29/11/2023
Buckingham Palace from St James’s Park. Had a lovely Westminster walk with a group today. Sunny, crisp autumn day, this is a great time of year to visit London. www.tourguideinlondon.com
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Half day, full day tours and extended tours starting in London. Blue Badge Guide.
02/11/2023
In Wells England’s smallest city with one of its most impressive cathedrals. Training for the Blue Badge endorsement to guide the Cathedral. New day trip to Wells and Bath coming soon. www.tourguideinlondon.com
23/09/2023
Beautiful light quality at Stonehenge.
09/07/2023
Tower Bridge opened for us on the Thames River cruise on the final day of the tour for the group from Sugarland Baptist Church. Well actually it opened for the tall ship behind us but our boat got to go under the bascules of the bridge too.
09/07/2023
Been traveling with Sugarland Baptist church from Texas for 10 days showing them sites connected with hymns and hymn writers. Here they are singing Onward Christian Soldiers in St Peter’s Church in Lew Trenchard Devon where Sabrine Baring Gould was vicar and afterwards enjoying afternoon tea in the house where he lived which is now a hotel. Other visits included Brixham associated with Henry Francis Lyte and Abide with Me, Charles Wesley’s house and the New Room in Bristol and we celebrated the 250th anniversary of Amazing Grace with them singing it in John Newton’s church in Olney. They also sang an excellent concert at All Souls Langham Place which was special for me as I was part of that church family for 16 years.
06/05/2023
God save the King!
King Charles and Queen Camilla travelled to Westminster Abbey in the Diamond Jubilee Coach.
It is the crème de la crème of horse drawn carriages with an aluminium frame, electric windows , air conditioning and six hydraulic stabilisers. The coach was made in Australia by John Frecklington who learned the craft of carriage building at the Royal Mews in London and combines traditional craftsmanship with modern technology. The wood panels inside are made from objects donated by over 100 historic sites and organisations from across Britain including Caernarfon Castle, Canterbury Cathedral, Westminster Abbey, The Mary Rose (HenryVIII’s flagship), 10 Downing Street, and there is even a fragment of The Stone of scone (the stone which has been placed within the Coronation Chair at coronations for more than 700 years). The door handles are from the Royal Yacht Britannia and the crown on the top of the coach is made from oak taken from HMS Victory Admiral Nelson’s flagship, inside there is a camera which films the crowds lining the route and offers a ‘carriage-eye’ view of the procession.
After the Coronation Service the return journey was in an equally special but rather different coach, the Gold State Coach which was made in 1762 and has been used at all coronations since George IV’s in 1821. It is made of wood covered in gold leaf and painted panels. Its magnificence is most appropriate to the occasion but unfortunately it is slung on leather straps and so liable to cause motion sickness. Queen Victoria remarked about its ‘distressing oscillations’, King William IV, known as the Sailor King, likened the experience to being the in a ship tossed around in heavy seas and George IV described his coronation procession as ‘one of the most uncomfortable rides I have ever had in my life’ but the new King and Queen endured it valiantly and what a specular day of royal pageantry it has been with the magnificent solemn service for the consecration of the King and the crowning of the King and Queen and then the spectacular procession with 4000 Armed Forces personnel from across the U.K and the Commonwealth along with 300 horses.
01/05/2023
Enjoyed a day off in the beautiful Kent countryside and saw the house in Shoreham where the artist Samuel Palmer lived from 1828-34. The second photo is part of the Darent Valley Path. Samuel Palmer was greatly inspired by the landscape which he called this valley his 'valley of vision' and he produced many paintings in response to it. Shoreham is an easy day trip from London and could be included in a bespoke Kent itinerary.
www.tourguideinlondon.com
02/02/2023
At Canterbury Cathedral today for the Consecration of Rt Revd Paul Thomas as Bishop of Oswestry. The photo shows him after the ceremony with other Bishops of the Church of England.
Canterbury Cathedral is a wonderful Cathedral to visit and an easy day trip from London. www.tourguideinlondon.com
27/12/2022
Did a tour in Westminster Abbey today. St Francis of Assisi is credited with staging the first nativity scene in 1223. This is recorded in the 'Life of St Francis of Assisi' written by St Bonaventure who was a Franciscan Friar born 5 years before St Francis died. He tells us that St Francis got permission from Pope Honorius III to set up a nativity scene including a manager and hay and an ox and a donkey in the village of Grecio in Italy. He invited the villagers to come and gaze upon the scene while he preached about Christ's birth in Bethlehem.
There are crib scenes in churches all over London at the moment and also one on Trafalgar Square.
25/12/2022
The people who walked in darkness
have seen a great light;
those who lived in a land of deep darkness—
on them light has shined.
For a child has been born for us,
a son given to us;
authority rests upon his shoulders;
and he is named
Wonderful Counsellor, Mighty God,
Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
Isaiah 9:2,6
12/12/2022
Enjoyed a walk on a snowy Chislehurst Common today.
22/11/2022
St George's Bickley in the sunshine early this morning.
Take a tour of churches with me and discover hidden gems www.tourguideinlondon.com
13/11/2022
The grave of the Unknown Warrior. Rev David Railton, chaplain to the British forces in France, noticed that someone had set up in a garden a small cross on which were written the words “An Unknown British Soldier”. He suggested to Dean Herbert Ryle, that it would be wonderful if there could be a memorial in Westminster Abbey to all British soldiers who had no known grave. The bodies of 4 unknown British serviceman were exhumed from four battle areas. The Brigadier General L.J Wyatt selected one at random, the other bodies were reburied and the chosen body was brought to England on HMS Verdun and taken to London by train. People packed onto the platforms of the stations along the route to watch the train pass . The coffin rested overnight at Victoria Station and a guard of honour kept an overnight vigil. A plaque marks the spot and a service of commemoration is still held there every year on the eve of Remembrance Day. On the morning of 11th November 1920 the coffin was placed on a gun carriage drawn by six horses of the Royal Horse Artillery. The coffin was covered with the flag that David Railton had used as an altar frontal during the War (this flag now hangs in St George's Chapel in the Abbey). Hundreds of thousands of people watched as the procession moved slowly towards Westminster Abbey. The congregation inside the Abbey included King George V and 100 widows who had lost their husband and also all their sons in the First World War. At the end of the service, as the coffin was lowered into the grave, the King threw a handful of French earth onto the coffin. Servicemen stood keeping watch at each corner of the grave and over the next week 1.5million people filed past the grave of the Unknown Warrior, many left flowers and cards addressed to the loved one that they had lost. The unknown warrior represented their husband, son or father who never came home after the war.
In 1923 as Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon began her walk down the aisle to marry the future King George VI she placed her bouquet on the grave of the Unknown Warrior. Her brother had been killed in the war. Royal brides since have had their bouquets placed on the grave.
05/11/2022
Enjoyed the Cezanne exhibition at Tata Modern. Said to be the father of modern art.
16/10/2022
Early morning sunshine in Trafalgar Square,
13/10/2022
St Paul's Cathedral and the Millennium Bridge. The old and the new, often standing side by side, is one of the things that makes London so special.
24/09/2022
The Kyoto Garden in Holland Park, one of London’s hidden gems.
19/09/2022
Queen Elizabeth II laid to rest today in St George’s Chapel at Windsor Castle her much loved home. Her reign was marked by dignity, grace and selfless service motivated by her Christian faith. She was the longest serving female monarch of all time, only Louis XIV of France reigned for longer.
We do not grieve as those without hope, 1 Thessalonians 4: 13-14.
16/09/2022
At the Coliseum last night to see the United Ukrainian Ballet perform Giselle. Great to support this amazing venture under the artistic directorship or IGone de Jonch who is a Ukrainian with a distinguished career in the Dutch National Ballet. She has brought together Ukrainian ballet dancers from companies and schools across the country who are now refugees having fled their war torn country and is giving them the chance to perform and pick up their careers which is so important as ballet is such a short career and continuous training and performance is the only way to maintain the highest professional standards. The company is a temporary project and will continue until the dancers are able to return home. Based in the Hague they have performances scheduled in Asia and Australia as well as here in London.
This production of Giselle is a new interpretation in a very traditional mould by Alexei Ratmansky who was born in St Petersburg and danced with the Ukrainian National Ballet and the Royal Danish Ballet. Now artist in residence at American Ballet Theatre, he directed the Bookshop from 2004 to 2008.The influence of the Bournonville style is evident in some of Ratmansky's choreography for example in the Peasant Pas de Deux. He creates some really beautiful moments as he subtly adjusts the usual choreography especially the moment the Willis lose their power as dawn breaks. Beautiful dancing and interpretation creating a moving performance last night from Katja Khaniukova and Stanislaus Olshanskyi as Giselle and Albrecht.
Last chance to see the production tomorrow evening (Saturday). Proceeds of the performances go to the Disaster Emergency Committe Ukraine Humanitarian Appeal.
10/09/2022
At the Royal Exchange in the City of London today to see the Clarenceux King of Arms read the second Proclamation of the Accession of King Charles III in the presence of the Lord Mayor who walked beside him in procession.
08/09/2022
The nation gives thanks for the life of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II.
May she rest in peace and rise in glory.
15/08/2022
Been doing some heritage of hymns tours recently. Here is Second Baptist Church Houston Texas singing Rock of Ages Cleft for me in the cleft In the rock which inspired Augustus Toplady to write the hymn.
14/07/2022
Lavender is in flower at Cotswolds Lavender. Visit www.tourguideinlondon.com to book a Cotswolds tour.
21/04/2022
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Wishing Her Majesty a very happy birthday.
See Windsor Castle The Queen's favourite residence on a special Platinum Jubilee tour.
Www.tourguideinlondon.com
07/02/2022
Gun salute fired by the King’s Troop Royal Horse Artillery in Green Park today to celebrate the 70th anniversary of the Queen’s Accession to the throne and the start of the year of Platinum Jubilee celebrations. A Royal salute normally comprises 21 rounds, this is increased to 41 when fired from a Royal Park or a Royal Residence. Tradition dictates that when an anniversary falls on the Sunday the salute is fired on Monday.
Originally called the Riding Troop the regiment in its current form was formed in 1946 by Royal decree of George VI who wanted to retain one regiment of horse -drawn artillery (after the others had been mechanised) to fire Royal gun salutes on state occasions and on Royal birthdays and births. They were given the name King’s Troop after an inspection by King George VI the following year when he signed the visitor’s book and crossed out ‘Riding’ replacing it with ‘King’s’ so they are celebrating their 75th anniversary this year. The regiment is now 50% women. One of the Queen’s former horses Knock Castle is one of the 111 horses in the King’s Troop due to the fact that he didn’t find his vocation as a race horse.
06/02/2022
Buckingham Palace is one of the Queen’s three official residences along with Windsor Castle and The palace of Holyrood House. Today the Queen is celebrating the 70th anniversary of her accession to the throne. She is actually spending the day in quiet reflection at Sandringham but tomorrow a series of gun salutes across London will mark the start of a year of Platinum Jubilee celebrations. The Queen is the first British monarch to celebrate a Platinum Jubilee and joins an elite club of ‘Platinum Monarchs’ which includes Louis XIV of France (1643-1715), Johan II Prince Regnant of Liechtenstein (1858-1929) and Bhumibol King of Thailand (1927-2016).
Contact me at www.tourguideinlondon.com to discuss a Platinum Jubilee themed tour.
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