Belgravia, Victoria
The Peace Makers of Belgravia
2019 marked the centenary of the Paris Peace conference, a history defining event, to sort out the aftermath of the first world-war.
Richard’s walk in Belgravia visits historic residences and memorials of “peacemakers”, including those related to the Paris conference: men and women fighting to live in a stable, peaceful world. It features generals, princes, politicians, exiles and revolutionaries, and challenges a few long held truths.
We also take in the history of the grand stuccoed streets, squares and mews of one of the most exclusive areas in the country. And of course, we end the walk in a characterful and hopefully "peaceful" pub.
In The Shadows of Victoria Street
Victoria street is just a monotonous parade of gleaming steel and glass office blocks: a “window cleaners’ paradise”, right?… Not so!
The street and its immediate surrounding area is steeped in history. It contains heritage of former Victorian squalor, one of London’s great theatre buildings, perhaps our most neglected cathedral and possibly the grandest Georgian street in London. And more recently, it has been galvanized by extensive redevelopment.