Derry-Anne Hammond
Regional Qualification(s):
London
Language(s):
English
Phone Number(s):
07802 712370
Contact guide
Introduction:
Not a Londoner by birth, I am by heritage, and grew up enjoying trips to this amazing city. I learnt from an early age that to get the most out of a visit you need to do your research first. I’ve already done that research for you, and would love to share my knowledge and passion for London with my guests.
Whilst happy to do coach tours around the capital, I prefer smaller groups and families for guided walks and site visits. This enables me to tailor the itinerary to suit your requirements, and the opportunity to get to know you. Having worked in education establishments for 30 years, I am very happy to work with students and children of all ages, but equally happy with more mature guests of all ages and abilities.
In addition to themed walking tours around London, I provide tours of sites including, although not exclusively, St Paul’s Cathedral, Westminster Abbey, the Tower of London, British Museum, Hampton Court Palace, Maritime Greenwich, and galleries including the National Gallery, Tate Britain and Tate Modern. If you fancy some time out of the City, I can offer tours of Windsor, Salisbury, Stonehenge, Bath, Stratford-upon-Avon and Canterbury.
Here is what some of my previous guests have said:
“Derry-Anne clearly enjoys communicating her love of art and her wide knowledge made my tour of the National Gallery very enjoyable. Her friendliness and enthusiasm shone through, and she responded to my questions with confidence.” Louise, South London
“Having worked in the City for 16 years, I thought I knew it pretty well. Derry-Anne took us to places I had ever been to, such as the Jewish Soup Kitchen, and told us fascinating new things about places I did know, such as the Roman remains under a Leadenhall Market hairdressers. She was incredibly well informed and interesting.” Lucy, Classics Teacher
“Two hours at the National Gallery with Derry-Anne as our guide was a truly wonderful experience. Her in-depth knowledge, professionalism, enthusiasm and warmth made it a really rewarding visit.” Susie, North London
“Derry-Anne is a hugely engaging guide - cheerful, alert and superbly informed. She seems to know everything there is to know about Westminster Abbey - its architecture, history, tombs and people, but never bores you with dry facts. The tour went in a flash, it was so interesting and varied!” Jeremy, retired teacher, Oxfordshire
“I was so lucky to be taken around Westminster Abbey by Derry-Anne - she’s an awesome fount of knowledge but such a lovely smiling person as well. She really made me feel involved and got me interested in things I didn’t know I was interested in! I found it all fascinating.” Sophie, university student, Australia
I hope to see you on tour soon!
Derry-Anne
Personal Interests:
| History (especially the City of London from 1st-century Romans to 21st-century skyscrapers, and also our Royal family and its turbulent past), Art History, Ecclesiastical buildings, London’s theatre (from its origins to current shows), Gardens (from the Royal Parks to the City of London’s pocket gardens), Sport (an ardent spectator of rugby, cricket, tennis and athletics - sorry, not football!), Walking (long-distance in my leisure time, but I do not subject my guests to this!) |
Special Interests:
| Museums | Highlight and tailor-made tours of the British Museum, V&A, Churchill War Rooms, London Transport Museum, Museum of London, Museum of London Docklands, Charles Dickens Museum and the Royal Museums Greenwich (National Maritime Museum, the Royal Observatory and the Cutty Sark). |
| Galleries | Highlight and tailor-made tours of the National Gallery, Tate Britain, Tate Modern, Wallace Collection and Dulwich Picture Gallery. |
| Walking Tours | City of London (1st-century Romans to 21st-century skyscrapers), Westminster and St James’s, Chelsea and Kensington. Specialist tours: Royal Parks (daytime throughout the year and summer evenings), the City of London’s green spaces (who knew there were so many?), the Great Fire of London including Sir Christopher Wren’s City churches (ideal combined with a visit to St Paul’s Cathedral), Literary Walks, the Thames’ South Bank including the history of London’s theatre, and the seasonal favourite Christmas Lights walk after dark. |
| Castles & Palaces | Tower of London, Windsor Castle, Hampton Court Palace, the Banqueting House, Kensington Palace, Queen’s House Greenwich, Leeds Castle. |
| Churches & Cathedrals | Westminster Abbey, St Paul’s Cathedral, Southwark Cathedral, Temple Church, Wren’s City churches, Salisbury Cathedral. |
| Theatre | Theatrical London from its origins to current shows. |
| Gardens | From the Royal Parks (Hyde Park, Kensington Gardens, Green Park, St James's Park, Regents Park, Kew Gardens) to the City of London’s pocket gardens. |
| Regional Tours | Canterbury, Bath (with a stop at Lacock recognisable from many films including Harry Potter), Salisbury, Old Sarum, Stonehenge, William Shakespeare’s Stratford-upon-Avon. |
| Education | I have worked in 11-18 schools for 30 years, and know the English education system incredibly well. I have also done extensive voluntary work with younger children 4+ through Guiding, Scouting and church groups. My tours are fun, full of information and tailored to the make-up of the group. I also offer tours to small groups with SEN. |
| Lecture Subjects | I am happy to give guest lectures on the History of Art and Architecture, Christianity and Christian places of worship, the Royal Family, London’s Royal Parks, and the History of London’s Theatres pageant wagons to current day. |
Driver Guide:
No
