Lectures

Literary London

An armchair tour of London’s literary landmarks looking at some of the places where famous authors lived, worked, parties and loved. From Chaucer and Shakespeare in Southwark to Dr Johnson in Fleet Street. From Charles Dickens and Virginia Woolf in Bloomsbury to Zadie Smith in North West London, this illustrated talk will introduce you to a variety of literary personalities and their haunts.

Theatrical London

This talk treats you to historical vignettes and anecdotes about some of our famous theatres. Discover how theatre developed from the Elizabethan playhouses of Bankside and Shoreditch, through the rise of restoration drama in Covent Garden to Shaftesbury Avenue’s Edwardian and Victorian theatres. Bringing things up to date we’ll discover the birth of the Fringe and the current vogue for site specific theatre in unusual venues. The illustrated talk will include anecdotes about theatrical personalities, superstitions and traditions.

​

Retail Therapy – London Shopping Through the Ages

Starting with the historic shops of St James’s we move via elegant Regency shopping arcades to the tailors of Saville Row, designers of Bond Street and the grand department stores. A shop founded by a Royal footman, a 17th century hatter, the arcade where you are not allowed to whistle, a couturier who dressed the Queen and the department store owner who went to jail for expanding his business all feature in this illustrated lecture.

Artists in London

From the garrets of Soho and Covent Garden to the grand studio houses of Kensington and the modern live/work spaces of East London we follow the progress of a variety of artists who have made London their home. What turns an area into a creative quarter and how have artists made their mark on the development of the capital? All will be revealed during this illustrated talk.

Your favourite area of London

With one of the most extensive repertoires of London tours on offer, Diane will develop any tour into an illustrated talk. Whether it’s the traditions of the City of London, the elegant districts of Mayfair and Belgravia , the once shady but  now trendy East End with fascinating social history or the curiosities of London’s lesser known districts, there’s something for everyone so ask Diane to tailor a talk to your group’s interests.