Guiding visitors around the north of England has to be the best job in the world! I began as a Blue Badge Tourist Guide guiding in London the year Her Majesty the Queen was celebrating her Silver Jubilee. It was a very exciting time and gave me a tremendous insight into our country’s story and the world of tourism.
Being a country girl at heart, I soon emigrated north to the Lake District in Cumbria to combine my love of walking with sharing the delights of this beautiful country near the Scottish Border with visitors from around the world. My job is incredibly varied and no two days are the same. Sometimes I find myself at the front of a coach guiding groups who are travelling through on a day tour, sometimes they may be touring the area for a week or more on an in-depth study tour. At other times I find myself with small groups walking through the countryside from village to village, stopping off at places of interest along the way or for a pub or a picnic lunch. Increasingly I find myself driving individuals, couples or families through Northern England in my Landrover Discovery. I particularly enjoy this as one can get off the beaten track to see the hidden gems and have a completely tailor made day out.
For several years I enjoyed putting study tours together for museum and Alumni groups. My aim was to enable visitors to see and experience the area, meeting locals along the way, and explore the essence and distinctiveness of the northern regions of England be it in Cumbria, Yorkshire or the North East - I’m lucky to be centrally located and so I am able to guide in all three areas. Using the contacts I have developed over the years I can create some interesting and unusual itineraries for my clients.
I am passionate about the rural landscapes of Britain and searching out the evidence of the story of man through history from pre-historic times to the present day is fascinating. Following in the footsteps of our literary and artistic greats such as the poet William Wordsworth, children’s author Beatrix Potter, the famous vet James Herriot, the artist JMW Turner is an added bonus to this outstanding part of Britain.
When I’m not guiding I love to walk at low and high level here in the Lake District. I also enjoy gardening, the performing arts, yoga and travel.
All in all guiding is a way of life and I love meeting people from all over the world and giving them a special time discovering the beauty of the north.
So I hope you will come and explore the north of England with me - on foot or by car.
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