The London Underground is a unique and iconic institution famous across the world. As you might expect, London’s underground train network has a fascinating history, which stretches back more than 150 years. At Insider London, we know all about the hard work, rivalries, and scandals that went into creating today’s underground network (after all, our London Underground Tour is all about these juicy details!) To whet your appetite, here are five little-known facts about the history of the Tube. Whether you’re a tourist or a Londoner born and bred we bet you didn’t know all this about the London Underground…
Sunshine in London has the power to turn your day around, put a spring in your step and generally bring to light that secret optimism and joie de vivre that’s usually reserved for the Spring. However, Londoners are not always so lucky and have had to find ways to entertain themselves come rain or shine. So, when the days get colder and the rain starts to pour, you’ll find there’s still plenty to see and do. If you don’t believe it, let us give you a few tips on things to do in London when it’s raining.
Our friendly and experienced tour guides have a wealth of knowledge of London’s history and vibrant culture. Michelle Buckley heads up the tour guides who plan and lead all of Insider London’s walking tours. She talks to us about life as a tour guide, her love of London and her best recommendations for exploring the city.
Insider London’s Ghost Walks around London take you on a spookily spectacular trip around some of the city’s most haunted spots. To get you in the mood to enjoy these supernatural stories, we’ve put together a list of some of the most haunted places in London. Whether you think these ghost stories are just interesting myths or you believe there truly are ghosts walking (or floating…) around London, here are some of the most famous of the capital’s ghost stories.
The City of London is a leading financial hub and home to some of the world’s largest banking and insurance organisations. Five minutes walk from Old Street you will find Silicon Roundabout, more commonly known today as Tech City.
When you think about the history of London’s East End, you might think of poverty, gangs and Jack the Ripper, but there is actually so much more to the area than its historic crime rate: it is vibrant, eclectic, and bursting with things to do. The team at Insider London are well acquainted with all of the weird and wonderful activities on offer in the East End (in fact, we run an East End Walking Tour to introduce the area and its fascinating history), but in case you aren’t, here are some cultural and historical highlights in the area…
With Autumn now upon us and Halloween soon approaching, it is only appropriate to feel a pull towards the subject of the supernatural. A walking tour of London which highlights some of the lesser-known hauntings may be just the ticket?
The City of Westminster feels entirely different to the City of London as it should, being that they are entirely different cities. Both predating the Norman conquest in the 11th-Century, the City of Westminster appealed to the powerful and wealthy in its early stages. Today, two areas may be considered to be its crown jewels- St. James’s and Piccadilly. People flock to numerous areas of greater London for various reasons such as the East End due to its hip-scene and artisan connections but it was Piccadilly that attracted the hip Londoners of the swinging’ 60’s and has remained home to shopkeepers and craftsmen whom serve the average commoner to the monarchy, personally. Many visit the grand estates of Hampton Court Palace and Kensington Palace which are undoubtedly grand, historical treasures but it is in St. James’s where you will find the official residences of the sovereign and Buckingham Palace just behind the most beautiful royal park, St. James’s Park; not to mention several other palaces and stately homes within a short walking distance. Many people venture to Southwark, enticed by the seedier history of the old city, however Piccadilly boasts its own amusing tales with the secret lives of those living above the beautiful shops in the Arcades and what went on behind the closed doors of the clubs and assembly rooms.