THE GENTLE AUTHOR'S TOUR OF SPITALFIELDS

There are so many other stories of the people of Spitalfields over the past two thousand years which deserve to be told. In my work as a blogger over the past twelve years, writing SPITALFIELDS LIFE daily, I have published hundreds of the tales of the people - both past and present - who make this place so fascinating. 

Now I am taking these stories onto the street to create tours that are more more engaging, more entertaining, more fun, more surprising, better storytelling - and do not trade off violence against women.

I am appalled that educational institutions send classes of students and school children on the exploitative serial killer tours which display autopsy photographs of women in the street, indulging in ghoulish humour at the expense of these victims. 

Instead, I am offering visitors the opportunity to meet a member of the local community and learn something of the infinite variety of life that has evolved in London’s first suburb over two millennia.  For the past two years, I have been developing and road-testing THE GENTLE AUTHOR’S TOUR OF SPITALFIELDS which I plan to launch this spring. 

Now I am raising  £20,000 to create a booking website, train local tour guides, print maps and buy targeted online advertising to reach tourists planning a visit.

This project is a means to create local employment, draw attention to the distinctive wonders of the place and reclaim the true stories of our living community.

I want to celebrate a rich and diverse history of resourcefulness, driven by successive waves of migration from across the world - Huguenots, Jews, Irish and Bengalis, among many others - which tells the story of how modern Britain was created.

Help me SAVE SPITALFIELDS FROM THE SERIAL KILLER!

Map of The Gentle Author's Tour of Spitalfields designed by Adam Dant

TESTIMONIALS

Here are some comments by people who have been on my trial tours:

“What a winner! The Gentle Author's Tour is in a category of its own, illustrated by the historic buildings of Spitalfields and illuminated by stories of its residents uniquely brought to life by their friend and biographer, the Gentle Author.  Book immediately, to avoid disappointment.” MP

“The walking tour felt like being invited into a very special “family gathering”! The pace and places we stopped were perfect, with so many stories, both personal and historical with the emphasis on the very humanity that has made this area what it is over so many centuries. It was such an antidote to the disconnection I’ve felt over the last eighteen months, thank you.” KB

“As an East Ender born and bred, I thoroughly enjoyed The Gentle Author's Spitalfields walking tour. An excellent mixture of history and individual stories bringing alive the vibrant past and present of Spitalfields's streets - in all its darkness and many triumphs of the human spirit. The tour is a magnificent counterblast to those tours and stories of the East End focusing only on the Ripper horrors and statistics of poverty. The Gentle Author takes you on a journey into what the real East End has always been about - survival, defiance, community, change. Listen and marvel.” MOL

"I spent almost two hours walking with The Gentle Author and twelve other people in the streets of Spitalfields. I am passionate about literature and history so it was the best combination of little vignettes from local people and, historical reflection on poverty, social classes and architecture. The Gentle Author is a specialist and I am very lucky I managed to spend some time listening to these stories in good company. Walking hors des sentiers battus felt like a privilege to me, as if our guide was able to lift off the veils of history and let us peep underneath to discover the real London.” MW

"From Roman times to the land of bones, to Henry VIII’s Brexit, to the waves of immigrants who have made Spitalfields so distinctive,  The Gentle Author covered 2,000 years of history, with a personal twist in the tail at the end of the talk.  Not only the past was covered, but also the present day - ghastly facadism and the plans for the Truman Brewery.  A considerable amount of social history was covered during the walk.  The duration of the tour was just right, the ending with tea & homemade cake in one of the houses in Fournier Street was a civilised way to conclude the visit to the 'Hospital Fields’." CE

“The Gentle Author's Spitalfields Tour is a real treat.  Resplendent storytelling brings the people and places of this magnificent blog to life with a quiet passion and humility. It's a colourful journey through times past and present, provoking thought about the London we live in today and how we should preserve its history, characters and communities. To quote from Dickens Jnr's Dictionary of London 1888 "it is something that no student of London life should miss seeing". A wonderful experience that helps to reconnect us with the spirit of humanity and to cherish this wonderful city.” LW

"This is a must-do activity for London visitors and residents alike if you are keen to absorb the history of former generations as you walk around the cobbled streets of Spitalfields.  From the Jewish soup kitchen to the site of the theatre where Chaplin trod the boards as a ten year old, The Gentle Author brings history to life over a very memorable two hours and I'm so glad that I experienced this.“ KU

“This brilliant, incisive walking tour with The Gentle Author around Spitalfields was packed with fascinating detail and well woven narratives about some of the people who’ve given this area its rich and singular history over the centuries. I would highly recommend this tour for anyone with the faintest interest in the area on the basis that it revealed much I didn’t know while being a perfect length and sufficiently succinct to maintain one’s interest throughout.” BG

“What a privilege to take part in your wonderfully evocative tour of an area we thought we knew pretty well. The tour gave us something really precious - a personal connection with people whose stories might otherwise be forgotten in a part of London that is in danger of becoming a theme park. We are very touched, and will be recommending the tour far and wide.Thank you.” NW

“What makes your tour so special is the weaving in of the history of people with that of buildings and streets, named people whose stories you knew. I loved seeing their photos and hearing what happened to them. I think that helped bring the group together, looking at all the photos (which worked very well) and reflectively on the human dimension. I honestly haven’t got any suggestions for improvements.” SL

"The Gentle Author's walks are highly recommended for their informative content about the characterful pocket of London’s Spitalfields which should never be allowed to be swept away by major corporate developments and ghastly facadism!”. CJ