News & Articles
from Our Guides

Ottobah Cugoano (c1757 – c1791)
Ottobah Cugoano also known as Quobna Ottobah Cugoano, was an ex enslaved person who became free. He was captured at the age of 13 in

Ignatius Sancho (c.1729 – 1780)
Abolitionist, writer and composer. Born on a slave ship, Ignatius was originally enslaved by the Spanish. At the age of 2 he was given by

It all started with a Tea Dance
It all started with a Tea Dance … Bringing back and making memories … Silver Sunday has become a national campaign tackling loneliness that affects

The Victoria Memorial
Paul Waddams Background Following the death of Queen Victoria in 1901, her eldest son, King Edward VII, suggested that a Parliamentary committee should develop plans

My mate Jimmy at the NPG has done a runner
When Westminster Guide Jonathan Grun popped into the National Portrait Gallery to renew an old acquaintance, he discovered that his old friend had disappeared. Now

Visit to Freemason’s Hall
In May, the membership of the City of Westminster Guide Lecturers Association was treated to an extraordinary tour of an extraordinary building – the Freemasons’

St James’s Square: Henry Jermyn’s field of dreams
From the start a desirable area to live, St James’s was close to both the royal palace and Westminster and so handy both for courtiers and politicians. But how did Henry Jermyn get his hands on what had been St James’s fields?

Westminster’s code breakers
Mark Lubienski shines a light onto the secret world of the cryptanalysts whose wartime successes in deciphering Nazi communications inspired the film the Imitation Game

Working from home with Samuel Pepys
Take a stroll down Buckingham Street with David Mullany to check out the view from Sam’s 17th century home office and learn about the street’s many other illustrious residents