Jack the Ripper Tour

[Majewski79]

Hello all.

This Sunday, my soon-to-be-wife and I (we get married this Friday) are leaving for our honeymoon and headed to London. We just booked the Jack the Ripper tour advertised on this site (http://www.jack-the-ripper-tour.com/) and we are so excited to get a chance to do the Ripper walk.

I have a quick question though, sorry if this is posted in the wrong forum, we are staying at the Flemings Mayfair Hotel and my question is, do we take the Tube to get to the Tour's starting location or should we take a bus? This'll be my first time out of the country (USA) and my first time ever on a plane (as amazing as that sounds). Any suggestions? All help kindly appreciated! Thank you

[babybird67]

hi Majewski79

just to say congratulations on your forthcoming marriage, and i hope you both enjoy your honeymoon.

Sorry i don't live in London so cannot advise about the travel, but there are lots of contributors who have experience who I am sure will be along shortly to answer your queries!

[The Grave Maurice]

Flemings, eh? Pretty nice place, as I recall. Good choice.

Anyway, I'd say definitely take the tube. The Green Park station is about three blocks from your hotel, and the tube is the fastest and easiest way to get to the East End.

Enjoy your trip. Oh, and congratulations!

[Majewski79]

Thank you very much!

[George Hutchinson]

My congrats on the wedding and booking with the company John Bennett and I both work for. I can't speak for John, but I'm not doing Sunday's walk. I am, however, taking Saturday's. If you - by some madness - wanted me to take your tour, just contact Jo at the office and swap dates. John's obviously good, though, so if he's taking a tour on Sunday then you might as well stay with him.

PHILIP

[John Bennett]

I'm not doing Sunday either! Ho hum.

[John Savage]

Hi Majewski79,

When you are travelling in London the tube is often quickest, but all you will see is a black hole.

If you have the time I would recommend you catch the number 15 bus which runs from Marble Arch, via Oxford Street, Regent Street, Piccadilly Circus, Trafalgar Square, Strand, Fleet Street, St Pauls Cathedral, Tower of London, to Aldgate.

Time permitting you could get off at the Royal Courts of Justice in the Strand and take a five minute walk to Kings Bench Walk, and visit the area were Druitt had his chambers. A short walk through Mitre Court [not Mitre Square] will bring you back to Fleet Street so that you can get back on the 15 bus.

Perhaps Philip could tell you which stop would be best to join the Ripper tour.

Rgds
John

[Stephen Thomas]

One thing anybody visiting London needs to know is that individual journies on London Transport are horrendously expensive and one needs to buy a daily or weekly Travelcard to get around. For instance, a tube journey even for one stop costs Ł4 whereas a daily Travelcard costs only around Ł5.

[kensei]

Hi Majewski79,

My first time to England was my first time on a plane too, from the U.S. I've been there twice now and have visited some pretty far-flung areas of London from Kensington to Highgate, and not once have I ridden the bus. It always looked too daunting a task to learn the system well enough to know which bus to get on so I never even tried, opting for the tube which is a quick learn and gets you where you want to go at very efficient speed. As a beginner though, if you've never ridden a subway before (which I hadn't), expect to accidentally find yourself on the wrong side of the platform and get on a train going the wrong way a couple of times. Pay close attention and you'll figure it out within one stop before you get too far off course. Also, depending on the time of day, be prepared to be crammed into the train like pickles in a jar. You'll laugh about it later, but not at the time.

Good idea also to have a plan in case you and your wife get separated. I saw it happen once, some young people boarding a train had the doors close on them before they were all inside and a couple of girls got left behind, causing some blokes standing nearby to burst out laughing at them.

[Bulldog]

Hi Majewski79,

It always looked too daunting a task to learn the system well enough to know which bus to get on so I never even tried,

Everything you need to know is right here:

http://www.tfl.gov.uk/modalpages/2625.aspx

The Journey Planner is top notch.


Bulldog

[Majewski79]

Back from London now...

... Everything was fantastic. The Jack the Ripper tour was amazing, the neighborhood really set the mood for my wife and I. The guide was really cool, I cannot remember the gentleman's name but, he was fantastic and very, very nice and informative.

Does anyone know what this guy's name is?
Here's a picture:

http://i65.photobucket.com/albums/h202/Majewski79/1-1.jpg

[John Bennett]

Does anyone know what this guy's name is?
Here's a picture:
http://i65.photobucket.com/albums/h2...wski79/1-1.jpg

Why it's Mark Ubsdell! Well met!

[Majewski79]

Why it's Mark Ubsdell! Well met!

Thank you! I couldn't remember his name. Like I said, he was very nice, informative and was funny. For example when the tour began in the alleyway of George Chapman's joint, he made a couple comments about the police sirens zipping up and down the streets and Whitechapel in general, not knocking them mind you, just small jokes that made everyone smile.

[John Bennett]

Oh, the magical world of the child..

Some little snippets from my JTR school tours this week.

Girl (to her friend): They reckon it was the King...

***

Boy: Did they ever think Jack the Ripper was a midget?
Me: Er, not tham I'm aware.
Boy: A leprechaun?
Me: Nah.
Boy: What about an elephant?
Me: Nope.
Boy: A pihrana fish?
Me: Nope.
Boy: A man-eating tiger?
Me (losing the will to live): No.
Boy: what about a chimpanzee?
Me: Well, they did say at the time it might have been an escaped gorilla.
Boy: No. You're kidding? That's just daft.

***

Girl: 'Ave yer got any pictures of Jack the Ripper?
Me: Erm, no.
Girl (looking disappointed): Hey, why not?
Me: Well, they never caught him, did they?
Girl: Really?

***
Same girl (after showing the group the doorway where Eddowes' apron was found): So how do YOU know that's the right door?
Me: Research, luv.
(but you can probably imagine what went through my head at that moment).

***

And this one is quite common -

Student: Is Jack the Ripper going to come after us?
Me: I very much doubt it, it was 120 years ago.
Student (to a friend, nodding over to me): I reckon he's Jack the Ripper.

Happy Days!

[babybird67]

haha John

you should do a book with those snippets in...I bet you have lots more anecdotes like that!

You've started my morning off with a smile, so thank you for that!