London by Guide: Guided by Isobel

Bermondsey

Bermondsey lies just to the east of Tower Bridge. South of the river, for much of the twentieth century it had a poor reputation. It was badly bombed in the Blitz. The Bermondsey spirit came to the fore then with local people caring for each other in hard times.
Today Bermondsey is seen as a desirable place to live, close to the City and by the river. But you only have to scratch the surface to find that spirit and the fierce pride people have for their neighbourhood.

Slavery and the City

In 1787, in the City of London, twelve men formed the Society for the Abolition of the Slave Trade,  motivated by empathy, sympathy and compassion for their fellow human beings.
This taster is for a tour about about the horrors of this evil trade, and the legacies it has left; about members of the society, the struggles they faced and the methods they used to reach their goal. 
For more information and how to join this tour, visit https://londonbyguide.wordpress.com

At Bank Junction

Bank Junction lies at the heart of the City of London. It is dominated by a triumvirate of buildings - the Bank of England, the Royal Exchange and the Mansion House. It is also the site of the first municipal toilets in the country. Above and below ground this area is a window into London’s varied history.
To learn more about booking this or any other tour, please contact me via http://Londonbyguide.wordpress.com

Waterloo Station and the Stiffs' Express

This episode is taken from a walk I do around The Cut, Lower Marsh and Waterloo. The arrival of the railway did more than open up the country and allow people to travel further in a day than ever before, it also meant dead Londoners could be buried in cemeteries miles from the capital, their bodies transported by the Necropolis railway.

It’s all in the name

Street names can tell us much about our neighbourhoods’ histories.this podcast is about some streets in my neighbourhood of Walworth, with a brief foray into Camberwell, and how a county cricket club came into being.

Wonderful Walworth

This is a very short episode about Walworth, the neighbourhood where I live. Walworth is one of those overlooked parts of London, but as I hope you’ll understand from this short episode, it’s a place of character, warm people and has very much its own identity.

Some of the Sisterhood

This episode is about some of the women I talk about on my various walks and tours. Some are role models, others definitely not. With women stories so often excluded from mainstream history, I find it fascinating to learn about how they have contributed to the world.

A Champion Adventurer

Sir Claude Champion de Crespigny, military man, adventurer and sportsman, was one of the Champion de Crespigny family who once resided at Denmark Hill. He was a larger than life character, who sounds as though he belongs in Michael Palin’s series Ripping Yarns. I reluctantly exclude him from my Denmark Hill and Camberwell Walk on the grounds that he deserves more time than I would have to give him there. So this is an opportunity to acquaint a wider audience with his remarkable man.

St Paul's Cathedral

Kennington Park se11

Kennington Park covers fifteen acres, it was south London’s first park. During London’s lockdown it continues to provide welcome open space for flat dwellers and dog walkers, families and fitness fanatics, nature lovers and casual walkers, in short everyone looking for a beautiful outside space to exercise.