Nick Wilson

We got a few hours rest at the Gatwick Airport Hilton and then were joined by our guide for the weekend, the fabulous Nick Wilson.

By Day

Since we had such precious little time for our first visit to London, I had a list of several "must things" to do including a trip across the Tower Bridge, at least a drive by the London Tower, a brief visit to Westminster Abbey and St. Paul's Cathedral, a swing by London's Heathrow Airport (I'm an airplane nut, you know), lunch at a traditional fish and chips place, a Mai Tai at Trader Vic's, and dinner at Simpsons-In-The-Strand. Toward the end of this very busy day my wife and I were practically falling asleep in the car. Nick suggested that we visit Harrods and we said we'd "pass" because of the extreme fatigue and the fact that we were hitting the wall. But Nick insisted that we spend at least an hour there. He dropped us off at the front door and in we went. I'm so glad that Nick was so persistent in urging us to visit there.

This trip was in late November and the Christmas decorations were already up inside Harrods. That was one reason that Nick insisted that we visit. What an amazing place!
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And tour guide Nick Wilson, wherever you are in the world right now, thank you for practically forcing us to visit Harrods on our first London trip!

His name was Nick Wilson and he was tremendous. We used him a second time in London and I can't recommend him highly enough.

Before leaving the U.S. I told Nick that I wanted to do and see the following things:
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Right on schedule, our tour guide, Nick, banged on our door promptly at 12noon and off we went. Nick is extremely knowledgeable about London and he was a joy to be with.

First we toured the parks of London and then he suggested that we head to Richmond Hill for our requested fish and chips lunch.
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Nick, however, insisted that he drop us off for a half hour at the world famous Harrods Department Store and I'm glad he insisted. It was great. They already had the Christmas decorations up and everything was beautiful. We go back now every time we're in London.

Earlier in the day, too, Nick made sure we did the other things on the list -- driving by Buckingham Palace, driving by Number Ten Downing Street, and crossing the Tower Bridge. And the whole time Nick was belting out very interesting historical facts about his favorite city in the world.
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The London outlet is located in the basement of the Park Lane Hilton Hotel and Nick waited in the parking lot while we dashed downstairs and enjoyed a Mai Tai cocktail and an order of our favorite appetizer there -- Crab Rangoon. Then Nick whisked us off to Simpsons in the Strand for a good, old fashioned British roast beef dinner. He begged us to change our plans and try his favorite British place instead, Rules. Nick was right. In subsequent trips we have dined at Rules and it's now our favorite restaurant in London. Rules web site here. Our review here.

Nick dropped us off at Simpsons and went home for the night but not before giving us directions on where to hail a famous London Black Cab for the trip back to the Dorchester. Also, we made arrangements for Nick to meet us in the Lobby of the hotel the following morning, Sunday, at 6:30am.
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Nick was there waiting for us with a big grin on his face and pointed outside. It had snowed a little more than 5 inches, something very rare for London in November!

We checked out and Nick said getting around might be a little tricky. He said we might have to cut out sightseeing short in order to get to the airport on time due to the snow.
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Cindy went inside to snap some pictures and I just stayed in the car with Nick. I think it was at this point I realized fully that we were in London. The rest had been a blur!

Nick dropped us off at Gatwick Airport around 9:15am and we were up and heading over the Atlantic by 11am.

I made contact with a delightful tour guide named Nick Wilson in London and secretly plotted and planned our trip with him. Among my requests was a traditional, quintessential British restaurant. Having checked with some friends I asked Nick to book us a reservation Saturday night at Simpsons-in-the-Strand in their Grand Devan room. Nick obliged although since we only had one dinner opportunity he lobbied heavily that we switch plans and dine at his favorite restaurant in London -- Rules. We stuck with our guns and dined at Simpsons although on subsequent trips, Nick talked us into dining at Rules and he was right! It's the best spot in London, in our opinion.

His name is Nick Wilson and he works for an outfit called James & Company in London. We've used him twice and I can't tell you how wonderful he is. He is extremely knowledgeable, has a great sense of humor, knows London like the back of his hand and will custom tailor a game plan to meet your needs. He'll gladly even meet you at the airport. Is he cheap? Not necessarily. But when you consider what you'll save on taxi fares it's money well spent. Nick can be e-mailed at: nick@nwilson36.fsnet.co.uk. He can also custom tailor trips to the continent.