This one gets a 21-gun salute
Yes, a 21-gun salute for this new walk.
1. Created and guided by Dr Luisa. Snap! That’s a lock for a brilliant walk.
2. Women ahead of their time who dared to think and live differently.
3. Women who changed history.
4. Society beauties.
5. Math protégés.
6. Double-crossing spies – their heroism was unparalleled.
7. Heiresses.
8. Politicians.
9. Ground-breaking writers.
10. “The most remarkable woman in the kingdom.”
11. The courtesan who wrote the first kiss-and-tel memoir.
12. The Lady of the Lamp.
13. The woman novelist who inspired Jane Austen.
14. The London of Jane Austen’s Sense and Sensibility.
15. The royal mistress everybody loved.
16. Henry VIII’s short-lived “morally corrupt and physically deformed” Queen.
17. Posh London to the Nth degree.
18. The grandest, most beautiful house in London.
19. London’s shopping Shangri-La.
20. London’s oldest palace – hoary with age, redolent with history.
21. A hidden, utterly charming 300-year-old market square, the haunt of “strumpets & lazy rascals.”
FIRST THE 21-GUN SALUTE, NOW THE PAGEANT
Meet the wild and wonderful women of Westminster who changed history – from society beauties to maths protégés to double-crossing spies who risked their lives for democracy to heiresses to politicians to ground-breaking writers.
ALL ABOUT THE WALK (here speaks Guide Luisa)
We’ll be meeting the wild and wonderful women who lived in some of the loveliest and wealthiest parts of London from the 1500s to the 20th century. Women who dared to think and live differently – women ahead of their time who were one part ordinary to two parts extraordinary.
Walking through glorious Piccadilly, St James’s Square and the Mall we’ll discover the woman who King Edward Vll said was the most remarkable woman in the kingdom – after his mother (who was Queen Victoria so the bar was high but then she, the woman Edward VII had in mind, did give billions of pounds to charity), the courtesan who wrote the first kiss-and-tell memoir (the Duke of Wellington said “publish and be damned”), the world’s best-selling crime writer who hid herself away to write in one of St James’s oldest hotels and the Lady of the Lamp who was a statistical genius as well as a pioneering nurse.
We meet the pioneering woman novelist whose writing inspired Jane Austen. And walk along the very streets frequented by Jane Austen’s characters in Sense and Sensibility. Streets Jane Austen knew from staying with her banker brother Henry. Streets great for shopping then and now.
We meet the most popular mistress of a King and remember the first wife of our current monarch. Her, that first wife’s family home, is a London “must see.” Many reckon it to be the most beautiful house in London. And nearby – an embarrassment of regal ex-wifely riches – a Henry VIII ex who barely saw the palace he built for her.
And what about the trailblazers, the women spies – part of the double-crossers – ordinary women whose heroism was beyond compare and whose work often led to the ultimate sacrifice. And for good measure, the genius who saw what the earliest computer could do. We celebrate them, too.
A few of these women are household names – others are less famous. But one and all are undeniably wild or wonderful and often both.
The area itself is a visual feast, a joy to sojourn through. We will see the oldest and often overlooked palace in London, a hidden, charming market square that hasn’t changed much since the 1700s when it was full of ‘strumpets and lazy rascals’ as well as some of Piccadilly’s most luxurious hotels.
IT ALL COMES DOWN TO THE GUIDING
THE ESSENTIALS
Meeting point: Green Park Tube Station – North exit (on the corner of Piccadilly and Stratton Street)
The tour lasts for two hours.
The tour finishes near Green Park Tube station.
Denise –
As a Londoner it always amazes me how little I know about people and places in my city. I really enjoyed this walk around Mayfair and hearing all about the wonderful women in our history, I came away feeling quite thoughtful for the next few days! Luisa’s style is informative but also easygoing, she then follows up with an email linking you to all the wonderful women again. Highly recommend this tour
Jo H –
I went on the Wild and Wonderful Women of Westminster with Luisa! She was not only very interesting and knowledgeable on the subject but I found her to be very kind and attentive to all the participants on the tour! I would definitely recommend her walks for a very pleasant, enjoyable and interesting experience!
Jean –
Excellent walk through Mayfair covering the various talents of women in different ages. Really appreciated the back up information that Louisa emailed afterwards giving links to biographies and other publications related to what we learned on the walk.
lilach resnik –
My daughter and I joined the “Wild & Wonderful Women of Westminste” walk and thoroughly enjoyed it.
The tour was fascinating, very well planned, and filled with stories that were both thought-provoking and engaging. It left us wanting to learn more at every stop. Even though I know the area quite well, the walk introduced us to beautiful streets and hidden corners that I had never noticed before.
A special thank you to Luisa, who was knowledgeable, enthusiastic, and an excellent storyteller.
Highly recommended!!.
Alexander Ellis –
Absolutely loved the walk and the information about the wild and wonderful women of Westminster . Luisa is an excellent guide with great style. This tour rates as a must do and I will certainly be looking out for opportunity to do Luisa’s other walk.
Eileen Meara –
The walk was fascinating. Louisa had done a huge amount if research and shared her knowledge freely. I recommend the walk to anyone interested in women, history and architecture
Claudia Alvear –
What a wild and wonderful tour this was! Luisa told amazing stories about amazing women. Some of whom we’ve heard of but most of whom we have not. These stories should be told and are only now seeing the light of day. It’s time to retell history, without leaving out 50% of the population and Luisa does just that. It’s also a delightful way to spend an afternoon in London and discover places a tourist (or local) would not normally visit.
Susan Carlile –
I have been waiting for someone to create this tour for a long time, so I am especially grateful to Luisa for crafting an outstanding walk packed with intriguing and moving stories that exceeded all my expectations! With charming and intelligent style she gave us a fascinating view into the lives of many of the Westminster women who have made deep impacts on today’s London. I cannot recommend her walk highly enough.
Ann D’Arcy –
Luisa has a very calm presenting style and is passionate about her topics. She also wants to ensure that the group members have an informative and enjoyable experience. Luisa brought the women, she included in her walk , ,to life with her story telling and factual information. Having Luisa as a guide ensures that you will have an informative and interesting walking tour. This is the second walking tour I did with Luisa and content and experience was to a very high standard on both occasions.
Judith McKerracher –
Luisa has a real talent for telling a good story. The accounts of all the women were lively and interesting with, among the well researched information, anecdotes that brought them to life. It was a very enjoyable walk.