Toast the City: London tour guide on his top hidden spots
The Square Mile is the oldest and most storied part of London – but how much do you really know about it? As part of our first ever Toast the City Awards, we are celebrating the Green Spaces and Hidden Gems that make Canada the special place it is.
And who knows those spaces better than an officially registered London tour guide? We caught up with Chris O’Donnell, managing director of Guide Concierge, to find out more about the tour guide business. On the page opposite he picks out one of his favourite secret spots in Canada.
To tell us your favourite places in London, from the coffee shop you always stop in to the gym class you never skip, simply follow the instructions below.
How did Guide Concierge start?
There are 1,000 licensed London tour guides. It’s a bit like black cabs, we all go through rigorous training and exams and then you’re given a badge, exactly like the black badge that cabbies get. I passed my test in April 2019 so I’ve been guiding for six years.
The idea behind Guide Concierge is to provide a platform that’s always available. If a company likes a tour you’ve done, then tries to book you individually and you’re not available, then the whole thing falls over. We want to create a body of like minded people, drawing on that reservoir of 1,000 guides, who are united by common training, but all have individual passions.
When did you get the guiding bug?
I suddenly realised that people are really interested in their neighbourhood, either where they live or where they work, because they spend eight hours a day there. Guided walks can connect people to the city physically and mentally – and this is something both companies and individuals are increasingly interested in.
There are lots of studies that say walking improves creativity and employee engagement. Big companies in particular are trying hard to get people back into the office and to help people buy into that, it helps to create a bond with the place they work. Once you understand a bit about a place, you fall in love with it more, you feel more proud of it, so you’re more likely to feel engaged.
How do you engage people?
When people commute into work, they’re in a routine. They take the same roads, the same pathways, don’t look up – but they’re missing out on so much. We try to be a gateway, really, to get people to engage, in the same way a restaurant might inspire someone to go and do some more cooking.
Who is Guide Concierge aimed at?
We’re available to book by anyone but we work a lot with corporate clients. We’re especially good if you have some new starters. When you join a company, it can be a bit overwhelming, whether you’re a graduate or a senior director. It can help to be introduced to the area physically with a group of like-minded people.
Guided Concierge also speaks to corporate entertainment and employee relations. I spent 30 years in advertising and my corporate entertainment was so boring. We had people coming in from Japan, America, Germany and France and all we ever did was take them to the pub, then to a fancy restaurant, and then they went home. They didn’t really see or experience London.
What does an average tour look like?
There is no average tour! Although we are tapping into a common pool of knowledge, all of our tours are absolutely tailored. Generally we pick people up at their offices and if you’re in central London, you’re within 10 minutes of some amazing history, architecture, culture, buildings. If you were a record label, you could do a music themed tour or if you’re a bank, you could do a finance tour. Whatever your area of interest, we can find specialist guides to cater to it.
This week, for a small digital company, we took out all 40 of their employees and did a music themed tour that touched on everything from Jimmy Hendrix to Dr Johnson. We ended up at a pub and did a quiz on what they’d learned.
We basically do everything – give us a call or drop us an email and we’ll plan your tour.
• For more information and to book go to the website here or email info@guideconcierge.com