The Dark Side- Sinister Tours of London January 13, 2009
Posted by michaelgerrard in Dark Side tours of London, East End Tours, London Tours, London's East End tours, Mikro Tours, Personal London Tours, Personal Tours of London, Personalised tours, Personalized tours, Private London Tours, Private tours, Royal Tours, Sinister London, Visit Britain, Visit London, london museums, london tour, small group London tours.Tags: East End, executions, ghosts, Jack the Ripper, Jack the Ripper tours, london tour, London Tours, Mikro Tours, On the Dark Side, Personal London Tour, personal tours, Personal Tours of London, Personalised London Tour, personalised Londontours, personalized london tour, personalized London tours, pirates, plague, Pub tours, sinister London tours, sinister tours, Sinister tours of London, small group London tours, Whitechapel, witches
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Dear Traveller,
On the Darkside- Mikro Tours’ tour around the sinister tales and areas of London, remain among the most popular tours that our company does.
Int never ceases to amaze me how people are prepared to pay good money to be scared, not that our tours are ever that terrifying or spine-tingling. We aim to entertain not provoke nightmares.
Fortunately London abounds with enough tales of dark goings on- witches, ghosts, executions, murder, plague, pirates etc, to guarantee a good night out.
Naturally most visitors coming on this tour are keen to follow in the footsteps of Victorian London’s most notorious killer, the one known as Jack the Ripper.
For a few short months in 1888 women in London’s Whitechapel, then a poor slum area in London’s East End, remained fearful that they would become victims of the crazed killer.
At least six women did die before the killing-spree ended, but due to the fact that no one was ever caught the story remains potent today, and continues to bring many visitors to those same London streets.
Who was Jack the Ripper? Well, as the years have gone-by the lack of a conviction has prompted much speculation- was he possibly a royal prince, a butcher, or famed society artist?
All these have been suggested, but as no one is ever likely to know the truth, Jack remains an ever-green staple of Mikro Tours and others’ tours of sinister London.
Until next time,
Michael Gerrard- Mikro Tours
Mikro Tours takes small and larger groups of individually minded travellers into the parts of London the big tour operators don’t reach. We also personalize tours for people wanting alternative touring experiences in England, i.e. as part of conferences and events. Why not plan your tour with us – soon. Visit our website www.mikrotours.com, email us at info@mikrotours.com, or call +44(0)20 8959 9696.
London Gateway to England’s Treasures January 13, 2009
Posted by michaelgerrard in Hampton Court Palace, London Tours, Personal London Tours, Private London Tours, Private tours, Royal Tours, Visit Britain, Visit London, Windsor Castle, london tour.Tags: london tour, royal palaces, Personalised London Tour, small group London tours, personal tours, personalised Londontours, London Tours, Windsor Castle Tours, Hampton Court Palace, Hampton Court Palace Tours, Windsor Castle, Henry VIII, The Queen
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Dear Traveller,
As regular readers of our blog will know, Mikro Tours devises tour itineraries for visitors to London, but we do not only work in the capital city we also arrange trips to other places nearby.
And fortunately, London is but only a matter of a few hours journey from many of the other attractions that regularly come up top of visitor wish lists.
Nearest to hand are the magnificent royal residences of Windsor Castle and Hampton Court Palace, both of which lie but an hour from Central London.
Windsor Castle remains very much a royal residence, and is rumoured to be the Queen’s favourite home, one that she stays at during most weekends of the year.
Attractions at the castle include:- St George’s Chapel, St George’s Hall, the Waterloo Chamber, Princess Mary’s dolls house, and a regular Changing of the Guard, like that which is found at Buckingham Palace.
Hampton Court Palace, meanwhile lies a similar distance from Central London, and has been a royal palace since the days of Henry VIII, who would often relax there in between getting married and divorced from his wives.
In fact April 2009 marks the 500th anniversary of Henry ascending the English throne, and many special events are planned to commemorate the ‘much-married monarch’.
Until next time,
Michael Gerrard- Mikro Tours
Mikro Tours takes both small and larger groups of individually minded travellers into the parts of London the big tour operators don’t reach. We also personalize tours for people wanting alternative touring experiences in England, i.e. as part of conferences and events. Why not plan your tour with us – soon. Visit our website www.mikrotours.com, email us at info@mikrotours.com, or call +44(0)20 8959 9696.
London Christmas Shopping Wonderland December 16, 2008
Posted by michaelgerrard in Bond Street, Knightsbridge, London Shops, London Tours, Oxford Street, Personal London Tours, Pivate tours, Private London Tours, Private tours, Shopping in London, Visit London, london tour.Tags: Personal London Tour, small group London tours, personal tours, personalised Londontours, personalized London tours, large group tour, Harrods, Selfridges, Bond Street, Regent's Arcade, Piccadilly Arcade, Oxford Street, Tiffany
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Dear Traveller,
With the dear old British Pound dropping like a stone against other currencies, there has seldom been a better time to come and get value for your Dollars, Euros, and Yen etc, in London’s shops.
Here at Mikro Tours we provide sight-seeing tours of London for independently-minded visitors in both small and larger groups. And, alongside these tours we are forever being asked where are the best places to shop.
Many of you would have heard about the splendours to be found in London’s most famous department store- Harrods, in Knightsbridge.
But London boasts several other notable department stores, not least Harrods’ Knightsbridge neighbour, Harvey Nichols, a favourite of the late Princess Diana.
Whilst back on Oxford Street, you can spend hours of fun wandering through the Edwardian splendour of Selfridges, founded by American, Gordon Selfridge just over a century ago.
And bordering Oxford Street is to be found the famous boutiques and shops of Bond Street- London’s equivalent of Rodeo Drive, where the designer names jostle for attention, from Chanel to Armani, and jewellers like Tiffany sparkle.
So if you are looking to add to what Santa might bring you this Christmas, London offers you an affordable option.
Until next time,
Michael Gerrard, Mikro Tours
Mikro Tours takes both small and larger groups of individually minded travellers into the parts of London the big tour operators don’t reach. We also personalize tours for people wanting alternative touring experiences in England, i.e. as part of conferences and events. Why not plan your tour with us – soon. Visit our website www.mikrotours.com, email us at info@mikrotours.com, or call +44(0)20 8959 9696.
A Funny Thing Happened On The Way to The Pub 2 December 16, 2008
Posted by michaelgerrard in Beer fans, CAMRA, London Pubs, London Tours, Private London Tours, Pub tours, Visit London, london tour.Tags: Historic Pubs, Pub tours, London Tours, student unions, CAMRA, New York, Queens, The Anchor, The Prospect of Whitby, The MAyflower Inn, The George Inn, London Pubs, Beer Lovers, Drinking Tours, Add new tag, American visitors, CAmpaign for Real Ale
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Dear Traveller,
Among the most popular tours which our company, Mikro Tours, conducts around London, is ‘Olde Pubs and Ale Houses’, and as you can imagine any tour that involves drink can throw up some humorous incidents
Firstly, it should be stressed that the trip is not supposed to be a ‘bar hop’, but rather a tour around some of the capital’s most historic drinking establishments, where a drink can be enjoyed alongside the numerous tales with anecdotes.
And although for the most part our clients are content to soak up the history along with a few drinks, occasionally the soaking takes priority with comical consequences.
On one occasion, I had on board the bus a lady visitor from Queens, New York, in the United States.
As a bar-worker back home she expressed great enthusiasm for going to see some of London’s most historic pubs, but unfortunately let slip that she had not had anything to eat before leaving for the tour.
Inevitably the lady got ever-more animated as the evening progressed, and as the drink-flowed. By our final pub, she’d found her voice and began leading the rest of my clients in singing some of Dean Martin’s greatest hits!
On arriving back at her hotel, she had to be accompanied across the road with me on one arm, and her daughter on the other. Otherwise she might have fallen off the wagon!
Until next time,
Michael Gerrard, Mikro Tours
Mikro Tours takes both small and larger groups of individually minded travellers into the parts of London the big tour operators don’t reach. We also personalize tours for people wanting alternative touring experiences in England, i.e. as part of conferences and events. Why not plan your tour with us – soon. Visit our website www.mikrotours.com, email us at info@mikrotours.com, or call +44(0)20 8959 9696.
New York Giants Fans Touchdown in London February 5, 2008
Posted by michaelgerrard in london tour.Tags: Amercian Football, Eli Manning, Giants Road Crew, Giants Roadcrew, gridiron football, large group tour, london tour, Miami Dolphins, New York Giants, NFL, tail gate party, tailgate party, Wembley Stadium
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Dear Traveller,
This week the New York Giants American football team won the Super Bowl following a great victory over the New England Patriots, and at Mikro Tours we felt a part of it.
How does a London tour company have any connection to American football? Well, four months ago we hosted a party of 60 keen Giants fans who came over for a historic match-up between their team and the Miami Dolphins at newly-rebuilt Wembley Stadium.
This was the first time a regular-season NFL game had been played outside North America, but the teams and their fans joyfully transplanted themselves and their customs to a rain-soaked London that October weekend.
And this is how Mikro Tours came to host the Giants Roadcrew, a group of dedicated Giants fans who travel everywhere to see their heroes.
This was a tour with a difference, for we were handling a large, not a small group of visitors, and besides putting on a full-day site-seeing trip around London we had to organise a tailgate party for the day of the match.
These are a part of gridiron football tradition, where families and friends gather in stadium car parks to enjoy a beer and a barbecue before a match.
We were able to put on a pulsating pre-match party, complete with DJ, not in Wembley Stadium’s car park but at a very nice hotel nearby.
It laid on a menu a traditional US fayre: burgers, hot dogs, chicken wings, pizza, waffles, beer etc.
As it was the Giants defeated the Dolphins in London part of the team’s march to last weekend’s victory, and I enjoyed the most unusual and enjoyable assignment in Mikro Tour’s history.
Until next time,
Michael Gerrard, Mikro Tours
Mikro Tours takes small groups of individually minded travellers into the parts of London the big tour operators don’t reach. We also personalize tours for people wanting alternative touring experiences in England, i.e. as part of conferences and events. Why not plan your tour with us – soon. Visit our website www.mikrotours.com, email us at info@mikrotours.com, or call +44(0)20 8959 9696.
Beatles’ London- Abbey Road, a place of pilgrimage January 17, 2008
Posted by michaelgerrard in london tour.Tags: Abbey Road, Beatles, Beatles tours, Beatles' London, london tour, Personal London Tour, Personalised London Tour, personalized london tour, small group London tours
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Dear Traveller,
Beyond the palaces and Cathedrals, Mikro Tours also takes its clients to less orthodox monuments, such as a road crossing in North West London.
But one look at the surrounding street signs gives a clue to its magnetism- Abbey Road, the name known worldwide from the Beatles’ 1969 album.
And with it the iconic image of that album’s front cover- ‘The Fab Four’ striding in-step over the crossing situated outside the EMI recording studios where so much of their material was recorded.
Little could they have realised that, that shot taken from a ten-minute photo shoot in August 1969, would lead to the zebra crossing becoming a place of pilgrimage for their fans.
For be in no doubt, to some Beatles followers a visit to Abbey Road is viewed with the reverence others reserve for Westminster Abbey and other places of worship.
As one who has conducted rock and roll tours for several years, I well remember the occasion when one of my clients- a big, bearded, middle-aged, American shed tears of joy on reaching this asphalt temple.
“I’ve dreamt of this moment since I was ten years old!”. He exclaimed, before nearly falling on his knees in front of a less than amused van driver anxious to shift his transit northwards.
He was one of thousands of day-trippers that are keen to retrace their heroes’ footsteps again and again and again, making sure that camera shot is just right!
In fact their antics get a worldwide audience, thanks to a web camera positioned nearby which broadcasts live coverage over Abbey Road Studios’ official website.
The Abbey Road zebra crossing is an unorthodox monument to be sure, but it is an iconic 2oth Century cultural symbol in London.
Until next time,
Michael Gerrard- Mikro Tours
Mikro Tours takes small groups of individually minded travellers into the parts of London the big tour operators don’t reach. We also personalize tours for people wanting alternative touring experiences in England, i.e. as part of conferences and events. Why not plan your tour with us – soon. Visit our website www.mikrotours.com, email us at info@mikrotours.com, or call +44(0)20 8959 9696.
London, a winter Wonderland January 10, 2008
Posted by michaelgerrard in london tour.Tags: london tour, museums, royal palaces, royal parks, spring london tour
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Dear Reader,
Welcome to the second of my blogs extolling the virtues of this fine city, mixed with practical advice and tales gathered during years running personalized sight-seeing tours here with Mikro Tours.
If it has long been your wish to visit London, then why not come now and enjoy it before the summer hordes arrive?
Sure the temperature might be somewhat cooler than in the height of summer or even during the Easter break (Though this being England I would not bet on it!), but the places you’ll want to see will be more accessible, and you won’t have to spend hours waiting on line.
Take for instance that staple of the London tourist itinerary- The Changing of the Guard at Buckingham Palace, when the Queen’s soldiers parade outside her residence in all their finery, complete with red tunic and Busby fur helmets and military bands
I well remember one of my American clients commenting that her ‘New York’ elbows came in useful for gaining a good view of the ceremony during busy times.
You will find that later in the year this event attracts crowds of thousands, making it harder to get a front row seat for this ancient ritual. Whereas, at this early time of year you can enjoy this and other popular attractions, such as Westminster Abbey largely at your leisure.
In addition, London in winter will present the chance of seeing the city as it is often portrayed by Hollywood i.e., tinged by fog and mist, though finding Sherlock Holmes might prove more difficult!
Until next time,
Michael Gerrard, Mikro Tours
Mikro Tours takes small groups of individually minded travellers into the parts of London the big tour operators don’t reach. We also personalize tours for people wanting alternative touring experiences in England, i.e. as part of conferences and events. Why not plan your tour with us – soon. Visit our website www.mikrotours.com, email us at info@mikrotours.com, or call +44(0)20 8959 9696.
Smaller Groups See More with Personalized Touring January 4, 2008
Posted by michaelgerrard in london tour.Tags: buckingham palace, City of London, Historic Pubs, Jack the Ripper, london tour, personal tours, personalised Londontours, personalized London tours, Sir Christopher Wren, St Paul's Cathedral, The Tower of London, Westminster Abbey
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Dear Reader,
Thanks for looking at our blog which we hope will provide an entertaining and informative read about the adventures of our tour guiding company Mikro Tours and what London has to offer the visitor.
This capital city is our passion, and through our tours and this blog we aim to give you a Londoner’s prospective on life in this, one of the world’s most exciting destinations. We provide personalized tours of London and surrounding areas to small groups of independent-minded travellers, using luxury air-conditioned minibus. If you hate to be treated as coach-fodder then you will enjoy our approach.
Over the years we have been very fortunate to have worked with thousands of visitors from across the world.
Travellers from America, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and South Africa have traditionally form the bulk of our clientele, but given the worldwide use of English, we have also over the years welcomed a diverse mix of nationalities- everything from Japanese doctors and Romanian plumbing suppliers to scores of Scandinavian keen to re-enact Viking-style celebrations at our historic pubs!
Sure we’ll show you all the usual sights that visitors flock to- Buckingham Palace, Westminster Abbey, The Tower of London etc…, but we also aim to show areas of the town that the big tour-buses seldom visit.
These include, for example, the hidden green spaces of the original City of London, and the many picturesque churches built by Sir Christopher Wren there.
Well I hope that gives you a flavour of what we are about. So until next time…
Michael Gerrard, Mikro Tours.
Mikro Tours takes small groups of individually minded travellers into the parts of London the big tour operators don’t reach. We also personalize tours for people wanting alternative touring experiences in England, i.e. as part of conferences and events. Why not plan your tour with us – soon. Visit our website www.mikrotours.com, email us at info@mikrotours.com, or call +44(0)20 8959 9696.
