- DURATION 60 mins x 5 plus discussion group
Event Description
PLEASE NOTE: You need to register for each talk individually.
Curiosities of London Part 1: Solemn sphinxes & more. London is like a free open-air museum and art gallery combined – when you know where to look. This talk is about the unusual, quirky, or even odd things you can find on the streets of London, showing where you can find a nine-foot dragon, some Grocers camels, and a clock that once set time for the whole of Britain. In the words of Walter Beasant; “I've been walking about London for the last thirty years, and I find something fresh in it every day.”
Curiosities of London Part 2: Street creatures & more. This talk is another about the unusual, quirky or even odd things revealed on London's streets, revealing how Doctor Snow stopped a Cholera pandemic, also where to find working gaslights, some quadriga and a statue of a queen who was “very tall, in appearance most terrifying, having a great mass of the tawniest hair which fell to her hips”.
Curiosities of London Part 3: Ghost signs & more. The talk is not so much about the London of business facts and a bustling population, but it is about what can still be found on the streets of London, such as ghost signs, street art and unusual wall plaques. There will also be some street furniture, several old shops and even a few windmills.
Curiosities of London Part 4: A memory of cherry pie & more. This talk includes the cheerful memory of a cherry pie and the visit from a most fabulous time-travelling elephant. But do make sure you have time to explore, unlike American poet Alice Duer Miller, “And I said ‘what a pity / to have just a week to spend / when London is a city / whose beauties never end’.”
Curiosities of London Part 5: Stones, saints & more. Come along to enjoy the free open-air museum and art gallery combined on London’s streets – and appreciate the immense variety in our history. Discover some hidden gardens and see interpretations of London’s history set out in tiles or in mosaic. We commemorate a very ancient stone, some tales of Londoners who became saints and you can find out where to see the oldest living organism in London.
Curiosities of London Discussion Group: Perhaps you were inspired by Andrew's talks to do some more research about something you've seen on London's streets, or spotted something similar in the streets near you that links to London's history? Bring along a 2-minute pitch of the 'curiosity' you'd like to share with the group in this 'show 'n' tell' style session. Or perhaps you just have some more burning questions to ask Andrew? Come along to this discussion group to share thoughts about the series, reminisce on what's changed since you last visited London, or hear/share stories about the Big Smoke's history.
- Duration: 60 mins x 5 plus discussion group
- Online Zoom event: Join from your computer, phone or tablet (no replay available)
Meet the Host, Andrew
Andrew Warde has more than 40 years experience as a London Blue Badge guide, with additional guide qualifications for the City of London and for Windsor & Eton. He presents illustrated talks and walks in and around London, telling all about historic buildings, curious survivals from times past, or special areas of London life and the Thames riverside. These talks reveal fascinating aspects of London’s past and the people who lived there.
Preparing for the Event
For the best experience, you will need to have Zoom downloaded onto your computer. Please ensure you're connected to broadband/wifi rather than using your mobile phone connection (3G/4G).
We also recommend that pets are either calmly sitting on your lap or in another room, and any refreshments you may require are within your reach!
Reviews
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Anonymous
July 2021
This was a really interesting talk and I learned such a lot that I really now want to put into practice by visiting London. Really unusual examples were featured in the talk, things I would never have known about. Really great, thank you.
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John
July 2021
I worked on Fleet Street for twenty years when it was a newspaper district so I knew many of the locations featured. It was so good to see them although large parts of the area is just a shadow of it's former self just at the moment.
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Anonymous
July 2021
Our host yesterday did a marvellous job in bringing to life the wonderfully quirky nature of London in it’s many and varied ways. He was particularly good at showing and telling us just how many thousands of it’s inhabitants had succeeded, in over two millennia, in making their individual marks on the capital. More please!
More Information
What if I can’t make the event?
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How do I sign-up for and access the recording? (Recorded events only)
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