Street Historians

10.⁠ ⁠Heritage On Wheels: Danny McIntyre and Greg Smith

Put your hand out on a busy London street and you might get picked up by one of today’s guests. Danny McIntyre and Greg Smith are licensed hackney carriage drivers. They are part of a tradition that goes back centuries, commonly known today as ‘black cabs’. As well as transporting people across London, Danny and Greg also take curious visitors to the top historical sites and regale them with stories of the city’s past.   On this episode, we uncover how they earned their prestigious licence, including taking an exam that involves memorising 25,000 London streets. They share how they expanded their roles into tour guiding, and we learn about the taxi trade’s longstanding culture of benevolence, including an annual trip that takes children from London’s hospitals on an exciting day out. Finally, we hear about the array of people they have driven around, and how there’s more to being a London cabbie than meets the eye.   Chapters:   (00:00) Intro (02:36) Backstories of Danny & Greg (13:00) Cab tours vs walking tours (17:24) A tradition of benevolence (20:40) More than driving (23:32) Quirky & famous passengers (28:03) Outro   Links: THE CHILDREN’S MAGICAL TAXI TOUR Website: https://magicaltaxitour.com [https://magicaltaxitour.com] DANNY MCINTYRE Website: https://traditionallondontours.com [https://traditionallondontours.com/] YouTube: https://youtube.com/@Lifeofalondoncabbie [https://youtube.com/@Lifeofalondoncabbie] Instagram: https://instagram.com/lifeofalondoncabbie [https://www.instagram.com/totally.tailored/] GREG SMITH Website: https://cityoflondonguides.com/find/gregsmith [https://cityoflondonguides.com/find/gregsmith] Instagram: https://instagram.com/greglondonguide [https://instagram.com/greglondonguide]   JEREMY JOHN: Tours: https://historyupclose.com [https://historyupclose.com] Instagram: https://instagram.com/londonwithjeremy [https://instagram.com/londonwithjeremy]

9. Tailoring Tours to Perfection: Charley Harrison

Ten years ago, Charley Harrison founded Totally Tailored, one of London’s most successful private tour companies. On this episode, she takes us back to the beginning, from working on London’s open-top buses to creating the groundwork for her company during slow shifts at a gift shop. Along the way, Charley reveals what the Totally Tailored private tour guides have in common, how she expanded her business into Edinburgh and why bigger is not always better. Chapters: (00:00) Intro (01:52) Backstory of Charley (07:45) Growing a small business (14:18) What ‘tailoring’ entails (22:29) Expanding to Edinburgh (25:10) What Next? (28:03) Outro Links: CHARLEY HARRISON: Website: https://totallytailored.com [https://totallytailored.com] Instagram: https://instagram.com/totally.tailored [https://instagram.com/totally.tailored] JEREMY JOHN: Tours: https://historyupclose.com [https://historyupclose.com] Instagram: https://instagram.com/londonwithjeremy [https://instagram.com/londonwithjeremy]

8. Making History Thrilling: Jess Brownrigg and Louise Cooley

Head to central London and you might find Jess Brownrigg and Louise Cooley regaling visitors with true tales of the city’s past. Both these tour guides are passionate about making history compelling for all ages, and their enthusiasm for London’s heritage is contagious. On this episode, we uncover what led them to this role, and find out more about the different tours they give, from Dr Who to the Tudors. They reveal their methods for bringing history to life, including a technique that Louise calls “laying seeds for the birdies”. They finish by sharing stories of tours not going to plan, from London’s annual naked cycle ride blocking the streets, to rain causing royal guards to march at double speed. Chapters: (00:00) Intro (03:08) Backstories of Jess & Louise (08:53) Dr Who & Tower of London (14:25) Changing of the Guard (18:39) Things not going to plan (22:38) Outro You can join one of Jess’ tours by booking through Fun London Tours (https://funlondontours.com [https://funlondontours.com]) and requesting him as your guide. Jeremy's Tour Instagram: https://instagram.com/londonwithjeremy [https://instagram.com/londonwithjeremy] Jeremy's Tour Website: https://www.historyupclose.com [https://www.historyupclose.com]

7. Cinemas, Musicians and Serendipity: Nigel Smith and Adam Scott-Goulding

Nigel Smith and Adam Scott-Goulding’s guided walks around London are the talk of the town, with a unique focus on the city’s cinematic heritage and musical history, respectively.  On Nigel’s cinema tours, visitors marvel at the old picture houses that are still a part of the city’s architectural fabric. For Adam, the theme is music, from the 60s stars of Swinging London to the intriguing life of 18th century composer, George Frideric Handel. On this episode, Nigel and Adam divulge what led them into tour guiding. They discuss the fascinating aspects of London’s cinematic and musical past, and along the way discover how Judy Garland connects their two very different tours. As teachers of tour guiding, they finish with some useful tips to make walking tours more engaging and meaningful. Chapters: (00:00) Intro (02:31) Backstories of Nigel & Adam (09:29) Guiding cinema tours (15:06) Music tours & guiding techniques (27:09) Handel, Judy Garland & group interaction (35:35) Teaching tour guiding  (39:01) Outro   Links: NIGEL SMITH: Book Tours: https://nigelsmithwalks.com [https://nigelsmithwalks.com] Cinema History: https://memorypalaces.co.uk [https://memorypalaces.co.uk] Instagram: https://instagram.com/nigelsmithwalks [https://instagram.com/nigelsmithwalks] Facebook: https://facebook.com/NigelSmithWalks [https://facebook.com/NigelSmithWalks] For the Clerkenwell & Islington Tour Guiding Course 2026, follow this link: https://islingtonguidedwalks.com/our-training-course/ [https://islingtonguidedwalks.com/our-training-course/]   ADAM SCOTT-GOULDING Book Tours: https://londonmusictours.org [https://londonmusictours.org] Instagram: https://instagram.com/londonmusictours [https://instagram.com/londonmusictours] Facebook: https://facebook.com/londonmusictour [https://facebook.com/londonmusictour]   JEREMY JOHN: WEBSITE: https://www.historyupclose.com [https://www.historyupclose.com] INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/londonwithjeremy [https://www.instagram.com/londonwithjeremy] If you enjoyed listening to this episode of Street Historians, don’t forget to click follow/subscribe, and rate the podcast with a thumbs up or five stars!

6. Looking Up and Digging Deeper: Katie Wignall

For the past decade, Katie Wignall has been a prolific figure on the London guiding scene. Her articles and videos, along with her guidebook ‘Look Up London’, have become invaluable resources for those eager to learn the real stories behind the city’s streets and buildings. Her company specialises in original tours that explore different facets of the city and are known to sell out months in advance. On this episode, Katie shares how she went from posting historical information online to taking groups of people across London’s old alleyways and courtyards for over ten years. She reveals the origins of Look Up London, and how returning from university allowed her to see her hometown with renewed curiosity. She also divulges what goes into doing her own research, her love of turning dry facts into juicy anecdotes, and the joys of connecting with an audience on street level. Chapters: (00:00) Intro (02:25) Backstory (09:20) Sharing knowledge engagingly (13:20) Growing Look Up London (19:47) Digging deeper (28:17) Visuals vs storytelling (30:14) What next? (32:50) Outro If you enjoyed listening to this episode of Street Historians, don’t forget to click follow/subscribe, and rate the podcast with a thumbs up or five stars. Look Up London Instagram: https://instagram.com [https://instagram.com/londonwithjeremy]/look_uplondon [https://instagram.com/look_uplondon] Look Up London Website: https://lookup.london [https://lookup.london] Jeremy's Tour Instagram: https://instagram.com/londonwithjeremy [https://instagram.com/londonwithjeremy] Jeremy's Tour Website: https://www.historyupclose.com [https://www.historyupclose.com]