A London tour guide has revealed what visitors to the capital really think about the UK.
Will Hide has spent the last year working as a Blue Badge Tourist Guide in London.
Blue Badge Tourist Guides are the only external guides permitted to guide the major sites like St Paul’s Cathedral, Westminster Abbey, Tower of London and Windsor Castle.
Unlike the swaths of unregulated guides operating in the capital, becoming a Blue Badge Tourist Guide requires taking an intensive two-year training course and 12 exams.
‘Since I began showing visitors around the capital, I’ve discovered a great deal – not just about the city itself, but about holidaymakers’ habits, other guides, hotel staff, and, most importantly, where to find the best free loos,’ he told The Telegraph.
He added that guiding has taught him a lot about being patient. This means accounting for slow walkers, toilet breaks, or even a change of socks.
‘And a day’s schedule, I’ve realised, is largely dictated by bladders – you simply can never have too many loo stops,’ he said.
When most London natives think of tour guides, they likely think of large groups blocking pavements led by a megaphone-wielding leader.
A London tour guide has revealed what visitors to the capital really think about the UK (stock image)
Unlike the swaths of unregulated guides operating in the capital, becoming a Blue Badge Tourist Guide requires taking an intensive two-year training course and 12 exams
But according to Hide, these tour guides are a minority.
‘I’ve learned that most of my fellow guides are an impressive, encyclopedic bunch, endlessly generous with help and advice,’ he said.
Perhaps the most unsurprising of all his observations was that most of the guests are Americans.
Instead of the usual rhetoric around tourists from the US, Hide claimed they’re generally an ‘absolute joy’ to guide, even when jet-lagged and straight from Heathrow.
He added that many Americans comment on how clean central London is, but find it odd that locals talk about the weather so much.
When it comes to conversation, he said that the Royal Family inevitably dominates conversation with US visitors, but surprisingly, no one asks about Brexit.
According to the guide, there are plenty of amusing ‘must-see’ things that visitors are keen to catch a glimpse of, which would puzzle most Londoners.
‘Every teenager from Boston to San Diego wants a selfie with Instagram-famous chocolate-covered strawberries in Borough Market,’ he said.
Pictured: Viral chocolate covered strawberries in London’s Borough Market
But there is one item that, above all, Americans just can’t get enough of: Gregg’s sausage rolls.
It might be just as well, as at £1.65, they’re one of the most affordable lunchtime options in an otherwise very expensive city.
But Hide has proven that not everything in the city has to be eye-wateringly expensive.
He recommends taking the 24 bus to Hampstead Heath, known for its panoramic city views, which costs £1.75.
Kenwood House, with its art collection and gardens, is a major feature. The Hill Garden and Pergola are also a popular spot for photos