Ripper tour

[Sam Flynn]

Here's a quote from DeLocksley's website:

"You will visit the place of the last victim Francis Cole's Feb 1891, then Stride 1888(same spot), Tabram 1888 and Mackenzi 1889. London Horror Tours is the only Jack the Ripper walk to visit these murder victims."

Where do I sign up...?!!

[George Hutchinson]

I think you need to join us on a London Job, Claire. Not only will you be in the company of the best-suited topographical and architectural enclave of guides you could get (if I do say so for ourselves), it'll also be free!

PHILIP

[Rob Clack]

I'm getting visions of De locklsey taking his customers to Chamber Street and saying "this is where the Pinchin Street torso was found".

Rob

[Celesta]

Yes, Rob, me, too. Why clutter the heads of the poor tourists with technical details or facts?

Blech!

[Rob Clack]

Yes, Rob, me, too. Why clutter the heads of the poor tourists with technical details or facts?

Blech!

True, I think a lot of people go on these tours not to be educated but to be entertained anyway. At least with Philip they get both.

Rob

[John Bennett]

Actually, De Locksley's site says they go to the murder site of "Frances Coles, Elizabeth Stride (same site)..."

Woops.

But enough of him. I've just got back from a pretty tough tour with a load of 16 year-old Aviation students from Stockton-on-Tees. Far too chatty (I had to use my subtle classroom-management techniques to shut 'em up), sometimes rude and the teachers with them didn't help much.

And they were literally getting out the sick-bags BEFORE they saw any photographs. Drama queens.

But what was more frustrating, on Dorset Street I was projecting myself above their incessant chatter when Don Rumbelow comes past with his group:

DR: Ah, hello.
Me: Oh, hi Don.
DR: In full flight, I see.
Me: Er, yes, you could say that....
DR: Well, have a good one.

Needless to say, things got worse when I got to the Aldgate Exchange Pub afterwards - they'd shut early.

You see it isn't all fun being a tour guide. But there's always the next one...

[The Grave Maurice]

Sorry to hear you had a rough night, John. It's not the easiest of jobs, I imagine. But it's rather nice to hear that Rumbelow is back herding punters around the East End. I thought that he had given that up for good.

[John Bennett]

Sorry to hear you had a rough night, John. It's not the easiest of jobs, I imagine. But it's rather nice to hear that Rumbelow is back herding punters around the East End. I thought that he had given that up for good.

Kind of you to say Maurice... it wasn't rough so much as tough, but it's all relative. The last one I did (saturday) was fab - a lovely group, and when you get that, you seem to be able to pull out the stops. It's like a virtuous circle.

Yeah, Don is back. I saw him 2 weeks ago too.

[Celesta]

Hello John,

Sorry to hear you had a rough night. The world just seems to get ruder and ruder. It's exhausting when you are trying to teach someone something and they can't control their egos. I had to deal with that at the museum I worked in for awhile.

[George Hutchinson]

You were working Saturday, John? So was I - a 6pm coach tour. I saw Colin but I didn't see yourself.

I've just had three excellent ones - even the school group I took on Friday, who'd come up from Devon for it. I even got handshakes and there wasn't a trace of attitude. And it was actually sunny!

PHILIP

[John Bennett]

Hi Phil

My tour was at 8pm.The school tours I've done so far were nothing like that one. They weren't studying it for a start, it was fun treat, apparently.

Sounds like you've had some good 'uns, mind.

[John Bennett]

Oops, I've just realised - it was friday, not saturday. With Mark and Lindsey.

[claire]

Sounds like fun...

Phil--is there a London Job planned at any point?

[George Hutchinson]

Hi Claire

We've not had one since October 2007 and I think it's time we did. There was a murmuring of having one in December, though if it was the day of the WS1888 Xmas do, I couldn't make it as I have another engagement during the daytime.

PHILIP

[kensei]

Philip-

I got in on this thread a little late. Just wanted to take the opportunity one more time to thank you for inviting me on your tour back in September, I had a great time even though I had already worn my feet out doing it solo in the daytime. I showed my video to my girlfriend- she is a historian and tends not to appreciate making jokes about such subjects, but I tried to explain it by comparing your approach to that of the Tower Beefeaters, where if they didn't apply a liberal sprinkling of jokes you'd want to kill yourself afterward.

Take it easy!