London Is Fulll Of Spy Stories...If You Know Where To Look.
What we know about spies and the world of spying is limited to what governments, the military and spy organisations want us to know. Very few of us will ever know the true secrets of spying, but thanks to declassification of official state papers, autobiographies from retired spies, and ‘leaks’ we can gain the smallest look into the secretive, selective, and seemingly seductive world of spies.
Made famous by fictional spies such as the internationally famous James Bond, the real world of spying is not so glamorous, and involves fewer Vodka Martini’s. That said, this tour is the perfect chance to uncover some of the most daring, audacious, and downright dastardly stories of British spying.
Beginning at Somerset House, outside the WatchHouse Cafe, we will take you to the anonymous and infamous sights of London that spies would rather you didn’t know.
The tour includes, but is not limited to the following locations:
Waterloo Bridge is where one of the most outrageous, and Bondian, real life spy assassinations happened! Georgi Markov a Bulgarian dissident, writer, and broadcaster was assassinated on this bridge using the infamous poison-tipped umbrella. But who was responsible for this brazen attack on British soil? Find out on this tour.
The Savoy Hotel this grand London hotel has links to numerous spy stories, including the creator of James Bond and his real-life intelligence work, and the tradition of placing a Christmas Tree in Trafalgar Square. This hotel was also the favourite place to stay of a second world war spy, whose identity was so secret that the Prime Minister Winston Churchill didn’t know who he was!
The Statue of Edith Cavell Edith Cavell was a nurse in occupied Belgum during the First World War. Shot by the Germans on charges of spying, which the British government denied, she was held up as a Martyr, and proof of how inhumane the German Army could be. However not is all as it seems, as newly declassified documents suggest a very different version of events.
The
Canadian High Commission discover how a Canadian Mi6 Spy was warning the British Government
about another war with Germany, as early as 1919.
Whitehall Whitehall is home to the British Government and has been linked to Spys and Spying since the early 20th Century. Home to the first head of the Secret Service, the police force charged with stopping foreign spies in the First and Second World Wars, it is also the locations of Downing Street and the Admiralty both of which have links to the British Secret Service.
Parliament Square Stopping at Parliament Square allows us to talk about how Sir Winston Churchill changed the fact of espionage through his decisive leadership during the Second World War. Parliament Square also gives us a chance to discuss the UK’s Parliamentary oversight of our Spy organisations, how we work with our international allies, and how a Spy ended up buried in one of the world’s most famous the UNESCO world heritage sites – Westminster Abbey. From here we will board a famous London double-decker bus and head towards Mi6.
Riverside Walk Gardens Riverside Walk Gardens is the perfect place to take photos and hear all about the Security Intelligence Service (Mi6), its history, and how it works with its sister organisations the Security Service (Mi5) and Government Communications Headquarters (GCHQ). Whilst here we will also learn about how Mi6 and its headquarters have been used in the James Bond films, and TV series such as Sherlock. After looking at Mi6 we will cross Vauxhall Bridge and get the train to Waterloo where we will walk the short distance to our final location.