London- Jack the Ripper Tours
 

Are these any good or just very touristy?
What one can you suggest?
Melissa

They are rather touristy but the worst thing about them is that they are generally very busy.

It was marginally better than I was expecting (although I wasn't expecting much to be fair). I didn't mind that it was touristy since I live in London and quite like playing tourist once in a while.

which one did you use?

Possibly Original London Walks but I'm not 100% sure about that since a friend sorted out the details and all I had to do was turn up.

I have actually been a Ripper tour guide before I had a Damascene moment and realised what I was doing*.

I really think that of all the walks that are available in London the JTR ones are by far the worst – they just seem to have become a “must do” for American tourists (and some other tourists too).

Basically what happens is that you will be in a large group of tourists following a guide (and all hoping that they get Donald Rumbelow – even though he’s a miserable sod) around four of the murder sites.

There is nothing remaining of any of them except the cobbles of Mitre Court, which is no surrounded by modern office blocks.

The indoor murder site is now a multi-storey car park (it’s the bit where they park the mopeds), although most guides cheat and claim it’s the old building nearby.

So in short if you want a tour of office blocks and housing association flats (thereby spoiling the evenings of the people who live there) then the JTR tour is for you. If you want any feeling for history – do one of the other walks – the pub ones are very good indeed – especially the gaslight one.

*My Damascene moment came when I realised that I was glorifying the life of a sadist who hated women, in an area in which prostitutes are still fairly regularly attacked and murdered.

I did the London Walks JTR walk. I think it would have been pretty good in a small group, but there were just too many people on it.

This tour depends a great deal on the guide developing the atmosphere, since there is almost nothing original to see. You are just at the locations where things once happened and the guide must paint the picture.

Keith

I think that we will spend our time elsewhere
Thanks

Don't be put off taking one of the other London walks - they are very good indeed. The pub ones are great - and will show you a bit of London you probably wouldn't otherwise see.

The daytime ones are good too.

Thanks

Even though there were about 70 people on the walk, the London Walks' Haunted London tour was much more effective.

Keith

David West, thanks for the comment on the Jack the Ripper tour. I could never understand the attraction of that one. Melissa, there's a Harry Potter walking tour through London Walks. Perhaps your kids would like that.

I didn't really like the Jack the Ripper tour we went on. I'm not sure what I was expecting, but I was disappointed.

If you want to see Harry Potter sites, go to King's Cross tube station yourself to see where they filmed the scenes of Platform 4 3/4. I went to the information desk there and very sheepishly asked where the filming was done, and the man at the desk was very pleased to tell me where to go, and he said I could take photos. There was even a wall off to one side with half a luggage trolley sticking out of it where kids were having their pictures taken.

I agree on the JTR - and on the History Tour of the City - I was born in London and the tour brought me (and told me things!) that I never knew!

Have fun whatever you do!

John

David, What interesting comments! I never thought of the JTR tours that way, but your right. (miserable sod? :-D )