Back-Roads Touring Co guide companions

Introducing a few of our highly-talented guide/companions.
These are the 'guys and gals' who will ensure that you have a memorable holiday (notice how many are a little camera shy!)
Guides: A to L / M to Z

	DAVID AMBROSE David 'enjoyed' a career as a tax advisor / lawyer and an accountant before taking early retirement to indulge his hobbies of travelling, discovering history and meeting people. Amonsgt his many interests is working for charities (he was the treasurer of Westminster Cathedral for many years) and spending time with his grandkids. David lives with his wife in Princes Risborough, Buckinghamshire.
	SIMON BALDON Simon's past includes being a hotelier (in fact we used to use his hotel as a Back-Roads accommodation) and involvement in various countryside related projects and interest groups. He lives in Comway, Snowdonia, and loves taking people around Wales.
	MARK BANNING Mark is looking forward to his first year with Back-Roads, after a career in the Hospitality industry. Mark’s passion is history, particularly the battlefields of the Western Front. Over the last 20 years Mark has undertaken research into the stories of the men involved in WW1 and given presentations to groups of knowledgeable enthusiasts. Mark believes these personal stories make the wider context of the conflict accessible for many people and conducts research for people wanting to find out more about the role of their relatives.
	TOM BEGG Tom is married to Wilma, a business lecturer, and they have three children. Vivienne, the eldest, lives in Luxembourg. The elder boy, Douglas is a design engineer and Andrew, the youngest, is still at university. Tom is a Scot. He is now winding down from a senior management career in a number of industries as well as having his own business. His home has been in Scotland, England and Wales at different times in his life. Tom has travelled widely in Western Europe. Tom is new to driver guiding but is keen to get deeply involved and do the best for each client. His spare time interests include sailing, photography and history.
	JUNE BOUTELOUPT
	DAVID BROOKMAN David recently retired from the hurly-burly of his own refurbishment company to spend more time, firstly with his wife, three married children and four grandchildren and secondly with his hobby’s of history, archaeology, ornithology, gardening, steam engines, pub quiz’s etc (in fact just about everything). He has always worked for the community often through his membership of Round Table and Rotary where he achieved high office. All of these have led to his undoubted enthusiasm for the Back-Roads philosophy and his broad range of knowledge.
	DAVID BROWN David lives near the beautiful city of Bath with his wife, Heather. Having come to the city to study at Bath University in the early 1980’s he now runs his own tour business specialising in the surrounding area and the wild and beautiful landscapes of Wales and is training as a driving instructor! A newcomer to Backroads David was attracted by their ambitions to show visitors more than just the ‘usual sites’. A fervent believer that the essence of a country lies off the beaten track David enjoys helping visitors to the UK explore its wonderful diversity.
	AMBROSE BROXWELL Ambrose joins backroads in 2008 after a 20 year + career in IT sales which he gave up when it stopped being anything like fun and his children had completed their education . He has spent extended periods in the USA, Europe, Middle East and South Africa and has traversed the length and breadth of the UK in his quest for happy clients. He aims to bring this experience to his new role in taking care of Back-Roads' clients out on the road. His family are Irish although he himself missed out on the brogue by contriving to be born in the Midlands of England shortly after they arrived in Birmingham. Now living in the South West, he spends his spare time pursuing his enthusiasm for English Literature and History and exploring by land and by sea aboard his boat 'Hurricane' and/or his trusty Suzuki motorcycle. Next year he plans to spend the winter sailing from Southern Turkey (where he has a second home) to India, and looks forward to returning with many a travellers tale to share.
	LUIS CARDOSO
	DAVID CAWLEY Manchester raised David turned Freelance Backroads Guide and Journalist three years ago and has since settled into a rural idyll beneath the witch finding and Quaker inspiring Pendle Hill and England’s second smallest Norman Keep. His face for radio has also paid dividends with the BBC continually extending its invitation to talk over the FM airwaves on all things travel related and his local station (Ribble Valley Media) giving him a weekly spot to make a complete and utter fool of himself.
	POLLY CHAPMAN Polly is another one of our guides who took early retirement from the teaching profession. She is married and a grandmother, her latest being born just in time to be a 21th century baby! Polly is an inveterate traveller and when not taking our guests around the British Isles, is off on her own travels. She's a lively, enthusiastic and caring individual.
	JAMES CHARLES James Charles is a sometime actor, presenter and manager who often works in the events business. He is also a trained English Butler, so you can expect very good personal service! When not taking tours around the Back Roads, he lives by the sea in Sussex and works on plans for his Italian guesthouse.
	BRUCE CHERRY Bruce founded Back-Roads Touring in 1986 while a Principal Lecturer at a London university. Prior to his academic career, Bruce's working life included jobs in international marketing, transport operations in exotic places such as South Africa, Manchester and Wigan. He ran an Overland Adventure company for a while and spent time as a freelance journalist. Married to a Brazilian, he spends as much time as he can in Latin America. Still in love with 'the road', Bruce takes out tours when he can and especially loves doing the London Beatles tour and Battlefield tours.
	PHIL COATES Phil qualified as a professional tourist guide in 2000 and has worked in many different sectors of the tourism industry. He is a member of the Institute of Tourist Guiding, Guild of Registered Tourist Guides and is current Vice Chair of the Wales Official Tourist Guides Association. He works throughout the UK and overseas promoting his home country of Wales. Besides travel, another major passion is sport. He is an enthusiastic golfer, regularly plays football and in the winter months is a qualified coach of his local junior football team. His young family of three boys ensure that life is never dull!
	JEFF CORMACK Cockney Jeff is one of our top London crew. Born and bred in the city, he knows it like "the back of me 'and". Taking a Sinister London tour with Jeff is really experiencing a drive back into history as one of Jeff's ancestors was the infamous 'Ma' Procter who sold tickets for the executions at Tyburn gallows! Jeff always seems to have a smile on his face. He say that it was reading people's claims duing his past career in insurance that put the smile there!
	JAY COOK Jay's background includes the ownership of a bookshop, inevitably making him a man of wide, eclectic knowledge. He, and his family, come from the eastern counties of England, in fact from a village not too far from where the great Admiral Nelson was raised. Jay is enthusiastic about almost everything he does and says that his greatest love is backroads touring, so he's in the perfect job! Jay is one of our Ireland experts and he's been with the company for ten seasons, and has recently introduced his son to the fold!
	JOE COOK Like father, like son? Joe is Jay's son and a recent addition to the Back-Roads team. Joe works on delivering London-based tours when not gainfully employed as an actor. His recent theatrical experience includes 'doing' Shakespeare in Poland!
	DAVID CRAIG David is a very recent retiree from the British Army where he achieved the rank of Major. David's military career took him across globe to many a hot spot, including the Gulf. Although a distinguished career soldier, he also undertook a number of civvy street commissions in between army stints.
	ALEC CUTHBERTSON A Scot from the lowlands below Glasgow, Alec enjoys showing off both his country and also leading walking tours through Spain during the European winter months. He' s a well-travelled man who uses his spare time to further his own travel ambitions.
	BOB DARBY Bob is another of our retired military men, and another who reached the rank of Major. Bob served with distinction in the Parachute Regiment and his service included an active involvement in the Falkland War. Since retiring from the Army he has been in financial services and leading military tours around the world. Bob is a member of the Guild of Battlefield Guides.
	RAE DAVIES Rae trained as a teacher in Liverpool at the height of the “Mersey Sound“ in the sixties. Born in the sprawling mining village of Rhosllanerchrugog in North Wales, once the largest village in Wales, he now lives in the small, but perfectly formed Cheshire town of Sandbach. He has travelled extensively over the past ten years and is a keen photographer. When time permits, enjoys the occasional round of golf. His passion, apart from his family - he has a son, daughter and son-in-law and grandson - is choral singing. He currently sings in a local chamber choir and was once a member of the world famous (his words) Rhos Orpheus Male Voice Choir. Oh, and he supports Wrexham football club; ‘well someone has to'.
	NORA DE BIEVRE Born and raised in Belgium. Graduated from University of Ghent. Left Belgium for a job as tour coordinator in Hawaii. Other jobs from a previous life: editor, HR assistant, executive secretary, substitute teacher and caddiemaster. Past decade spent making a career out of moving between 3 continents. returned to Europe this year and decided to return to the travel industry. I still love visiting places, but don't want to take the whole house along anymore!
	GEORGE FORREST George lives in Oxford, the city of the 'dreaming spires', where he took his degree 'many, many years ago..'. George works as a management and computer consultant when not enjoying showing our guests around the 'Heart of England'. George's other passion is a charity he's involved in bringing low cost cooking power to the Third World in the form of revolutionary waste burners.
	AXEL GOLDSCHMIDT Axel is our longest serving team member, having been with the company virtually since its foundation out of a local London university in 1987. Axel is by nature and profession a teacher and spent many years lecturing on Tourism related studies at a London university. What surprises a great many people when they meet this young-looking 6 foot, 5 inch blond-headed giant is that he's originally from the Frankfurt area of Germany. You'd never guess from his perfect English. Mind you, he's also perfect in French and several other European languages. Travelling with Axel is fun as he adds a unique European perspective to his tour commentaries. Axel's wife is from Seattle, lives in Brussels, and so he really is a world citizen!
	STEVE GRATTON
	JON HALPERIN Jon has been with the company since 2000 and, as well as being one of our London guides, has a parallel career in IT Sales, Marketing and Training. Jon particularly enjoys London day and evening tours as well as the occasional four-day trip to find some peace from his three boys. He tries to get to the gym to counter the hours spent in the driving seat.
	STEPHAN HEILBIG
	BARRY HENDRY Barry lives in Somerset within 20 miles of four of his childrens and two grandchildren. He began working life as a Mettalurgist at Manchester University and, after 10 years in research, went into Health and Safety Law, at first with the Government, and later as a consultant. Over the years he has lived in Manchester, Derbyshire, Birmingham, Northamptonshire, Suffolk and Somerset. His hobbies and interests are wide and include bellringing, golf, woodturning, reading, travel and 'Do it Yourself'. He has walked many of the 'Long Walks', including The Dales Way, The Pennie Way, The Coast to Coast and The Two Moors Way.
	MIKE HERON Mike lived in an Andalucian village for many year and brings to us a love of the great outdoors, having worked in conservation and led many activity holidays. He was also privileged to see the Sex Pistols, not once, but twice, and has many an anecdote to relate on the London Rock tour.
	DEREK HOLLAND Born in England. Living in Wales. Career spent in teaching modern languages to students in UK. Latterly responsible for English language courses for students from eastern Europe. Now retired from full-time employment. Was formerly a qualified coach in rowing, skiing, squash and badminton. Still retain an interest in most sports (nowadays only passively, apart from the occasional leisurely round of golf). Main interest has always been travelling. Four out of five Continents visited. Only Antarctica left. Have spent much of the last 16 years restoring an old farmhouse in France which has improved my building skills. Am now unofficial handyman to family and neighbourhood. Married. Two sons. Proud grandfather.
	STUART HOUGHTON Stuart combines working his day-off from British Airways with running day and evening tours in London and an annual tour of Scotland. He also divides his time between London and Glasgow. Divided loyalties all round you might think! But Stuart successfully manages to juggle all the varied aspects of his life.
	TONY JENKINS Dr Tony Jenkins lives in Cambridge and his doctorate is in chemistry. Inevitably, he spent his main acareer years as a research chemist. He likes to keep himself busy when not guiding and gets involved with many community and local projects.
	NEIL LAMBERT Neil spent most of his career teaching before taking early retirement as a lecturer at one of London's colleges. His wife is still a university lecturer. Neil's knowledge of London verges on the incredible and it's not surprising to find that he has graduated from one of the local tour guide courses. He has also spent 'a good thirty years' using his long, summer academic holidays to explore Britain and mainland Europe, specially France. Now, given even half a chance, he's off to exotic spots like South East Asia and Latin America , still with just a backpack!
	DAMON LANE Damon is one of our relatively younger team members (stil in his 30s), though he's been with us for nine years. With four kids under six he can't do too many extended tours but you'll bump into him on our evening tours, as one of our London Rock Legends guides, on day tours, and at the airport. In a previous existence, Damon was an insurance fraud investigator. He can certainly add a few tales to our 'Sinister London' tour script!
	PAT LAWRENCE 'Policeman' Pat spent many years with the Hong Kong police from which he retired as a Superintendent. Pat is married to a lass originally from HK who now works with British Airways. Together they enjoy travel, golf and Chelsea Football Club! Pat is our 'Beatle ' tour expert but also enjoys the four-day tours.
	DOUGLAS LEITH Doug was born and brought up on the far north coast of Scotland, not far from John O'Groats.His day job in engineering and technology has taken him to many locations all around the world, but he still maintains that you can have the most rewarding and inspirational holiday in the back roads of Scotland. He has particular interests in the natural history and the social history of the places he will take you to, but is always keen to uncover something new.
	JAMES LONG James lives in Surrey, just outside Dorking, and has run his own corporate training company for the past nine years. He is passionate about classic cars having owned many over the past thirty years and also pop music, playing in ‘Blues’ band in his spare time. James speaks his own version of French which operates quite well most of the time! He has travelled and lived in many parts of the world and enjoys sharing the experience of people making their own discoveries.
	BRYAN LOVE Bryan Love is one of our France experts although by birth a Portsmouth man with a long history of work in Secondary and Further Education in Devon, where he was principal of a college. He spends half his time in southern France and is also an enthusiast for the Catalonia region. Looking at Bryan's 'mug shot' you can see a resemblance to famous 'goon' Peter Sellers. He's got a similar sense of humour too!
	IAN LUCK 'Luck by name, luck by nature', is how our colleague from Darlington, Yorkshire, likes to introduce himself. Ian joined us in 2005 and settled in immediately delivering tours of Kent. He's an inveterate reader and lover of all things historical. His deepest love (other then for wife and two young children) is rock music! Ian has many stories of his time working with some of the music world's legends which you'll hear if taking our London Rock Legends and Beatle sites tour!