Barry Houlston
Regional Qualification(s):
London
Language(s):
English
Phone Number(s):
0208 943 2512, 07808649995
Contact guide
Introduction:
I am a Londoner,and have an intimate knowledge of the City, able to reveal places that only someone working and living here knows. My outlook is friendly, sympathetic, flexible, energetic. I am a talker and keen to tailor a tour to your specific requirements. Although born in London,I grew up in one of the rural "home counties", and am a "child of the 1960's seeing first hand the London fashion and pop culture of the Beatles and Rolling Stones, in the baby boomer era following WW2. As a university well educated tour guide, my objective is to ensure visitors are entertained and informed and time spent here is maximised in wonderful Britain. This applies to all ages and nationalities.
London is a world class city with vast choice of what to do. It can be overwhelming. London museums, famous people and places past and present, theatres, shops, architecture, historic sites running into hundreds and thousands to suit every taste."World Class" national museums and historic sites.
Let me help sift through choices and plan a tour or visit to suit you. I have a wealth of practical detail to impart and can steer you around the transport system of London and elsewhere in the Country
I have expert experience, particularly property, architecture,business and part of the changing London Skyline since the 1970's. I have a passion for Britain's villages both rural and urban. The countryside landscape/townscapes outside of our main city and know historic towns, gardens, stately homes and palaces, castles and palaces to visit.
I have detailed familiarity with sites such as The Tower of London, Windsor Castle, Westminster Abbey, St Paul's Cathedral, The National Gallery, Tate Britain, and out of town locations such as Stonehenge, Salisbury, Canterbury, Stratford upon Avon ( Shakespeare), Bath, Oxford, Cotswolds
Personal Interests:
| Sport |
| Literature |
| Art and Architecture |
| History |
| Business and Economics |
| Property + Urban Landscape |
| Museums |
| Politics |
| Castles, Palaces,Cathedrals |
| Royalty |
| Pubs |
| Docklands + Canary Wharf |
| World War Two WW2 |
Special Interests:
| Architecture | A property expert, I have in depth knowledge of architecture old & new and the "urban realm". Let me walk you through London and explain historical and modern architecture when and why it was built and current architectural and construction activity |
| Churches & Cathedrals | London and England has a wonderful heritage. Westminster Abbey and St Pauls are the jewels in the London Crown and it would be a delight to walk you through these buildings explaining the history and architecture of these wonderful buildings. There are also said to be 16,000 village and parish churches throughout the land most of which are very ancient indeed |
| Castles & Palaces | England has many. Tower of London, Hampton Court and Windsor Castle are magnificent. I can take you on tours. There are others too numerous to mention in all, but those I know well are Leeds, Dover, Warwick, Hever, Arundel, Bleinheim, Kenilworth, Bodium, Rochester, St. James, Kensington, Blenheim |
| Walking Tours | I am an experienced walking guide. This is a great way to see London. There are walks in the City or the central city areas to show you glimpses of Roman, Middle Age, Georgian, Victorian, or Modern London. There are other walks off the beaten track, including Islington, Clerkenwell, Richmond, Windsor all with wonderful hidden gems that the average visitor is unlikely to see. |
| London Areas in Depth | Islington, Clerkenwell, Richmond, Windsor, The City, West End, Bloomsbury, Chelsea and Kensington,Docklands. Let me take you on a walking tour so that you get a feel for the local unique architecture, history and evolution |
| Galleries | London offers British and Western Art in many galleries both modern and traditional, with some of the world famous works of art in the National Gallery, Tate Gallery, Wallace Collection, Courtauld Gallery |
| History & Prehistory | There are fascinating sites outside of London including |
| Shopping | Should you need a guide to take you to the plethora of venues I am available. London is shopping heaven |
| Sports & Pastimes | London and England home of cricket, football, tennis and Rugby. Yes it is sporting heaven. We have Wimbledon, Lords and The Oval. Arsenal, Tottenham, Chelsea and West Ham, a few Premiership teams that call London home! |
| Museums | There are hundreds to suit every taste. Let me sift through these and to find something that suits you. The British Museum with 8-10 million artefacts alone and one of the most popular museums on the planet |
| Royalty | London is Home to one of the world's oldest royal families with a history dating back to 1066 and earlier. The palaces they call home are waiting to be explored, including Her Majesty the Queen. I have a particular knowledge of the Tudor dynasty and its architecture |
| Military | I take tours of central London to explain events in London during World War 11. This includes Churchill War Rooms. These can be tailored for specific groups including American, Canadian, and other nationalities |
Endorsements:
Windsor & Eton, Virtual Tours
Additional Qualifications:
Member of the Institute of Tourist Guiding, Fellow of the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors, Bsc. Econ. B.Sc. Estate Man
Driver Guide:
No
