The Virtual Getaway: Look Up London
An industrious and ingenious travel guide from London has come up with a bright idea to showcase the hidden story of her favorite city now that the British capital remains in lockdown.
As narrated by Insider, a British publication, Katie Wignall is the creator of Look Up London, a walking tour company and blog focused on sharing London's secret spots.
Before the lockdown, her typical day was spent guiding international visitors and Londoners throughout the city. She'd make stops at London's financial center where cultures clash and let visitors explore the street art in the city's West End.
Then all nonessential travel came to a halt.
The story on Insider says that on March 23, Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced that the country was facing a national emergency and that residents should stay home to help stop the spread of the coronavirus. The restrictions put a ban on gatherings of more than two people and closed all nonessential businesses.
She had the idea to shift her tours to Instagram. She enlisted her husband as a cameraman and set out on a walking tour through Tower Hill, where she took followers to a hidden garden tucked inside a public metro station.
After three livestreamed walking tours, Wignall decided to switch to doing all the outings from the confines of her home.
Other reads in The Virtual Getaway:
Using videos she's collected over the years, along with public photographs and Google Street View, Wignall takes her Instagram followers to new London destinations three times a week.
Wignall said she feels honored to provide people with a little escape during these challenging times.
