For some years now I’ve been exploring how we can find plane-free low-carbon wonder in our own backyard. Not just because we need to change our attitude to travel, not just because many here can’t afford it either – but also because who can’t benefit from feeling a little happier every day by loving where…
Category: Tourism
Changemakers: Hackney 2020 Vision
Finding purpose, giving back, channeling community tourism for good…
Hackney Tours is Social
2020 is the year of the Staycation. So now we ALL have to rediscover the local 🙂 It’s also the year when Hackney Tours moves closer towards its aim of giving back to the community on multiple levels. Not just in the sense that tours can make people happier, provoking curiosity about where they live…
Journey to Future Hackney
If the exciting radical past of radical Hackney was the pizza of conventional tourism where I started, then eventually I would always end up with a big long stringy piece of cheese stretched out between it and my face. This was the future
Hidden Hackney: Walking in Wonder with Champions & Changemakers
Depressed by the news? Hackney has the antidote. Hackney Tours offers a collection of tours distilling 10 years experience of exploring this exceptional and exciting borough (#HackneyDecade on social media). The walks join the dots between the famous Hackney radicals and reformers who pushed for a better world for hundreds of years and the dynamism…
Antitours – the Antidote?
This is a polemic, by someone who has more questions than answers. No slur or offence is intended to all the smart people employed in ‘conventional’ tourism, (like myself with my other hats on). I’ve worked in that field for 14 years now and learned a phenomenal amount from some fascinating, entertaining educators. There’s room…
Stay Closer, Shop Local – Travel Deeper
Our ‘Food & Culture’ tour of Dalston and its markets is a labour of love – and a product of love for the area. It just got a great review on Funzing this week; but it’s not really about us it’s really about connection to the community. We’ve been hanging out at the places involved…
All Quiet on the Eastern Front?
We’re busy training up some young tour guides for an exciting new travel social enterprise in London…
Art Everywhere for Everyone – Beauty is Where You Find It
Imagine a world with art and beauty on every corner? Who doesn’t want some of that? Yet maybe it already exists, we just need to see it? At Hackney Tours we’ve become fascinated by state and its effects on how we see the world.
Wall Down Tourists Out: Bringing Down Barriers With Travel
Berliners will celebrate the 25th anniversary of the fall of Berlin Wall on 9th November. But some resent the influx of tourists that the new openness brings. This was discussed by the travel trade this week in London. But surely breaking down barriers is what international travel should be about? 9th November is the 25th…
#TenPerCentTours – Tours Giving Back And Doing Good
#TenPerCentTours Tour guiding is an enormously rewarding job. In nearly a decade I’ve all sorts of interesting people and share with them the things that I’m passionate about. They often return the favour too! But it’s important to me that my job is something that I can feel is contributing to the greater good…
Hackney Tours: East LDN Creative Exploration 