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  • Returning to the Imperial War Museum London

    When the smoke cleared at the end of the First World War, or The Imperial War as it was then known (because it was fought by empires – British, German, and Russian), a shocked Britain was moved to create memorials all over the country. The Imperial War Museum was the grandest of these and was established by an Act of Parliament in 1920. The building in Waterloo was previously the Bedlam Hospital, established by Henry VIII after he dissolved the monasteries in 1533, which accounts for his name above the columned entrance. No tour is complete without him.

  • 10 Royal Palaces & Homes In London

    Six buildings in central London are royal palaces – but only three of these (Buckingham Palace, Kensington Palace, and Saint James’s Palace ) are still used as homes by members of the royal family. In addition, Clarence House is a royal home but not a royal palace. Three older palaces (Placentia Palace, Richmond Palace, and Nonsuch Palace) on the outskirts of London have now vanished except for memorial plaques while Windsor Castle, Hampton Court, and Kew Palace are intact and open to visitors. Windsor is the royal family’s oldest home, and where Saint George’s Chapel is the final resting place of many monarchs, including the late Queen Elizabeth I.

  • Top 10 Objects To Surprise You At The British Museum

    The British Museum is the most visited museum in London. Visitors from all over the world are drawn to the museum to see with their own eyes world-famous artefacts, such as the Rosetta Stone or the Parthenon frieze, artefacts that might have only be seen in school or art books. They also come to experience other cultures, because after all the British Museum is the museum of the world for the world. But for the discerning visitor a scratch beneath the surface of all the “celebrity” objects can reveal some real surprises. Here is my list of such surprises.

  • The Birth of London’s Museum Quarter in South Kensington

    South Kensington in London is synonymous with museums. Three of our best known national museums can be found here: the Natural History Museum, the Science Museum and the Victoria & Albert Museum, known affectionately to many as The V&A.

  • 13 British Monarchs: From Queen Anne to King Charles III

    The British Royal Family can trace their lineage right back to Cerdic of Wessex (519-534), founder and first king of Saxon Wessex, which is not bad for a family tree. As with all royal families, they inter-married with other European Royals over the years, and many fought and died to retain the English crown (merged with the Scottish crown on the ascent to the throne in 1603 of James VI of Scotland as James I of England).

  • 10 Facts about King Charles III

    At 73, King Charles III is the oldest person to have ascended to the throne of the United Kingdom. Charles, named Charles Philip Arthur George at birth, was born at Buckingham Palace in 1948.  He was the first child of the late Queen Elizabeth II and her husband Prince Philip, who were married for seventy-four years and are buried next to each other inside Saint George’s Chapel, Windsor Castle.  Below are ten facts about King Charles III.

Blog Posts

Guide London A to Z: Letter L

Guide London A – Z: Letter L London Landmarks And Tourist Attractions

How many London landmarks and tourist attractions can you name that start with the Letter L? Blue Badge Tourist Guide Elizabeth Carew continues our Guide London A-Z video series and provides insights on the historical events, famous and not-so-famous landmarks in London starting with the Letter L.

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Guide London A to Z: Letter K

Guide London A – Z: Letter K London Landmarks And Tourist Attractions

How many London landmarks and tourist attractions can you name that start with the Letter K? Blue Badge Tourist Guide Linda Hamer continues our Guide London A-Z video series and provides insights on the historical events, famous and not-so-famous landmarks in London starting with the Letter K.

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The Mosaic House, Fairlawn Grove, London W4 5EL. Photo Credit: © Ian Alexander via Wikimedia Commons.

The Carrie Reichardt Mosaic House in Chiswick, London

Spitalfields, Shoreditch, and Penge have established themselves as London’s hottest spots when it comes to street art, where you will find uncensored, clandestine, and sometimes sanctioned works adorning any spare wall or surface in reach of stealthy street artists.

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Guide London A to Z: Letter J

Guide London A – Z: Letter J London Landmarks And Tourist Attractions

How many London landmarks and tourist attractions can you name that start with the Letter J? Blue Badge Tourist Guide Mark King continues our Guide London A-Z video series and provides insights on the historical events, famous and not-so-famous landmarks in London starting with the Letter J.

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Guide London A to Z: Letter I

Guide London A – Z: Letter I London Landmarks And Tourist Attractions

How many London landmarks and tourist attractions can you name that start with the Letter I? Blue Badge Tourist Guide Edwin Lerner continues our Guide London A-Z video series and provides insights on the historical events, famous and not-so-famous landmarks in London starting with the Letter I.

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Association Of Professional Tourist Guides Welcomes 2021 London Blue Badge Tourist Guides At Mayfair Reception

Every year the Association of Professional Tourist Guides (APTG) welcomes those who are training to become London Blue Badge Tourist Guides into the profession.

In order to gain the coveted Blue Badge – the recognised symbol of a professional guide in London – they have to finish a two-year course and pass a series of practical and written examinations set by the Institute of Tourist Guiding.

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Guide London A to Z: Letter H

Guide London A – Z: Letter H London Landmarks And Tourist Attractions

How many London landmarks and tourist attractions can you name that start with the Letter H? Blue Badge Tourist Guide Aaron Hunter continues our Guide London A-Z video series and provides insights on the historical events, famous and not-so-famous landmarks in London starting with the Letter H.

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Westminster Abbey Burials: Scientists’ Corner. Photo Credit: © David Streets.

Westminster Abbey Burials – Famous People Buried Among Kings At Westminster Abbey

As well as being the major royal church of the United Kingdom, Westminster Abbey contains the tombs of many famous people who were not born into royalty. Over 3,000 people are buried at Westminster Abbey – many forgotten by history – but it remains the final resting place for celebrated Britons. Others who are not buried there are honoured with commemorative plaques. Below are some of the famous Westminster Abbey burials.

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Guide London A to Z: Letter G

Guide London A – Z: Letter G London Landmarks And Tourist Attractions

How many London landmarks and tourist attractions can you name that start with the letter G? Blue Badge Tourist Guide Jacqueline Stater continues our Guide London A-Z video series and provides insights on the historical events, famous and not-so-famous landmarks in London starting with the Letter G.

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A promenade concert in the Royal Albert Hall, 2004. Photo Credit: © MykReeve via Wikimedia Commons.

History Of The Proms – A London Institution

Every year in late summer, London plays host to The Proms, a series of classical music concerts held in the Royal Albert Hall, South Kensington. The Albert Hall was built in memory of Queen Victoria’s husband Prince Albert in 1871 and stands opposite the Albert Memorial in Hyde Park. It has a capacity of over 5,000 and is always packed out for the Last Night of the Proms in September, an event that is as much about patriotism as music.

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William and Mary depicted on the ceiling of the Painted Hall, Greenwich, by Sir James Thornhill. Photo Credit: © Public Domain via Wikimedia Commons.

British Royals Buried At Westminster Abbey, The Coronation Church

Westminster Abbey is both Britain’s royal and its national church. No monarch has been buried there since 1760, but it was in the Abbey that the funeral service for Diana, Princess of Wales, took place in September 1997, her brother Earl Spencer giving a famous eulogy at this event.

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Guide London A to Z: Letter F

Guide London A – Z: Letter F London Landmarks And Tourist Attractions

How many London landmarks and tourist attractions can you name that start with the letter F? Blue Badge Tourist Guide Janice Liverseidge continues our Guide London A-Z video series and provides insights on the famous and not-so-famous landmarks in London starting with the Letter F.

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