STAFF REVIEW: SECRET LONDON TOUR FOR 2

Connor and I strike again with another review and this time we are in for a Secret Tour of London! 

Arriving at Trafalgar square near the National Gallery, we had 15 minutes to spare so we decided to explore our surroundings just before the commencement of our tour. We walked around the area to enjoy the sun by the fountains, and the views of the famous Big Ben. 

We then went in the direction of the Gallery where we encountered a man selling bracelets who thought we were a couple, in fact he kept asking Connor to get a bracelet for me as a sign of love for his ‘wife’ (me, apparently…) We both could not stop laughing at this because obviously we are not a couple, we are here for work. The man was very nice, but we had to go and hop on our tour. 

Arriving at our meeting point by King George IV statue, we met our tour guide, Mike, who we knew from previous tours, so we were very pleased to see him again. After waiting for some extra participants to join the group, we were all finally ready to depart on a new journey.

Our first stop was the smallest police station in the UK, which is located right by the fountains of Trafalgar square in a hidden corner. It looked like a very posh maintenance closet at first, but upon closer inspection we could see a chair and some pin boards that were used by policemen. 

We then moved up past the National Gallery where we saw the bracelet guy again, before making a detour to 11 Orange Street right above Cass Art where a pub solely for men is located. We then went right next to Gordon Ramsay’s restaurant into Cecil Street, which is an inspiration for the making of Diagon Alley in Harry Potter. If you are a fan, you will know what I am referring to.

We then moved down to the left in St Martin’s Lane and continued our way to reach Covent Garden. Approaching the famous area, we had to travel through Bedford Street to reach the well-hidden St Paul’s Church. This church is known as ‘The Actor’s Church’ as it had direct connections with the London Theatre. When entering the monument, we could see plaques dedicated to actors, dating from the early 1900’s through to the early 2000’s. It was fascinating.

After hearing some unexpected stories, we went to the Savoy Palace which is said to be ‘haunted.’ We heard a story that will leave you speechless. I won’t spoil it for you, but it will give you the chills that’s for sure. We then continued towards the end of the park reaching an old departure point (or what is left of it) to the other side of the Thames. It used to be a mini port to travel from one side of the Thames to the other. Something we did not expect to see on the tour, that’s for sure.  

We then walked in front of many theatres, which made us feel like we were on Broadway with all the spotlights and big vintage posters like the 1920’s. We then reached the Zimbabwe embassy which I was most intrigued about, as I wasn’t sure what our guide was going to tell us about this place. The statues on the building were made by a man called Jacob Epstein who was an American-British sculptor. 

The story goes that once the statues were built and finished, Londoners complained they were not appropriate for children. You will have to go on the tour to find out why, but all you need to know for now is that the statues were altered as the government and the Londoners complained. Finally, we reached Charing Cross Station for our final stop and returned to our start point to end the tour. 

After taking part in several walking tours for work, Connor and I discovered we really like them. At first, we were slightly bored with the idea of listening to someone talk for 2 hours about the history of a place or monument but really, we have loved them all, we have learned so many cool facts and heard intriguing stories. So, whether you are in your early 20’s or late 60’s they are for anyone, they are very instructive and fun. 

Thanks to our wonderful tour guide, Mike, for such an amazing tour. We had a wonderful experience, and we would love to go on this experience again. We recommend this to anyone visiting London – locals and tourists alike!