Q&A With Local Expert Guides – Top London Favorites

Local Expert Guide Gavin Webb About to Use the Blower in London!

Every traveler knows that the best places to get answers about anything is a local! We’ve invited some of our local expert guides to give us their insider information on what to do in their city. Who better to get advice about London from than a true Londoner!

Gavin Webb

Are there any exhibitions and/or events you would recommend to visitors interested in learning more about The Queen’s Diamond Jubilee?

The Victoria and Albert Museum is hosting an exhibition of photographs of the Queen taken by Cecil Beaton, showing her as princess, mother and Queen. It runs until April 22nd. The big event to celebrate the Diamond Jubilee will be a flotilla of 1,000 boats sailing down the River Thames on June 3rd.

What would be your top 5 recommended things to see in London?

To link with the Diamond Jubilee I would suggest:

• The Tower of London to see the Crown Jewels which have been re-displayed and look even more amazing.
• Westminster Abbey to see where the coronation took place.
• Buckingham Palace and the Changing of the Guard – you can only visit the State Apartments in August by pre-booked ticket.
• The Royal Mews to see the carriages used in the processions.
• Windsor Castle – the Queen’s home and an easy day trip from London. State Apartments open all year.

What would be your top 5 recommended things to do in London?

• Visit The Tower of London – the most famous castle in the world and home to the priceless Crown Jewels.
• Visit one of the world class museums or art galleries.
• Sample the huge range of food on offer and maybe track down one of the few genuine places for fish and chips (not the tourist version)
• Stroll in the lovely royal parks – “the lungs of London.”
• Enjoy a night of wonderful entertainment – theatre from Shakespeare to award-winning contemporary plays, or music from baroque to rock.

What is your number one piece of advice to visitors to London during this busy 2012 period?

Hire a London Blue Badge Tour Guide to ensure you make the most of your precious time.

Local Expert Guide Henrietta Ferguson Posing in London!

Henrietta Ferguson

Are there any exhibitions and/or events you would recommend to visitors interested in learning more about The Queen’s Diamond Jubilee?

As we are celebrating the Queen’s 60th year on the throne, which only Queen Victoria has surpassed, it is a very exciting time in London this year. The queen will be exhibiting some of her own private collection of Diamonds at Buckingham Palace (her London residence) this summer.

The Tower of London (a medieval fortress) looks after the Crown Jewels that the queen wore at her coronation and have been used in the previous coronations for centuries. Learn about the Ravens and the prisoners that were tortured and executed at the tower including 3 Queens!  Finally I would visit the Coronation church, with over a 1000 years of history, Westminster Abbey is where the Queen was crowned 60 years ago. She was also married here, along with Prince William and Catherine, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge.

Over 3000 of the country’s most significant people are buried or memorialized in the abbey, including many of Henry VIII’s family, also buried in the abbey are sir Issac Newton, Charles Dickens and George Frederick Handel, to name a few.

What would be your top 5 recommended things to see in London?

Well, apart from the places I have already mentioned, Kensington Palace has just finished a £12 million restoration program. Princess Diana lived here with the Princes William and Harry and although you cannot visit her apartments, you can see some of her dresses, including the fabulous black Emmanuelle ball gown. This is where Queen Victoria was born in 1819 and grew up with her mother. The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge (William and Catherine) now live here and although you might catch them cycling in Kensington Gardens you won’t have access to their apartments! There is a lovely cafe where you can relax after you have visited the Palace and enjoy the gardens.

The Cabinet War Rooms is an incredible labyrinth of rooms underground, where Winston Churchill ran the Government during WWII. It remains the same as when it was abandoned at the end of the war in 1945. There is an interactive room dedicated to Churchill’s life which surpasses most museums I have ever visited.

The British Museum was founded in 1753. It holds over 6 million objects of art spanning nearly 2 million years of human history. This museum is not to missed if you want to see the Egyptian mummies or the Rosetta stone (196BC) which became the key to deciphering the hieroglyphics. It also houses the Parthenon sculptures (5CBC) from the Acropolis in Athens. All under one roof and free!

St Paul’s Cathedral is the 5th church on this site since 604. St Paul’s is iconic to London’s skyline; so much so that during the Blitz Churchill said “at all costs St Paul’s must be saved!” Princess Diana and Prince Charles were married here and if you like a challenge, you could climb up to the top of the dome of St Paul’s where you will witness one of the finest views of London.

Finally, The National Gallery is one of my favorite art galleries, with over 2,300 paintings dating from 1250 to 1900. One of the most famous paintings in the collection is Van Gogh’s Sunflowers and this one he signed. The gallery also contains one of two copies of Leonardo da Vinci’s Virgin of the Rocks. The other is in the Louvre Paris.  I could go on, but go and see for yourself. Oh and it’s free as well.

What would be your top 5 recommended things to do in London?

Portobello Road is a wonderful street market that takes place every Saturday in Nottingham Hill. Get there early because it gets really busy and enjoy a cupcake from the famous Hummingbird Cafe.

Take a boat trip on the River Thames and follow the same route as the monarchy, including the Queen, who this year will be traveling down the river with 1,000 boats to celebrate her Diamond Jubilee. Take any of the tour boats from Westminster Pier and listen to the lighthearted commentary along the way to the Tower.

London is famous for it’s theatres since before William Shakespeare. Whether you enjoy musicals or dramas the atmosphere is always electric in the West End.

A trip to London would not be the same without taking Afternoon Tea in one of the swanky hotels. It will set you back about £30 per person, but the scones with clotted cream are delicious. Don’t forget to stick your little finger out when sipping your tea.

If you love food then you’ll love Borough Market. It’s a great place to explore and discover new flavors and smells and, as one of the oldest markets in London, it’s a perfect place for lunch. Try the steak and oyster pie. For any Harry Potter fans, it’s also where they filmed one of the scenes from “The Prisoner of Azkaban.”

What is your number one advice to visitors to London during this busy 2012 period?

Plan ahead and be flexible with your itinerary. Don’t forget not only is it the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee this year but London is also hosting the Olympics!

-Viator Travel Team

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