Exam day tomorrow – soon I will be leading guided walks of Islington

For the past six months I have been doing the usual juggling –  mixing a bit of graphic design with clay pipe jewellery making, card and print selling, taking photos and writing this blog. Somehow I have managed to also squeeze in a course to lead walking tours on the streets, specifically a course run by CIGA, the Clerkenwell and Islington Guides' Association.
It's gotta be said; I am absolutely exhausted.
Tomorrow afternoon I will be completing the final part of the 4-part exam; an examiner will ask each of seven of us to talk about two of the stops on a 14-stop route from Highbury & Islington station to Islington Green, taking in the places shown in the montage below, but we won't know which stops are ours until our name is called out at the time. 

Some of these pics aren't immediately obvious as regards their location, especially 'my ego was here' which I spotted in Laycock Street. The middle two are my two of my stripes cards/prints – lots more than shown here

The amount of research outside classtime that this course has necessitated has been extensive. My head is now full to brimming with facts and figures, names and locations. But it's going to be well worth it in the end.
For many years I have been gathering historical information about my local area of Holloway and saying that I want to lead tours to share the information but I just didn't apply myself to it properly; tomorrow, tomorrow, next month, after this, after that etc. This course has finally given me a kick up my ample derriere and very soon, after I have tested the walks out on a few brave friends, I will be announcing some dates.
I have four tours almost ready for action and these will be weekends and/or evenings. My A1 walks will take us up/down/around/along three different sections of the Holloway Road, and I have also designed a longer walk that will include a refreshment/lunch stop route from Holloway to Angel.
Other routes are also in the pipeline taking in Barnsbury, Finsbury Park, Highbury, Archway, Tufnell Park and Crouch End (obviously, not all in the same tour!).
If you have any unusual information that you think would be worthy of inclusion please do let me know – I am especially interested in stories from some of our older residents who might recall some of the things that have since disappeared; particularly first-hand experience of long-gone shops and businesses, tearooms, music halls, theatres, picture houses and transport/trams.
OK... back to the research for a last bit of bit of swotting-up...

More from Greenwich Peninsula

This follows on my last piece 

Just re-found these pics taken in August 2015 after an afternoon at the beer festival when we thought it would  be a good idea to walk back to Greenwich town in the rain. Pff! What's a bit of sky water?!

Around the Peninsula, including a high-rise tower of my own towers

This shows why I thought re-visiting the foreshore here was a good idea; OK even more plastic and modern detritus, but a decent beach with potted plants and the remains of an old brick floor.

A walk along Kings Road (part 4) Santander vs modern

And so the walk continues east.
See my previous posts for earlier sections of this road.

These days Kings Road have devolved into just another bland high street with all the same brands and labels as every other major shopping thoroughfare in the UK. 

But you can still spot hints of its past in the architecture.

Top: almost opposite Wrights Dairy is an ornate grade II listed Victorian building with a bowed window, an iron balcony above the ground floor, Corinthian columns and shell motifs. This used to be the Markham Arms public house. It closed down in the early 1990s and is now a branch of Santander. Compare this ornate structure with the blandness that is Kings Mall a hundred metres further on. Progress? I think not.
Middle: At no.72, in a prime position on the corner of Lincoln Street facing Duke of York Square, is the Grade II listed 19th Century building that used to be The Colville Tavern and Wine Stores. At the top of some of the dividing Doric pilasters there are male and female (royal?) faces. I seem to recall this being home to a clothes shop in the early 80's but I might be mistaken. It's certainly a clothes shop now.
Bottom: The Sidney Smith Buildings run from No.50 down to No. 34 on the corner of Cadogan Gardens. But who was Sidney Smith?!  Look up to see the lovely Victorian moulded date and street name sign signs at the very top.  

Lots more info about the changing face of the Kings Road can be found here.

And here (I particularly like this one)

And this one too.

A mystery tour in Holborn – Incredible Midtown: The Game‏ – until Friday Dec 11th

I just found this is a fun way to explore what I still prefer to call the Holborn area.

Bloomsbury details

Until this Friday 11th Dec...
Put your detective skills to the test and unravel a series of fiendish clues and perplexing puzzles and immerse yourself in three centuries of London history on the mystery tour Incredible Midtown: The Game‏ devised by live-action experience maestros Secret Studio.  
Teams of friends and strangers will form groups of ten and collaborate to uncover the drama and fascinating past of this ever-intriguing area during a puzzle-based adventure game. Actors bring real and fictional fully-interactive characters to life (or death!). Expects ghosts, pubs, rock stars, and lots of fascinating historical facts.
Takes approx 90 minutes. The Game Tickets are £12 per person. Book here.

I have written about the rebranding of Bloomsbury as Midtown before here and here.