Archway With Words, Sat 29th Sept – guided walks in N19

On the last day of this great local literary festival in N19, Jen Pedler and I will be leading short tours around the Archway area
More info here

A month of literary-themed guided walks with Footprints of London

This October, get your walking shoes on and come and join a literary-themed walk led by one of Footprints of London's professional and enthusiastic guides.
Throughout the whole of the month we'll be hosting our Literary Festival, taking people out of the pages and onto the streets of London, sort of like a walking-talking bookclub.
There's sure to be something for everybody, from Sherlock Holmes to Samuel Pepys via Charles Dickens and the Bloomsbury Set.
For my part, I am including my Limericks and Limericks, Fantasy and Fraud tour and my Diary Of A Nobody – Mr Pooter's Holloway.
Walks are bookable via the FPoL website.
We are offering a fantastic saving in the form of a Season Ticket for the event. This is, quite frankly, a ludicrous bargain – for £49 you can go on as many of the LitFest walks as you like – hell, why not go on them all...?!

What's new? What's happening?

To find out what's new just click here to be taken to the News and Events section
Updated regularly, so please keep checking in
Or subscribe for occasional email updates.

About Jane's London Walks

Jane's London Walks offers alternative guided tours that encourage people to be a little bit more aware of their surroundings – a sort of physical version of Jane's London.
For more information about the walks on offer and how to book them just click here – or just go to Eventbrite.com and search for "janeslondon" or "janeslondonwalks". 
Please see (and like!) my Facebook page and follow me on Twitter @janeslondon
Or why not subscribe for occasional updates using the field on the homepage above?
I am part of Footprints of London where you'll find lots more walks led by many other equally enthusiastic guides.
Feedback always welcome – find me on TripAdvisor.

Walks Schedule September 2018

This schedule is updated regularly
Please keep checking in because spme times and dates may be subject to change.
Full walk descriptions and how to book here
Or go to Eventbrite and search for "janeslondon" or "janeslondonwalks".

SEPTEMBER

(22nd & 23rd OPEN HOUSE weekend)

25th (Tue) – 11pm – Ghostsigns KingsCross 
28th (Fri) – 6.30pm – Ancient Inns and Taverns of Angel/UpperStreet 

29th (Sat) – ARCHWAY WITH WORDS festival – throughout the day Jen and I will be leading 1-hr walks in N19 area. More info here. 

30th (Sun) – 11am – Ghostsigns Holloway 

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Schedules for other months can be found here

My walks are also bookable through the events section on my Facebook page.

All enquiries: jane@janeslondon.com

Walks schedule – October-November 2018

Please note that this schedule is updated regularly – please keep checking in.
Some times and dates may be subject to change.

Full walk descriptions and how to book here

Or go to Eventbrite and search for "janeslondon" or "janeslondonwalks".

OCTOBER
3rd (Wed) – 11am – The Diary Of A Nobody (Mr Pooter's Holloway) 
3rd (Wed) – 2pm – Art Deco Holloway
3rd (Wed) – 4.30pm – Art Deco Arsenal
5th (Fri) – 11am –The Oxford Street of the North (Holloway Heyday) 
6th (Sat) – 11am – Ghostsigns UpperSt/Angel

7th (Sun) – 11am – Leather, Limos & Lubrication (Ghostsigns CovGdn+Soho)

8th (Mon) – 6.30pm – Sculptures of The Strand 

10th (Wed) – 7pm – Lyrics and limericks (A Footprints of London literary walk)
11th (Thu) – 11am – Green and pleasant Islington
11th (Thu) – 2pm –The Diary Of A Nobody (Mr Pooter's Holloway) 
12th (Fri) – 11am – The Estate We're In (The Philanthropists)

13th (Sat) – LOCAL LONDON GUIDING DAY

The next three walks are subject to cancellation:
To be confirmed: 16th (Tue) – 11am – Ghostsigns KingsCross 

To be confirmed: 16th (Tue) – 4pm – Ghostsigns UpperSt/Angel

To be confirmed: 16th (Tue) – 6.30pm – Ancient Inns and Taverns of Angel/UpperStreet

21st (Sun) – 11am – Ghostsigns Holloway 

21st (Sun) – 2pm –The Diary Of A Nobody (Mr Pooter's Holloway) 
21st (Sun) – 4.30pm – Art Deco Holloway

22nd (Mon) – 6.30pm – Art Deco Arsenal
23rd (Tue) – 11am – The Only Way is Essex Road 
24th (Wed) – 11am – Lyrics and limericks (A Footprints of London literary walk)
24th (Wed) – 2.30pm –The Oxford Street of the North (Holloway Heyday) 
28th (Sun) – 11am – Sculptures of The Strand 
28th (Sun) – 2pm – Leather, Limos & Lubrication (Ghostsigns CovGdn+Soho)

29th (Mon) – 7pm –The Diary Of A Nobody (Mr Pooter's Holloway)
30th (Tue) – 7pm – Lyrics and limericks (A Footprints of London literary walk)


NOVEMBER 
4th (Sun) – 11am – Art Deco Shoreditch & Hoxton
4th (Sun) – 3pm – Art Deco Spitalfields & Aldgate

11th (Sun) – 11am – Ghostsigns Camden

21st Wed – 11am –The Oxford Street of the North (Holloway Heyday) 

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Schedules for other months can be found here

My walks are also bookable through the events section on my Facebook page.

All enquiries: jane@janeslondon.com

About me

I have lived in Islington, North London, since 1988. I am intrigued by its vibrant and layered history and, as an avid local historian, I have come to know the area very well.
My guiding style is inclusive, open and friendly – I like to engage with the group I am leading and this leads to a marvellous knowledge exchange.
Every walking tour I offer is designed and thoroughly researched by Yours Truly – in fact, the research never stops with walks getting amended or added to as new information comes to light.
My varied tours highlight the different facets of my personality and the things I am genuinely interested in such as art and design, sculpture and architecture, pubs, parks, ghostsigns and advertising, all of which I use to tell the social history of an area.
I am forever coming up with new ideas for walking tours – a list of 'works in progress' can be found here. Enquiries and bespoke commissions are always welcome.
And I do venture outside of Islington – please check my listings on Eventbrite.

I hope to see you soon,
Jane

Also see my blog Jane's London which is about "the wonderful little details on, around and above London's streets" though it's fair to say that I do have a have a few rants on there too, mainly about what I call the Dubaiification of London.

Jane Amelia Parker
Accredited and insured Clerkenwell and Islington CIGA guide 
Member of Footprints of London.
Feedback always welcome – find me on TripAdvisor.

It's all in the details

My walking tours are a natural progression of the blog I have been writing for almost ten years which is all about my London observations married with collections of my photographs, of which I have many thousands.

For instance, shown here is part of a collection of 'white' places in to tie in with the snowy weather we had in March 2018. 

Press coverage

Islington Tribune Great hints on history

Islington Gazette Business of the week

Islington Now People have turned into pigeons

Art Deco

What is Art Deco architecture?
We’ve all got a different take on it.

The simple lines, smooth tiles and geometric shapes of the 1930s Jazz Age continue to inspire.

Join me on a walking tour to see a cross-section from this motivational design era.

My Holloway, Arsenal, Shoreditch and Spitalfields walks can all be found here.

Other areas coming soon – please see schedules 

Ghostsigns

Ghostsigns are the faded advertisements of yesteryear still visible above today's streets mostly in the form of hand-painted letters on brick walls, though they can also be other types of defunct signage for brands or businesses which no longer exist there.

On these tours you'll hear fascinating stories behind the signs. You'll find out about bogus potions, big brands, small traders and clever marketing.

Info and booking here for walks in Covent Garden & Soho, Kings Cross, Holloway, Archway and Angel/Upper Street.
Other areas to coming soon.

See here for more.

And, can you help me to decipher this one in Islington?

Coming soon

I am brimming with ideas for more walks.
I just need more time!

Listed below are some tasters of some of my works-in-progress, yet to be completed.
Please also see the News and Events section. 

• Art Deco – Highgate/Camden
• Parks and Recreation (Islington North)
• Pop Goes The Weasel – up or down the City Road 
• Fabulous Fonts and Friendly Faces – the printing and clock-making industries of Clerkenwell 
• Cally to Camden (highlights)
• Islington On The Edge (walking the border of the borough, though in sections) 
• A Slice of Islington
• It's Hip to Be Square – Bloombury/Fitzrovia/Barnsbury squares etc 
• Bury me in Islington – inc Canonbury, Highbury and Barnsbury 
• Hackney Brook – Holloway to Arsenal 
• New River Walk – Islington to Tottenham (4hr walk either way) 
• Tufnell Park to Kentish Town (highlights) 
• Pubs and Taverns of Kentish Town
• Little Red Bus – a series of five walking tours following the route of the 153 bus (Finsbury Park to Finsbury Square) with a few deviations to see some interesting and not so well-known places along the way. The route will be split in route into 90-minute walking sections.

If you are interested in any of the above and can organise a group of people* please do get in touch for more info as most of the above can swiftly pulled together and arranged at a mutually convenient date.

If you have ideas of your own, perhaps a particular subject or theme that you are interested in that would make a good walking tour, then please do get in touch. Here are a few ideas – women, artists, animals, shops, churches, children, music, health...

I occasionally provide commentary on Hidden Depths canalboat tours which moor at Granary Steps, Kings Cross. 
Many tours go through the 200-year Islington Tunnel – a wonderful experience through a marvellous feat of clever engineering. 
Boat trips can be booked for parties and events. Please contact Hidden Depths for more information 

*minimum group size 5 people (adults) or 6 people inc concessions