World War One Walks plans Commemorative ‘big push’

The Blue Badge Tourist Guides’ World War One Walks committee is organising more than a dozen events around the middle of November, which will recall the 1914-18 Home Front in London, Windsor, Manchester and Birmingham.

“We are mainly offering walking tours, but there’s also a ‘Battle Bus’ taking to the streets of Birmingham”, says Committee Chair Simon Rodway. “The Great War is still very much with us. It shaped the world we now live in.”

Marketing Manager Mark King: “The initiative is drawing in Institute-qualified guides from all over the country, researching and retelling local stories. Our website has been designed by Sergei Senin to let guides upload their own events and manage bookings, as well as contribute to the blog.” He also points out that the initiative is entirely for the benefit of guides with no commission involved. “We have marketing materials such as business cards and flyers, and we want guides to sign up for training so we can offer these events on a regular basis.”

London walks include ‘Deeds Not Words’ developed and led by Felicity Whittle and Janet Smith, telling the story of remarkable women who took the Suffragette effort forward into war work: ‘A shell made by a wife can save her husband’s life.’ There is also ‘The Last Journey of the Unknown Warrior’ starting at Westminster Abbey, and ending with the annual service at Platform 8 in Victoria Station organised by The Western Front Association. Walk leader Stan Medland plans to lay a wreath on behalf of Blue Badge Tourist Guides.

In Whitehall, ‘The Great War Walk’ tells the core political story of Britain’s war effort, with a walk scheduled for Tuesday the 11th. Steve Szymanski leading the walk says, “This promises to capture much of the spirit of the day as we’ll be moving around the marching veterans.”

Other walks include the bombing route of the Zeppelin raid of 8th September 1915, an excursion along the Embankment on the U-Boat war, and suburban themes such as ‘Finchley Goes To War’, and Ireland’s Great War experience with a Michael Collins walk in Hammersmith.

The full schedule of events can be found at: www.worldwaronewalks.com.

World War One Walks

World War One Walks poster. Photo: ©Simon Rodway.

Ursula Petula Barzey

Ursula Petula Barzey is a Digital Marketing Consultant who enjoys all that London has to offer to its residents as well as visitors from all across the globe.

In commemorating of the centenary of the First World War, much of our attention has been focused on the soldiers that fought and died in foreign lands in what was described as a war to end all wars. Simon Rodway’s walking tour from Holborn to Liverpool Street on 11 November 2014 made us look at the events closer to home – the deadly menace that was the Zeppelin air ships that flew almost silently over the London sky in 1915 wreaking havoc on the unsuspecting Londoners below by launching the first of many incendiary bombs here in London and other parts of England. It was to be known as the Year of the Zeppelin. The catastrophe that befell London lasted 20 minutes but our walk would take a little longer.

13 July 2015

'Big Push' from School Trips Site for World War One Walks

World War One Walks have now found a natural home on the homepage of School Travel Organiser. “Plenty of teachers found Blue Badge tours a natural fit for their geography and sports history courses in the run-up to 2012. We’re hoping we can repeat something like that with the Great War,” says Stan Medland, a World War One Walks committee member.