We're back in May! What would you like to see? #hackney #history #heritage #festival @hackney-society.bsky.social

This will be great! Highly recommended to anyone interested in the dark underbelly of 19C Clerkenwell.

Given the 💩 we’ve endured during the first couple of months of this season that was a definite improvement! ⚒️

Fantastic night at the Mildmay Club yesterday! Congratulations to everyone who helped put this great event together - bringing to life the moving stories of club members serving on the Western Front while tracking down the enigma that was club secretary Ralph Manley! @hackney-hist-fest.bsky.social

Fourth manager in 16 months… welcome to the circus Nuno… 🤦‍♂️⚒️🤡🎪

Stick the date in your diary - loads of great guided walks across London - and they’re all free! Unfortunately I can’t take part this year but took people out on this in 2024 and it was good fun so get yourself along there!

Some great events coming up at the Mildmay Club over the next few weekends: mildmay.club

Unless we get some dynamism, some pace & power into our midfield this could be a rough old season… ⚒️

August 1848. Chartists meet daily in London to plan an uprising. Monday 7 August. Denny’s Coffee House, Great St Andrew’s Street About 30 present. Allnutt, Bassett, Brewster, Cuffay, Donovan, Dowling, Fay, Lynch, Mullins, Payne, Ritchie, Rose, Thompson, Warry, Davis, Powell. wp.me/p15p2Q-ciB

Fri 15 Aug 12.30-2pm at @thelondonarchives.bsky.social Clerkenwell: A History in Maps – The Past in the Present. In this workshop we will handle & view some of The London Archives’ historic maps of Clerkenwell, to see how maps can be used to reveal the ways the past lives on in the present.

There are a few places left on our guided tour next Saturday

Join us on a tour through the area of London connected to the fight against Mussolini and Franco. We'll learn how an Indian socialist and Georgian communist pioneered a healthcare revolution and on the clandestine war for Irish independence. Booking required www.ticketsource.co.uk/associazione...

We've just been to visit the Clerks' Well at Clerkenwell on one of its rare open days. Thanks to @ianvisits.co.uk for the heads up. www.layersoflondon.org/map/records/...

Spent a morning in the company of @alondoninheritance.bsky.social on his walking tour of Limehouse. If you’ve never been on one of David’s walks he has a huge collection of his Dad’s photos which allows you to go back in time and view the area as it was 80, 70yrs ago. Highly recommended.

Well, thank f#%k that’s the end of this season (or the last game I have to watch anyhow…) truly forgettable 24/25… major sort-out required in the summer! Stayed on at the end to make sure Cress, Fab & Vlad got a proper send off - well deserved - thanks you fellas! ⚒️💜🩵

Some interesting insights into the writing & screenwriting processes that are involved in creating both Mick Herron’s bestselling ‘Slow Horses’ novels and Ed Docx’s hit tv series of the same name - a real favourite of mine. #FestivalOfWords #FleetStreetQuarter

A great day spent @hackney-hist-fest.bsky.social listening to a diverse range of excellent presentations from the likes of Breda Corish, Nigel Smith and Andrew Whitehead at the stunning Round Chapel (1871) saved from dereliction & reopened in 2018.

Some really interesting speakers at @mildmayclub last night as part of @HackneyHistFest including @PeteBrownBeer explaining the origin & history of working men’s clubs in England and club members talking about the Mildmay Club itself and recent efforts to delve into its history…

Interesting talk last night on a fascinating period of our history, the English Revolu - whoops, sorry - I meant the English Civil War! 😉 @englishradical.bsky.social @englishcivilwar.bsky.social

My first time celebrating Italian Liberation Day the other night. The relatives of British servicemen told some moving stories of how both partisans and ordinary Italian families had risked everything to assist them behind enemy lines during WW2. Incredibly brave people!

Congrats to both JC & Brad who passed their Westminster Tour Guiding exam! 🥳 🥂🍾 Had the privilege of accompanying them on their mock and final - two excellent walks entitled: ’Rock Legends of Soho’ and ‘Westminster the French Connection’. Look out for these two - they’re gonna be great!👌

That’s sad… remember chatting to him in the 80s, nice fella. RIP

Great nite out with the clan 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿 seeing Eddie Reader & the band. Never realised, she’s quite the raconteur to boot! If you get the chance to see someone perform at the Union Chapel, go, the sound and setting are exceptional! 👌 @unionchapeluk.bsky.social @eddireader.bsky.social

Visited Two Temple Place to view ‘Lives Less Ordinary: Working-Class Britain Re-seen’ with a music set from Steve Skaith of Lain Quarter My first visit to this spectacular building. The staff were all extra nice too! Need to hop on a tour of this place sometime soon.

Out & about yesterday with me mucker & fellow guide JC who was road-testing his: ‘Beatles, Bowie & friends Rock Legends Soho’ walking tour. Some great stories, well told, with loads of interesting photos and music clips! Be sure to grab a ticket for this when it goes live!

Delighted to see the postie today when he handed me these beauties! 🤩 A nice little pressie from me to me! ☺️ @trickettengland.bsky.social

Really enjoyable couple of hours spent at the Southwark Playhouse watching ‘Wilko - Love & Death & Rock’n’Roll’ 🎸 If you haven’t seen it yet get a move on - last performance is the 19th April.

Spent a pleasant hour in the sunshine yesterday as part of a group of Clerkenwell & Islington guides invited to explore the long-closed Jewish Reform cemetery in Mildmay. Islington council have secured funding that will enable works to be carried out, securing this historic place for the 1/2

The Lost Places of Clerkenwell. Matt Brown of history newsletter Londonist: Time Machine explores some forgotten features of Clerkenwell with the help of an old map he’s colouring in. Read the full article on our website - ec1echo.co.uk/the-lost-pla...

60 mins and we barely registered a shot on target… the introduction of our big German fella improved us no end - focal point up top & something for their CH’s to worry about. That was NEVER a free kick for their equaliser but hey, ho… 🇩🇪⚽️⚒️COYI! #westham

Looking for something fun & interesting to do on Sat 19th April? Then join my friend & colleague, Nurit, on her walking tour of Smithfield: ‘Beasts, Bravehearts & Butchers’: www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/smithfield... @nurit-asnash.bsky.social @londononfootguides.bsky.social

Back at Rough Trade for the 2nd time in six days - this time to see the mighty Stone Foundation debut their latest album. This was #%th time I’ve seen them live and they NEVER disappoint! (unlike my photography skills! 😁) Still making quality soul sounds! 🎶✊ @stonefoundation.bsky.social

Having me first listen of the new Stone Foundation album and it sounds like the x2 Neil’s & the gang have come up trumps once again! 🎶✊ Really looking forward to hearing it live tomorrow! @stonefoundation.bsky.social @roughtrade1976.bsky.social

Finally got round to visiting the Tate Britain exhibition today, ‘The 80s : Photographing Britain’. At times it felt like a timeline of my life! It’s on until May so if you get a chance get along for a look. Recommended!

At Rough Trade East last night and finally got to see The Delines live. Country-soul sounds with Willy Vlautin’s gritty (often very gritty!) tales of American working class life and outstanding vocal delivery from Amy Boone. Check out: ‘Mr. Luck & Ms. Doom’ @roughtraderecords.bsky.social

A remarkable story well told! 🎥 Well worth a look if you’ve not seen it yet. @antiapartheidlgcy.bsky.social #apartheid

Enjoyed a visit to St Mary’s, Putney, to view their exhibition on the hugely significant 1647 debates that took place during the English Civil War. Well worth a look if you’ve never been. @englishcivilwar.bsky.social

A combination of dazzling sunshine and a wonderful group of people made for a lovely day out on Ribaldry, Radicals & Reform my guided tour of North Clerkenwell yesterday! Subscribe to our Eventbrite page for future events: rb.gy/yq6akw @londononfootguides.bsky.social @islingtonwalks.bsky.social

This Sunday, a guided walk discovering Islington’s history, local heroes, icons and gems. More details and tickets on Eventbrite: tinyurl.com/y2necj6f

A few tickets left for ‘Ribaldry, Radicals & Reform’ this Thursday when we’ll be taking to the streets of North Clerkenwell, uncovering stories from this historic area of North London! Weather’s even forecast to be decent! ☀️🤞 Follow the link for full details: 🎟️ rb.gy/ot6729 #walkingtours #islington

It’s 1816 and Britons are still revelling in the glorious defeat of Napoleon right?! Wrong! The country is in turmoil and in the backstreets of Clerkenwell, rebels are plotting bloody revolution! Join my guided walking tour: ‘Ribaldry, Radicals and Reform’, Thu 20th March: rb.gy/ot6729

Sadler’s Wells Theatre is now home to a world-renowned dance organisation. Travel back to the early 1800s though and the entertainment in this often raucous venue was altogether of a different kind with famous sea battles reenacted in a giant water tank! Join my Clerkenwell guided tour: rb.gy/ot6729

Some great pics there. Bottom right is the old Sadlers Wells Theatre - one of the places we’ll visit on my guided walk of North Clerkenwell on Thursday 20th March. We’ll also be looking at Finsbury’s old town hall and the former Metropolitan Boroughs’ iconic Health Centre. Tickets: rb.gy/ot6729

It’s not all Victorian era insurrectionists y’know! We include some modern day hellraisers - the Pogues’ Shane MacGowan and the Libertines’ Pete Doherty - on my tour of North Clerkenwell & Pentonville. ‘Ribaldry, Radicals & Reform’ takes place Thursday 20th March, tickets available at: rb.gy/ot6729

On display at Islington Local History Centre, this chunk of elm is part of an innovative 17th century engineering project that brought fresh drinking water to London. ‘New River Head’ as it was known is one of the places we’ll be visiting on my guided tour of North Clerkenwell. Tickets➡️ rb.gy/ot6729

International Women’s Day so my friend and fellow guide @manuaru.bsky.social led a tour of Clerkenwell’s streets featuring the stories of inspirational women connected to the area. A printer, architect, boxer, TU leader, socialist activist & even a prison escapee! She received some great feedback! 👌

Izo Fitzroy & her band on blistering form last nite at Islington Assembly Hall. Elements of soul, funk, blues, gospel, pop, disco all go into the stew, served up by a great group of musicians, topped with tasty vocals from the leading lady and a seven person mini choir! Superb!

Good to see work finally commencing on the soon to be ‘Centre of Memory and Learning’ at the site of the African National Congress’s former London HQ. This is one of the building’s I’ll be talking about on my guided walk: ‘Ribaldry, Radicals & Reform!’ Thu 20 March, tickets ➡️ rb.gy/ot6729

Brussels definitely underrated as a weekend away! Great when you’ve got a whole family of friends out there and even better when your boy grabs a few tickets for Michael Kiwanuka! Superb! 👌🍻🇧🇪