London Walks

South Ken. God is in the details. www.walks.com

He got us through 1939-45. If only he were on the bridge for 2019-25. www.walks.com

The missing - now found - portrait. Painted 175 years ago, at exactly the time he was writing A Christmas Carol. Lots about that on today’s Charles Dickens’ Christmas Day London Walk. We’ll see, for example, the kind of court he was referring to when he wrote, “the fog was so dense without that although the court was of the narrowest, the houses opposite were mere phantoms.” 2 pm by the big Christmas Tree in Trafalgar Square. www.walks.com

POTUS to callow youth: “Do you still believe free tours are free? Because at twenty it’s marginal, right?”

And back-pedal 30 metres or so you get this arch perfectly framing way off in the distance Nelson atop his column and still further Victoria Tower at the Palace of Westminster. It’s London’s best positioned arch. www.walks.com As long as I’m at it, you aware we’ve got a couple of Photograph London Tours, guided by a professional photographer, coming up?

Piccadilly Circus. Daily droves of tourists here after that “iconic London photo.” Almost none of them get it. Why? Too many exits and none of them know that this is the exit you want. Why? Because it’s the exit with the old blue public Police Call Box. It’s on the left in the photo. All the exits have got the Tube sign and the lamps and the Christmas lights (this time of year) but this is the only one with the police call box. Bonus, it also gives you the best bit of blue sky background (when the blue’s willing to come out and play). www.walks.com

Simon, in shades and topped to the north with his Scrooge cap (“Bah, humbug” it reads) before the Tower of London, holding forth at the start of his Dickens’ Christmas Carol & Seasonal Traditions Christmas Eve Walk. www.walks.com

“Let us in, dammit.” At the gates of dog heaven. www.walks.com

“and chaos” reads the rest of the legend. “Without ice cream there would be darkness and chaos” Every time I walk by this I think of the darkness and chaos of 1942-1945. Years in which the United Kingdom was “without ice cream.” A casualty of the war, the severe rationality. (If you’re thinking it you’re right to do so - “London Walks guides know stuff about London other people don’t know.” Which, if you think about it, is as it should be. It’s what you, London Walkers, want and deserve.) See our Blitz and Westminster at War walks. Details on www.walks.com

London. Age cannot wither nor custom stale her infinite variety. Turkish barbers. Aproned. In front of Hampstead’s Turkish barbershop. And, yes, it’s a full-on Turkish barbers. Turkish coffee part of the experience. As is “singeing.” If you want it (I recommend it). Singeing is taking a flame to the weeds (any stray hairs that take root where they’re not welcome, ears for example). Effective and perfectly safe because of the way the barber “flicks” the flame. Fun. www.walks.com

Refuelling. Sunday morning. In Hampstead. In Flask Walk, oldest street in Hampstead. And the forlorn dog bowl? Its owner - its real owner, not the two-legged pet who dutifully recharges it every day - is probably now, even now in dog heaven. I.E. enjoying a romp on Hampstead Heath (just along from here). www.walks.com

Antiquers doing their early bird number in Hampstead. They’re there early - the dealer’s just setting up and won’t be officially open for another 25 minutes or so. They’re there to spy out what the dealer’s just come into - and grab it, if they want it, before Joe Public can. Hampstead, best spot on God’s green earth. Got everything. The Heath. Village atmosphere. Great cafes and pubs. Fab history. Beautiful streets and houses. Character aplenty. Characters. Celebs. Antiques. Actors. Great used book shops. Crepes. A Turkish barbershop. Secret passageways. Stunning views - you’re up on the roof of London. Lots of water. Museums, galleries and National Trust houses. Mein Gott it’s good. www.walks.com

Santas for sake. Brewers Street. Soho. London.

Here’s the link to the background information about the lost portrait of Charles Dickens. http://www.walks.com/news/dickens-portrai t

Charles Dickens’ Christmas Carol & Seasonal Traditions is the walk. It takes place this afternoon at 2.30 pm. The meeting point is just outside the exit of Tower Hill Tube. And the portrait? It’s the lost portrait of Charles Dickens. Painted in 1843, the year he wrote A Christmas Carol. Lost a year later, its recent rediscovery - in a box of trinkets in Natal in South Africa - is the most important Dickens find of this century. Read more about it - and the bid to stop it going missing for another 175 years - on www.walks.com

The drama of it all. www.walks.com

More This is London. More lower Regent Street. Given the architectural music this building makes it is of course completely fitting that the columns look like the valves on a French horn. www.walks.com

One end of the spectrum today Michelle Obama’s thigh-high, iridescent Balenciaga boots. The other end this London loo. For the record, it’s my all-time favourite London loo. Fond as I am of the former First Lady, the loo’s end of the spectrum gets my vote. Quiet, simple, understated, restrained, casually perfect, minimalist, informative, fun, clever, cheeky, sophisticated, assured, thoughtful, intelligent and quite beautiful. What’s not to like? www.walks.com

This is London. Quick intake of breath, catch in the throat, pulse flutter, yearning anyone? Yeah, me too when I’m away from it. www.walks.com

We spent a week in London and completed 4 walks plus a day out to Cambridge with London Walks. The walks are brilliant! The guides are truly amazing, real experts in their field, engaging and very kind. Our day out to Cambridge was fantastic- so well organised, lots of fun and super interesting. Our Sunday morning walk through Hampstead with David was nothing short of magical. I can’t recommend London Walks highly enough and they deserve 10 stars!

We just got back from 7 days in London and went on 5 London Walks. As others have said, we can't stop rate this group highly enough. Every tour was well thought out, full of information, and was lead by charming and passionate-about-history guides. We learned facts on each walk that aren't readily available to other tourists and that sent us to the history books (and Wikipedia) for more information. LondonWalks IS the best deal in London.

We did a wonderful London Walk today with Karen as our guide. We did the Highlights of the British Museum. She was a great guide and so passionate about this amazing Museum. I would encourage everyone to do just one London Walk and this one is right up the top. Thankyou Karen for a great day full of information and you made it fun

Thanks London Walks and Oliver for another amazing "Ghosts of the Old City" walk.

We've been coming from Greece nearly every summer since 2008 with groups of teenagers and your walk is always the highlight of their trip.

When we flew home last week and asked the students what was their favourite part of the five day trip they all said "Oliver and the ghost walk" ~ High praise indeed!!

Thanks again for helping us learn so much about London while laughing!!

We spent a week in London and completed 4 walks plus a day out to Cambridge with London Walks. The walks are brilliant! The guides are truly amazing, real experts in their field, engaging and very kind. Our day out to Cambridge was fantastic- so well organised, lots of fun and super interesting. Our Sunday morning walk through Hampstead with David was nothing short of magical. I can’t recommend London Walks highly enough and they deserve 10 stars!

We just got back from 7 days in London and went on 5 London Walks. As others have said, we can't stop rate this group highly enough. Every tour was well thought out, full of information, and was lead by charming and passionate-about-history guides. We learned facts on each walk that aren't readily available to other tourists and that sent us to the history books (and Wikipedia) for more information. LondonWalks IS the best deal in London.

We did a wonderful London Walk today with Karen as our guide. We did the Highlights of the British Museum. She was a great guide and so passionate about this amazing Museum. I would encourage everyone to do just one London Walk and this one is right up the top. Thankyou Karen for a great day full of information and you made it fun

Thanks London Walks and Oliver for another amazing "Ghosts of the Old City" walk.

We've been coming from Greece nearly every summer since 2008 with groups of teenagers and your walk is always the highlight of their trip.

When we flew home last week and asked the students what was their favourite part of the five day trip they all said "Oliver and the ghost walk" ~ High praise indeed!!

Thanks again for helping us learn so much about London while laughing!!