Interview
When it comes to modern-day chroniclers of London’s past no one does it better than Jack Chesher. His Instagram account, @LondonLivingHistory captivates over half a million followers with bite-sized journeys into the capital’s hidden corners, from architectural gems to the eccentric characters who shape its streets.
A Golden Key Academy graduate turned digital flâneur, Jack has reinvented the tour guide for both online and offline audiences, taking Londoners and visitors beyond the usual postcard landmarks and into the city’s streets. This year, he’s hosting an exclusive walking tour for the Open House Festival in partnership with Airbnb Experiences .
Here, Jack reveals how in the quiet, locked-down streets of the pandemic he found his voice as a storyteller and transformed his passion into a rewarding solo career.
After a few years working in hospitality in Bristol, I moved to London during the pandemic. Exploring the city became my escape, and I started documenting it on a blog and Instagram. A year in, people began asking if I’d run walking tours. It grew from there and now it’s my full-time career.
I enrolled on Open City’s Golden Key Academy course, which helped me shape my tours and build confidence speaking to groups. Within months, I left my job to focus on guiding full-time. Since then, I’ve written two books, kept up my blog and continued sharing videos on Instagram.
Lots of people come to my tours who have lived in London their whole life but they tell me they've learnt more in two hours with me than in years of exploring on their own. Sightseeing has its benefits but walking with a guide gives you something more - a local perspective, insider stories, even access to places you might not discover by yourself. You hear stories from a local voice, uncover details you might otherwise miss and make the most of your time. It’s the same reason people love Airbnb Experiences , they let you see the real side of a place through the people who know it best.
You hear stories from a local voice, uncover details you might otherwise miss and make the most of your time.
It’s always nice to get reviews saying ‘I've lived or worked in the city for 30 years but pretty much everything you pointed out was new to me.’ I love that going on a tour gives them a new-found appreciation for London. The more we understand the city and its stories, the more we fall in love with it and the more we care about it.
It’s been really fulfilling. I love having creative ownership, building my own audience and being able to design experiences the way I want. It’s hard work, but hugely motivating.
A real mix. Londoners, repeat visitors who’ve done all eight of my tours, solo travellers, families. Tours are easy to adapt, so everyone can enjoy them.
There’s no better way to get under the skin of a city. A good tour is about stories, connecting with others and seeing the city from a different perspective. Sometimes literally – giving you access to spaces you wouldn’t normally enter and sometimes metaphorically – opening up stories you’d never discover alone. It’s a unique way to connect with a place and with other people. If you haven't been on a walking tour before you should definitely go on one!
London is so vast that you can often stay in a bubble in your own area. You start to think of other places as being closed off, exclusive and not part of your city which is why Open House is so important. On the surface it seems like a festival about architecture but it’s actually about community, connecting people though the built environment. It’s amazing because it’s free and you can visit places you might not otherwise go to.
I remember my first one. I’d just moved to London and I walked past Two Temple Place which is neo-gothic mansion off the Embankment. I had half an hour spare so I popped in. It blew my mind and made me realise that I was only on the brink of exploring the city. It inspired me to want to go out and discover more and ultimately that visit changed my life.
Images by: Anna-Rose Chesney