Tour guide in London Linda H.

Hello, I'm Linda, a London Blue Badge tour guide and a Londoner born and bred. Welcome to London! I've been guiding in and around London for the last 5-years or so, so know my way around a bit and the history, culture and curiosities of this extraordinary place. The Blue Badge is the highest qualification in tour guiding in the UK and allows me to guide in areas that many guides are not able to. In my previous working life I worked in Banking, in a variety of roles, but always with customers, so I know how important it is to understand what is important to the client. People say I am a 'people person', but I also adore animals, and my passion is looking after stray and injured cats, striving always for the happy ending. London is a beautiful city, rich in history, culture, diversity, and a food lovers paradise. It is the largest capital city in Western Europe. 9-million people live here and a further 2-million visit from overseas each year, which is why it's always busy, always crowded and always buzzing! I specialise in working with small private groups of individuals, couples, families, or friends and my tours can be tailored to meet specific interests, so don't be afraid to let me know what it is you are looking for. I take groups around on foot, in private vehicles, taxis, London buses, trains and on river boats, so you get a really good sense of what it's like to be a Londoner. I can show you the main sights and where to get the best pictures and, as a Blue Badge Guide, can guide you inside such places as the Tower of London and Westminster Abbey, two of London's four UNESCO World Heritage Sites, and St Paul's Cathedral, the masterpiece of the great architect Sir Christopher Wren. I can take you to (but not inside), Buckingham Palace, the official London residence and working office of the monarch, and show you the Changing of the Guard, the beautiful St James's Park, Horse Guards, Downing Street, the Houses of Parliament and 'Big Ben', to name but a few sights. However, if you are interested in the backstreets, the areas off the main beaten track, I can show you the City of London, a global financial centre built on a medieval street plan, or some of the 'neighbourhoods' such as Mayfair, with the most expensive property on the UK version of the board game 'Monopoly', the quirky and fashionable area of Covent Garden, or the London Docklands, the newest part of the City. Or you might like to escape the bustle of London for a day and take a trip out to Hampton Court Palace, where King Henry V111 lived with all six of his wives, or Windsor Castle, the family home of kings and queens for almost 1, 000-years. If you like the indoor life, what about visiting the National Gallery, with its collection of Western European art and many famous names, including the home-grown talents of Turner and Constable. Or the British Museum, with its world-famous collection of antiquities and curiosities from the Ancient World, including the famous Rosetta Stone. So, please get in touch and let me show you the best of 'my London'. Qualified London Blue Badge Guide, accredited by the Institute of Tourist Guiding. Entitled to guide in the Tower of London, Westminster Abbey, St Paul's Cathedral, Hampton Court Palace and Windsor Castle (excluding the State Apartments). Member of the Institute of Tourist Guiding, the British Guild of Tourist Guides and the Association of Professional Tourist Guides. City of London and City of Westminster accredited guide and member of the City of London and City of Westminster Guide Lecturers Associations. I am not a Driver-Guide, but can arrange for a separate car and driver. Alternatively, travel like a Londoner, on foot, on red buses, in black taxis, on the London Underground, or along the River Thames. All part of the experience!