Jane Austen’s Hampshire with a Blue Badge Guide

Hello my name is paula and I am a fifth generation Born and Bred Londoner. I was born and went to school in East London and have spent all of my working life in london. Firstly as a Civil Servant and for the past 20plus years as a Licensed Taxi driver (often called london cabbies or Black Cab driver). I have always loved showing people around london and even when I first got my taxi licence back in 2001 I would often take my family and friends on days out in the cab to see the sights and in the winter this would extend to the famous Christmas lights on Oxford street, a privilege us cabbies still enjoy today as licensed taxis are the only vehicles legally allowed to Travel on Oxford Street, apart from red buses that is. In 2016 I took the Cab Guide course, a guiding course specifically for Licensed taxi drivers, as they already have the geographical know-how safely stored in their brain from their days studying the knowledge of london, and I have been guiding professionally ever since. The cab guide course is run by the worshipful company of hackney carriage drivers, one of the city of Londons livery companies, (A livery company is an ancient form of trade association with medieval foundations) and accredited by the city University. Since doing this course I have gone on to obtain four more qualifications, one in the borough of Camden (a huge and interesting borough which includes the areas of Camden town with its famous Camden Market, Hampstead Londons most Villlagey Village and home to a celebrity or two and wonderful shopping, Bloomsbury and Fitzrovia with its medical and literature history. Another qualification in the City of London, the square mile and oldest part of London or Londinium the name given by the Romans, with examinations set by the Institute of Tourist Guiding. Another qualification in the city of Westminster, the home of Royalty, Government and Rock and Roll. I am also a Blue Badge Guide for the South Central region of England, consisting of three entire counties, Hampshire the hometown of Jane Austen, and Highclere Castle ( Downton Abbey ) . Wiltshire and Dorset once part of the Anglo Saxon kingdom of Wessex, think King Alfred the Great and Thomas Hardy. This region of England also includes the Cities of Southampton home of the Cruise ships, Portsmouth home of the Royal Navy and its historic dockyard, Winchester once a Capital City and Salisbury both with magnificent cathedrals, the latter home to the best existing copy of the Magna Carta, two National Parks, the South Downs National park and the New Forest National Park, perfect for wildlife and nature and the UNESCO World Heritage sites of Stonehenge & Avebury and the Jurassic Coast famous for its fossils. The Blue Badge is the highest level of the tourist guiding qualification a guide can achieve the result of numerous exams. I offer both Taxi and walking tours in London as well as the Counties of Dorset including Lyme Regis, home of the French Lieutenant's Woman, Wiltshire with its very own area of Cotswolds and Hampshire which also includes the Isle of Wight. For Taxi Tours I drive a beautiful shiny black London TXE electric Taxi which is very spacious, air conditioned with full wheelchair access and boasts a panoramic glass roof to enhance your sightseeing experience. The vehicle seats up to 6 people conference style, (3 forward facing and 3 rear facing) The rear facing seats are traditional taxi tip seats, giving an incredible amount of space when not in use. My taxi tours cover London, as well as day excursions to places of historical interest laced with the beautiful English Countryside. Licensed London Taxi Driver (All London/Green Badge) passing the KNOWLEDGE OF LONDON examinations in 2001 Qualified South Central England Blue Badge guide and member of the Institute of Tourist Guiding Qualified Cab Guide accredited by The Worshipful Company of Hackney Carriage Drivers Qualified City of London Guide/Institute of Tourist Guiding Green Badge and member of City of London Guides and Lecturers Association Qualified Camden Guide and member of Camden Tour Guides Association Qualified City of Westminster Guide and member of City of Westminster Guide Lecturers Association Member of Ealing and West London Tour Guides Association Member of the Worshipful company of Hackney Carriage Drivers Freeman of the City of London Member of London Historians Member of The National Trust Member of English Heritage Member of The Art fund Member of Camden History Society Although I am a multi-qualified & registered guide my Blue Badge does not cover the London sites of Westminster Abbey, St Pauls Cathedral, Tower of London or Windsor Castle.