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Sue

King

15 years of experience
London and many other areas of England
United Kingdom (UK)

Contact Options

Travel hopefully and be ever curious

About

Born in London (with Scottish and Irish roots) but travelled the world with a military and diplomatic father and then husband. Previously a teacher of all age groups and lecturer in art history, I trained as a Blue Badge  Tourist guide 14 years ago when I returned to live in south London. Passionate about art, architecture, history and literature, I love to share my knowledge and enthusiasm for this diverse and ever fascinating country with visitors from home or abroad.

I guide groups of all sizes but most of my work is with small groups from the USA, and I often guide them in London and further afield for several days. 

From my time as a ‘camp follower’ of ‘men in uniform’ I developed a growing interest in military history and I am an accredited battlefield guide, and qualified validator for the International Guild of Battlefield Guides. I guide battlefield sites in Britain and in Europe.

A past chairman of the British Guild of Tourist Guides and the City of London Guide Lecturers Association and an accredited guide trainer and lecturer. As  the Course Director of London Blue Badge Training, I am proud of the 120 students who completed the onerous two year course and  passed all of their written and practical examinations. 

Tours Offered & Destination Knowledge

Bus ToursCultural/Specialty ToursExperience HostFood & Drink ToursGeneral Walking ToursLarge Group ToursLocal GuideMulti-Day Tour Director/LeaderMuseum DocentPrivate Tours

General area tours around London and England for small or large groups.

Themed tours around London and England: Literature, Gardens, Art, Architecture, Sir Winston Churchill, Cathedrals

Major historic sites in London including Tower of London, Kensington Palace, Hampton Court Palace, Westminster Abbey and St Paul's Cathedral.

Art galleries and museums in London, Liverpool, York, Leeds, Manchester, Exeter, Bath, Bristol etc.

Battlefield tours in Britain (Wars of the Roses, Civil War, WW2), and WW1 and WW2 sites in Normandy, Northern France and Belgium.

Fun Fact!
I have been resident in four 'war zones' during my travels: Cyprus, Northern Ireland, Berlin and Korea.
Hobbies & Interests
I enjoy gardening, swimming and walking. My sons say I have an insatiable curiosity so I am forever reading, researching, and visiting new sites. I have rediscovered my love of craft projects and have embarked on a large patchwork quilt to replace one I made 30 years ago. Cooking is another passion and I look forward to entertaining friends and family at home again. I miss the galleries, museums, theatre, musical performance and the ballet but this should open up in UK soon. I am a Liveryman of the Worshipful Company of Basketmakers which was granted its royal charters in the time of Elizabeth I. The Company supports the craft of basket making, does charitable work and organises social gatherings for its members.

Virtual Tour Experience

I have a portfolio of 15 virtual talks and tours. These have been developed for interest groups and are themed talks/tours covering art, literature, architecture, gardens, and WW2.

Testimonials

Sue, I really must thank you so much for being my London guide. We did not miss a thing on my list from which I have learned that in future the list needs to be shorter. You showed me and taught me a million things about the city I have always dreamed of visiting. Your knowledge of the city, it's buildings and history (which king or queen fits in where) were fantastic and especially interesting as I have read so much about England and its history. Once again thank you so much I honestly enjoyed every minute of it.

 

Thank you for making our Chelsea Flower Show and Cotswold Garden trip the trip of a lifetime. Your knowledge and wonderful friendly personality were absolutely fabulous! You are the best guide ever and we have wonderful memories.

 

Sue was great. My sons and I were exhausted after our journey, but she kept our interest. The time flew by. She even gave us some extra time because we hadn't gotten to all the parts of the White Tower she wanted us to see. She was friendly and interesting and really knows her history. I'm so glad we did the tour.

 

Thank you so much for the tour on Saturday. We learned so much more about London from your perspective than we could have ever discovered on our own and you have given us a better appreciation for our common history.

 

Sue King is a phenomenal travel guide. She is completely professional, extremely knowledgeable and accommodating, and so personable and caring that we now consider her a family friend. Please don't hesitate to offer her services to any of your clients, and feel free to use my reference on her behalf.

 

I thoroughly enjoyed Sue's architecture walk.  She is a thorough researcher, and any one stop of her walk could have led to a full morning or afternoon tour

 

Just wanted to let you know that we loved the tour with Sue King.  She was a fantastic guide!

 

The British Museum was great and Sue was a great guide!

 

It worked that Sue was sensitive to our needs. Mike, Nicholas and I were very interested in the history and the current state of the Tower of London. Anna (age 7) needed some more fun facts. Sue was very engaging and kept us interested.

 

A perfect way to spend a rainy day... In doors at Westminster Abbey with Sue

 

Not being a Dickens "lover", I joined this tour to learn more about the author ~ which I did in a very interesting and enjoyable manner.

 

Sue's knowledge of British history and Westminster was incredible! How she keeps it all straight, we will never know!!!

 

The Riverside Stroll tour provided not just a different view of London from the other side of the Thames but a different perspective on the relationship of the city of London to the river and its surroundings. Sue provided a clear and informative talk on how that relationship affected history and developments on both sides of the river.

 

 

Sue was delightful to be with and her knowledge of Hampton Court Palace and the art within it was excellent. I know that I would not have appreciated the visit near as much without her assistance in helping me to understand the evolution of the complex.

 

Our London tour guide, Sue, was top-notch. Her knowledge was extremely impressive, and we enjoyed her lunch recommendation. The crowds in London were also crazy - without our guide, I'm not sure we would have seen either the Tower or the war rooms.  We are grateful!

 

 

Details

Gateway Airport(s)

LHR, LGW, LTN, STN, LCY

Licenses

London, UK

Training

Blue Badge Tourist Guide and accredited Battlefield Guide (Badge 91)

Language(s)

English

Additional Education

Qualified Blue Badge Tourist Guide for:
London, Cumbria, Yorkshire, SW England, SE England, Heart of England and Liverpool City Region

City of London Guide

Endorsed to guide: Canterbury Cathedral, Windsor and Eton, York Minster, Salisbury Cathedral, and 2012 Venues

Institute of Tourist Guiding Accredited Guide Trainer and Examiner

International Guild of Battlefield Guides: Accredited Guide No. 91

M Phil History of Art from University of Birmingham

BA Hons Philosophy and Politics from University of York

Qualified teacher: Post Graduate Certificate in Education

Past Course Director of London Training

Past Chair City of London Guides

Past Chair British Guild of Tourist Guides

Past Chair of Institute of Tourist Guiding Examination Committee

General Availability

I have availability from July onwards in 2021

Photo Album