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Mike

Armitage

11 years of experience
London
United Kingdom (UK)
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A very memorable day with a very memorable guide!!!

Rob & Phil, California

About

I have been one of the foremost guides in London for ten years. 

Qualified to guide all the major sites in London, I delight in showing visitors the hidden corners and fascinating details of both the historic and modern city. I also love meeting visitors to the UK and talking with them. As well as Britain and its history, I have recently had conversations as diverse as British road markings, the difference between ale and beer, where the London-set episode of Columbo was filmed and whether Ringo Starr was a better drummer than he is normally given credit for.

I am particularly interested in the history of the First and Second World Wars and enjoy taking visitors to the Churchill War Rooms or the Imperial War Museum, as well as pointing out the still visible traces these conflicts have left in London.

About 70% of my clients are Americans, but I also take pleasure in showing British people some of their own capital city, and learning from them.

As a Windsor resident, my expertise in guiding the Queen’s favourite home, Windsor Castle, the town and Eton, is second to none.

Born and raised in Islington in North London, I have lived in Windsor for 25 years. I spent much of my working life as a customs officer at Heathrow Airport and in central London to working for the British government, prior to training as a guide.

Married to Laura, I have 4 children, one of whom is a primary or elementary school teacher and the other three are studying at various universities around England.

Tours Offered & Destination Knowledge

Bus ToursCultural/Specialty ToursGeneral Walking ToursLocal GuideMulti-Day Tour Director/LeaderMuseum DocentPrivate Tours

London Attractions

As a Blue Badge Tourist Guide I know London better than anyone. I am versatile and just as comfortable giving private tours in London or beyond, leading coach parties, or leading a guided walk around the streets.

I regularly guide private tours and groups at

  • ·       Westminster Abbey,
  • ·       St Pauls cathedral
  • ·       The Tower of London
  • ·       Windsor Castle
  • ·       Hampton Court Palace
  • ·       Kensington palace
  • ·       Stonehenge
  • ·       Salisbury cathedral
  • ·       and most other attractions in London and South East England

Art Galleries and Museums

London has many of the worlds most famous Galleries and Museums and I often do introductory tours around them. My particular favourites include

  • ·       Victoria & Albert Museum
  • ·       National Gallery
  • ·       British Museum
  • ·       Science Museum
  • ·       Natural History Museum
  • ·       Science Museum
  • ·       National Portrait gallery

Second World War

My main specialist field is the Second World War and I can guide a general or more subject-specific tour of any of the WW2 museums in London including

  • ·       Churchill War Rooms
  • ·       Imperial War Museum
  • ·       HMS Belfast
  • ·       RAF Museum
  • ·       Battle of Britain Bunker
  • ·       Imperial War Museum Duxford

I have several walks themed around this fascinating time in Britain’s history and can show clients traces of the conflict from faded signs to scars from the Blitz to the graffiti left by a bored GI on sentry duty. Both of my parents were children in London during the Second World War, and I was able to use their experiences to personalise these tours.

Personal Tours for families, couples and small groups

I specialise in private tours in London and elsewhere for small groups. These are loosely planned, tailored sightseeing guided tours of London, where you’ll see some amazing sights, hear some wonderful stories and learn some fascinating history. And if you aren’t sure what you want to do and see, I have plenty of great suggestions.

Two and three generational family groups are particularly welcome. I can engage the interest of teenagers, having had four of my own and I am very happy to guide groups with children. They have an eagerness and excitement for new things in London that is always a joy, and I get them to help with journey planning using with the Underground map.

I regularly take families on tours of London, with lots of Harry Potter based stops which is guaranteed to keep the children interested.

Educational groups.

I am often asked to guide students from early teenagers to college students around London. I cover everything from an introductory trip around London, to a tour organised around subjects as diverse as Winston Churchill, Gothic architecture or the British National Health Service.

I also offer walks to teenage English language student groups from Europe and elsewhere whose English skills are at a reasonable level. As I do not speak any foreign languages to any proficiency it means that the students must listen to and converse with a native English speaker.

Corporate tours

Evening guided tours of London are very popular with conference delegates, either to take them from the meeting venue to the evening restaurant, to give them a flavour of the area that they are in, or to provide an overview of London.

Tour creation.

I have created many walking tours around London for the Friends of the Imperial War Museum on Mayfair, Pimlico, Westminster and Windsor at War as well as Zeppelin raids and the firebomb raid on the City of London in December 1940.

In May 2018, I help to create, manage and co-guided Road Scholar’s initial 8-day tour in SE England and London ‘England’s History & Heroism in the South East’ examining the effects of war on this country. Ranging from the Norman Conquest to the Cold War it included a battlefield walk (Hastings), Museums, site visits and lectures in meeting rooms and on the coach,

In September 2016 I was tour manager and battlefield and London guide for the official delegation from the Pacific island of Niue who were attending the centenary commemorations of New Zealand’s entry in the Battle of the Somme. Their delegation included a Government Minister and the head of Niue’s Returned Servicemen Association. I organised the group through the heavy French security, their dealings with New Zealand diplomats and armed forces, and a meeting with Prince Charles.

Fun Fact!
I try to remain cheerful despite following the mixed fortunes of Fulham Football Club.
Hobbies & Interests
I have a passion for wildlife, and for many years I helped to run the local Wildlife Watch Group for 7-12 year olds. When not showing clients around London and elsewhere, I delight in walking along the Thames and around Windsor Great Park. I also enjoy visiting the battlefields of France and Belgium, watching old, black and white movies, and researching my family tree, and peoples’ military service. I obtained an endorsement to guide the 2012 London Olympic Games, and still consider the 2012 Olympics to be the best three weeks I have ever spent in London.

Virtual Tour Experience

So far I have carried out virtual tours, on the 75th anniversary of VE Day, on 'Americans in London in WW2' and a private tour of the British Museum for English Language students from Italy. I have created virtual tours on 'The Second Fire of London - 29th December 1940', 'Westminster at War' and 'A Tour around Windsor and Eton'

Testimonials

Mike is a wonderful tour guide and a perfect English gentleman. We hired him for a 2 day walking tour of London and he customized the tour to our specifications. Also, before the trip, my husband and I both experienced some physical issues that hindered our ability to walk for long periods. Mike was so accommodating and patient as we had to take frequent breaks. His commentary regarding various popular sites was excellent, but also along the way he shared many interesting facts pointing out lesser known spots and acquainting us with English custom and etiquette. I would highly recommend Mike to anyone interested in a more in depth view of London and all it has to offer.

Alice, Florida

Our group had a brilliant day touring Windsor Castle and town with Mike Armitage. From the moment we reached out to him, via the internet, Mike was not only informative and professional, but also thorough. He responded to our emails promptly. He provided detailed information of our tour options. His pricing was fair. Then, he went on to email us on how to navigate the tube to get to the train station. How to purchase our tickets to Windsor. What time options we had for trains. Where he would meet us at the train station. Finally, how to purchase our tour tickets on line. He contacted us several days before our scheduled tour to insure that all was in order and we were comfortable with our plans. In our opinion, he went beyond what one would have expected from a guide.
The tour itself was wonderful. His personality is engaging and his knowledge base of British history and the Monarchy was deep. Mikes's greatest asset is his ability to present his information in an extremely entertaining manner. He kept us interested and engaged throughout the tour.
On departure, Mike reminded us that he is qualified to give tours throughout England. This is good to know. On our return visits to the U.K., Mike Armitage will be our go to guide to explain and teach us the rich and varied history that is England. Thanks, Mike for a brilliant day!

PITtravel, Pennsylvania

Mike took us on an afternoon tour of Windsor castle and Windsor. While exchanging e-mails before the trip, he suggested we do an afternoon tour as the crowds would be lighter than in the morning. I was so glad to have him guide us around the castle and share his vast knowledge of the royal family, the castle and this area of England. He is super friendly and kept my teenagers interested throughout the tour, we had a perfect day thanks to Mike!

Julie, North Carolina

We used Mike for guided tours of London and Windsor Castle. Both were excellent tours, and Mike is a obviously a very knowledgable guide. We enjoyed the time spent with him. Highly recommend a blue badge guide (like Mike) as they can customize a tour for you, and can point out many of the interesting details that others might miss. Especially if you are visiting London or Windsor for the first time, Mike can make your visit much more enjoyable. But I can also imagine if you have been to these places before, Mike could point out things that you would not notice on your own.
Thanks Mike!

Steve, Kentucky

Mike was our guide to London in early April and we loved every moment. His knowledge of London is amazing, and he is a wonderful guide. We asked to see quirky unusual but historical parts of London as well as the famous places and that we did. An amazing nine-hour tour that was well worth every penny Thank you, Mike for one of the highlights of our UK holiday.

Les & Merle, Brisbane Australia

I just returned from London after a tour of Frontline Britain led by Mike Armitage. I have nothing by high praise for his organizing the course and leadership. We toured Battle, Imperial War Museum and other sites with Mike sharing his knowledge. He is particular strong on WWII history. He not only enlightened us on the history of what we were touring but told personal stories of his family at that time, making it even more relevant. His relation with the group of 20 was outstanding and everyone responded by being on time! Several military veterans were on the tour and Mike was able to answer their detailed questions. Highly recommended!

Bill & Susie, Florida

I arranged a full day tour with Mike prior to my family's trip to London. He provided a robust tour of the city which familiarized us with the layout of the city, major and minor sites and practical experiences with the subways and buses which was very helpful for the remainder of our trip.

Mike was engaging, humorous and was committed to our having an exceptional time. He met us at our AirBnB and got to know us better and laid out a rough agenda for the day. We knew we were in the hands a true travel professional. We never felt we were being pushed.

He knew exactly when we needed to stop for a break and some nourishment. We particularly enjoyed lunch at a pub called The Albert. It had great food and a cozy atmosphere. It is one of the few Pubs with a Division Bell which rings to let any Members of Parliament know that a vote is going to be held. Mike also took us to a unique Coffee cafe called the Crypt which is located below a church. We would not have experienced these unique places without Mike's recommendation.

His deep knowledge of London was apparent, he showed us sites we would later revisit on our own because they were so fantastic. The remainder of our trip was so enjoyable in large part to Mike getting us off to a great start.

Mike was Fantastic!!!!!!!

Big V, California

I was recently surprised with a trip to London for my birthday. Wanting to maximize the time we had and being history nerds, we located Mike and scheduled him to be our tour guide. There are not enough good words I can say about the experience. He was amazing. He mixed my desire for super nerdy British insight with my boyfriend's need of pubs and ancient armor. The time we spent with Mike really felt like we were on the receiving end of some super secret insider knowledge. We visited the main sights and felt like we might as well have had the whole place to ourselves. Mike provided us with all the background we could want along with amazing British charm.
He was immensely helpful before our arrival and quick to respond to questions I had as we set up our tour plan. We spent a day and a half with him and would love to spend more. We have already suggested him to all our friends. He would provide as wonderful a tour for families with children as he would for adults meeting up on a college reunion vacation. Mike is worth every penny and then some. We will definitely use him when we go back to visit the things we missed this time.

Kiersten, USA

Mike, you have been such a wonderful tour guide, your knowledge is amazing. We hope to return to London and hopefully will meet you for another tour.

Pat & Nelson, California

We really appreciated all your efforts on Sunday at the Tower, including all the buggy pushing. We all had a great time.

Louise & Jonathan (and children), Windsor

Thanks again for all your energetic and knowledgeable guiding. And for suggesting the Indian restaurant. I enjoyed getting to know you.

Throop, North Carolina

Thank you so very much for such a lovely day. It could not have been better – just what I imagined!

Carol, Omaha

Having Mike there (at the Imperial War Museum) showing us everything, and talking about it, we learnt so much. It was so much more informative than hiring the audio and headphones, plus he knew where everything was, and no time was wasted trying to find things to see. It really was inspiring to have Mike show us around, and he kept (my sons) interest the whole time we were there, which was just about 2 ½ hours, and he learnt so much.

Mick Box the guitarist and leader of the still gigging 70s heavy metal band Uriah Heep. and 11 year old son, London

Thank you for giving such a fascinating walk yesterday. It’s always such a pleasure to look at London through fresh eyes and a new perspective. I saw so many things that I’d never noticed.

Vicki, London

Aloha, Mike. Thank-you for a wonderful trip though London – so much to see and do.

Charmane & Cheri, Hawaii

Thank-you so much for your attentiveness to our every need. We had a great time and truly fell in love with London. You were a big part of creating that positive experience.

Chris & Roger, Alabama

A very memorable day with a very memorable guide!!!

Rob & Phil, California

Thank you, Michael, for being such a wonderful guide, and for making our first trip to London such a memorable event. We will be talking about this for a long time. From the first day that we met you we knew that this would be a special experience.

Fred & Joan, Illinois

 

Details

Gateway Airport(s)

LHR, LGW

Licenses

London, UK

Training

London Blue Badge Guide - issued by the Institute of Tourist Guiding, March 2010

Language(s)

English

Additional Education

General Availability

Due to all the cancelations with the COVID restrictions I am pretty much available every date in 2021 and 2022. The only exception is from September 2nd through to September 10th 2021, when I will be unavailable.

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