April Fool-ish fun

You can definitely put all your Easter eggs in our baskets! (Melissa and Emily, two of my Harlots, circa 2022 courtesy of Peter Hogan Media)

Happy April! (No fools here!) The clocks have gone forward, everyone’s thinking about chocolate ( maybe that’s just me) there’s a bank holiday, it can only be…. April! The month where the weather is more unpredictable than Trump’s political decisions… But never fear, what is constant and sure are the Herstorical vibes..!

March Re-Cap

Did anyone else feel like March went on FOREVER ? I don’t know if that’s because of the weird weather or ongoing atrocities in the world, but from a Herstorical perspective, it was a bit of a quiet one. We had to cancel a couple of tours due to low sales, but they were made up for with super fun private tours and excellent crowds on the public tours we were able to run.

Women’s History Month started swimmingly with an inspiring feminist protest march on the 7th (in which I dressed as a suffragette!) followed by a busy Votes for Women! tour on International Women’s Day in collaboration with the Bow Street Museum of Crime and Justice, and another private Votes! tour (booked last minute!) for Syracuse University later in the month. It was so inspiring and uplifting sharing the stories of the Edwardian trailblazing women with younger generations. And political agitation is now more relevant than ever.

The Harlots were also in full swing this month, plying their trade for a group of private History Consultants and then in collaboration with the wonderful Foundling Museum for our monthly walk. Hex and the City was also, as always, magical.

Aside from tours, I have been squirrelling away this month on a couple of upcoming projects in collaboration with the beautiful Chelsea Physic Garden and Foundling Museum. More information about them will be coming, but it was so lovely to connect with public speaker, author and UK Drinks Expert Jane Peyton who runs the fantastic “School of Booze”. Jane is an absolute powerhouse, and her Gin expertise is going to pair very nicely with some of the Harlot adventures I am planning in collaboration with the Foundling Museum….watch this space! Photos below.

L-R -My Private Harlot Gang and my IWD Votes for Women! Gang...

What’s happening in April and Beyond?

Lots! If you’ve missed out thus far (or are just waiting for better weather!) below are the listings for my April public tours, click the links for more info and direct booking.

Public tours

10th April - Southwark Hysteries

17th April - Hex and the City

19th April - Votes for Women! Suffragettes at Bow Street and Beyond (includes museum entry)

25th April - Magic, Mystics and Martyrs

26th April - Harlots and Strumpets and Tarts, Oh My! (includes museum entry)

Aside from these, we’ve got no less than 5 private tours booked in this month: a mixture of corporate days out, birthdays and hen parties. We can often book you in last minute for a private tour if we’re free - so don’t hesitate to contact me and I will reply within 24 hours (but usually much faster). Last month I booked in a private tour with less than a week’s notice. If you want more info on private tours (and testimonials) have a look here.

Celebrate Beltane in style…

Looking further ahead, I couldn’t resist but include this…if you follow my social media you’ll have seen my post about it. But for those who haven’t, - on Friday 1st May I am running A special Beltane/May Day event at the Chelsea Physic Garden as part of their Folklore ReRooted theme. ‘Summer is a-coming in!’ is going to be a magical, interactive evening of plant folklore and seasonal ritual.

During this evening, yours truly will embody various guises, from the Spring Spirit of the Garden to the Winter Hag, to the Summer Goddess. I will be leading a guided tour of the Garden’s May blooms and introducing you to their fascinating historical use and folkloric traditions. I will be performing a symbolic ‘handing over’ of the seasons drawing on myth and comedy, and inviting you all to take part in a singalong and Beltane ritual*. You get a warming glass of honey mead included, and there will be original artwork by me on display!

I am SO looking forward to this event and I can’t think of a better place to ring in the summer. If you fancy it, click the button below for more info.

*note: no human sacrifices will be taking place…!

Learn more

So that’s it for April so far…as always, thanks so much for subscribing, supporting and attending tours. I adore meeting you all and feel incredibly privileged to be doing this work and sharing women’s stories. I’ll be back in a couple of weeks with a Herstory, and who knows, possibly some other musings…

Happy Easter and enjoy the month x

Love,

Herstorical Tours® x