A walk with Sean — a guided poetic tour

Catherine Murphy previews a captivating tour in the City of London conducted by Derry man Sean Boyle

SEAN Boyle, a retired English teacher, is also an accredited London Blue Badge Tour Guide.

His next tour on Wednesday, July 27 is The Waste Land: a chance to follow in the footsteps of TS Eliot and his masterpiece in this the centenary year of the first publication of the poet’s best known works. The Waste Land is widely regarded as one of the most important poems of the 20th century and a central work of modernist poetry

The excursion covers about a mile of the Square Mile with a break for refreshments.

Tours are offered throughout the year covering a variety of themes: Jack the Ripper is a perennial favourite and Sean’s own theories are well-researched, fascinating and evolving.

A Christmas Carol is a tour which makes for an atmospheric night out in London.

Where people have a particular interest, Sean will devise a tour based around that – for example, historic Hampstead or St Albans. Anything with an Irish angle will, of course, be considered.

The size of groups averages 15, and everyone is welcome. Conducted at a leisurely pace, Sean encourages participation

Sean Boyle is a native of Lavey, which borders Maghera in south Derry, and was a lifelong friend of Seamus Heaney. They grew up on neighbouring farms and studied together at Queen’s and at teacher training college – flatmates at the time.

The tours are a great way to spend an afternoon – gentle exercise, sociability and fascinating facts. With Sean, every day is a school day but definitely not with the dry delivery some of us may remember.

To join Sean’s tours, contact him:

[email protected] or text 07939 251184

 

July 27: TS Eliot Waste Land

Meet 12 noon outside Blackfriars underground (Circle and District Line)

At time of going to press, rail workers are considering strike action on this date; check travel updates

 

August 6: Sean’s August tour is Poetry Please: Donne, Milton, Keats, Hood, Blake and more. A few English poets have had an association with the City. We will meet a selection of these and hear their works.

Meet 12 noon; outside St Pauls Underground Station (Central Line)