Photo: Adobe Stock Images
Oh my Goddess! October’s here already???!!! Excuse me while I’m sick with excitement! My favourite month of the year, officially autumn, nights drawing in, pumpkins out, spirits on the loose….yep, spooky season has arrived!
All Hallows Eve, or Samhain, as it’s known in the Celtic calendar, was traditionally a time of ushering in the darker part of the year and honouring the ancestors and spirits of the dead. It was thought that the veil between our world and the ‘other’ worlds was thinner at thus time. The spirits come out to play, if we welcome them in!
Well you can count on Herstorical Tours to do that! We’ve got an action packed month of events for you! Are you ready?
Hex and the City
As usual, we will be running our much loved Hex and the City tour throughout October where we will be conjuring the spirits of the witches of London that came before us, telling their stories and revisiting the occult locations in London.
Paul Phipps-Williams Photography
Hex and the City has been running for 3 years now and is our most popular tour - we’ve even got celebrity fans! You can read some reviews here and see a quick preview video here. We are running this tour on four separate dates throughout the month, book here.
Jail Birds of Old London
We’ll also be bringing back Jail Birds tour this month! Jail Birds of Old London explores the legacy of crime and punishment in Victorian and Edwardian London through the stories of 4 true crime cases, committed by women of course!
Photo: DarkTourist blog
The tour takes you through the City of London, from the Old Bailey to the River and up to the Strand. We visit places where crimes, trials and executions took place and we meet the women who were central to them. The stories are grisly and not for the faint hearted! (Perfect for Halloween! :-) But of course we also examine misogyny and how gender impacted the justice system, both then and now. Here is a sneak peek of the tour and here is a review. We’re running this tour on multiple dates. Book here.
Sinners, Saints and Saviours
We’re also delighted to be running our new Southwark-based tour Sinners, Saints and Saviours this month in collaboration with the newly reopened East End Womens Museum in October!
Sinners and Saints takes you on a journey through time from London Bridge to some of the ancient pagan sites and burial grounds of Southwark.
Photo: Urbanadventurer.net
You will be introduced to Roman goddesses, medieval prostitutes, Victorian working class heroines and female ‘monsters’ of folklore that have added colour to this part of London over the centuries. Not to be missed! Review here, and preview here.
Adobestock photo
Hex in the Garden
I am also delighted to be running a special Halloween event for the Chelsea Physic Garden this month called Hex in the Garden: Healers, Harmers and The Witch Craze
On 28th October to kick off the spooky week itself, I will be bringing to life a ‘healer’ and a ‘harmer’ in the magical herb and apothecary garden: two women who used herbs and plants to achieve very different ends during the witch craze. I will be telling their real life stories and then giving a presentation on the origins and legacy of the witch craze in London.
To conclude, I will treat you to a poetic performance inspired by the witch craze. Your ticket includes a complimentary glass of mulled cider. Tickets are limited so do get booking ASAP ! Book here.
Calendar of October Events
Here’s the full list of what’s happening this month. Click on the date to be directed to the booking page.
28/10 - Hex in the Garden event
Phew! I’m off now to prepare myself for a month of non-stop her-storytelling. If you want me this month, you’ll find me lying down in a dark room when not out touring, communing with spirits…
Oh and October’s HERSTORY of the month will be released in a couple of weeks. It’s a suitably witchy one. As well as an email, I’ll post a blog and video post on it on my socials.
Happy Hallowe’en all!
Herstorical Tours…x
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