"I came to London. It has become the center of my world and I had worked hard to come to it. And I was lost."
(V.S. Naipaul)
To Clerkenwell
One of London's first suburbs, this quiet yet central area is home to arts and crafts workshops and the centre of the diamond trade in the UK. But Clerkenwell's past is rooted in Marxism, protests and prisons. The Italian community has a strong foundation in Clerkenwell. Fagin's den in Oliver Twist, Ely Palace, Spa's and nunneries all have a part to play in this fascinating tour of this quiet quarter. London Undone knows it well.
Sordid Soho and Covent Garden
Built after the Great Fire of 1666, Soho has always been the home of the homeless, a place where immigrants have flocked into the warren of alleyways from all over the world. Today it is a buzzing and hyper-active zone of fun where it is hard to resist eating, drinking, flirting and flaunting as you get sucked into the maze that is Soho. Nearby is Covent Garden, home to Eliza Doolittle and the Old Flower Market. This is one of the most charming of central London's shopping areas rich in history dating back to Anglo Saxon period.
Theatres, Operas, Dramas
If it's drama you want, London is full of it! London Undone will introduce you to Shakespeare's Bankside, The West End, the Royal Opera House and Covent Garden's street performers. London's Theatreland stretches beyond that to the London Fringe where new performance artists are pushing the boundaries of live entertainment.
Bloomsbury
London's intellectual district is home to the British Museum and several colleges of the University of London. The pre-Raphaelite painters and the Bloomsbury Group of writers found their homes in the Georgian terraced houses and squares in the nineteenth century. Several hospitals were founded and grew in this most peaceful of central London areas. Today it is only on foot that Bloomsbury can be appreciated and discovered. London Undone knows exactly what streets and buildings will make you curious for more of beautiful Bloomsbury.
City of London
This is the ancient part of London, where it all began in 43AD. Today, it is the financial centre of Europe. London Undone can take you on walks in the City of London led by qualified City of London guide lecturers who know its history, traditions, architecture, streets and stories. Every corner of the City is dripping with interesting sights: Smithfield, Bank junction, Fleet Street, the London Wall are but a few such places for London Undone to unravel for you.
East London Undone
London Undone specialises in this - the most exciting - part of London. The Docklands, Stepney Green, Bethnal Green, Bow, Mile End, Shoreditch, Hackney, Spittalfields, Brick Lane, Wapping, Limehouse, Shadwell and Hackney are rich in history. The East End has a darker tale to tell with a history of poverty, immigration and crime. Yet with the Olympics coming here in 2012, the area has benefitted greatly in recent years. There are parks, canals, rivers and markets that more than challenge the beauty of the West End. London Undone leads walks all over the East End.
Kensington and Chelsea
This Royal Borough cannot fail to impress you. Although it is a mainly residential area, Kensington and Chelsea is a visual feast. In Chelsea you will learn about the Chelsea Bun, The Chelsea Potter, the Chelsea Pensioner and the Chelsea Flower Show. In Kensington, you will discover the history of Kensington Palace, Kensington Roof Gardens and Kensington Church St. South Kensington also boasts a host of world class museums like the Natural History Museum, The Science Museum and the Victoria and Albert Museum.
Monuments
In the garden's, squares, parks and on the streets, you are never a stone's throw away from a monument or a memorial. Some are hard to miss (like Nelson's Column), some are hiding in the bushes, but all of them have a story worth telling. The monuments in Westminster are not simply a representation of a person or group, but also a work of art in their own right. The positioning of a monument is critical and adds a whole new dimension to its meaning. Let London Undone surprise you with monumental stories.
Legal London and the Inns of Court
A walk in legal London is like a walk in Oxford or Cambridge, complete with libraries, halls, chapels and courtyards. The four Inns of Court are located to the West of the City of London and are home to London's quick witted and eloquent barristers. Lincoln's Inn, Grey's Inn, Inner and Middle Temple can only be investigated on foot. Shakespeare, Rumpole of the Bailey, Dan Brown and Tony Blair have connections to the impressive Inns of Court. Want to know more?
Bankside and Borough
Let London Undone lead you through the narrow cobbled streets of Bankside running parallel to the river. This neighbourhood's fortunes have risen and fallen like the Thames tide. Once the home of brothels, bear baiting pits and playhouses the Bankside has also been home of palaces, prisons and heavy industry. Today, buildings from its past have been transformed into new spaces and Bankside has grown into an exciting artistic and creative borough complete with food markets, theatres and art galleries whose high street happens to be the River Thames.
Marylebone and the Regent's Park
Marylebone is a vast area covering the area north of shopping heaven: Oxford Street. Some of Marylebone is very famous, some of it is really unknown. All of it is fascinating. London Undone knows Marylebone well and wants to share some of its lesser and well known treasures with you. The Regent's Park; Central London's largest park, Baker St; home of fictional detective Sherlock Holmes, The Wallace Collection; impressive art collection in family mansion, Harley St; surgical heaven are only a few places inside Marylebone to discover.
Mayfair's Monopoly
The most prized position on the monopoly board, Mayfair, still to this day, is London's most exclusive suburb. Separated from Soho by the processional route Regent's Street and separated from Hyde Park by Park Lane, Mayfair is secluded and secret, exclusive and expensive. Inside Mayfair is "Little America", Bond St, Shepherd Market and some rather lovely hotels. Don't forget the Queen of England was born here too.
