Walking tours of London & Windsor
Susie's Tales & Trails
History, Anecdotes & Gossip!
Small-group walks from the back-streets of Soho to the grandeur of Windsor.
See the walksAbove: the 2i's Coffee Bar, Old Compton Street, 1963 — the Westminster plaque calls it the birthplace of British rock & roll.
Four walks, four flavours.
Small groups, 1.5–2 hours. I aim to entertain!
- Walk 01
Refugees, Radicals and Revellers in Soho
Hear about some of the colourful history of this notorious area.
- Walk 02
National Portrait Gallery
The nation's family album, brought to life.
- Walk 03
Body-Snatchers, Slums and the Scandal that Shook a Government
A Social History in Marylebone.
- Walk 04
Windsor
1,000 years of Royal History and gossip
Refugees, Radicals & Revellers in Soho
Hear about some of the colourful history of this notorious area.
Beginning as a fashionable residential area for 'the quality', they gradually moved westward and immigrants moved in — most notably, Huguenots (French Protestants); but also British countryfolk, Greeks, Italians, Germans, Jews and Chinese. They were all escaping something and they all left their mark.
With economic decline, radical thinkers also found refuge here. An impoverished Karl Marx gave lectures above a pub, while his landlord wondered whether he would ever pay his tab!
Cheap rents provided a magnet for misfits and creatives - see the pub where writers and artists rubbed shoulders with sex workers and gangsters; where the rules of conventional society were flouted!
Expect scandal, a sprinkling of sedition and layers of history.
- Ages: 15yrs+
- Stops: 12
- Group size: Maximum 10 people
- Duration
- 1.5–2 hours
- Price
- £20 per person
- Meet at
- Tottenham Court Rd station, Exit 4 — the entrance to Outernet Live, Charing Cross Rd, London WC2H 8LH
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The National Portrait Gallery
The nation's family album, brought to life.
A history of Britain over 500 years, from the Tudors to the suffragettes.
Every face on these walls was put there for a reason, and not always a flattering one. We'll read the room: who paid, who posed, who was quietly painted out; and who's still glaring at their rival across the gallery three centuries later.
It's less an art lesson, than slices of history and gossip, with the sitters as the cast.
Hear the fascinating stories behind the portraits.
- Ages: 15yrs+
- Stops: 12
- Group size: Maximum 10 people
- Duration
- 1.5–2 hours
- Price
- £20 per person
- Meet at
- Meet in the entrance hall — seating available. National Portrait Gallery, St Martin's Place, London WC2H 0HE
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Body-Snatchers, Slums and the Scandal that Shook a Government
A Social History in Marylebone.
London — the largest city in the world in 1800 — had winners, losers and people whose fortunes rose and fell.
Hear about the 'Wild West' of the beginnings of public transport in Marylebone, the population explosion that caused so many problems and about efforts to improve the lives of the needy.
From the gruesome trade in corpses to the scandal that rocked post-war conservative Britain, enjoy this fascinating walk that lifts the lid on 200 years of social development.
- Ages: 15yrs+
- Stops: 12
- Group size: Maximum 12 people
- Duration
- 1.5–2 hours
- Price
- £20 per person
- Meet at
- Outside Baker Street tube station, near the Sherlock Holmes statue — Marylebone Rd, London NW1 5LA
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Windsor Town
1,000 years of Royal History and gossip
Explore with me the ancient town that grew up in the shadow of the castle.
See the mediaeval quarter, discover one of the secret passages that leads to the castle, the taverns and inns of yesteryear and the residence of the most famous royal mistress of them all!
We'll go to the Long Walk used for royal processions and glimpse St George's Chapel, where 11 monarchs have been laid to rest.
- Ages: All ages
- Stops: 12
- Group size: Maximum 12 people
- Duration
- 1.5–2 hours
- Price
- £20 per person
I make history fun!
I'm the sort of person who can't walk past a building without telling you who lived there, what they got up to, and who they were getting up to it with. These days, people pay me for it!
History, anecdotes and gossip — in roughly that order, though the gossip does tend to elbow its way to the front.
I'm a qualified London Heritage Guide with a life-long fascination with History, and I use my skills as a raconteur — with a hearty dose of humour — to bring the past to life.
Susie
Message Susie
What people say
The bit that sells the next walk — straight from the people who came on the last one.
A striking, interesting walk about rebels, artists, musicians and revellers that keptb me fascinated from start to finish! Sharing a personal history about an ancestor as a tallow maker brought the history to life!
Replete with scandal and intrigue, Susie's Refugees, Radicals and Revellers tour was a fascinating journey into the history and culture of Soho. Peppering her in-depth knowledge with plentry of humour, the 90 minutes flew by! Highly recommended.
A great, engaging tour from Susie - she really brought to life all the stories of this vibrant area. Her family history here was particularly special to hear about.
Thank you for the great tour of Soho! I really enjoyed it and learned so much. The stories about your family history made it very special. I am never going to look at those streets the same again. Highly recommended!
I thoroughly enjoyed the Social History of Marylebone - Body-Snatchers and the Workhouse tour. Susie was incredibly informative and humorous, making the experience thoroughly entertaining, despite the extremely terrible weather conditions.
Susie is a natural story-teller!! The history of Marylebone walk was so interesting and I remember all the interesting information (which is unusual for me). Susie kept me engaged, laughing and at ease in the group. Beautifully paced and can't wait to go on the Soho tour.
Fantastic Soho walk with Susie. Incredibly knowledgeable, with a lovely, laid-back style that made the whole experience really enjoyable. We visited some fascinating and unexpected spots, from an area linked to The Tale of Two Cities to the site of the legendary 2i's cafe! Highly recommended.
Another excellent walk with Susie, exploring the darker and more fascinating side of Marylebone. Her knowledge really brings the stories to life.She has a wonderfully relaxed and engaging style. A great way to discover a very different side of London.
Susie gave us an interesting history tour of Marylebone - educational and some grisly stories thrown in, very entertaining. I highly recommend !
Thank you Susie, we thoroughly enjoyed our walk around Soho, finding historical pubs, music venues and hearing about some scandalous goings-on. Informative nad fun, we'd happily do the walk again.
What a brilliant time we had with our tour guide Susie. I can't imagine you could find a more passionate, knowledgeable, fun, cute and quirky London guide! She gave us a super tour around Soho!
I highly recommend Susie's tour of the National Portrait Gallery, which was perfect for my students (who are all learning English). Susie spoke clearly, engaged them by asking and answering questions and she told fascinating and funny anecdotes about the portraits. A thoroughly enjoyable morning was had by all!
Susie expertly navigated us around the many rooms of the NPG, sharing her impressive knowledge of the characters portrayed. She has a brilliant way of turning everything into a memorable story. A fun, warm, clever and unique guide!
Susie gave us an interesting tour of the National Portrait Gallery. Lots of pictures and 6 selected to give an in-depth and interesting talk
Particularly enjoyed the Emmeline Pankhurst and William Hogarth portraits - Susie really brought them to life!
I really enjoyed the Windsor tour with Susie. It was so exciting to walk through historical streets where history was built. Thank you for an unforgettable time.
Susie was an absolutely fantastic tour guide! She managed to make centuries of history fly by without a single dull moment. Her stories were fascinating, her sense of humour spot on and she kept us entertained from start to finish. If you're visiting Windsor, do yourself a favour and book a tour with Susie. You'll leave smarter, happier and wondering why all history lessons can't be like this. Thank you, Susie!
Susie is great. She looked after us on the Soho tour while telling us the history. She kept us interested throughout, balancing social, political and artistic history with fun facts. Utterly fascinating! Been through so often, yet I realise I didn't know much about the place at all. I will be booking her for my family. An excellent experience!
We had a very entertaining and informative tour with Susie. Looking forward to more tours. Definitely recommend.
Recently enjoyed a very informative and engaging walk with Susie in the area around Soho. Learnt some interesting facts. Especially appreciated the personal stories which made it relatable. Would definitely recommend.
I joined this fascinating tour with Susie in Soho and was delighted to hear stories of the colourful range of characters who have frequented these streets. I loved the variety and that Susie vividly took us back in time and to hear of her own personal connection to the area. As a tour guide, she has a wonderful mix of charm and wit. She immediately put all of the group at ease and we felt able to ask questions. I would definitely recommend this tour to others and will be looking out for any other tours offered by Susie
Susie took us back into Windsor's history hundreds of years. The castle came alive. Charles I's head being sewn back on by the Dean's wife was one extraordinary story