Rachel Kolsky and Diane Burstein both hold the prestigious London Blue Badge awarded by the Institute of Tourist Guiding. It is the premier guiding qualification for London and you can be assured that a guide wearing the London Blue Badge has passed rigorous written and practical examinations covering all aspects of the life and history of London and Great Britain.

WHO WE ARE

WHO YOU ARE

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020 8883 4169
info@goeastlondon.co.uk


Hear Rachel on The Robert Elms Show, BBC Radio London
MAY 6 2008

RE


DATES FOR YOUR DIARY

Public Tours




JEWISH THEATRELAND
Sunday 6 Apr 2008

 

EAST END RADICALS

Saturday 17 May 2008

JEWISH WEST END

Sunday 1 Jun 200

LIMEHOUSE

Belgravia of the Docklands

Saturday 7 Jun 2008

New!
PEARLY QUEENS TO KINGSLEY HALL
A visit to Bromley by Bow
Sunday 8 Jun 2008


To the east of the City the East End of London is a treasure-house of surprises waiting to be explored. Through a series of fascinating guided walks and tours in London our experienced and enthusiastic London Blue Badge guides Rachel Kolsky and Diane Burstein will introduce you to the history, personalities and buildings of the past and present.

All of these areas covered have their own distinct personalities.The history of the East End has been shaped over the centuries by the River Thames and the generations of immigrants who made London their home.

At Go East London we want you to discover the stories of this exciting, ever changing area which is now home to many of the most vibrant artistic and business districts of London.

Our London walks and tours include Docklands walks, Spitalfields walks, riverside walks, tours of the London Olympic sites, Jewish East End walks and many more.



Conference Guide UK - Free venue finding service. Search thousands of conference and meeting venues online now.

Discover Spitalfields - with Spitalifelds Market and Brick Lane this is the place to be for fashion and food
Discover Tower Hamlets - visit this vibrant area to experience London at its most culturally diverse

Go East with Asia Paradise - tailor made tours in Thailand, Cambodia and beyond

Hidden Art
- access to the work of over 1,800 east London based designers

Hotel direct

Island History Trust - a community project dedicated to recording the life and residents of the Isle of Dogs

Jewish Heritage UK - the organisation devoted to saving threatened buildings of Jewish interest in the UK

London Hotel toBook - Search and book hotels in London

Sandys Row Synagogue

Synagogue interiors - paintings by Beverley-Jane Stewart

A Traveller's Guide To London - will help you plan your trip to London

Walking Britain - how to plan your walking tour of Great Britain

Whitechapel Bell Foundry - 'birthplace' of Big Ben and the Liberty Bell

Your Guides - DIANE & RACHEL
Diane Burstein
Rachel Kolsky
Diane has made regular radio broadcasts on the subject of “Secret London” and is the author of “London Then and Now”. She is a qualified Further and Adult Education Teacher and runs “Discovering London” courses for several London colleges including the City Lit and the Bishopsgate Institute.

For over ten years her popular walking tours have introduced visitors and Londoners to the lesser known corners of the capital.

Rachel is a prize winning Blue Badge Guide who has worked for over 20 years in the financial services industry as a professional researcher.

Her inquisitive nature soon led her to explore London both east and west, always on the look-out for those buildings and stories that would otherwise remain undiscovered.

Equally at home in The City and its neighbouring East End she has been leading tours since 1999.

What Are They Saying About
Diane's and Rachel's Tours?
"Combines an excellent knowledge of the subject matter with a friendly and engaging approach"
Emma De Souza, Society of London Theatre

"In spite of being a mixed language group, there was no problem understanding Diane's knowledge and entertaining commentary, due in the main to her precise diction which was favourably commented on by our overseas colleagues"
Susan Ward, Matra Marconi

"Diane's infinite patience, knowledge and kindness will be a cherished part of our trip to England"
Paul Lindblad, Choir Director, Paul Lindblad Choiristers, Chicago

“Rachel's tour evoked warm and pleasant memories and they have not stopped talking about it since their return home”
Balint House, Elderly Care Home

"Rachel's tour was a perfect way to make the day even more memorable”.
Philippa Hamilton, guest on Steve King’s Freedom of the City Tour

“ I have always found her to be in a class of her own”
Sheila Clamp, Welwyn and Hatfield Council Leisure Services

“Diane gave our group a super talk. She set a very high standard for our future speakers”
Josephine Offin, Chiswick Townswomens Guild

“Diane’s depth of knowledge always astounds me”
Joan Brown, LBC Listener

“We enjoyed the Old Jewish East End Walk and felt that we had learned a lot about our heritage”
Bernice Monty, Wanstead and Woodford Synagogue

“ A super day. The timing and arrangements were just right”
Pauline Bell, Chandlers Ford U3A

“We learned so much from our tour and our members were unanimous in their praises”
Betty Cossey. Twyford and Ruscombe History Society.

“A great tour host and guide who helped us appreciate this fine country a lot more”
David Judd, Choir Director, W F West High School Choir, Seattle.




Let us help you organise your tour

Rachel and Diane have guided every type of group you can imagine – Groups and Families, Students and Seniors, Visitors and Residents – anyone who has an interest in exploring London’s fascinating past.

These are some of the occasions for which tours have been arranged:

Corporate Hospitality
  • Enhance your department with a Team Building Session
  • As part of your Conference a tour will introduce delegates to their host city
  • Include a tour in the Conference Spouse Programme
  • Entertain Local and Overseas Clients with a tour followed by dinner
  • An Employee Area Familiarisation tour will help your staff discover the history of their workplace district
  • Give your team a break from the office with a Departmental Social Outing
  • As one of your Incentive Programme Activities suggest a tour in an area of their choice

Social Groups

All our tours can be tailored to suit the members of your Special Interest Group (eg. family history, local history, industrial archaeology etc)

  • At a Singles Event guests can meet informally and discover London at the same time
  • Women’s Institute or Townswomen’s Guild Outings offer the opportunity to visit London and we can always fit in a leisurely lunch or shopping too!
  • Give your Rotary Club a break in London
  • Retirement Groups can take a trip ‘Down Memory Lane’ – the memories will flood back
  • An educational tour can also be a social outing for groups from the U3A
  • Church and Synagogue Social Groups will learn of their religious heritage

Family and Friends
  • Take a tour to the London of your childhood with a trip ‘Down Memory Lane’
  • Book a tour of your choice as a Birthday Celebration for you or a friend
  • Celebrate your Hen Party with a fun commentary as you go from venue to venue
  • Surprise Outings are always fun, particularly if you get inside one of London’s ‘hidden interiors’
  • Entertain your Wedding Guests from overseas with a tour of their host city
Students of all ages
We can adapt any tour to match your studies.

East London offers wonderful opportunities for students of Social History, Ethnic Diversity, London History, London Literature and Urban Geography to leave your libraries for a while and discover history from the buildings, streets and riverside.

Tourist Groups
If you are staying at a Docklands-based hotel arrange an Area Introduction Tour
  • Diverge from the usual tourist routes and discover Alternative London
  • Sundays offer an opportunity to visit the vibrant Markets of the East End
  • Experience the diversity of cultures in Cosmopolitan London