Heart of England Tourist Guides' Association

14/05/2024

Live online at 1900 BST tomorrow evening, or on 7 day "view again" join me for a virtual tour of a diverse, surprising and fascinating tour of the six towns which make up the English Midland local government district of Sandwell.

A virtual guided tour of the towns that make up the West Midlands Borough of Sandwell

20/04/2024

I’m putting some new tours on sale over the next day or so…….

01/04/2024

Coming up this Wednesday (that's 3 April 2024 at 1900 BST or on 7-day "view again"), Ian Jelf's "What's in a Place Name?" a look at the variety of origins and meanings of place names throughout England and beyond.......

Join Ian Jelf's "What's in a Place Name?" online event to uncover the fascinating stories behind our favorite locations!

26/03/2024

Tonight live online at 1900 GMT or on 7 day "view again":

Comparing pictures of Birmingham of yesteryear with those of today.

11/03/2024

Next Wednesday, watch live online or on 7 day view again”.

Come and discover the many and varied stories, old and new in the East London
district of Poplar.

Join Ian Jelf on a thrilling virtual adventure as he takes you on a tour of the vibrant neighborhood of Poplar – expect fascinating stories,

10/03/2024

Join Ian Jelf on a virtual journey through Leominster, exploring its hidden gems and historical landmarks,,all from the comfort of home!

09/03/2024

https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/ian-jelfs-virtual-tour-of-leominster-tickets-836331448877?aff=ebdsoporgprofile

Join Ian Jelf on a virtual journey through Leominster, exploring its hidden gems and historical landmarks,,all from the comfort of home!

06/03/2024

Tonight!

Watch live online or up to a week later on “view again”.

https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/ian-jelfs-virtual-tour-of-matthew-boultons-birmingham-tickets-787749147907?utm_experiment=test_share_listing&aff=ebdsshios

21/02/2024

I'm running a virtual tour tonight following in the footstep of the young King Charles II on the run from Parliamentary or Roundhead forces following the Battle of Worcester in 1651.

It's one of those "tours" that actually lends itself best to virtual presentation and we can cover a vast c***k of England in just 90 minutes or so!

From Worcester to Shropshire, Bristol, Dorset and Sussex, the young king and his entourage were seldom far from danger and the whole thing reads like a work of fiction. A work of fiction which happens to be true.

You can join online live tonight at 1900GMT or else watch on "view again" for at least a week afterwards, longer by arrangement.

All the details and booking link are at:

A virtual tour of the adventure-filled escape of Charles II, from Worcester to Shroeham in Sussex, by way of an Oak Tree and Stonehenge!

01/01/2024

I’ve just put some new virtual tours on sale;

Ian Jelf is a qualified "Blue Badge" tourist guide for the Heart of England, London and South West England, with nearly 30 years' experience in tourist guiding. He loves taking people around surprising places, both famous and obscure.Check out his Tripadvisor profile.The "Blue Badge" is Britain's na...

12/05/2023

Fancy discovering a fast changing part of Birmingham?

Then join Ian Jelf for a LIVE IN PERSON walking tour of Birmingham's East Side TOMORROW from 11 until about 1.

Details and booking link at:

Come and discover one of the most changed (and changing!) parts of Birmingham live in person

27/04/2023

Come and explore "classic Birmingham" with me LIVE IN PERSON this Saturday.......

Live in person walking tours are back!

30/01/2023

https://fb.watch/inPTEC6G8D/

05/09/2022

19/05/2022

https://fb.watch/d64ZbFiqmO/

16/03/2022

A virtual tour around the beautiful and historic Lincolnshire town of Stamford.

15/03/2022

Tomorrow evening…….

A virtual tour around the beautiful and historic Lincolnshire town of Stamford.

12/03/2022

A virtual guided tour of two areas of the capital that came to define London's 20th century suburbia.

06/03/2022

Ian Jelf's (Virtual) tour of Birmingham's Jewellery Quarter

17/02/2022

A virtual trip along the ancient Roman road from Lincoln to Exeter

13/02/2022

It’s the East Midlands A-Z, and this time R is for Railway!

Do you know which was one of the last “main lines” to be built in England? With its reputation for speed, which line was closed in the ‘Beeching cuts’ of the 1960s? Where can you find three “period” stations in Leicestershire? Which is the only ‘Mainline’ heritage railway in the world and which line was used for filming Stan and Ollie and The Crown?

You could learn how to provide visitors with such facts and a wealth of others. Just click on our website http://www.guidetrainingeastmids.com to find out how to train to be a Blue Badge Tourist Guide.

If you enjoyed hearing about East Midlands towns and cities, join another ‘on line virtual tour’ which features the beautiful and historic town of Stamford soon with Joint Course Director Ian Jelf. For details and bookings go to https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/o/ian-jelf-18435077503 (You can also watch up until 48 hours later on demand)

It’s a fact that the British do love their trains – even if they do tend to moan about them a lot. But one thing the country has in abundance is preserved steam railways.

However, these are usually abandoned branch lines, so the presence in Leicestershire of a section of what was once a main line with high speed (for the era!) trains is something rather special.

The Great Central Railway was one of the last “main lines” to be built, actually being an 1890s London extension of an existing regional railway in the North of England. The new line effectively linked Sheffield with London by way of Nottingham and Leicester. The company built a fine new London terminus and hotel at Marylebone.

The main line, with its reputation for speed, was closed in the so-called “Beeching axe” of the 1960s.

However, a group of enthusiasts formed the Main Line Preservation Group (later the Main Line – they looked at restoring a huge stretch from Nottingham to Rugby. In the end, a variety of circumstances reduced this to an 8¼ mile stretch between Loughborough and the outskirts of Leicester.

Today, this line serves three “period” stations at Loughborough, Quorn & Woodhouse and Rothley and a “new build” one in traditional style) at Leicester North. As a former main line, the Great Central now is thought to be the only ‘Mainline’ heritage railway in the world with 5.25 miles of working double track.

As well as providing a regular service of period trains, the line has been used for filming for the large and small screen (Buster, The Crown, Stan & Ollie, Top Gear) and is especially famous for its onboard dining experiences, including the famous “Griddle Car”. People even hire trains for wedding receptions!

30/01/2022

A virtual trip along one of Britain's most fascinating roads

29/01/2022

From suburban London, through the fascinating West Midlands and on to the grandeur of North Wales, join me tomorrow evening for a virtual stagecoach ride along Thomas Telford's famous Holyhead Road! (Join live or watch on 48 hour time delay.)

The story of a Scotsman who built a road through Wales to connect England and Ireland!

https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/ian-jelfs-virtual-trip-along-the-holyhead-road-tickets-229303802847?utm-campaign=social&utm-content=attendeeshare&utm-medium=discovery&utm-term=listing&utm-source=cp&aff=escb

A virtual trip along one of Britain's most fascinating roads

25/01/2022

Leicester: More than the King in the Car Park!

19/01/2022

Come along and learn that there is far more to Nottingham than just Robin Hood!

13/01/2022

Come and discover how Birmingham became Britain's second city from a distinctly humble beginning at a river crossing.......
https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/ian-jelfs-virtual-birmingham-bull-ring-from-saxons-to-selfridges-tickets-229288276407?utm-campaign=social&utm-content=attendeeshare&utm-medium=discovery&utm-term=listing&utm-source=cp&aff=escb

Birmingham's Bull Ring: From Saxons to Selfridges

26/12/2021

Ian Jelf is a qualified "Blue Badge" tourist guide for the Heart of England, London and South West England, with nearly 30 years' experience in tourist guiding. He loves taking people around surprising places, both famous and obscure.Check out his Tripadvisor profile. The "Blue Badge" is Britain's n...

21/11/2021

A virtual tour of the sites of the famous Whitechapel Murders attributed to "Jack the Ripper"