The Cloak and Dagger Tour

25/05/2025

17/04/2025

Merry Maundy Thursday!
This is the day before Good Friday celebrated by many religious groups, it is the day that marks the date of the last Supper, where Jesus and his disciples came together for the last time. While this is of course an important day to observe for the religious, and for those that aren’t it may also be a day that through tradition has been handed down as a good reason to get the family together for a nice dinner… just as long as there aren’t 13 of you…
Despite any personal differences or beliefs it is always a nice idea to bring people together, especially if it is about something that matters to everyone, and on the Subject of Maundy Thursday, let's talk about something that everyone really cares about… MONEY!!!

Getting money is always a joy, and what better way of getting money than when it is willingly handed out! Since Charles 2nd acceded the throne with establishment of the Constitutional Monarchy, to carry favour with his now re-subjugated populace, he enacted many new acts and policies that would prove popular with the general folk. One of these was the distributing of a ceremonial coin to symbolise the giving of alms for Maundy Thursday.
It spans from the act of Jesus washing the feet of his disciples, “As I have done unto you, so shall you do unto others”. In fact the Maundy service did not always involve the distribution of alms for the poor but was actually a pious and humanitarian act of humility to wash the feet of the poor. Monarchs and Bishops would be expected to commit this act of humility to show their reverence and Charity.
The first to hand out money in alms for Maundy rather than wash the poor, was King John in 1213, who first made the act of handing out money in dominations of 1p, 2p, 3p, and four pence, which are traditionally represented on the coins today, by the numerical face on each coin. He first did this at Rochester which in 2 years time would also be the very Castle to defy his authority as King leading to him being forced to Sign Magna Carta at Runnymede in 1215. Which very much like the symbolic nature of his Maundy Service, to regard the lowliest on equal footing, also failed to really establish regard towards the lowest classes. Superficially it was seen as a grand gesture, substantively it did very little for them… but that is a topic for another time.
Today the King will be handing out Maundy Money, during the Maundy Thursday Church service and if you are lucky enough to attend the service and are eligible, you can get one of those fancy coins… that aren’t legal tender.
On the other hand, you’re reading this, so probably aren’t eligible or attending the service, so as you are out and about the, make sure to give someone less fortunate than yourself a bit of help or leg up by giving them a few bob, as I assume you probably won’t wash their feet, not that they asked you to, or you could throw some Monopoly Money at them and say it’s traditional Maundy Money.

01/04/2025

We would like to start this post with an apology, and even more importantly that we have heard you! We have heard you, we have listened to what you the public have been saying, we thought that you had been trying to give us hints and subtle messages for awhile, but, we are ashamed to admit, we were oblivious to the signs. For everyone of you that has been left in shock, horrified, offended, disgusted and even those of you that have fainted or thrown up. We have heard you, we see you and we will do better!

From now on you will have access to your very own "Recovery Cub", so that when any part of our history tour gets too graphic, horrible or disgusting, you will be able to cuddle up with your fluffy pal, wrapped in a blanket so that you can both snuggle the Trauma away. 🥰

*Recovery cub is not a puppy it is a wolf, found from the dark wild ranges of The Apennines, discovered in the ruins of an old castle, built on the peaks of a cursed mountain top. The wolf cub was found subsisting on the remains of a local guide. While we may have disagreed with the method of leaving such a harsh review, Cary thought it was funny, and so "Acquired" said "Recovery Cub" to share with our wonderful groups. DO NOT PET! DO NOT LOOK DIRECTLY IN THE EYES! DO NOT APPROACH! IN FACT DO NOT GO ANYWHERE NEAR AS IT IS NOT ONLY A WILD ANIMAL BUT DOES HAVE A TASTE FOR HUMAN FLESH!

14/02/2025

08/02/2025

Happy Birthday to The Cloak and Dagger Tour

It has been an amazing year! I am so lucky to be working with such an amazing team of fantastic guides and actors bringing to life all of the horrible and disgusting history of London!

7 Years ago i started this company as a one off experiment and since then we have traumatised a lot of people with the gruesome reality of London's past, and the lives of ordinary people!
I feel so lucky to not only work with such a fantastic team, or start from such a great location as the , but above all to have the privilege of exploring all of the history and then showing it to you, the public! From the depths of my heart, thank you so much for journeying with us through all the history we explore, and I can't wait to reveal all of the amazing projects we will be releasing this year!

Thank you again for all of your support and thank you to my amazing team for working with me and being willing to dive into all of the sordid, disgusting, troubling and insane experience that is The Cloak and Dagger Tour!

Love to you all

Cary J. R. Galia

03/09/2024

If you're asking yourself what London attractions are entertaining, very interesting and in Southwark - the answer is of course The Cloak and Dagger Tour!

On The Cloak and Dagger Tour we take city walking to a whole new level. No other walks will immerse you in the horrible, gruesome and disgusting realities of the past and place you face to face with real life characters from the history you explore.

But that's exactly what we do!

And don't worry, we start and end at The George Inn, so you can grab yourself a drink of courage before and after the tour.

Don't miss out, get your tickets here: https://www.thecloakanddaggertour.com/tickets

Adult content: 14+

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
"Entertaining and very interesting. Learned a lot about old Southwark" - Ronn Smith (Facebook review)

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
“An amazing tour! Very interesting but brutal/disgusting history, the tour guides did such a good job. Very captivating, 2 and a half hours flew by! Best walking tour I've done. I highly recommend!” - Lauren Dempsey (Google)

https://www.google.com/search?q=the%20cloak%20and%20dagger%20tour%20google%20reviews =0x48760359d99e74f5:0x6cf23c05b543bd8d,1,,,,

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
“An experience to *die* for!” - Seb (TripAdvisor)

https://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/Attraction_Review-g186338-d12262181-Reviews-The_Cloak_and_Dagger_Tour-London_England.html

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
100% recommend!
“I loved this tour! The guide was telling the stories about the dark and gloomy parts of the life back then in a very fun and graphic way, which made it easier to imagine. 100% recommend!” - Billur_K, Nov 2021 (Viator)

https://www.viator.com/tours/London/The-Cloak-and-Dagger-Tour/d737-70118P1

02/09/2024

Ticked off all the main things to do in London already? Want to experience something more gritty than Palaces, Museums and Shopping? Maybe you just want something a bit different? Perhaps you’ve grown up in London, but never really got to grips with the history of the city?

It’s time to join The Cloak & Dagger Tour! The best walk near The George Inn. If you're in to horrible history that is.

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
"The best tour I ever had, so exciting. I have been wandering in Europe in the last 10 years, hundred of tours about history, but this is extremely unique." - Antonius (GetYourGuide)

https://www.getyourguide.co.uk/london-l57/london-the-cloak-dagger-tour-t533945/?ranking_uuid=a0648429-d845-4228-ad84-9ac9281be35f

Get your tickets here: https://www.thecloakanddaggertour.com/tickets

Adult content: 14+

01/09/2024

Something’s not quite right in Southwark, London. A dark shadow is lurking over the lives of people living there.

Dig below the surface of the history of this often forgotten part of London, and learn the horrible histories of the middle ages.

Join us on a terribly Immersive History Tour to really get to grips with everything from William the Conqueror through the Bishop of Wi******er to Pitt the Younger - with a focus on ordinary people living through these times.

If you're looking for things to do in London, The Cloak and Dagger Tour is a must do!

Raise your spirits at The George Inn before the tour!

Adult content: 14+

Get your tickets here: https://www.thecloakanddaggertour.com/

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
This tour was one of the funnest and most informative things we did in London. Our guide Mary was engaging and entertaining and clearly enjoyed leading our tour. Amongst innocuous information like why The Shard has its distinctive shape and why Southwark Cathedral is below the level of other streets, she shared about people who were p**s poor, a bit about pig husbandry and about how penalties were meted out for crimes alongside some other truly salacious facts that left our eyes wide with surprise. We have been telling everyone about it. Don’t miss it. It’s so good! - Lara Herring (Google)

https://www.google.com/search?q=the%20cloak%20and%20dagger%20tour%20google%20reviews =0x48760359d99e74f5:0x6cf23c05b543bd8d,1,,,,

31/08/2024

We love what we do! We love bringing the horror of the untold history of ordinary people to life! We love sharing the horrible histories of the measly middle ages and beyond with you, our guests!

Thank you to The George Inn for being our home of the tour - a dog friendly pub that houses a surprising amount of dark history

And thank you to each and everyone who braves all kinds of weather and events in London to join our walking tour and listen to our stories 🖤

Your beautiful reviews are what keep us going, and what gives us the opportunity to dive even further down into the murky waters of London’s history - research, learn, prepare - and share the history with as many people as possible.

Adult content: 14+

Get your tickets here: https://www.thecloakanddaggertour.com/

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Excellent & informative tour
"Really engaging tour with an excellent & very knowledgeable guide" - Maria_S (Viator)

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ A must do in London!
“Amazing experience! One of the best tours we have ever taken! The guide was EXTREMELY knowledgeable about the topics discussed and off topics as well. The tour is handled with a entertaining and hands on approach. The tour goes into the little known history of the everyday people. If you want run of the mill history you can find out anywhere this is NOT the tour for you (however you can ask more mainstream history questions and get loads of info from the guide) Well Recommended!” - Erica_D (Viator)

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ I would’ve done this twice!
“I learned so much about life as it was back then, & it completely transformed my perspective on London and the UK. The tour flew by for me, it was honest & eye-opening & you could tell our guide and his actor are passionate about history & all of the sordid but brutally true facts we must consider. We heard invaluable information and the light drizzle & cloudy weather just added to the delightfully morbid experience. Highly recommended by Becky & Tim!” - Rebecca Z (TripAdvisor)

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ “It was such a wonderfully interesting tour that was well researched with so much passion! It was informative and such a delight! Def not for squeamish” - Gesu Antonio Baez (Google)

https://www.viator.com/tours/London/The-Cloak-and-Dagger-Tour/d737-70118P1

https://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/Attraction_Review-g186338-d12262181-Reviews-The_Cloak_and_Dagger_Tour-London_England.html

https://www.google.com/search?q=the%20cloak%20and%20dagger%20tour%20google%20reviews =0x48760359d99e74f5:0x6cf23c05b543bd8d,1,,,,