| A guided tour of International Art in the Tate Modern |
| Meet: |
South end of Millennium (wobbly) bridge. |
| Time: |
2.00pm |
| Tour Length: |
1½ hours |
| Nearest Tube: |
Southwark |
| Blue Badge Guide: |
Jon Blanchard |
23. Behind Victoria . . . the hidden corners of SW1
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| What lies behind the facades? Find out! |
| Meet: |
Outside Apollo Victoria theatre, Wilton Road, SW1 |
| Time: |
2.00pm |
| Tour Length: |
1½ hours |
| Nearest Tube: |
Victoria |
| Finish: |
Buckingham Palace |
| Blue Badge Guide: |
Tony Anderson |
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24. Soho . . . that hallucinated enclave
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| Haunt of artists, actors, writers and free thinkers . . . explore |
| Meet: |
Outside Gielgud Theatre Shaftesbury Avenue (nearest tube Piccadilly Circus) |
| Time: |
2.00pm |
| Tour Length: |
2 hours |
| Nearest Tube: |
Piccadilly Circus or Leicester Square |
| Blue Badge Guide: |
David Thompson |
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25. Women in Westminster
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| From Queen Boudicca to our present Queen, see how all sorts of women have influenced politics and history over 2000 years. |
| Meet: |
Westminster tube station near the ticket office |
| Time: |
2.00pm |
| Tour Length: |
About 1½ hours |
| Blue Badge Guide: |
Abigail Lawson |
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26. Pomp and Circumstance
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Music and architecture in Imperial London-a walk around London's Theatreland
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| Meet: |
Covent Garden tube |
| Time: |
2.00pm |
| Tour Length: |
1½ hours |
| Blue Badge Guide: |
Nick Morrison |
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27. Blue Suede shoes . . . Rock & Roll London
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| Discover part of London’s great musical tradition |
| Meet: |
Oxford Circus Tube exit 6 (Argyll St) |
| Time: |
2.30pm |
| Tour Length: |
2 hours |
| Finish: |
Tottenham Court Road tube |
| Blue Badge Guide: |
Glen Portch |
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28. Blue Blood . . . the Mitfords in Mayfair
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| British are famed for their eccentricity - and none more so than the Mitfords! |
| Meet: |
Hyde Park Corner tube, just outside the ticket barriers |
| Time: |
2.30pm |
| Tour Length: |
2 hours |
| Blue Badge Guide: |
Simon Rodway |
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29. St James and its Blue Plaques
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| Blue Plaques can be seen on buildings all over London, commemorating famous residents. St. James has been an exclusive area since Henry VIII built a palace here nearly 500 years ago. Hear the stories! |
| Meet: |
outside St James tube Tothill Street |
| Time: |
2.30pm |
| Tour Length: |
1½ hours |
| Nearest Tube: |
Westminster. (Circle line and St James tube station are closed this weekend) |
| Blue Badge Guide: |
Trudie Nielsen-Kerr
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Private Tours
These tours have been organised for private groups and are therefore not available to the general public
| British Home & HospitaI for the Incurables (BHHI) |
The residents and volunteers from the BHHI on a panoramic coach tour of London on the afternoon of Wednesday 16 February. East End and Docklands
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Guide: Guy Pickford
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| Westminster Abbey volunteers |
| Day out to Winchester on Saturday 19th February |
| Guide: Freda Bates |
| Yeoman Warders of the Tower |
| Day trip to Canterbury on Thursday 24th February |
| Guide: Ros Hutchinson |
| Marie Curie Cancer Hospice - Eden Hall |
| A trip to Docklands and Greenwich on afternoon of Thursday 17th February |
| Guide: Suzanne Whitting |
| Guild of New West End Synagogue |
| outing on Sunday 20th February |
| Guide: Valerie Richman |
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ITGD Introduction
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Guild Home Page
Use a Blue Badge Tourist Guide to make the best of your visit
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The Guild of Registered Tourist Guides
The Guild House, 52d Borough High Street, London, SE1 1XN
Tel: 020-7403 1115 . Fax: 020-7378 1705
E-mail: guild@blue-badge.org.uk
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