RIDE & STRIDE - 14th September 2013 Countrywide Church Viewing Fest!

I am very pleased to be involved offering my services free of charge to raise money for the City Churches.

Ride and Stride with the Heritage Trust are organising a great walk and ride opportunity on the 14th September .http://www.rideandstrideuk.org/rs-near-you/

I will be taking a group of you around ten churches within the Square Mile, starting at Holborn and then leaving you at the border to visit St Mary's Spitalfields.

Sponsor forms are not everyone's cup of tea (refreshments also on offer) but you can make a one off donation or choose your church if you prefer. Hope you will join us on this interesting and worthwhile event.

Some of the churches usually closed on a Saturday will be specially open for the event.

Check out the Ride and Stride web site -
or follow on FaceBook https://www.facebook.com/LondonRideStride and Twitter @LondonRandS.

Just to add, I'm doing the 'striding' part not the 'riding'.

St Michael's Ludgate with St Paul's Cathedral
Sketch S R Jones by kind permission of his Estate

What makes a good Guided Walk or Tour? Read on ...

My attention was drawn to this blog article and it discusses various issues that Guides often to discuss among themselves.

A fair conclusion, and I prefer to go with the small groups and/or exclusive.

http://www.livingthedreamrtw.com/2013/08/falling-in-love-with-guided-walking.html

Baroness Thatcher - no statue request denied! (Possibly)

The house where Margaret Thatcher was born (Grantham) (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Grantham, in Lincolnshire the birthplace and humble beginnings of the first woman Prime Minister of United Kingdom and Northern Ireland is discussing the possibility of raising funds to set up a statue of late Baroness Thatcher.  Article here:  http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-lincolnshire-2797832


Interestingly the party who opposed her, Labour, are keen to participate, as tourism within the area has increased beyond their modest expectations. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-lincolnshire-21647525

In respect of this last article I would just like to put the record straight as to the whereabouts of the 'beheaded' version of the Margaret Thatcher sculpture, it is not in storage at the House of Commons but standing resplendent and proud in the Guildhall Art Gallery and that is where she will remain until further notice, safe behind bullet and cricket proof glass!

The annoying point of the article is that the writer could have easily found out where this sculpture is located. All they had to do was put Mrs Thatcher's name and 'statue' and up it pops - also the name of the sculptor Neil Simmons (which is not mentioned in the article) and hey presto all the information would have appeared, particularly as the decapitation of the statue made national news!

There is a bronze statue of Baroness Thatcher in the House of Commons, a  recent commission. The marble sculpture was supposed to have been installed there too, but a rule existed when it was completed that 'no living' person's sculpture could be displayed in the lobby of the House of Commons, so it was, and is exhibited at the Guildhall Art Gallery where it will remain indefintely.

Margaret Thatcher is one of the ladies who 'appear' in my 'Women Through Time' walk in the City of London, specially commissioned for International Women's Day in March this year. Please feel free to make contact if you would like to book this for a private walk.

Former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher (Photo credit: Wikipedia)