This Is London - 15 July 2020

LONDON WALKS BRINGS VIRTUAL
TOURS TO A GLOBAL AUDIENCE
Urban walking tour company, London
Walks, has introduced a range of virtual
tours to bring London to life for a global
audience. Hosted on zoom by
experienced London Walks guides, they
offer an insider’s look into some of
London’s most noted areas. The virtual
tours are interactive and feature unique
photography captured by the London
Walks guides as well as long forgotten
maps and photos, and fun elements like
a quiz or a song from the guide.
Owner of London Walks David Tucker
said: ‘The virtual tours are the result of
the work of a small, self-selected band
of elite guides, particularly Adam Scott,
Karen Pierce Goulding and Simon
Whitehouse. All three are award-winning
guides. London is the most interesting
city in the world. Even though customers
haven’t been able to visit, they still want
to find out about London. Our virtual
tours are a way of meeting that desire.
‘As professional guides, many of us
were worried that our ‘guiding muscles’
would atrophy if we didn’t use them.
I thought virtual tours would be a poor
imitation of a live walking tour. They’re
not. They’ve got their own identity, their
own worth, their own value. They are
enormously powerful and have a magic
in their range that a regular walking tour
does not have.’
Another major benefit of the virtual
tours is that they are accessible to all
with an interest in London and, David
suggests, worldwide appeal. ‘I did a
Kensington Sights and Secrets virtual
tour recently. My ‘walkers’ were in
Canada, Israel, the USA and Germany.
None of them would have been able to
go on a walking tour in London
otherwise.
‘Our virtual tour guests have
predominantly been from the UK, the
US, Canada and Germany. But we’ve
also had Australians. One Oz gal gave
her mum the Beatlemania virtual tour
as a birthday present.’
Photo: Issy Croker
LE GAVROCHE RE-OPENS
Michel Roux Jr has reopened
Le Gavroche in Mayfair, the two
Michelin-starred restaurant which first
opened 53 years ago, with a safety
programme to provide reassurance for
diners’ comfort and wellbeing. There are
currently two tasting menus, including
an eight-course available for lunch or
dinner (with or without matched wines)
and, in the evening, a four-course
tasting menu with or without wines.
The wine list will be on iPads and
there are some exceptional bin ends
including some favourites in ‘Michel’s
Special Collection’ featuring treasures
from the restaurant’s vast wine list at
very discounted prices, to celebrate the
re-opening in style!
Reservations tel: 020 7408 0881.
SUMMER GETAWAY TAKES OFF AT
LONDON CITY AIRPORT
International flights have resumed this
week from London’s most central airport,
as the Government’s ‘Travel Corridors’
policy comes into effect. The return of
flights to and from popular European
holiday destinations from London City
Airport has been met with massive
demand from travellers. Bookings for the
flights operated by British Airways’
subsidiary BA CityFlyer have exceeded
expectations, with passengers eager to
have a well-deserved holiday.
TATE REOPENS ALL FOUR
GALLERIES
Tate is to reopen all four of its
galleries on 27 July. People will once
again be able to visit the national
collection of art on display at Tate
Britain, Tate Modern, Tate Liverpool and
Tate St Ives, featuring hundreds of
artworks from across the centuries and
around the world.
Tickets will be available from next
week at tate.org.uk alongside the latest
information and guidance on how to
visit. Visitors can follow Tate’s social
media or register for email updates to
hear details as and when they are
confirmed.
As well as the collection displays at
all four Tate galleries, Tate Modern will
reopen with Andy Warhol and Kara
Walker’s Hyundai Commission Fons
Americanus. Tate Britain will reopen with
Aubrey Beardsley and Steve McQueen’s
Year 3 installation. Tate Liverpool will
unveil new work by Mikhail Karikis, and
Tate St Ives will reopen the Naum Gabo
exhibition.
Tate Britain.
Alex Farquharson, Director, Tate
Britain said: ‘After this long period in
lockdown, we hope the public will enjoy
returning to Tate Britain's displays of
500 years of British art, visiting old
friends and making new ones amongst
the works in our collection. We're
particularly pleased to be extending
Steve McQueen's Year 3. As a vast
collective portrait of a future generation
of Londoners it feels especially resonant
at this time.’
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