Karen Dawson

Profile updated 3/12/23

Regional Qualification(s):

London

Language(s):

English

Phone Number(s):

07733 308 433

Contact guide

Introduction:

After working in the City of London, I realised a long-held ambition qualifying as a prize-winning London Blue Badge tourist guide.

I delight in sharing my love and my deep knowledge of this great city with those who want to learn its history and secrets or those who simply want to be sure to make the most of what London has to offer.

Every chapter in London's history, ancient or modern, can be told through the London you see today - if you know where to look. One of the best ways to discover the city is through a walking tour; whatever your particular interests, there'll be something to amaze, inspire and entertain.

My interests are eclectic, ranging from art through history, fashion and textiles (I have a costume diploma) to food and dining, science, sport and urban regeneration.

I look forward to helping you discover the London you love. I offer both in person and virtual tours.

Personal Interests:

Art
Architecture
Fashion and textiles
Music
Science and invention
Theatre, film and literature

Special Interests:

Walking Tours

Area or themed walking tours are one of the best ways of discovering London.
My area walking tours include Bermondsey, Chelsea, Clerkenwell, Mayfair, Kensington, St James' and Whitehall.
My themed walking tours include literary London, legal London, theatrical London, musicians' London, scientists and inventors' London, green London, urban regeneration, London in four fabrics and London in four drinks

Music

Great music has been performed and recorded here for centuries and still is. There is so much music in the city, from live gigs or concerts, to the places which inspired tunes and where musicians lived and worked.

Literature

Novelists, playwrights and poets, heroes, heroines and villains. London has a rich literary past and present which weaves many magical stories.

Lecture Subjects

I have 20 years of experience of learning and development in professional services and am adept at crafting and delivering talks on all aspects of London past and present.

Other

I have a special interest in the well-established wellbeing benefits of spending time with historic buildings and in green spaces and have a range of walking tours which capitalise on this.

Museums

British Museum
Churchill War Rooms
Imperial War Museum
Natural History Museum
National Maritime Museum
Science Museum
Victoria and Albert Museum

Galleries

National Gallery
Tate Modern
Tate Britain

Churches & Cathedrals

St Paul's Cathedral
Westminster Abbey

Castles & Palaces

Hampton Court Palace
Kensington Palace
Tower of London
Windsor Castle

Driver Guide:

No