At last, I can put aside a few moments to post something. Your man is rather busy at the moment. Leaving aside domestic stuff (my intimates will know about this), there are various plates spinning.

I'm pleased to report that the walks are coming along well. First of all, 'Venture Capital' (the walk looking at engineering ventures in the City) went well for both groups of summer school students last month, and it looks like there might be more take-up for that, so grazie mille volte to Marco Federighi at UCL for his help with this. Viv Schrager-Powell and I are pleased to announce the unveiling of our first collaboration at a financial walk, with more to follow. This one looks specifically at the story of organised finance in the City; the next, which is on the stocks, will look at trade.

I'm also looking for more ways to plug my adult education course based on guiding walks in Tower Hamlets. The East End doesn't have an organised guiding structure; various London guides have walks in the area, but a proper structure will allow guiding to develop, bringing out the stories of this rather ancient borough. The course (beginning in October) will comprise a five-week course which will feed the students, with walks and visits as well as stuff in class; this will be followed immediately by another five-week course which will be more practical, concentrating on the principles of guiding and how it works.

For details of the course and of my walks in general I can be contacted via charnowalks-bgn@yahoo.co.uk or tweeted on @Charnowalks - use the hash-tag #GuideLBTH if you're interested in the course.

Well, I must go now to carry on working on revisions to an item for the Literary London Society's journal: 'Ackroyd's Ghostly Heroines'.

TTFN,

Charno