This excursion will be back soon. In the meantime we’d be happy to organise a private tour for you. Please contact us on 020 7624 3978 | [email protected] to make a booking.

The Livery Companies Walk

St. Paul's underground station, London (exit 2)

Guided by Karen

Short version: “The muchel smale people” – the domination of the wealthy

Long version: It’s the oldest story of all. The one that’s crystallised above in the two ends of that teeter totter – and their relationship, today and over the centuries. It’s the story the DNA of which is the essence of London – its history, its institutions, its government, its demeanour and outlook. It’s a story of craft associations and privileges and monopolies and royal charters and grand halls and feasts and charities and distinctive uniforms (“liveries”) and London reinventing itself over and over and an ever-shifting population and a dizzying number of social levels and rank.

It’s the extraordinary physical and mental maps – configurations – of the most aggressively modern place in the United Kingdom that is at the same time, time-honoured and tradition-soaked. A place of customs of immemorial usage.

It’s the 2.90 square kilometres that are far and away the most difficult part of the entire United Kingdom to “read”, to figure out. But which you have to figure out if you’re going to understand this country and what makes it tick.

This walk takes you there, takes you through that history, through that immeorial usage, through seven centuries, through those privileges, through groves of steel and glass to the traces – there are lots of them – that mark out the lineaments of Livery Company London.

It’s guided – as you’ve already noted – by Karen. Yes, Karen. “The world’s greatest guide,” according to that Travel & Leisure article. The Number One Draft Pick (to put it in NFL parlance)  – The Guide of the Year Award Winner in her Year. The host of the Discovery Channel series, Next Stop London.

PRACTICALS

The Livery Companies Walk takes place at TBA on TBA. Meet Karen just outside exit 2 of St. Paul’s Tube.

N.B. this walk takes the place of the Invitation to a Secret Ceremony walk that was originally scheduled to take place at 2 pm on Tuesday, November 29 from St. Paul’s Tube, exit 2. The Butchers Company have just announced that they’re postponing the ceremony by a fortnight – instead of November 29 it’ll go on Tuesday, December 13. (This technology sure comes in handy sometimes.) Ergo Karen’s doing The Livery Companies of London Walk in its place. Same time (2 pm) same station (St. Paul’s Tube, exit 2). Please note, Karen will be back at St. Paul’s Tube at 2 pm on Tuesday, December 13 to do the Livery Company (singular, not plural) walk that focuses in on the Butchers Company and their rescheduled Boar’s Head Ceremony – the Invitation to a Secret Ceremony Walk.

LONDON WALKS PRIVATE WALKS

If you can’t make one of the regularly scheduled, just-turn-up, The Livery Companies Walk it can always be booked as a private tour. If you go private you can have the The Livery Companies Walk 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.

LONDON WALKS – STREETS AHEAD!

Don’t just take it from us.

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