City of London Walks

To the memory of Katrine Prince OBE who passed away

Friday 10th September 2004 to whom so many guides owe so much.

"Thank you for giving us the chance,and the City of London such a core of Guides to show the world our history, for in that past our future lies".

--Philip

"History's in front of you & beneath your feet!"

Philip was educated in the Belgian Congo and at Cheltenham College then worked as a journalist before going to Southampton University to read Psychology and Physiology.

He left to study drama at the East 15 Acting School under Margaret Bury then went into repertory theatre before branching out into

West End Theatre Management.

He worked in many West End Theatres (Criterion, Cambridge, Shaftesbury, Regent, Albery, Astoria ) and Provincial Theatres (Harlow, Watford, Hornchurch) and also ran the London Fringe Theatre company-"Sloane Street Theatre" for several years-premiering new plays by Vanessa Drucker and other up and coming young playwrights as well as classical plays such as the Dolls House.

He mounted productions at the The Finborough Arms,Earls Court and The Hen and Chickens,Islington and other London Fringe Venues in Chelsea,Fulham, Notting Hill Gate and Ealing producing plays such as "Nevermore", " A Dolls House, Fragments and others.

He also worked in television with, amongst others, Orson Welles and Stuart Burge, and on films amongst which were Doppelganger, with Ian Hendry, and many others.

After a severe motor cycle accident in 1994 he took the City of London Guide Lecturers' Course at the City University (Studying at the Guildhall under the late Katrine Prince and also the amazing Paul Taylor) whilst waiting for a spine operation.

He received his City of London Guide Lecturer's Badge, with fellow class members, from the then Lord Mayor of London, Lord Levine of Portsoken, at the Mansion House.

In 2000 he started "City of London Walks" to use City of London Guide Lecturers and to concentrate on opening up the 1,967 years worth of City history not only to tourists but to those City Companies, workers and residents who would like to know more about the City of London and- possibly- why they are there and what they can contribute back.

He has broadcast for the BBC on both national and local Radio and Television and has also lectured on many subjects on and in the City of London for groups as diverse as the Rotary Club of Great Britain , Archeological Societies, and, for English Heritage at Kenwood House, Walk and Talks on the Blue Plaque Scheme in Hampstead, and a Lecture and Guided tour of John Constable's Hampstead.

He has also organised and delivered a birthday party at the Ritz, London starting with a lecture on the City's traditions, followed by an exploration of the City finishing with a lunch party at the

Coq d'Argent,No.1 Poultry EC4.

He written and conducted special tours for Speechley Bircham, Goldman Sachs, Law Publishers in Europe, Japanese Banks, Kokusai UK, Leonard Cheshire Homes, Deloitte., American Express, AXA, Slaughter & May, Cambridge University , Travelscope International, Associated British Ports, Price Waterhouse Coopers,Lovells, The University of Westminster , LPMA, Great Ormond Street Children's Hospital, Egg Banking and also taken school parties of all ages on introductory walks to the City of London, both Financial, Historical and Legal and, may one mention it -supernatural.

He has appeared on Television, Film and Radio and has broadcast on the City of London on Radio 4 and for London TV and on Sky TV for Hello London!

He is also a location finder and advisor to film and TV companies on the City of London and working with Sony Film Productions, London TV and several Russian television companies.

Minster Court, EC3-home of Cruella de Ville in 101 Dalmations.

He wrote the special children's' quiz walk for the 2001 Lord Mayor's Show programme and has actively taken part in further shows coming up with the idea that helped to establish the free afternoon's walks for children on Lord Mayor's Day by the City of London Guide Lecturers as a permanent part of the Lord Mayor's Show each year in the afternoon.

Philip is a member of the City of London Guide Lecturers Association and was a member of the committee until resigning in summer 2006 knowing that his mission to promote the City Guides, by becoming part of the Lord Mayor's Show and other City events,

was accomplished.

He is also an Associate Member of the Institute of Tourist Guiding and a Clerkenwell and Islington Guie. He is currently working for English Heritage at Kenwood House, North London.

(This web site also contains links to other City of London Guide Lecturers web sites on the news page towards the bottom on other walks.

Since 2001 the City Guide Lecturers have now become an integral part of Open House Day, the City Churches Walk and many other City events.)

The motto for all guides should be

"Look up, look down , look all around and sense what lies within the ground."

Click to hear Philip on BBC Radio 4's "Questions"

You will need RealPLayer to hear this streamed recording. If you do not have this plugin on your computer click on the following icon to install it for free.