Anne Roberts

Profile updated 20/03/23

Regional Qualification(s):

Heart of England

Language(s):

English

Phone Number(s):

07763780631

Contact guide

Introduction:

Hi! I'm Anne Roberts and I'm honoured to be a Blue badge Tourist Guide for the fascinating Heart of England region.

I'm a proud Mancunian by birth and stayed in the North for my studies at the University of Sheffield in beautiful Yorkshire. Having spent a few years experiencing Life in the Fast Lane (I'm an Eagles fan) in London, I now live in lovely, leafy Leicestershire and appear to have become an honorary Midlander!

Before becoming a tourist guide, I had several different jobs ... selling ice creams on a beach in the South of France, Assistant Auditor in the Civil Service and teaching English as a Foreign Language, to name just a few! The major part of my working life, however, was as a secondary school teacher of Modern Foreign Languages ... mainly French but also German (in the early part of my career), Spanish (in the later part) and Italian, as a treat!

So what's so good about the Heart of England? Well, the name, to start with! It says exactly what it is: the beating heart of the country, where the roots of industry began to grow and spread, where decisive battles were fought, lost and won and where, in Stratford upon Avon, in the late 1500s to early1600s, the English language found a voice which still speaks to the world today ... William Shakespeare! Partner this with stunning landscapes, rushing rivers, chocolate box villages, historic towns and working cities, heritage foods, beers and cider - have I whet your appetite? Then come and explore with me!

I currently offer walking tours of Stratford-upon-Avon, Oxford, Leicester, Coventry, Birmingham and other towns and cities, as well as coach tours of wider areas within the region.

Literature, theatre, art and history are my particular interests. My passions include Shakespeare, Jane Austen and Agatha Christie - ask me about my Two Janes Tour! I’m also a BIG fan of Downton Abbey, Bridgerton and crime fiction, especially Morse, Lewis, Endeavour. Come on a tour with me: I’d love to show you around some of the film locations used in those tv series!

Personal Interests:

Coach tours, especially extended tours
Architecture: churches, cathedrals, public buildings, castles and palaces
Theatre
Shakespeare and Stratford upon Avon
Richard 3rd, Leicester and the Battle of Bosworth!
The Plantagenets and the Tudors
Language and literature: there, their, they’re and other aspects of grammatical complexity
Walking Tours, especially of Leicester, Birmingham, Stratford upon Avon and Oxford
Agatha Christie
Jane Austen
Crime authors and fictional detectives
Multiculturalism

Special Interests:

Art/Paintings & Sculpture

Especially the Pre-Raphaelites and Renaissance
Sculpture
Prize-winner for Guiding in a Gallery 2019

Castles & Palaces

Kenilworth Castle
Warwick Castle
Sudeley Castle
Stokesay Castle
Ludlow Castle
Oxford Castle
Tamworth Castle
Ashby de la Zouch Castle
Kirby Muxloe Castle
Blenheim Palace - a personal favourite with everything you could wish for from a British stately home: history, art, etiquette, gardens and views. Let me give you the background and tell you about the magic!

Decorative Arts/Arts & Crafts

Stained glass
Arts and Crafts houses and furniture

Galleries

Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery - prize-winner 2019

Gardens

Hidcote
Blenheim
Wightwick Manor

Ghosts, Murders & Mysteries

Agatha Christie
Ian Rankin
Kate Atkinson

Museums

Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery
Leicester Museum and Art Gallery

Regional Tours

Stratford upon Avon, Warwick, Kenilworth and Royal Leamington Spa

Birmingham and West Midlands

Leicester, Nottingham, Derby and the East Midlands

Religion

Churches and Cathedrals

Christianity

Roman Catholicism

Royalty

Royal Warwick, The Royal Weekend Party 1898

Sports & Pastimes

Football stadia

Cricket

Rugby

Stately Homes & Country Houses

Blenheim Palace

Baddesley Clinton, a moated Tudor Manor House

Packwood House

Art at the National Trust including Upton House

Theatre

Stratford, Royal Shakespeare Theatre, The Swan, The Other Place, The Playhouse

Lichfield

Walking Tours

Stratford upon Avon

Oxford

Cotswold towns and villages

Birmingham
Leicester
Coventry

Literature

Jane Austen is my favourite author of non-contemporary fiction. I’ve been besotted with her since childhood! Find out about her links with the Midlands with me!
The characters of Agatha Christie, especially Miss Marple, are well-drawn and intriguing. I’ve been researching them in minute detail and can confirm that they are brilliant in every way. Come and investigate further with me!

Education

As a teacher with many years experience, I have a great breadth of knowledge about this - and a passion for it, too!

Endorsements:

Virtual Tours

Driver Guide:

No