“New Chapters, Old Streets: Why I Became a Tour Guide in Retirement”

I’d like to share my story as it may resonate with others coming up to retirement.

My name is Kathleen Lucey and I am a City of Westminster tour guide.

In early 2022 I was nervous about upcoming retirement.  I’d worked all my adult life, half of it overseas, and while I played tennis and golf which could fill my free time, I was apprehensive about not using my brain on a regular basis. I was inspired by my former boss, Lord Ezra of Horsham, who’d had several retirement parties but had continued to work until well into his 90s. I was also worried about social contact as I am single, and was returning to London from Brussels, from a 7-year stint as a European civil servant. I would therefore be leaving behind my former colleagues. I needed to find a new direction and a new cohort of friends.

I was lucky enough to be born in London, and recall fondly how as a child I would play on the canons at the Tower of London, in the days before mass tourism. Or I’d run up the steps at the Monument, counting them carefully. So I was excited about coming back to live in this great city. Also I’d completed my degree later in life at the age of 50, at the World Heritage Site of Greenwich University.  I’d studied Humanities and really enjoyed it.

So I was delighted to find a taster course at City Lit on tour guiding, lasting six weeks. At the end of it I decided this was for me, and applied to London Heritage Training in May 2022, to take the course starting the following September.

The course is taught by the inspirational educator Dr Caroline Dunmore whose approach is very supportive. She has an advanced qualification in Positive Psychology.  In the 8 months the course lasted I met lots of people with similar interests to me – a love of history, London, and meeting new people – and a number have become close friends. The course helped me find my distinctive voice as a tour guide.  So now I give tours in London, and l love meeting new people from all around the world and sharing my knowledge of London.  I also get to meet new tour guides that are graduating from the course, as well as former cohorts, as Dr Dunmore runs a peer mentoring scheme.  So my social circle is always widening.

Being a London tour guide is remarkably well-suited to ex-teachers. You can work as little or as much as you like, it’s an ideal career. Many aspects of the role align naturally with the values and strengths developed for the teaching profession: discipline, public presence, historical knowledge, and a strong sense of purpose.

Tour guiding offers structure, purpose, and connection, all while showcasing the very best of London’s rich heritage.Beyond the professional satisfaction, the health and wellbeing benefits of tour guiding are considerable. The job keeps you mentally and physically active — walking daily, engaging with people, and continually learning. As Hippocrates succinctly said, “Walking is man’s best medicine.” Scientific studies now back this up, showing that physical movement combined with ongoing learning helps maintain youthful cognitive function — in fact, some research indicates the brain can remain up to 30 years younger through regular intellectual and social stimulation.

If any of your members are looking for part-time or even full-time work that keeps them active, connected, and intellectually engaged, I would strongly recommend considering this path.

For those interested in training to become a London tour guide the excellent part-time course is called “The Art of Tour Guiding”, run by Dr. Caroline Dunmore at London Heritage Training. The next course (which is affordable) begins this September, and expressions of interest are open now.