I was delighted to see this review for my colleague Liam on TripAdvisor this morning (and thanks to Shageldon from Boston Mass for writing it!)…
Red bearded: yup, that's Liam alright. But Scottish? Not quite, although it's an easy mistake to make…
This is one of my favorite conversations when leading London Walks. It goes something like this:
London Walker: So which part of Ireland are you from?
Me: Scotland. Or sometimes it goes like this:
London Walker: Is that an Irish accent?
Me: No. It's the other one.
London Walker: Oh! You're SCOTTISH! It seems that my fine Irish colleague Liam gets the same conversation from the other end!
I certainly take no offense in being mistaken for an Irishman: poets and great storytellers every one of them. Reminds me of that wonderful Kenneth Tynan line (he was writing about Brendan Behan): The English hoard words like misers: the Irish spend them like sailors on leave.
Not wishing to speak on Liam's behalf but perhaps he feels the same way about being mistaken for a Scot? Maybe that's why he's cultivating the red beard, like Scotland's finest ambassador, Groundskeeper Willie…
(Catch up with an earlier post featuring Groundskeeper Willie HERE.)
Okay, here's a better likeness…
Adam leads Rock'n'Roll London on Fridays meet Tottenham Court Road tube 2pm. For a walk description click HERE.
Liam leads the Westminster By Gaslight walk on Mondays at 7pm meeting at Westminster tube (exit 4). For a walk description click HERE.
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