SPICE London Walking Weekend March 2002

Some scenes from the SPICE Birmingham London Walking Weekend with Ian Jelf and Maggie Jephcott on the weekend of 9/10 March 2002.......

The weekend began with a coach journey down to the capital and a panoramic tour of the sites.

After checking into the hotel (The Shaw Park) on the Euston Road, some headed off for the heart of the West End in search of theatre tickets (with great success as it turned out) while others opted to go to various Irish Nights (it being the eve of Saint Patrick's Day) or just to relax in the hotel.

Saturday morning saw the group heading off for the first of the walking tours. Entitled "Secrets of the Square Mile", this involved a trek around the ancient City of London, including famous sights like Saint Paul's Cathedral and the Bank of England, as well as (in true Ian style) some more offbeat ones.......

After a break for lunch it was across Waterloo Bridge to take the second walk: "A South Bank Stroll". This surprised many people with the crowds gathering there. The Royal Festival Hall's "Listed Building" status attracted some debate, then the group became spilt up, only coming back together after judicious use of mobile telephones! Despite the rain it was still possible to see the new Tate Modern inside the huge former Bankside Power Station and to take a return stroll across the new Millennium Bridge. Then it was on through the remains of Shakespeare's (and Chaucer's) London to the capital's last galleried coaching inn, "The George", now in the care of the National Trust.

In the evening most of the group took a trip to "The Albert", a fairly old-fashioned pub in Victoria.

Next morning check out from the hotel was a bit delayed by the vagaries of the lifts! Soon though the group was in full swing doing the "Wonderful Westminster" walk, passing the abbey and the Houses of Parliament, before taking a stroll in the park and posing in front of Buckingham Palace. Things ended up in Trafalgar Square just in time for the start of the Saint Patrick's Day celebrations.

After a free afternoon, though, it was time for everyone to relax and rest their aching feet on the coach en route home. (Accompanied only by Ian's spoken rendition of the Curry version of Bohemian Rhapsody!)

(Photographs by Louise Shorter and Ian Jelf)

Guide Ian Jelf in classic pose for him: in front of a telephone box (which he assured the group is a K2!)

When not in front of red telephone boxes, Ian prefers strutting his stuff in front of red buses.......

At the heart of the "Square Mile" that is the City of London: in front of the Royal Exchange.

This is the Innholders Hall, with the church of Saint Michael Paternoster Royal in the background. This road hardly ever sees any traffic.......until Ian stopped the group in the roadway, of course!

"Round this way, please. Up towards that big thing with the dome......."

The group towards the end of the "Secrets of the Square Mile" Walk. All at "sixes and sevens", but at least now knowing what it really meant!

Into the pub opposite the hotel on Saturday evening. Maggie joins into the spirit of things in typical SPICE coordinator fashion!

Maggie shares a joke with some fellow SPICErs while Guy demonstrates that care in the community is basically flawed.

Well, it was the eve of Saint Patrick's Day!

A bemused Maggie is pursued by Peter.

"I've been up there" explains Ian in front of Parliament's big clock tower thing.

On the Mall in front of the home of a German family who have done rather well for themselves.

In Saint James's Park.

Many of Ian's tours feature a Pelican Crossing. This one is in in Saint James's Park.

Making a point in the Mall.

And to round off the walks and the weekend, pigeons in Trafalgar Square.......