Published on 2 June 2011
Connaught Village, Hyde Park’s retail quarter, is to host its very own Blue Badge Tours of the area’s historic sites on Wednesday 15 June, as part of the Village’s annual Summer Festival.
For the first time ever, an official tour guide from London’s Blue Badge Tours, Deborah Charles, has created a bespoke tour of Connaught Village and its beautiful surroundings, especially for the day. The tour will provide a whirlwind insight into Hyde Park’s unknown history, including information on the significance of many of the local buildings, its well-know residents – past and present, as well as revealing some of the area’s hidden gems.
Deborah, who has worked as a London Blue Badge Tourist Guide for the past eleven years, started out with a career in tourism which developed from her passion for London, and the capital’s rich history. Her speciality subjects include Westminster and the City of London, and she has a particular interest and knowledge of the capital’s museums, churches and Royal Palaces – and the royals who have lived within their walls!
“I am really excited to be a part of this year’s Connaught Village Festival, and I look forward to bringing a new dimension to the day. I have visited the area many times before and have created what I hope will be an interesting, bespoke tour of the Village and its surrounding area for visitors and residents to enjoy. It will be a great opportunity for people to find out a few unknown facts about the area, and uncover a side of the Village that they didn’t previously know existed."
The tours will form part of the annual Connaught Village Summer Festival, which will run from 2-30pm – 8pm on Wednesday 15 June. This year, it will be bigger and better than ever, with Connaught Street, Porchester Place and Kendal Street all closed to traffic for a day of fun-filled summer activity.
The Village will be host to fantastic entertainment for the whole family to enjoy, ranging from traditional Victorian fete stalls, to fairground rides, face painters, and giant games such as bowling, Connect 4 and Jenga, all of which will be located around the Village for lots of after-school enjoyment.
Connaught Village is also running an art competition with two local schools, Ravenstone Day Nursery, and Wetherby Preparatory School. The theme ‘my favourite summer outing’ will provide pupils with the inspiration to draw and paint their own creative interpretations. The chosen finalists from each year group will see their work displayed in an exhibition at 30/31 Kendal Street, allowing proud parents and visitors to admire the creativity and artistic talents of local pupils.
Also new this year is the Hyde Park Dog Show, run in association with Connaught Street’s Hyde Park Veterinary Centre. Residents and visitors are invited to enter their prized canine in one of the show’s five categories, to be in with a chance of winning the most coveted accolade of all – The Hound of Hyde Park. The show will be held at 4.30pm outside the vets on Connaught Street, with all proceeds going to the Mayhew animal rescue centre. Entry forms for the dog show can be found at the Hyde Park Veterinary Centre at 61-63 Connaught Street, closing date is Monday 9 May.
Blue Badge Tours will commence on the hour at 4pm, 5pm, 6pm and 7pm. Tours should meet Deborah at the Boris Bikes docking station on the corner of Porchester Place and Connaught Street, five minutes prior to a tour. All tours are free of charge.
For more information on the day’s activities visit: www.connaught-village.co.uk.
1 June 2011
ENDS
For more information, please contact:
Kelly Bradshaw/Jessica Hennis
Halogen
020 7087 3260