Ripper Tour/Donald Rumbelow
 

I just read a message someone posted last week, about the Jack the Ripper tour with Donald Rumbelow being very crowded now - 150 people?!?! We were thinking about taking this walking tour on a tuesday night, but wonder if others have had the same experience with such huge crowds. Would a tues. be better than a fri. or sat., f'rinstance?

The Ripper tour goes every night and is usually crowded. But Don Rumbelow does not lead it every night. He does on Sunday and maybe one other night a week, and those are the most crowded. But even when one of the other guides leads it, you can expect 50-100 or more people.<BR>Cheers,<BR>Russ

I've heard that sometimes when there's a huge crowd, they bring in a second tour guide, who leaves first, with the half of the gruop who doesn't realize it's better to wait for Donald.

Donald Rumbelow does a great job, as do the other guides. But, unfortunately this tour is being ruined by its success. It has become "THE" walking tour one must take. The people in the neighborhood are becomming very testy about this and the GLC may in fact put a limit on the number who can take the tour. Since London walks can't seem to take care of this problem, the city gov't may well do it for them.<BR><BR>Too bad - the walk used to be wonderful - 25 people tops, usually only 15 or 20. Now it can be a zoo - and sometimes there are confrontations bewteen the group and folks in the area.

Janis, not to argue with you but we went on the Rumbelow tour two years ago and I don't remember going through any neighborhoods where anyone lived. I seem to remember almost the entire area (except for one block) was financial buildings.

True - Whitechapel and the east end are primarily commercial. But a LOT of people do live along the route, two schools are located right at two of the murder sites, there are several pubs, etc.<BR><BR>

We went on the Jack the Ripper Walk with Donald Brumbelow on a Sunday evening. There were approx. 100 people total. They split us into two groups, Molly led the first group and Donald led the second group. The area of the walk is mostly commercial. Donald never began speaking until ALL people were gathered around and could hear him. We never had any confrontations with locals. I would recommend taking the walk if that is your interest.

We took the walk last year, but didn't have Donald. There were about 80 - 100<BR>people, and they split us into 2 groups. I don't remember our guides name, but she was kind of flakey. She knew her stuff, but just presented it in kind of a matter of fact way which didn't add anything to it. <BR> At one of the last places where we stopped, we were right next to some buildings where people lived and the children were peering out the windows at us.