Virtual Tours and Lectures

I am pleased to introduce virtual tours and lectures – if you can’t visit London in person, get immersed in it instead with a knowledgeable, entertaining and professionally trained local!

Please enjoy this FREE virtual walking tour around the exterior of St Paul’s Cathedral!  I hope it helps to introduce you to the concept and whets your appetite to book a virtual tour.

1) A Virtual Tour of Historic Pubs on the River Thames

Historic Pubs on the River Thames advert

Sit back and relax on your virtual boat ride up the river Thames, stopping off at historic riverside pubs to soak up the atmosphere, imbibe a little history, enjoy the view and drink a virtual pint / cocktail / glass of wine or two! 

Pubs lie at the heart of British life, and some of our oldest surviving buildings are often pubs!  This means they have wonderful quirky architecture, old beams, scary cellars, long and wonderful histories and stories of incredibly varied patrons. This virtual tour starts east of Greenwich exploring numerous historic pubs in the docklands, from pubs used by smugglers, to those frequented by Admiral Nelson and the writer Charles Dickens, to neighbourhood locals with nearby statues celebrating community heroes, and even one with its own replica noose on the riverbank!

As we reach the City of London we discover the pub named for the oldest rowing race in the world, and a wonderful pub named and decorated after the monks of the old monastery where it now stands, and where a Queen of England was put on “trial”.  As we continue rowing west up river we will learn something about the great river Thames itself, before stopping off at a pub where we can pretend to be James Bond or George Smiley, and at a pub saved by the community in the heart of historic Chelsea.  Leaving central London we head further west to find the perfect pub for watching the Oxford-Cambridge boat race and end at one of the last big breweries in London.

Enjoy dipping your toes in the history of the river Thames and its pubs!

2) Virtual Highlights Walking Tours

Virtual highlights walking tours are available of any of the walking tours on my “Themed tours” page ie:

London on Film

A sequel London on Film Part 2; A Virtual Flying Tour that hops about all over London

The Evolving City of London

Christopher Wren’s City of London

Shopping London

London’s Lungs; Explore the Royal Parks

Secret Gardens in the City (also inc Highlights of the Beautiful Royal Parks if desired)

Food and Drink

and any of the walking tours on my “A walk around…” page ie:

The City of Westminster; London’s “must see” sights  

The City of London, historic London and modern financial centre

Bankside and Shakespeare’s London

Covent Garden; markets and theatre

St James’s; home of the traditional gentleman

Temple and Lincoln’s Inn; secret cloisters of the legal profession

Bloomsbury; intellectual and medical neighbourhood

Notting Hill; vibrant village and film set

The East End (Shoreditch and Spitalfields); working class melting pot and hipsters

The Docklands (Wapping); the river and its docks

The Docklands (Rotherhithe); redeveloped and docks and historic fishing village

King’s Cross; railways, writers and regeneration

Chelsea; bohemian village on the river

Highgate; village on the hill

3) Virtual Tours of Museums and Galleries

Due to legal / copyright issues, I cannot deliver virtual tours of all the museums and galleries where I normally guide in real life.  However, where galleries make virtual tours publicly available to all online I can use these as the basis for a tour, for example:

Virtual Highlights of the National Gallery; Paintings by Dutch and British Masters

The National Gallery is the UK’s prize collection of western European art. This virtual tour will look at the some of the highlights of the gallery by Dutch and British masters, including Jan Van Eyck in the 15th century and Rembrandt and Vermeer in the 17th century.  We will then jump to the golden age of British painting in the late 18th and early 19th centuries, to enjoy works by George Stubbs, John Constable and JMW Turner.   The tour will explore how artistic techniques, attitudes and aspirations developed and were shaped by the context in which painters lived.

Please contact me with details of your group and what you would like to explore and I will advise what is possible in each case.

4) Virtual Talks / Lectures

Virtual versions are available of all the lectures / talks on my “Speaking” page ie

The British Love Affair with Tea

Private Lives in the Public Sphere

James Bond – a British Hero

A History of London Shopping

An Urban Safari; Exploring the Animals of London

5) Virtual Sightseeing Tours/Day Trips

Virtual sightseeing tours can be made to some of the locations on my “A trip to the countryside…” page, so perhaps you might enjoy a virtual day trip!:

A leisurely meander around the Cotswolds – 2 tours; one focused on the eastern side around Burford and Bibury and the other on the north east corner around Stow-on-the Wold and Chipping Campden

A virtual walking tour around Georgian Bath

A wander around Shakespeare’s Stratford-upon-Avon

6) The London TREASURE HUNT and QUIZ 

Get to know London with this fun virtual treasure hunt and quiz!  Using google maps you will be directed to a certain place, such as the junction of 2 roads, or a particular spot in a park, or in front of a specific building, and asked to find a noticeable feature.  This could be a funny looking building, a statue or even street art.  You will be asked a question to prove you have found the right place and then there will be linked quiz questions for bonus marks!  This is a test of your observation skills, knowledge of London and general knowledge.  The Quiz Master’s word is final (after amusing discussion, of course!)

Have fun and explore a piece of the jigsaw puzzle…..

London-jigsaw

Format: Live via zoom

Virtual tours and lectures will be delivered live via zoom, using photos, images, videos and maps to show you the highlights points of interest from a virtual walking tour, museum/gallery tour or day trip.   The tour will be approx 1 hour long with time for questions at the end.  Interaction will be encouraged via the chat facility (for larger groups) and via video (for smaller groups).

Technology requirements: access to email and zoom

Fees and Terms  

From 1 January 2021 the price is £7.50 per person / From 1 January 2023 the price is £10 per person

Minimum group size / cost = 10 people or £75 (£100 from Jan 2023)

Maximum group size = 50.

Please contact me via email to discuss or book: caroline.piper@yahoo.co.uk

Confirmation of the booking is by email, once dates and content are agreed.

I will invoice you after the booking (when participant numbers are known).  Payment should be made in one go by the organiser to Caroline.  Payments can be made by online bank transfer (preferred if you are UK based) or via paypal (international clients).

Cancellation charges: waived at this time.