Here's what's going on in the world of The Intelligence Trail: updated regularly. Don't forget, you can also see what's going on at the official The Intelligence Trail page on Facebook, and following The_Intel_Trail on Twitter.
19/12/10 NEWS RELEASE: London Spy Tour Waits Until January
2011 To Give
Out
‘Presents’
With heavy
snow hitting the capital on
the last weekend before Christmas, it’s probably just as well
that London’s
in-depth spy tour, THE INTELLIGENCE TRAIL,
will be waiting until January 2011
to dish out its goodies. And the even better news is that it’s
they’re not only
for the festive period!
The New Year is set to bring in a number of changes to the acclaimed London walking tour.
These
include:-
-
More
midweek tours, including new special
interest tours focussing on key time
periods.
-
Content
rich blog site
-
‘Trail
Telegraph
– monthly newsletter
-
Charity
link-ups with leading
causes
....and
some fruity antics coming up in
February!
For Brian
Gray, Head of Marketing, the
developments are both timely and necessary.
“These
initiatives show a solid – and
continuous - commitment to making THE INTELLIGENCE TRAIL the leading
provider
of spy and espionage walking tours in London. The tour was launched in
2009,
and it’s time to unashamedly stake its claim as the best way to
learn about the
shadowy worlds of MI5 and MI6 in central London.”
As Christmas
fast approaches, Gray is
keen to send out his best wishes to those who have come on the
‘Trail, or
supported it.
“I hope
everyone has a great Christmas
and terrific start to 2011. And if the festive television is up to its
usual
lamentable standards, don’t despair. Stockpile the appropriate
Bond, Bourne, or
‘Spooks’ DVDs ready to be deployed at any given lull in the
TV schedules!”
ABOUT
THE INTELLIGENCE TRAIL
London's
in-depth intelligence and
espionage guided walk, provides walkers with the opportunity to learn
what has
really gone in the worlds of MI5 and MI6 in the last century.
There's sex,
violence, betrayal and
treachery aplenty as the adults-only tour takes walkers to key
locations where
intelligence decisions and operations were conducted from.
Whether it's
the cinematic exploits of
Bond, the fast-paced TV drama and suspense of Spooks, or the
atmospheric pages
of John Le Carre, the spy and espionage genre is an immensely popular
one.
Walkers
will discover:-
- The activities, consequences, and downfalls of some of Britian's worst spy traitors
......and if there's time.....
- Exploding milk churns! Poisoned chocolates! Hidden passageways!
Sexed-up dossiers! Sexed-up agents!
The Trail comes highly recommended even from the professionals themselves. Testimonials can be found on The Intelligence Trail website, and the guide Mr. X is armed with a BA (Hons) in International Relations, specialising in security affairs, as well as politics/economics lecturing experience.
06/12/10
NEWS RELEASE: London Spy Tour Customers Stay With The
‘Trail – After It’s
Over
Acclaimed
London walking tour THE
INTELLIGENCE TRAIL is keeping customers up to date with what’s
going on in the
spying and espionage world, as well as tour developments, with the
‘Trail
Telegraph – the new monthly email newsletter.
“After
an initial trial version was emailed
to previous customers and prospects in October, the feedback received
has
certainly made it worthwhile to go forward and officially launch the
newsletter
in January 2011,” said Brian Gray, Head of Marketing.
But rather
than merely consisting of
developments to the tour itself, the ‘Trail Telegraph will also
keep customers
and supporters informed of the latest news stories from around the
world as
well. And as Gray states, there’s no shortage of suitable
material.
“Russian
spy rings smashed in Georgia,
Russian spies in the US, a British MP’s assistant alleged to be
working for the
SVR, US activities in Scandinavia, and of course the current WikiLeaks
revelations. All reinforce the fact that the spying game is being
played
continuously around the world,” said Gray. “And whether
it’s the real-life events,
or the dramatised tales in cinemas or books, the genre is incredibly
captivating: people want to immerse themselves into this mysterious
world.”
The
‘Trail Telegraph is but one
communications channel open between the popular London walk and
customers, fans,
and supporters. An official fan site on Facebook acts as a hub for news
stories
and tour updates, receiving feedback and facilitating dialogue with
others.
Then there’s the soon-to-be launched blog, with even more
spook-related and
original content.
For tourism
companies like THE
INTELLIGENCE TRAIL, using online social media effectively is
invaluable. Gray
is wholeheartedly embracing it both as a means of raising awareness of
the
‘Trail among the plethora of other London walking tours, and to
encourage
dialogue and form relationships.
“One-way
communication between a
company and its customers or prospects is a thing of the past,
regardless of
the industry one is competing in. People want relationships, not just
transactions, especially when it’s something of great interest.
The newsletter,
Facebook fan page, Twitter, and the blog embrace this.”
Gray is quick
to acknowledge that the
area the tour focuses on – the shadowy, cloak-and-dagger world of
spying and
intelligence – is one that naturally lends itself to discussion.
“There’s
a constant stream of spy
movies watched by cinema goers around the world. Spy novels continue to
sell in
healthy numbers. All of this generates dialogue: whether it’s
debating in the
pub the best James Bond actor, or commenting on the very real events
taking
place around us.”
To receive future copies of the ‘Trail Telegraph, or to find out more about THE INTELLIGENCE TRAIL pages on Facebook and Twitter, visit the official website, www.intelligencetrail.co.uk for more information.
30/11/10 NEWS
RELEASE: London Spy Walk ‘Debriefs’ customers
London’s
in-depth spy walk, THE
INTELLIGENCE TRAIL, is taking a leaf out of the intelligence
services’ book,
inviting walkers to participate in their own ‘debriefings’
after completing the
popular London walking tour.
After each
tour, customers are asked to
complete a survey seeking feedback on key aspects of the ‘Trail.
Questionnaires
come with a stamped-addressed envelope for customers to post the survey
form
back (along with any other comments), in the days following their tour.
Brian Gray,
Head of Marketing for THE
INTELLIGENCE TRAIL, explained the rationale for introducing the
feedback
programme.
“Every
business needs to know what it’s
doing well, what customers value and what can be improved upon. London
walking
tours such as THE INTELLIGENCE TRAIL are no exception. It’s
sincerely hoped
that after customers have spent an afternoon or evening on the
‘Trail listening
to ‘Mr. X’, they’ll relish the opportunity for their
own thoughts and opinions
to be valued.”
Customers
shouldn't fear a ‘hostile
interrogation’ of their own, however. The survey is relatively
brief and will,
as Gray states, provide invaluable feedback.
“All
responses will be welcomed,
especially considering the range of initiatives and offerings that are
currently being considered for introduction in 2011.”
And despite
the recent cold weather,
the London spy walk has continued to lure espionage aficionados.
“We’re a hardy bunch, here in London,” said Gray. “The Cold War didn't stop because it got 'cold' so neither will THE INTELLIGENCE TRAIL. People wrap up: they wear sensible clothes, a hat over their head, and can have a hot drink in their hands from one of the coffee shops near the rendezvous point. This tends to keep Mother Nature at bay for the moment.”
23/11/10 NEWS
RELEASE: London Spy Tour Has Walkers Warmed for Cold War Intrigue
The colder
months are not putting off
walkers to THE INTELLIGENCE TRAIL, the acclaimed London spy walk.
THE
INTELLIGENCE TRAIL, London's
in-depth spy tour, continues to attract intrigue-lovers throughout the
last few
months of 2010 on its Sunday afternoon public tours.
The
critically acclaimed London spy
walk will be running until Sunday 19th December, then resuming in
mid-January
2011. And as Brian Gray, Head of Marketing comments, the spying game is
open
season, every season.
“Canny
customers on the walk are
already congregating at the tour rendezvous point armed with their
takeaway
cups from the nearby coffee shops, and wrapping up warmly. And of
course there’s
always a warm welcome from tour guide Mr.X.”
15/11/10
NEWS RELEASE: Spy Drama Ensures London Spy Tour Extension
Although the
current series of hit BBC1
spy drama 'Spooks' may have come to an end, there are still plenty of
opportunities for London espionage lovers to get to grips with the real
world
of spying and intelligence in the capital, courtesy of THE INTELLIGENCE TRAIL,
London's in-depth intelligence and espionage guided tour.
"The spy
genre is so popular among
fans of all ages, whether it be from watching 'Spooks' on TV, James
Bond
movies, or reading a gripping John le Carré novel. And this
fascination will be
around for as long as there are intelligence services conducting their
tasks
throughout the world. It is after all, the second oldest profession."
To this end, the popular London spy walk is running until the week before Christmas. The last Sunday afternoon public tour will be on the 19th December at 2pm.
28/07/10 New Booking Arrangements
To join The Intelligence Trail, advance booking is
essential. This can be done either by emailing info@intelligencetrail.co.uk
or by telephoning our booking line on +44 (0)1753
290 007 and leaving a voice mail. Please indicate your name,
contact
details, how
many people you want to book, and the date of the tour you want to
attend. Payment will be taken at the start of the tour - cash only and
please ensure you have the correct amount.
Bookings can be accepted up to 3 hours (11am) before the start time of the tour (2pm). Any questions? Email or leave a voice mail and we'll respond in double-quick time.
Please note that if there are no bookings made
for a particular tour, no tour will be run.
11/07/10 St. Ermin's Hotel Vouchers
Due to the St. Ermin's Hotel having been sold by NH Hoteles, the '2for1' drink voucher available to 'Trail customers is no longer available. The Intelligence Trail wishes to thank NH Hoteles for their kind offer over the last year or so. Whilst attempts at contacting the new owners have been made, there has been no response to date.
09/04/10 Summer 2010 'Trails: Key UpdatesPrices for the Summer 2010 season remain unchanged!.
…at £10 per person per walk or £8 for serving members of HM Armed Forces / Emergency Services personnel (on production of service ID).
Tour size limited to 30 people
Each 'Trail will be limited to 30 people, in order to ensure a pleasant experience for walkers. Walkers can focus on the guide and locations completely!
30/09/09 College & University Tours
It's the start of a new year in colleges and universities around the country. If you're studying international relations, politics, war studies etc., then why not come on the 'Trail? You'll get a real appreciation of the role that intelligence and espionage plays in the overall international political landscape.
Either come along to the public tours, or why not arrange private tours for staff and students alike? Also, as term has just started, it's a great opportunity to learn without being glued to your desk…yet! Get in touch if you'd like to discuss private tours in more detail.
The last few weeks have seen some private and group tours, with more scheduled for October. Whether it's a special birthday or anniversary gift (maybe even a surprise to be 'sprung' on the lucky person), an after-work party, or a college/university course tour, The Intelligence Trail offers something different to the usual evening out. Email info@intelligencetrail.co.uk now for further information!
Either come along to the public tours, or why not arrange private tours for staff and students alike? Also, as term has just started, it's a great opportunity to learn without being glued to your desk…yet! Get in touch if you'd like to discuss private tours in more detail.

