With the launch of The Rolling Stones Walk on the 5th May 2016 and the return of the Rock'n'Roll London Pub walk on Wednesday nights from the 4th May 2016 the London Walks summer programme 2016 will feature no less than FIVE regular musical-themed walking tours.
To mark the occasion, April is Music Month on The Daily Constitutional!
A month of plaques, locations, facts, reviews and more lies ahead. And I'm compiling the Ultimate London Playlist – get in touch with your favorite London song or piece!
DC Editor Adam writes… During Music Month I'm collecting London music to shape The Big London Playlist. here's London walks guide Rex with his recommendation…
An email arrives from London Walks guide Rex. Brief and to the point, it reads thus:
"I Live In Trafalgar Square." And why, you might ask, does the Baron Rex of Tooting wish to announce his change of address via this blog? The answer is, of course, that he is simply nominating his favorite London song.
Written by the prolific C.W Murphy (see also Has Anybody Here Seen Kelly, 1908) and published in 1902, I'll stick my neck out, here (it's Adam writing), and suggest that we've found the definitive version of the song in the Stanley Holloway take below…
And here's the lyric to the chorus so you can sing along:
I live in Trafalgar Square – with four lions to guard me.
Fountains and statues all over the place, And the Metropole staring me right in the face. I'll admit it's a trifle drafty, But I look at it this way, you see:
If it's good enough for Nelson, It's quite good enough for me.
Rex
Rex worked at the opening night of the Rainbow Theatre rock music venue in Finsbury Park – it was his first grown up job! After that he got a history degree at LSE and has been a public relations man, political campaigner, lobbyist and managing director of a firm in the City of London. Today he is a Blue Badge guide and an elected councillor in Tooting, South London. He can often be found of a Friday afternoon leading the Rock'n'Roll London Walk.
A London Walk costs £10 – £8 concession. To join a London Walk, simply meet your guide at the designated tube station at the appointed time. Details of all London Walks can be found at www.walks.com.
