London in the snow – Coldest March on record. Please click button to subscribe to my channel!! London is a city of change and contrast and resilience against foreign invaders. Londoners are a welcoming people but this Spring one uninvited guest presumed to test their resolve. Snow. Piccadilly Circus, the stone village green of London, […]
More English Landmarks and Idioms
More English Landmarks and Idioms Ever wondered why we say certain phrases and where they come from? Joolz Guides goes to the places where these expressions and idioms originated. Please click button to subscribe to my channel!! Westminster Abbey – English Landmark Idioms – Robbing Peter to pay Paul This means taking from one hand […]
Funny English Idioms and Why We Use Them!
Funny English idioms and why we use them. English people love to use phrases and idioms which are all based on events from our history. Here are some common idioms which English people use every day but you probably never stopped to ask why they use them or where they are from. Even most English […]
Harry Potter London Walks
Harry Potter London Walks When I’m doing my London walks people always keep asking me about Harry Potter. Where is the Leaky Cauldron? Where is Diagon Alley? Where are the filming locations for the Harry Potter films? Please click button to subscribe to my channel!! I know where the places are but I’m no Harry […]
London Bridge Walk Through History
London Bridge Walk Through History with Julian McDonnell from Joolz Guides Please click button to subscribe to my channel!! For a lovely walk around Borough Market and London Bridge, ending at the Tower of London we started at The George Inn, Southwark. Take a drink in this beautiful historic pub which Shakespeare and Dickens knew. […]
Should I buy The London Pass ?
Should I buy The London Pass ? Good question! We decided to see how many London tourist attractions we could see in 48 hours with The London Pass so here’s our Top 10 London Tourist Attractions with The London Pass. The London Pass will get you access to over 70 different attractions across London and […]
Lincoln’s Inn Fields | Holborn | A square of Wonders
Lincoln’s Inn Fields and Holborn For a quirky London walk around a true square of wonders go to Holborn Station and visit Lincoln’s Inn Fields. In this video Julian McDonnell tells you all about the people who lived there and the strange things that happened at number 89 Lincoln’s Inn Fields and why there is […]
St Ethelreda’s – London’s Oldest Catholic Church
St Ethelreda’s – London’s Oldest Catholic Church Tucked down an inauspicous dead-end street in Hatton Garden is St Etheldreda’s Church. It was built in the time of King Edward i (Edward Longshanks) and he would have known this church. It would have been a part of the palace of the Bishop of Ely which was […]
How to Travel Around London and buy Oyster Cards
Find out how to travel around London and buy oyster cards with a true Londoner. Please click button to subscribe to my channel!! If you’re visiting London for the first time or you aren’t a regular visitor you might find the system of buying tickets confusing. Watch my video to get some good tips to […]
The Head of King James iv and Wordsworth’s Tree
Did you know that the head of King James iv of Scotland is buried under a building in the city of London? The Battle of Flodden Field in 1513, which is in Northumberland, was one of the bloodiest ever between Scotland and England and according to the great London chronicler and historian, John Stow, his […]
The Royal Exchange
The Lord Mayor’s March takes place every year in the city of London and is a colourful parade of city livery companies and other members of society. Please subscribe to my channel for more videos! https://www.youtube.com/user/Joolzybaby What I like about the parade is that it is where we get the the expression Sixes and Sevens. […]
The Bow Bell – A True Cockney
To be a true Cockney it is said that one must be born within the sound of the Bow Bell, which is known as one of the cockney churches of London. These are the churches mentioned in the nursery rhyme Oranges and Lemons. The Bow Bell, at St. Mary Le Bow church was designed by […]
The Executioner’s Bell
Diary entry of James Ponsonby, clerk and bellman of The Church of St Sepulchre Without Newgate 18th March 1740 I once again find myself bound to report on my loathsome duty which comprised the events of this sorry two days. As ever, the day starts well enough with a light breakfast of sardines, grilled kidneys, […]
Ye Olde Mitre – Elizabethan Pub
Ye Olde Mitre Pub is situated in Ely Court just off Hatton Garden. The whole area is called Hatton Garden after Sir Christopher Hatton, as I will explain. It was built in 1547 originally as a part of the palace of Ely, which was the town residence of the Bishop of Ely, which is in […]
Spitalfields Pancake Day Race
Cocktail Classes – Last Tuesday Society
Having visited the extraordinary Viktor Wynd’s Museum of Curiosities I was informed that they also held cocktail classes once a month. So I returned one Wednesday evening to 11 Mare Street where two charming bar persons were conducting proceedings. At the Last Tuesday Society cocktail classes you get led through each stage of the cocktail […]
Who does the Best Christmas Sandwich?
Which is the best Christmas sandwich? Every year the same burning question raises its head. Who does the best Christmas sandwich? It’s a lot harder to get right that you think! In this video Joolz Guides teams up with Gladrags and Hashtags’ Jo Caley to visit all the main contenders. Marks are awarded according to […]
St Bride’s Church – Looks Like a Cake
St Bride’s Church Just off Fleet Street near Ludgate Circus is St Bride’s which was built in 1672 by Sir Christopher Wren. What I love about St Bride’s is the story about how it inspired the design of the traditional wedding cake. Just nearby, on Ludgate Hill a pastry chef called William Rich had his […]
Viktor Wynd’s Museum of Curiosities
Viktor Wynd’s Museum of Curiosities Ever wanted to see the preserved vagina of a Victorian prostitute? Or how about David Bowie’s mullet that he cut off after his last Ziggy Stardust concert in Hammersmith Odeon? Kylie Minogue’s poo in a jar, anyone? Yes, you heard me right the first time. This and much more is […]
The Savoy – Driving on the Right!
There are many suggestions as to why we drive on the left in Britain but did you know that The Savoy is the one place in where we drive on the right! IN fact, the roundabout is the gauge by which we set the turning circle of a British Taxi cab. All taxis have to […]
Blackfriars Bridge – God’s Banker
God’s Banker Blackfriars Bridge was the third bridge to be built across the river Thames and opened to the public in 1769. It was called Blackfriars Bridge because it lies within a precinct in the City named after the Blackfriars Monastery which for many years occupied a nearby area. Although it was made of Portland […]
Dr. Who’s TARDIS – Police Boxes
Dr Who’s TARDIS is essentially based on the Police Box which you can see spotted around London and the UK. There aren’t many left and many are replicas. There are also many smaller ones designed by Gilbert MacKenzie Trench, and the idea was that they were all connected with the local police station and anyone […]
A Roman Bath – Or is it Tudor?
Just off Surrey Street near Temple Tube Station in London is a rather odd little attraction. The National Trust Roman Baths. There seems to be some debate as to how authentically Roman they are, but they are certainly an interesting attraction. It seems that they are more Tudor and were originally designed to feed a […]
How to use London Cycle Hire – Boris Bikes
Joolz shows you how to use a Boris Bike! The London Cycle Hire Scheme is a great and affordable way to get around London. For just £2 you can have access to a bike for 24 hours. However, if you only want to pay £2 for the whole day you have to make sure you […]
Sweeney Todd’s Barber Shop
Rumours abound about the real Sweeney Todd and whether he existed or not. What I love about London is its legends, characters and stories which get passed down and recycled through the ages. People can believe what they like about the true identity of Jack the Ripper or what really happened to Lord Lucan, but […]
Wilton Music Hall – Cockney Singalong
Wilton Music Hall is the oldest surviving music hall in the world and the perfect location for Tom Carradine’s Cockney Singalong. You might have seen Tom Carradine performing with Champagne Charlie and the Bubbly Boys but you can’t miss him. He has a huge twirly moustache and spats and tail-coat and is member of the […]
Middle Temple Hall
The Honourable Society of Middle Temple Hall was built in the 16th century, during William Shakespeare’s time and is one of the four inns of courst which can call its members to the bar. (The others are Inner Temple, Grays Inn and Lincoln’s Inn.) It was in the 13th century that the inns of court […]
John Stow’s Quill
In St Mary’s Axe, under the shadow of the Gherkin, is a church that survived the Fire of London. St. Andrews Undershaft is so-called because it used to have a huge maypole outside in the 15th century which was taller than the steeple. In 1517 there was a riot when City apprentices rioted against foreigners […]