City Rep Blog
I have been looking after a trainee guide dog at weekends the last two months and I have got to see the start of Spring more clearly than ever. When our lovely mutt joined us at the beginning of January, the Heath was thick with snow. Since then we have seen ponds and boating lakes at Hampstead and in Regents Park frozen thick, terrible drizzle and mud that takes forever to get off a yellow lab retriever cross!
Finally we are starting to see all the signs of lovely things to come. Snowdrops are being replaced with crocuses. Buds are appearing on the trees, and most importantly we are getting more day light.
April and May can be the best times to visit London. Once the temperature rises a little and the clocks have gone forward, it stays light until 8pm or later. With so much going on as well, it's a great time to be visiting.
For chocolate lovers there's the Southbank Centre chocolate festival from the 26th to 28th March in case you can't wait until Easter weekend to get munching on chocolate. Film lovers have the delightful new version of Alice in Wonderland by Tim Burton showing at the a href="http://www.bfi.org.uk/whatson/bfi_imax">Imax 3D big screen through March and then the East End Film Festival in April and, for music lovers, the Camden Crawl is firmly on the horizon for the first weekend of May.
For more information about what else is happening in London this Spring, feel free to drop us a line and we'll be delighted to do some research for things to please your group.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------I decided to set up as city-rep after realising that I have an over-keen desire to help people get the most out of their visits to London. Always overjoyed when a friend or family member comes to stay, I get a real buzz from planning an itinerary for them to include a mixture of tourist sights and local life to ensure they see the best of both.
I decided to take this a step further to do this full time for visitors from all over the world so you could say this is my perfect job.
I first got my taste for guiding tourists around a new town when I spent two Summer seasons working as a holiday representative in Spain and Italy whilst studying languages. As a keen linguist I have visited many European cities and a few places further afield so I feel qualified to help even the most demanding city-breaker find what they are looking for. On the topic of languages I speak Spanish, Italian and French to varying levels of success so I would be more than happy to host our meeting in your language if you feel more comfortable.
My aim is to provide a bespoke personal approach to independent travellers who don't want to follow the crowds or be part of a large guided tour. I will never take mixed parties on tours unless you are travelling together and request a larger group. I will always meet with you face to face when you arrive in London to talk you through my suggestions and answer all your questions, as well as fill you in on what is happening that particular week.
The best way to think of city-rep is as an independent concierge. I have relationships with local suppliers and can get you bookings for events or restaurants prior to your visit.
No matter what stage you are at in planning your visit, if you think you might like to book one of my packages, please send me an email via the contact form and I will be happy to set up a short call with you to talk through some ideas before you make a decision.