In July 2014 I conducted a walk for a work team which had two leavers, both Chartered Accountants.  The aim was to fuse together a bit of light-hearted fun, taking in the premises of the accountancy firms they trained with, reviewing the history of the areas in which they and other colleagues once worked and to give a chance to show off some of the hidden passageways, alleys, courts and gardens of the City. 

All this whilst keeping everyone’s interest in the heat and allowing the chance of ice creams or gin and tonics as the group desired.  Plus the two leavers each had a personalised stop.  I’m pleased to say we had a thoroughly fun afternoon.  Here’s a preview of some of the things we discovered:

• Where the “Salisbury” comes from in Salisbury Square
• Where Dr Johnson lived and how he defined accountants
• How stealing three turkeys could get you a very long, involuntary trip abroad
• Postman’s Park (delightful place for an ice-cream stop)
• The wonderfully named Prudent Passage
• Chartered Accountants Hall – not the most exciting sounding, but one of the most extravagant of the City’s livery halls
• The Coffee Shops – as we all need a kick in the morning it’s fun to see how (and where) drinking diluted brown grit first took off in London.