Category: World

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VIRTUAL GUIDED WALKS COMING UP

THE REBIRTH OF SAXON LONDON ARCHAEOLOGY VIRTUAL WALK

Reconstruction of Dark Age London Bridge
London in the 5th Century Reconstruction painting.

Sunday 4th July 2021 6.30pm

An exploration of what happened following the Roman Period. How did a Celtic speaking Latin educated Roman City become, first deserted, then recovered to become the leading City in a Germanic speaking Kingdom?

To book

THE GREAT FIRE OF LONDON ANNIVERSARY VIRTUAL WALK

Virtual Zoom Walk on Sunday Sept 5th 6.30pm

On the Anniversary of the Great Fire of London we retrace the route of the fire of 1666 from Pudding Lane to Smithfield.

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RING IN THE EQUINOX VIRTUAL WALK

Tuesday 21st September 2021 7.30pm

On this walk we look at London at the Equinox, its calendars, folklore and events associated with the beginning of Autumn

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MYTHS, LEGENDS, & HALLOWEEN VIRTUAL WALK

SUNDAY 31st October 2021 6.30pm

The walk tells the story of London’s myths and legends and the celtic origins of Halloween. .

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ZEPPELIN NIGHTS – A VIRTUAL WALK FOR REMEMBRANCE SUNDAY

Sunday 14 November 2021 6.30pm

We follow the route of a Zeppelin Raid through London. On the way we discover London in World War 1

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ZEPPELIN NIGHTS VIRTUAL WALK AND PODCAST

A silhouette of a Zeppelin caught in searchlights over the City of London

Here is the Podcast for the Zeppelin Nights Virtual walk.

The live Virtual Walk is taking place Sunday 14th March 2021 at 6.30.

To Book:

ZEPPELIN NIGHTS – A VIRTUAL WALK FOLLOWING THE 1915 BOMBING RAID THROUGH WW1 LONDON


Sunday 14 March 2021 6.30pm

8th of September 1915, the Zeppelin dropped its first bombs near Russell Square and we follow it to its last bomb at Liverpool Street. On the way we discover London in World War 1

On the night of September 8th Kapitanleutnant Henreich Mathy pilotted Zeppelin L 13 across Central London dropping bombs as they went. The trail of destruction lead from University College London, via Russell Sq. to Gray’s Inn Farringdon, Smithfield and out past Liverpool Street to the East End.  The walk follows the route taken by the Zeppelin and looks at Central London during the World War 1.

Before World War One London was the centre of the largest Empire the world had ever known. It was the first great era of globalisation; international trade and Finance was booming. London was full of the mega-rich but poverty and sub-standard housing was extensive. Inner London was still the home of Industry, and home to large immigrant communities. Political dissent was widespread with the Labour Party beginning to erode the Liberal Party’s power base, and the issue of Female Suffragette was rocking society. Then, catastrophe as ‘the lights went out all over Europe’.

How would the War affect London? How would Londoners cope with this terrifying new form of warfare – death from above?

We begin our virtual tour at Russell Square Tube and follow the path of the bombing raid to Liverpool Street, looking at London, before, during and after World War One.

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The Ultimate RAF London Blitz Story

Black and white photo from a german plane above another german bomber over docklands in the Blitz

Ray Holmes, Word War 2 RAF Pilot, flying a Hurricane took on three Luftwaffe Bombers Pilot over Central London, ran out of bullets and downed the last plane by ramming its tail.

The Dornier Bomber crashed into Victoria Station, 2 of the crew survived by bailing out. Holmes’ plane dived out of control but the Pilot managed to get out of his plane and open his parachute.

Story, with pictures, told in full here.

https://www.mylondon.news/news/nostalgia/battle-britain-fighter-pilot-who-19963243

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CHAUCER’S MEDIEVAL LONDON VIRTUAL WALK.

The Canterbury Pilgrims PAINTINGS painting Blake, William (1757 – 1827, English) Painting entitled ‘The Canterbury Pilgrims’, by William Blake PC.89


Saturday 20 February 2021 7.00pm

A Virtual Walk around Medieval London following in the footsteps of its resident medieval poet – Geoffrey Chaucer

One of the spectators at the Peasants Revolt was Geoffrey Chaucer, born in the Vintry area of London, who rose to be a diplomat, a Courtier and London’s Customs Officer. He lived with his wife in the Chamber above the Gate in the City Wall at Aldgate. His poetry shows a rugged, joyous medieval England including many scenes reflecting life in London. His stories document the ending of the feudal system, growing dissatisfaction with the corruption in the Church, and shows the robust independence with which the English led their lives.

His work helped change the fashion from poetry in French or Latin to acceptance of the English language as suitable literary language. This was helped by the growth of literacy in London as its Merchants and Guildsmen became increasingly successful. In 1422, for example, the Brewers decided to keep their records in English ‘as there are many of our craft who have the knowledge of reading and writing in the English idiom.’

Chaucer and other poets such as Langland give a vivid portrait of Medieval London which was dynamic, successful but also torn by crisis such as the Lollard challenge to Catholic hegemony, and the Peasants who revolted against oppression as the ruling classes struggled to resist the increased independence of the working people following the Black Death.

A walk which explores London in the Middle Ages, We begin at Aldgate, and follow Chaucer from his home to his place of work at the Customs House, and then to St Thomas Chapel on London Bridge, and through London to Poultry, Bucklersbury and Cheapside before visiting the Guildhall and St Pauls. We will walk in the muddy City Streets, exploring the unhealthy conditions and poverty amidst great riches and pageantry.

This is a London Walks event by Kevin Flude

To Book:

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COMPENSATION FOR SLAVERY & STATUES

Coat of Arms of Royal Africa Company
Coat of Arms of Royal Africa Company

​ ​I used to think that asking compensation for past wrongs was not a good idea, after all where would we draw the lines?  Currently, we seem to draw that line in 1933.
Then I heard about the

Legacies of British Slave-ownership project – UCL

What this revealed was that the British Government borrowed money (from Rothschild which they only paid back recently) ​some £20m if I remember correctly.
We have the list of the beneficiaries of compensation for their loss of OWNERSHIP of human beings.  So we, the people, funded compensation of exploiters of human misery.

​£20m is perhaps £16 billion in today’s money.


So what would be so terrible about,  we, the people,  setting up a charitable fund with £16billion capital to fund, say, the removal of barriers to equal opportunity in Britain, the West Indies and Africa.

Funded by Government borrowing.


​As to Statues.  Case by Case examination of the issues, by citizens panel guided by expert opinions.


Options to include:


1. Removal to a museum display where contextual information can be clearly displayed.

2. Erection of new plinth with appropriate information

3. Creation of a new statue nearby to make a suitable display representing the issues

4. Resiting of statue with an explanatory panel.

5. Leaving in place with an explanatory panel.

6 Leaving as is

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NEW VIRTUAL WALKS PROGRAMME FOR APRIL 2021

KEVIN FLUDE’S LONDON WALKS APRIL 2021 VIRTUAL WALKS SEASON

To Book follow this eventbrite link which gives access to all Kevin Flude’s Virtual tours.

ROMAN LONDON – ARCHAEOLOGY VIRTUAL TOUR

Painting of the Roman Forum of London from the air
Painting of the Roman Forum of London from the air

Sunday 11th April 2021 6.30pm

The virtual walk looks at the amazing archaeological discoveries of Roman Londinium

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THE DECLINE AND FALL OF ROMAN LONDON ARCHAEOLOGY VIRTUAL WALK

Reconstruction View of Roman Riverside Wall being built
Reconstruction View of Roman Riverside Wall being built

Sunday 18th April 2021 6.30pm

An exploration of what happened at the end of the Roman Period, and how the City became first deserted, and then a Saxon, German speaking English City.

To book

LONDON BEFORE LONDON – PREHISTORIC LONDON VIRTUAL COACH TOUR

REconstruction painting of the Islands of Southwark and the hills of London before the foundation of Loninium

Sunday 25th April 2021 6.30pm

An exploration of London before the foundation of Londinium

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The London of Thomas More and Thomas Cromwell. The City of Wolf Hall Virtual Walk

Sunday 29th February 2021

The Walk creates a portrait of London in the early 16th Century. It has a particular emphasis on the life and times of Thomas Cromwell and Thomas More who feature in Wolf Hall, the novel by Hilary Mantel.

Listen to the Tour Podcast (6 min 55)

The Virtual Tour will start with a boat tour from Hampton Court, via Chelsea to the City, and then a Walk around the City.

More and Cromwell had much in common, both lawyers, commoners, who rose to be Lord Chancellor to Henry VIII and they both ended their career on the block at Tower Hill. But they found themselves on the other side of the gulf that suddenly opened with the religious ferment that accompanied Henry’s obsession with Anne Bolyen.

The Walk will include visits to the sites of More’s and Cromwell’s town houses and then walk through the market streets of Tudor London, to Cheapside and the Guildhall, St Pauls and outside the Walls to Smithfield where most of the religious executions took place. We visit Charter House where More took a break from the stress of public office, and whose Prior, Cromwell had hanged, drawn and quartered. We exit via the plaque pits, and finish off with a walk around the City Walls until we come to Tower Hill where both men ended their lives on the scaffold.

Saint or Sinner? What better place to ponder that question that the streets of Wolf Hall London?

To buy Tickets click here: