elcon

Hello All,
I will be in London(barring any more ginormous ash clouds) May 20-27. I am interested in taking some of the London Walks, specifically the Jack the Ripper walk. I looked it up on the web site but have a question. Does anyone know how long the walk takes? I know it starts at 7:30 pm, but I don't see an end time. Also, how far is the Tower Hill tube stop from Mayfair? I will be staying near the Green Park tube stop. Any suggestions on other walks? Thanks!!

janisj

most of the LW walks are terrific -- Jack the Ripper, not so much. In fact there are NO sites still existing so you spend 2 hours hearing "that car park is the site where such and such was butchered" and that office block is on the site of the such and such pub"

Plus - as dreadful as the walk is, unfortunately it is VERY popular (including kids for whom it is <B>totally</B> inappropriate) and the groups are too large. The folks who live in the neighborhood hate HATE the Donald and the tourists he takes around.

But if you must (a waste of limited time in London IMO), the JtR walk takes about 2 hours (like most LW's)

From Mayfair you'd take the Jubilee line from Green Park to Westminster, change to the Circle/District line 6 stops to Tower Hill . . . . But don't do it!

elcon

Hmmmm...food for thought. Perhaps I will give that idea the ax. Any ideas on better ways to spend my time? For some reason, I am having a tough time setting an itinerary for this trip. Thanks for the input!

janisj

There are MANY absolutely wonderful London Walks - just notthat specific one. The guide is a sort of self-proclaimed JtR expert -- he's written books on the subject and flogs copies to the assembled group.

Look over the LW website and you'll probably find several walks that you'd enjoy.

How to spend your time? It is London, there are limitless possibilities. What sorts of things interest you?

KayF

We've done lots of the London Walks www.walks.com

You might enjoy the Little Venice Walk or the one that goes by boat down the Thames, then the walk itself is in Greenwich. Or the Pub Walk along the Thames in the evening.

Most of the walks take about 2 hours but we've been on a couple that have taken nearly 3. If you need to go or are too tired, just tell the guide you have to go. You are not obliged to stay until the end, though most people do.

Kay

jamikins

Agreed they take about 2 hours, and most are wonderful. We've done a few of the pub walks and they are fun...take you to great pubs you might not find on your own, give you enough time to have a 1/2 pint at each (they say you can order food, but that would be VERY rushed to me) and then continue on to the next with commentary between the two. You dont have to drink either, but its a fun way to spend an evening going to places you might not otherwise. The along the thames is a good one!

MissPrism

You might enjoy the Inns of Court walk.
It takes you to tranquil parts of London that you might never otherwise visit.

freberta

elcon: I had the Jack the Ripper tour on my preliminary itinerary, and I removed it after reading some of the comments from the wonderful people here. I have a question about the pub walks -- are they appropriate for teens? It might be a fun thing to do our last night in London. Thanks.

ron

Janisj is generally correct in her description of the walk. That part of London was almost totally destroyed during the Blitz, so you are largely looking at car parks and ugly 1950s and 60s office buildings.

She exaggerates when she says there are no sites left. The 10 Bell pubs, where at least two of the victims visited before they were murdered, still exists, as does Christ Church Spitalfields across the street. When I took the walk in the mid-90s, there were still a couple of streets left that evoked what late 19th century east end London was like. Perhaps these have been destroyed by the gentrification of the area in recent years, and may now be the very expensive homes of the residents who allegedly resent the Jack the Ripper walks.

It is only American tourists who refer to Donald Rumbelow as “the Donald” - the rest of us believe there is only one “the Donald”, the American with the funny yellow hair.

I would also disagree with the “self-proclaimed” adjective that Janisj attaches to Mr Rumbelow’s expertise on the subject. I have read the book, and found it well-balanced and factual. He is one of the first persons that gets interviewed when some author comes out with a new theory about who the Ripper was, and he is able to give a balanced assessment of its plausibility.

The Jack the Ripper tour is a must for those who have a morbid interest in or fascination with serial killers and Donald Rumbelow is interesting presenter of the known facts about these crimes. For others, yes, there are much better evening guided London Walks.

To freberta, yes, teens could go on the pub walks. They may not be allowed in the pubs, but many folks stay outside anyway, and the commentary on the walking between pubs is always interesting. I've liked the Sunday night Chelsea pub walk - I've done it twice.

Cholmondley_Warner

I used to be a guide on the Ripper walks and I can tell you, hand on heart, to avoid them.

They're basically a fraud, as between the Luftwaffe and the Town Planners there isn't a single place that bears any similarity to 1888.

Plus it's morally iffy.

Having said that the others are all very good. Clever guides, interesting itineries etc. Apart from the Beatles ones which are pish.

Michel_Paris

For a night time tour I found the Hampstead Pub Walk very good. I did 5/6 London Walks my last visit.

Cholmondley_Warner

Ron: I will have to disagree with you... The ten bells thing is tenous at best. The only church that's relevant is St Botolphs (which is incidentaly what Boston is named after).

Personally I find Rumbelow a tiresome bore (he was a sergeant in the plod and hates me cos I out rank him somewhat). Put it this way: If I were on permanently on sick leave or soft duties I could mug up om a subject. I could go on.....But here aint the place.

Cholmondley_Warner

I have a question about the pub walks -- are they appropriate for teens? >>>>

You'd be OK. But obviously they can't drink. (unless they're over 18 or can pass for it)

Cholmondley_Warner

At the risk of appearing to rant....

Try the Inns Of Court, Hidden London, Hampstead Village and Clerkenwell ones.

They are very good.

carolyn

I enjoyed the Shakespeare and Dickens London walk. We were taken to places that they would have been able to see. Unfortunately, I always get so turned around in London that I wouldn't be able to find any of them again. One place I remember is the Charterhouse School.

flygirl

I have to agree. I love London Walks, I go on them every single time, sometimes even one a day.

My least favorites were the Jack the Ripper walk and the Beatles walk. Give it a miss. Pub walks with them - fabulous. The ones CW mentions - fabulous (didn't do Clerkenwell but have done the others at different times over the years).

freberta

flygirl: Can you tell me why the Beatles walk was one of your least favorite walks? Are you a big Beatles fan? I have to find something to do for my husband and son while the rest of us go on a Fat Tire Bike Tour of London, and I thought they might enjoy it since my son (13 yo) has just discovered the Beatles and loves them. But, it's not like he grew up with the Beatles and has followed them for 45 years. He doesn't know that much about them. Thanks.

flygirl

freberta - it was dreadful. It might be the only one I've ever walked out on. I waited until everyone else had rounded the corner and I took off smartly in the other direction. I simply don't find it in the slightest bit interesting that we were standing outside a flat in Mayfair while the fanatic guide droned on about the party they attended in said flat one night. I don't even remember if there was something "important" about the party. I just don't care.

I think part of the problem may actually have been that a true fanatic was the guide. Those types find Beatle ear lint to be rhapsodic. "One day they varied their breakfast and had coffee instead of tea" and so on (I exaggerate there, but you know what I mean).

Maybe if there were a better guide? Honestly, for a 13 year old, I'd consider something with blood and guts (not Jack the Ripper though - might only be at night anyway). I went on one many years ago called Parliament, Politics and Power. Not sure if they have one quite like it, but it was fascinating and I bet a 13 yr old would like it.

There is one that has a boat journey to Greenwich, that might be nice.

freberta

flygirl - thanks. I am going to see what other walking tours they have at that time. I had a thread last week about Beatles sights in London, but everyone suggested going to Liverpool for a true Beatles experience. As much as my husband would love to do that, it's a bit much for one day.

Thanks for your honest assessment of the tour.

Cholmondley_Warner

The thing about the Beatles stuff is that you stand outside places in Cheyne Walk and the like, being told that this was Ringo's house etc...

They were private people so their lives were lived indoors. In places you can't go.

If you're that desperate; there's a vegetarian cafe in Dean St That Paul gets his lunch in most days. Don't bother him please - we don't do that here.

There's a daytime walk in Clerkenwell that doesn't involve pubs which I'd highly recommend. The guide is a lady who's 465464645 years old and about the size of Yoda - and every bit as wise. It really is a treat. It would be number one on my list.