“There is only one recipe – to care a great deal for the cookery.” Henry James
“The dust jacket features the original cover created by Virginia Woolf’s sister, Vanessa Bell, for the Hogarth Press. Beneath the cover ‘deep rust’ boards printed in gilt take inspiration from the finish of the first trade edition.” And yes, I bring this facsimile first edition with me on the walk. You’ll be able to hold it, admire it, open it, read it. It’s an exact replica, right down to the width of the margins. “What a lark! What a plunge! ”
A ONCE IN A CENTURY CHANCE
And these two June 2025 Mrs Dalloway’s London walks will be special in another important respect. Hatchard’s, London’s oldest, classiest bookshop – you’ll recall, Mrs Dalloway stops by there on her walk to Mulberry’s The Florist in Bond Street – stops by there and looks at the books in the window display, reads the telling Shakespeare quote in the window – Hatchard’s has, this summer and this summer only, devoted a whole window display to the novel, to Mrs Dalloway. We go there. We will see it.
And these two June 2025 Mrs Dalloway’s London walks will be special in another important respect. Hatchard’s, London’s oldest, classiest bookshop – and remember, Mrs Dalloway stops by there on her walk to Mulberry’s The Florist in Bond Street – she looks at the books in the window display, reads the Shakespeare quote she sees there – Hatchard’s has devoted a whole window display to the novel, to Mrs Dalloway. We go there. We will see it.
It gets better. Hatchards have published an exclusive limited edition (2,000 copies) of Mrs Dalloway for The Hatchards Library. Mine is copy No. 1600. My copy will be one of four copies of the novel that I’ll be bringing along. The Hatrchards Library Edition is a very beautiful book. And, yes, if there are still copies, well, what a wonderful present for a dear friend. Or indeed for yourself.
“I love walking in London,” said Mrs Dalloway. “Really, it’s better than walking in the country.”
Meet a recent group of Mrs Dalloway’s London walkers. That’s Andrea holding my copy of the novel. His review of the walk – you can read it down below – is a tour de force. And this setting for the photograph because… well, let’s remember how Virginia Woolf opens the novel. The first sentence reads: “Mrs Dalloway said she would buy the flowers herself.”
INTRO FOR THE 100th ANNIVERSARY WALK
Virginia Woolf put her pen down – finished her great modernist novel Mrs Dalloway – just over 100 years ago. October 9, 1924 to be exact.
And the novel was published – hand-printed by the Hogarth Press, Virginia Woolf and her husband Leonard’s small independent publishing company – exactly 100 years ago. On May 14, 1925.
And as long as we’re at it, let’s remember how – and when – the novel opens.
It was on a Wednesday in the middle of June 1923 that “Mrs Dalloway said she would buy the flowers herself” and went for her walk. The novel gets underway with those nine words – “Mrs Dalloway said she would buy the flowers herself” – and “What a lark! What a plunge!” (the opening of the third paragraph in the novel) because just minutes later she hears Big Ben strike 10 o’clock. “There! Out it boomed. First a warning, musical; then the hour, irrevocable. The leaden circles dissolved in the air.”
We keep the faith timing-wise on our Mrs Dalloway’s London walk. It always forms up at 9.50 am so we can, once again, start the walk by hearing what Mrs Dalloway heard when she started her walk at the start of the novel: Big Ben strike 10 am. Hear those “leaden circles dissolve in the air.” And then set out on our jaunt, just as Mrs Dalloway did: “‘I love walking in London,’ said Mrs Dalloway. ‘Really, it’s better than walking in the country.'”
Now as you’ll have gathered from the above, the centenary anniversary for that June day in 1923 when Mrs Dalloway went on her walk is now history. But what I say below about the walk on that June day is 99 percent applicable to every Mrs Dalloway’s London Walk we do. The only exception being that it’s no longer possible to hear that bell exactly – to the second – 100 years after Mrs Dalloway heard it on that June day in 1923. This past June (2024) we heard it exactly (“the leaden circles dissolving in the air”) – to the second – 101 years after Clarissa Dalloway heard it.* And on these two Wednesdays in June 2025 we’re going to hear Big Ben exactly (“the leaden circles dissolving in the air”) 102 years to the second Mrs Dalloway heard it. And, yes, the walk takes place on both mid-June Wednesdays because it’s a much debated question whether Clarissa went for her walk on June 13, 1923 or June 20, 1923. That in itself is a fascinating question and I, David, will shed a great deal of light on which of the two was likely to be the front runner. But in any case, running it on both mid-June Wednesdays covers all (all? no, make that ‘both’) bases. And unpacking that moment – especially with the 102-year-old materials I’ve unearthed – Exhibition A, Exhibition B, etc. – is a significant part of the fun and wonderment and indeed revelation of the walk.
* And we’re proud of this. We do our best to be super responsive to our walking public. So we also ran the walk last August – August 7, 2024. Which was 101 years and 56 days (or 49 days, take your pick) after Mrs Dalloway’s London walk. That August walk was put on last year at the special request of a Canadian Literature professor, who wasn’t here in the middle of June but was here the first two weeks in August. And why do we always run it on two successive Wednesdays in June? This bears repeating. It’s run on those two Wednesdays because we know – from the novel – that the year is 1923. And that the month is June. And that it’s the middle of June. And that it’s a Wednesday. But there are of course two Wednesdays that fall near “the middle of June.” So we cover both bases.
What a moment: “a particular hush, or solemnity; an indescribable pause…before Big Ben strikes. There! Out it boomed. First a warning, musical; then the hour, irrevocable. The leaden circles dissolved in the air…what she loved; life; London; this moment of June.”
“This moment of June” – Clarissa Dalloway’s walk at exactly that moment 102 years on – is what we’re after. Both those times are now past. But we can give pursuit. And, yes, still hear that plaintive anthem as it fades. And in any case, was it just for the sake of the nice round number of the centenary? No. That moment, that walk – at any time – is much more important than that. In literary terms Mrs. Dalloway’s walk is the pathfinder walk, the walk into modernity, the walk into depths of understanding of the human mind, of who we are – of what makes us tick – that hadn’t been previously plumbed. That morning in mid-June, 1923 Mrs. Dalloway crosses a bourne that hadn’t been crossed before.
What’s more, as adumbrated above, it’s delightfully convoluted. Unpacking all of that is part of the fun. Whatever the day, we get the hour right – we start the walk at 9.50 am so we can hear Big Ben when Mrs Dalloway heard* it, hear those leaden circles dissolve in the air.
But the date – well, it was a Wednesday in the middle of June in 1923. There were two mid-month Wednesdays in June 1923. The great Virginia Woolf scholar Elaine Showalter favours the first of the two. I – Guide David – favour the second (for reasons I’ll make clear on the walk). But in any case, in the centenary summer we covered both bases. We did the walk on both those dates. Well, those dates 100 years on. Though I’ll be able to get you back to 1923 in lots of ways. I’ll show you things – extraordinary things, things that have bearing on Virginia Woolf and the novel – that haven’t been seen, by anybody, in 102 years. Yes, I know, that’s an extraordinary claim but I’m able to make good on it. Hint: you’ll see some of the material the literary historian in me has unearthed.
*Can we be sure she heard it? It’s going to be fun to watch your reaction when I untie the string round my documents portfolio, take those 102-year-old documents out, and set them before your eyes.
STANDARD INTRO
Virginia Woolf’s novel Mrs Dalloway is a tour de force. It is essentially a prose poem – arguably the most beautifully written novel of the last 100 years. Literary modernism reaches its peak of perfection in Mrs Dalloway – on that walk through London on that day in 1923. We walk with Mrs Dalloway. Walk her London. See it with her eyes.
The walk is guided by David. David is a literary historian.
David’s understudy is Stephen, a Royal Shakespeare Company actor. Just occasionally they double-team, they do it together.
In situ David* and Steve** read relevant passages to us. The words, the delivery, the setting – everything comes together. Special walk, special couple of hours. More than special – unforgettable.
*The distinguished scholar and critic John Sutherland described David as “one of the liveliest PhD students I ever supervised.” David (with a one-word assist from a former Editor) describes David as: “the Seigneur of this favoured realm, David broods over words, breeds enthusiasms and is “unmanageable.”* A balterer, literary historian, university lecturer, journalist, and lifelong thanatophobe, he’s also the London Walks ‘pen’ – he writes ‘the famous white leaflet’, let alone the document you’re reading (this website).”
**Fiercely intelligent, terrifyingly talented, distinguished actor. Royal Shakespeare Company, West End shows, lots of films, Sir Peter Hall’s Shakespeare productions, etc. Best ear ever. His impersonation of John Lennon is a resurrection. Doesn’t just guide Shakespeare, performs him. Brilliantly (on his Sunday afternoon Shakespeare’s & Dickens’ City walk – but see for yourself, here’s the video).
MRS DALLOWAY’S LONDON – THE PRACTICALS
The meeting point for the Mrs Dalloway’s London walk is just outside exit 4 of Westminster Tube.
LONDON WALKS PRIVATE WALKS
If you can’t make one of the regularly scheduled, just-turn-up, Mrs Dalloway's London – the 100th Anniversary it can always be booked as a private tour. If you go private you can have the Mrs Dalloway's London – the 100th Anniversary walk – or any other London Walk – on a day and at a time that suits your convenience. We’ll tailor it to your requirements. Ring Fiona or Mary on 020 7624 3978 or email us at [email protected] and we’ll set it up and make it happen for you. A private London Walk – they’re good value for an individual or couple and sensational value for a group – makes an ideal group or educational or birthday party or office (team-building) or club outing.
GIVE THE GIFT OF LONDON WALKS
A private London Walk makes a fab gift – be it a birthday or anniversary or Christmas present or whatever. Merchandise schmerchandise (gift wrapped or not) – but giving someone an experience, now that’s special. Memories make us rich.
21 reviews for Mrs Dalloway’s London – the 100th Anniversary
Rated 5 out of 5
Susan –
David. I just have to say that you gave me the best tour of my life. I have said it over and over. I loved your enthusiasm, the large illustrations, that you moved right along, and of course the”surprise”!
When we return in the future, I’ll certainly contact you again. Happy New Year to you and your lovely wife. Susan
Rated 5 out of 5
Paul E. Tierney Jr. –
We went with David and enjoyed every minute. Five of us ( three generations ) were all conversant with Virginia Woolf and Mrs Dalloway , but learned a great deal . David is well prepared and articulate, but he is also a kind, personable, friendly person to be with. Best guided walk I have had in a long time. Paul
Rated 5 out of 5
Lisbeth Boutang –
Best walk in my tour of walks. Compelling insights into both character and author. A lot of research and introspection went into David’s stellar tour. I had read the book at university 40 years ago. Still I dashed off and bought a hardbound addition to read with fresh relish. I appreciate his follow-up emails that add a friendly, permanent touch.
Rated 5 out of 5
Suzan Rogers –
Having gone on a number of these walks, the most memorable guided by David, I have found them all enjoyable, this one is a gem however and could too easily be dismissed as only of interest to literature fans. Rather this pulls together a wealth of British history, the impact of the First World War with its legacy not only of death but the trauma of loss, the significance of the British monarchy, the social milieu of the upper classes and cleverly, and through David’s extensive and unique research which he so graciously shares, links them all with the immersive prose of the novel Mrs Dalloway and the tortured life of its author Virginia Woolfe. The sounds and sights of London in the early 1920s are all here, from the booming of Big Ben in its majestic architectural setting to the peace of Dean’s Yard, to the jaw dropping moment in St James Park when we encounter Woolfe herself. This is the 100th anniversary of Mrs Dalloway’s party, you’re invited, don’t miss the fun, as Clarissa Dalloway would say’What a lark! What a plunge!
Rated 5 out of 5
Ann Kirkland –
My friends and I have taken nearly a dozen London Walks and recommend them highly to everyone we know who is visiting the city. While all have been *****, I wish to make special mention of David’s Mrs Dalloway walk. David brought Virginia Woolf’s masterful novel to life with his depth of knowledge and his engaging delivery. He has done a tremendous amount of personal research. His enthusiasm for the book is contagious. Whether you know the book well or have not yet read it, you will lose yourself in Mrs Dalloway’s morning walk. David also sent us a variety of terrific links.
Rated 5 out of 5
Jane Heitz –
I loved visiting the quiet streets and elegant buildings that I had thus far only known through the literature of the time. And there they were, right in front of us…with Mrs. Dalloway surely within.
Rated 5 out of 5
Krzysztof –
The walk was a marvellous experience. David prepared every detail for us to enjoy, from Big Ben striking the passage of time like in the novel, to scholarly opinions about the exact date that Woolf set the story in. David did a tremendous job of recreating London from a century ago, providing us with articles, photos and other sources. The historical context, which is so crucial for further understanding and appreciation of the novel, was something that I probably wouldn’t have learnt about hadn’t I taken the tour. The stops alongside the walk, reading extracts from the novel and hearing about the reality of the 20s transposed me to what felt like a different city. It might have been the first time I felt peaceful around Westminster, disregarding the hoards of tourists and imagining what it looked like when Mrs Dalloway was traversing London. I took a friend with me who hadn’t read the novel but still enjoyed the walk thoroughly, which speaks for itself.
Rated 5 out of 5
Andrea –
I took the walk with David on a gorgeous August day. There couldn’t be any better way to celebrate the centenary of the novel, which Virginia Woolf set on a June day in 1923. David showed us a wealth of primary documents to transport us back to the London of the early 1920s: newspapers of the time, photos of building that have long disappeared and historical figures that populated Mrs. Dalloway’s world (and indeed, Virginia Woolf’s). Besides, we got a chance to listen to the only recording of Woolf’s voice discussing the beauty of the English language, as well as passages from the novel read by David at crossroads and other meaningful spots. We met at the foot of Big Ben – which marks the passing of time throughout Woolf’s narrative – and stopped at several places in the Westminster area that are mentioned in Woolf’s account of a day in the lives of her characters: Whitehall, the grave of the Unknown Warrior, Clarissa Dalloway’s presumed house on Barton Street, Dean’s Yard, St James’s Park – just to name a few. The walk ended on Piccadilly near Hatchard’s, one of the few shops mentioned in Woolf’s masterpiece that are still around. If you’re familiar with “Mrs. Dalloway”, you’ll definitely love this, but you don’t have to be a scholar of modernist literature to enjoy the walk. David shared many stories about London and British interwar society that set the context for the novel, and constantly directed our attention to details that often go unnoticed even by born-and-bred Londoners: gas lamps, statues, bridges, etc. Whether you’ve read the novel or not, I highly recommend it!
Rated 5 out of 5
Liliana –
Truly a magical experience. Thank you so much, David! For the wonderful walk and all-important follow-up materials. Like you, clearly, I love this city and the book and the writer. I will treasure the memories and the information and the sense of your resounding voice – so clear the delivery :)) You made it fascinating, intriguing, inspiring – God bless! Liliana
Rated 5 out of 5
Katherine Pieri –
Our guide, David, was a tour de force. As we walked in Mrs Dalloway’s footsteps from her home in Westminster across St. James’s and Green Park to Bond Street in her quest for flowers for her party that evening, she was brought to life with his passion and detailed research on the subject. I felt I was walking beside her. Using clues gleaned from the book, put into historic context with copies of The Times of the time, he argued persuasively that June 20 was the correct 100th Anniversary date. You could be forgiven for thinking that Mrs Dalloway isn’t a great work of fiction but a real person who lived and breathed in her London. Thank you David!
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Susan –
David. I just have to say that you gave me the best tour of my life. I have said it over and over. I loved your enthusiasm, the large illustrations, that you moved right along, and of course the”surprise”!
When we return in the future, I’ll certainly contact you again. Happy New Year to you and your lovely wife. Susan
Paul E. Tierney Jr. –
We went with David and enjoyed every minute. Five of us ( three generations ) were all conversant with Virginia Woolf and Mrs Dalloway , but learned a great deal . David is well prepared and articulate, but he is also a kind, personable, friendly person to be with. Best guided walk I have had in a long time. Paul
Lisbeth Boutang –
Best walk in my tour of walks. Compelling insights into both character and author. A lot of research and introspection went into David’s stellar tour. I had read the book at university 40 years ago. Still I dashed off and bought a hardbound addition to read with fresh relish. I appreciate his follow-up emails that add a friendly, permanent touch.
Suzan Rogers –
Having gone on a number of these walks, the most memorable guided by David, I have found them all enjoyable, this one is a gem however and could too easily be dismissed as only of interest to literature fans. Rather this pulls together a wealth of British history, the impact of the First World War with its legacy not only of death but the trauma of loss, the significance of the British monarchy, the social milieu of the upper classes and cleverly, and through David’s extensive and unique research which he so graciously shares, links them all with the immersive prose of the novel Mrs Dalloway and the tortured life of its author Virginia Woolfe. The sounds and sights of London in the early 1920s are all here, from the booming of Big Ben in its majestic architectural setting to the peace of Dean’s Yard, to the jaw dropping moment in St James Park when we encounter Woolfe herself. This is the 100th anniversary of Mrs Dalloway’s party, you’re invited, don’t miss the fun, as Clarissa Dalloway would say’What a lark! What a plunge!
Ann Kirkland –
My friends and I have taken nearly a dozen London Walks and recommend them highly to everyone we know who is visiting the city. While all have been *****, I wish to make special mention of David’s Mrs Dalloway walk. David brought Virginia Woolf’s masterful novel to life with his depth of knowledge and his engaging delivery. He has done a tremendous amount of personal research. His enthusiasm for the book is contagious. Whether you know the book well or have not yet read it, you will lose yourself in Mrs Dalloway’s morning walk. David also sent us a variety of terrific links.
Jane Heitz –
I loved visiting the quiet streets and elegant buildings that I had thus far only known through the literature of the time. And there they were, right in front of us…with Mrs. Dalloway surely within.
Krzysztof –
The walk was a marvellous experience. David prepared every detail for us to enjoy, from Big Ben striking the passage of time like in the novel, to scholarly opinions about the exact date that Woolf set the story in. David did a tremendous job of recreating London from a century ago, providing us with articles, photos and other sources. The historical context, which is so crucial for further understanding and appreciation of the novel, was something that I probably wouldn’t have learnt about hadn’t I taken the tour. The stops alongside the walk, reading extracts from the novel and hearing about the reality of the 20s transposed me to what felt like a different city. It might have been the first time I felt peaceful around Westminster, disregarding the hoards of tourists and imagining what it looked like when Mrs Dalloway was traversing London. I took a friend with me who hadn’t read the novel but still enjoyed the walk thoroughly, which speaks for itself.
Andrea –
I took the walk with David on a gorgeous August day. There couldn’t be any better way to celebrate the centenary of the novel, which Virginia Woolf set on a June day in 1923. David showed us a wealth of primary documents to transport us back to the London of the early 1920s: newspapers of the time, photos of building that have long disappeared and historical figures that populated Mrs. Dalloway’s world (and indeed, Virginia Woolf’s). Besides, we got a chance to listen to the only recording of Woolf’s voice discussing the beauty of the English language, as well as passages from the novel read by David at crossroads and other meaningful spots. We met at the foot of Big Ben – which marks the passing of time throughout Woolf’s narrative – and stopped at several places in the Westminster area that are mentioned in Woolf’s account of a day in the lives of her characters: Whitehall, the grave of the Unknown Warrior, Clarissa Dalloway’s presumed house on Barton Street, Dean’s Yard, St James’s Park – just to name a few. The walk ended on Piccadilly near Hatchard’s, one of the few shops mentioned in Woolf’s masterpiece that are still around. If you’re familiar with “Mrs. Dalloway”, you’ll definitely love this, but you don’t have to be a scholar of modernist literature to enjoy the walk. David shared many stories about London and British interwar society that set the context for the novel, and constantly directed our attention to details that often go unnoticed even by born-and-bred Londoners: gas lamps, statues, bridges, etc. Whether you’ve read the novel or not, I highly recommend it!
Liliana –
Truly a magical experience. Thank you so much, David! For the wonderful walk and all-important follow-up materials. Like you, clearly, I love this city and the book and the writer. I will treasure the memories and the information and the sense of your resounding voice – so clear the delivery :)) You made it fascinating, intriguing, inspiring – God bless! Liliana
Katherine Pieri –
Our guide, David, was a tour de force. As we walked in Mrs Dalloway’s footsteps from her home in Westminster across St. James’s and Green Park to Bond Street in her quest for flowers for her party that evening, she was brought to life with his passion and detailed research on the subject. I felt I was walking beside her. Using clues gleaned from the book, put into historic context with copies of The Times of the time, he argued persuasively that June 20 was the correct 100th Anniversary date. You could be forgiven for thinking that Mrs Dalloway isn’t a great work of fiction but a real person who lived and breathed in her London. Thank you David!