City of Christmas Past
SATURDAY 7TH DECEMBER
MEET AT 1115 FOR 1130 DEPARTURE
Central City location TBF (eg St Paul's, Bank, or Liverpool St)
Join me on this festive walk through the ancient City of London to ease yourself into the Yuletide spirit. We will explore the strange and wonderful ways that Londoners celebrated Christmas through the ages, with an emphasis on feasting, tippling, and other festive fun. Along the way we'll check out this year's City decorations, from twinkling Christmas trees and light displays, to er, giant penguins...
Appropriately fortified with a spot of mulled wine and a mince pie our festive City trail will reveal:
- the City church dedicated to the real St Nicholas, aka Santa Claus!
- one of the more unlikely feathered feast-foods - strictly for royalty...
- and what ordinary folk consumed at Christmas in the alehouses of atmospheric Bow Lane
- the traditional mince pie design (it's weird...)
- the strange traditions of medieval frost fairs on the frozen Thames
- the royal couple who kick-started London's gin craze
Walk is around a mile on the flat, duration c.100 mins. Suggested minimum age 12.
**IMPORTANT If you wish to join for lunch afterwards at a cosy City pub Email me as soon as you have booked: getting a table is tough this time of year...**
Penguin image credit: Daniel Graves Photography via Fleet Street Quarter