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Welcome to my August 2020 list of free and unusual things to do in London.
The locations that I have chosen to include this month are easily accessible and are worth paying a visit to, but they also have intriguing stories behind, which can be enjoyed without actually having to visit them.
I'm currently offering a mix of public tours and virtual tours, with the public tours limited to a maximum of 16 people per tour. I am also moving the start time of my midweek afternoon tours to 12.30pm so that people can travel outside of the rush hour.
I will also be offering a special Great Fire of London Anniversary Walk on Saturday, 5th September at 1.30pm. As with all the tours, the number of participants will be limited to just 16 people.
Every Night At 7pm - The Public Jack the Ripper Tour
Just to remind you that I also post updates and additional venues on our Facebook page, so you might like to join us and like us (as in Facebook likes!) to ensure you're kept fully up to date on what's happening in London during the weeks ahead.
As ever, if something changes in the weeks ahead I will put the update on the Facebook Page, in order not to bombard you with emails.
So, without further ado, here is my August 2020 list of ten things to do in London.
As you leave or enter Leytonstone Underground Station you will see a series of very colourful mosaics on the walls of the corridor into and out of the station.
They remember the film director Alfred Hitchcock, who was born in Leytonstone in 1899.
More InformationOne of the Curiosities that you will find in the backstreets around Covent Garden is the Neal's Yard Water Clock located on a wall in Shorts Gardens.
It was created in 1982 by horologists Tim Hunkin and Andy Plant and has been delighting visitors and residents alike ever since.
Across the road from Nelson's Column, on Trafalgar Square, you will find an arcade of shops the facade of which is adorned by carved faces and sundry creatures.
This was the work of the sculptor Barry Baldwin and it is an artwork entitled "Endangered Species."
In 1865 Thomas Hardy, who was then working as a trainee architect, was given the job of overseeing the clearance of the graves from St Pancras Burial Ground.
His contribution to the churchyard is remembered with "The Hardy Tree" around which there is a cluster of moss-clad tombstones
In August 1969, The Beatles decided to have themselves photographed on the zebra crossing outside the EMI Studios on Abbey Road.
Six photos were taken, and Paul McCartney chose one of them to appear on the cover of their new album.
The cover of Abbey Road turned a nondescript north London pedestrian crossing into a major tourist attraction that now has Grade II listed status.
Begin The SearchOn the tower of the church of St Magnus the Martyr, close to London Bridge, you will find one of the most striking clocks in London.
It was a gift from Sir Charles Duncombe, Lord Mayor of London in 1709, and there are several versions of the story as to why he chose to gift the clock to the church.
More InformationPainted by the artist Constable, lived in by an eclectic mix of former residents, from a distinguished architect to a navy officer who used to fire cannon from the roof, Hampstead's Admiral's House has a fascinating history.
However, it is best known as the inspiration for the eccentric Admiral Boom's house in Mary Poppins.
More InformationThere is a remarkable tunnel underneath Waterloo station on the walls of which street artists have created an ever-changing gallery that is colourful, humorous and totally unique.
The art changes regularly, which makes the Leake Street Tunnel a true joy to explore, time and time again.
Read Its StoryHidden away from all but the most intrepid explorer - and just a short distance from the busy Waterloo Station and South Bank - you will find a delightful knot of streets that have survived, seemingly unchanged, from the 19th century.
These streets make up the Roupell Street Conservation area, and they are well worth exploring.
Read MoreOn the corner of Philpot Lane and Eastcheap you can see a building that was built in the 1860s for a spice merchant.
There is an extremely curious feature on the Philpot Lane side of the building in the form of two mice that appear to be fighting over a large piece of cheese. Why are they here?
Read On