About Me
About Me
A Scientific London Guide A Unique Perspective
These unusual London walking tours have arisen out of my own interests, enthusiasm and personality. I devised and researched them myself using resources including the British Library, Science Museum Library, Royal Institution, Royal Society for the Encouragement of Arts Manufactures and Commerce, Post Office Archive and Zoological Society of London as well as local museums.
You can find heritage blue plaques on buildings for yourself. But the locations of very many fascinating stories are not marked with plaques. Nor are the plaques, and associated guidebooks, particularly good at turning a few bare facts into stories.
History is more complicated (and therefore more interesting) than the usual reduction into a few celebrated geniuses, heroes and villains. I give tours because I was astonished at all the things I never knew until I started researching. You too may be delighted to hear the stories that you never heard before. I now have information on several hundred of these remarkable personalities.
You can find heritage blue plaques on buildings for yourself. But the locations of very many fascinating stories are not marked with plaques. Nor are the plaques, and associated guidebooks, particularly good at turning a few bare facts into stories.
History is more complicated (and therefore more interesting) than the usual reduction into a few celebrated geniuses, heroes and villains. I give tours because I was astonished at all the things I never knew until I started researching. You too may be delighted to hear the stories that you never heard before. I now have information on several hundred of these remarkable personalities.
My London walks also benefit from the random connections of geography. In one square, for example, I can talk about camouflage, medicine, tanks and computing. I feel that this makes them more varied and individual. The common thread, and also the result, is great stories of ingenuity, eccentricity and intelligence.
I also give talks or lectures. I have lectured to the City of London Historical Society on Georgian Science, and on geological models at the Geological Society of London. I gave an introductory lecture for the University of North Carolina in London concerning London's inventors. I have also lectured about the history of London's Sewage disposal, London Power Generation, the Royal Institution and have given numerous lecturettes about notable Londoners. I recently accepted an invitation to add my voice to a public show in the Faraday Lecture Theatre of the Royal Institution.
I also give talks or lectures. I have lectured to the City of London Historical Society on Georgian Science, and on geological models at the Geological Society of London. I gave an introductory lecture for the University of North Carolina in London concerning London's inventors. I have also lectured about the history of London's Sewage disposal, London Power Generation, the Royal Institution and have given numerous lecturettes about notable Londoners. I recently accepted an invitation to add my voice to a public show in the Faraday Lecture Theatre of the Royal Institution.
My Background
I trained at university as an engineer and have worked in responsible positions in different technological industries.
I have visited 51 countries, read widely, listened to BBC Radio 4 and attended lectures and talks at such places as the Royal Society, Royal Institution, Royal College of Surgeons, London Transport Museum, National Archives, Imperial College, Natural History Museum, Imperial War Museum, Gresham College, University College, King's College, Geological Society, various cemeteries, the Warburg Institute and even the London School of Economics.
I am a volunteer at the Royal Institution (founded 1799) for which I have developed blogs and some walks. The RI is a delight for someone like me interested in the history of science. I often get to handle things like Michael Faraday's shoe brushes or the world's oldest vacuum flask, and see hand written records left by some of the people I get to talk about on my walks. (I am proud to have this association with the Royal Institution but note that I do not speak for it, nor offer services on this web site on its behalf.)
I also volunteer at the archives of the Royal Society for the Encouragement of Arts Manufactures and Commerce (RSA, founded 1754) which, despite the name, has also been a force in the advancement of technology ('practical arts'). (Again, I do not speak for the RSA and my services as a speaker, writer or guide are entirely my own affair.)
I trained at university as an engineer and have worked in responsible positions in different technological industries.
I have visited 51 countries, read widely, listened to BBC Radio 4 and attended lectures and talks at such places as the Royal Society, Royal Institution, Royal College of Surgeons, London Transport Museum, National Archives, Imperial College, Natural History Museum, Imperial War Museum, Gresham College, University College, King's College, Geological Society, various cemeteries, the Warburg Institute and even the London School of Economics.
I am a volunteer at the Royal Institution (founded 1799) for which I have developed blogs and some walks. The RI is a delight for someone like me interested in the history of science. I often get to handle things like Michael Faraday's shoe brushes or the world's oldest vacuum flask, and see hand written records left by some of the people I get to talk about on my walks. (I am proud to have this association with the Royal Institution but note that I do not speak for it, nor offer services on this web site on its behalf.)
I also volunteer at the archives of the Royal Society for the Encouragement of Arts Manufactures and Commerce (RSA, founded 1754) which, despite the name, has also been a force in the advancement of technology ('practical arts'). (Again, I do not speak for the RSA and my services as a speaker, writer or guide are entirely my own affair.)
I am also an occasional volunteer guide for the London Canal Museum's towpath walks.
I am a member of the Newcomen Society (International Society for the History of Engineering & Technology).
Through such activities I have attended training sessions by the Museum of London including Customer Care, Disability Awareness, Creating & Delivering Tours and Developing Family Friendly Tours. Most recently, in 2019, I attended a training session run by the London Canal Museum on health and safety, and safeguarding issues.
I have researched my father's service in the Intelligence Corps in World War 2.
My clients have included, apart from individuals, Imperial College, Ove Arup & Associates, and King's College London. I have been a tour provider for the European Society for the History of Science Conference.
Sometimes I have been approached for my expertise by researchers working on film and TV productions.
My knowledge of science trivia also came in useful to the British Library which engaged me to contribute a few rounds of questions for their annual Talk Science Christmas Quiz in 2013 and 2015. In 2015 I contributed a guest blog post for British Library (Science) and London Knowledge Quarter, and I have been interviewed by Robert Elms on BBC Radio London.
I am a member of London Historians which brings together a mix of knowledgeable and enthusiastic people who want to talk about history (or anything else) in an informal and sociable atmosphere.
I am a member of the Newcomen Society (International Society for the History of Engineering & Technology).
Through such activities I have attended training sessions by the Museum of London including Customer Care, Disability Awareness, Creating & Delivering Tours and Developing Family Friendly Tours. Most recently, in 2019, I attended a training session run by the London Canal Museum on health and safety, and safeguarding issues.
I have researched my father's service in the Intelligence Corps in World War 2.
My clients have included, apart from individuals, Imperial College, Ove Arup & Associates, and King's College London. I have been a tour provider for the European Society for the History of Science Conference.
Sometimes I have been approached for my expertise by researchers working on film and TV productions.
My knowledge of science trivia also came in useful to the British Library which engaged me to contribute a few rounds of questions for their annual Talk Science Christmas Quiz in 2013 and 2015. In 2015 I contributed a guest blog post for British Library (Science) and London Knowledge Quarter, and I have been interviewed by Robert Elms on BBC Radio London.
I am a member of London Historians which brings together a mix of knowledgeable and enthusiastic people who want to talk about history (or anything else) in an informal and sociable atmosphere.
