City of London Historical Tour

We were blessed with beautiful weather last week for our members' Historical City of London Tour, led by Actor and City Guide Jenny Funnell.

Focused on the History of HERstory, we learnt about some incredible women and visited the locations associated with them.

At the Memorial to Heroic Self Sacrifice we heard stories of two of the many brave women memorialised there, and stepping into the St Vedast-alias-Foster Garden Jenny told us how one of the oldest objects in the City - a cuneiform tablet dating from the mid-800s BC - came to be displayed there having been gifted by Sir Max Mallowan, second husband of Agatha Christie.

We also stopped outside of the Worshipful Company of Information Technologists Hall to learn about Dame Stephanie Shirley CH. A German-born British information technology pioneer, businesswoman and philanthropist, Dame Stephanie was a Jewish refugee of the Second World War who came to England aged 5. She went on to found an all-woman software company that pioneered remote working and redefined the expectations and opportunities for working women at that time.

We learnt so much about so many fantastic women, and Jenny's excellent story-telling, knowledge, and genuine interest in the histories made for a thoroughly enjoyable tour.

Many thanks to Jenny! And also to Michael Rego for the excellent photographs of the tour.