Tour One

The London Blitz walk uses the landscape of the City of London (today's financial district which sprang from ancient London) to bring to life the story of the bombing of London in World War 2. The Tour is illustrated with a collection of contemporary photographs that show you how the war torn area looked in 1940-1945. You can also visit nearby St Paul's Cathedral, which came to symbolise the City's survival, or The Museum of London and The Docklands Museum that have exhibitions on the Blitz. There are plenty of local restaurants and bars to punctuate the tour, and today's evolving modern architecture provides a spectacular backdrop. The following programme was for a group of 20 but it works for small parties as well. The Tour can be constructed as a half day or as a full day.

10am

Meet at The Millenium Bridge. Along the way, we  discuss the largest airborne armada then ever assembled by mankind, the defence of London, the role of the River Thames, the contribution of the fire fighting service and the auxillary forces, the efforts taken to protect the world's largest international telephone exchange, and the miraculous survival of St Paul's Cathedral.

11.15am

Break for coffee near to St Paul's Cathedral.

11.30am

The Tour recommences and we discuss the destruction of the publishing trade at Pater Noster Square, the 29th December 1940 fire storm that left a 40 acre bomb site around the Barbican, the role of the Stock Exchange and the Finance Sector, the importance of the General Post Office, enemy bombing and navigation techniques, air raid shelters and the state of moral, Churchill's ability to inspire resistance, deep lying political and social tensions, and the wartime crime wave.

12.30pm

 A half day tour  finishes at The Bank tube station with a description of how over 100 people were killed here in 1940 by a single bomb.

12.45pm

Lunch at a local restaurant. Most restaurants are happy to provide an option to order in advance at a fixed, which saves time.

2.30pm

You can close the tour at this point or continue with a visit to a connected venue such as St Paul's Cathedral, The Docklands Museum in Canary Wharf, The Museum of London, The Fire Brigade Museum, The Cabinet War Rooms, or The Imperial War Museum.

4.30pm / 5.00pm

The Tour ends.

Look at the choice to the right for a selection of Hugh's other military history tours.