For the last few months I have been busy working out a vague plan to push my Ye Olde England Tours business forward. How can you be a tour guide and make any money whatsoever without there being any tourists? A few people around the world have done the odd live tour using their phone… Continue reading My first Virtual 360 Degree Video Tour of London
Tag: Literature
Quotable Tennyson
Last week I posted on the birthday of Alfred, Lord Tennyson. It is little known but this Poet Laureate is actually the ninth most quoted literary figure. Whilst not in the same league as Shakespeare or perhaps as entertaining as Dr. Johnson, it is likely we all are familiar with at least some of… Continue reading Quotable Tennyson
Remembering Alfred, Lord Tennyson on bis birthday
This morning as I write this, or yesterday when this is posted, I was giving an all day tour to a family from New York and we went inside the incredible Westminster Abbey. As we were there 15 minutes before opening time, despite 60 or 70 people being ahead of us, there were hundreds behind… Continue reading Remembering Alfred, Lord Tennyson on bis birthday
John Donne – A forgotten poet and his discovered manuscript.
In the long and rich history of English literature, John Donne is almost forgotten about by many today but in his time he was pioneering. Born into a Catholic family at a time when it was illegal to practice the religion in England, Donne wrote often biting satire on legal corruption, mediocre writers, pig-headed officials… Continue reading John Donne – A forgotten poet and his discovered manuscript.
Humphrey Repton and the Bloomsbury Squares
One of my favourite areas of London and one which I have written on previously is Bloomsbury. Once the area was full of grand achitectural squares with lush green gardens as their centre piece. Even today, the area retains an air of quiet, gentle elegance though wartime bombing and construction have taken their toll on… Continue reading Humphrey Repton and the Bloomsbury Squares
Goodbye Christopher Robin Film Review
Every now and then you come across a film that you know will just turn out to be a classic even if it isn’t initially thought to be such. I am one of the few who went to see Shawshank Redemption at the cinema and even more remarkably, I loved it from the start. … Continue reading Goodbye Christopher Robin Film Review
Dr Samuel Johnson, his dictionary and quotes
It is 308 years since the birth of Samuel Johnson, who wrote the English language’s most comprehensive dictionary in the 1750s. So this seems as good a time as any to express my utmost contrafibularities (see below) to the man himself. Johnson, born in 1709, spent nine years working on A Dictionary of the English… Continue reading Dr Samuel Johnson, his dictionary and quotes
Bloomsbury – The Literary Heart of London
Bloomsbury is one of my very favourite parts of London. I’m a little biased as I spent four years studying at SOAS, a college in the University of London during the 1990’s and in recent years have been spending quite a lot of time doing guided tours such as my Sherlock Walk or my Bloomsbury… Continue reading Bloomsbury – The Literary Heart of London
The Epic of Beowulf
Last week saw the premiere of a new ITV show in the vein of Game of Thrones, The Vikings and The Last Kingdom, Beowulf. Whilst less intense and made to appeal to a wider audience than the other shows, many may be unaware that Beowulf isn’t just based on a classic work of literature but… Continue reading The Epic of Beowulf
New book promo video & poems from Very Sad Poetry
A few weeks ago I released my new book, Very Sad Poetry. Thank-you to everyone who as purchased a copy, for a few days I was giving William Wordsworth a run for his money on the Amazon ranking charts and ahead of such luminaries as Milton and Rumi. Now things have settled back to normal… Continue reading New book promo video & poems from Very Sad Poetry
Stephen Liddell 