Hazel Anderson
HELLO AND A BIG WELCOME FROM HAZEL!!
It's fair to say as we will be spending an exciting week sharing each other's company, you will probably want to know a little about me......so here goes....
Born and educated in this North-East corner of Britain I am thrilled and delighted at being able to return to my roots and share this "Northumbria Trails " experience with you. My maternal grandfather introduced me to the "theatre" at the tender age of three years old. Unknowingly this act was to lead me eventually to a fabulous first career as a lecturer/teacher/presenter / adjudicator in the specialized field of "dance" and as an examiner for the Royal Society of Arts. I am still passionate about it to this day and never miss an opportunity to watch "Dance with the Stars" to see if I agree with the panel of judges!
The millennium saw me emigrate to North America where I created and established a thriving Destination Wedding Planning company. I shared "special moments" with couples from all over the world, introducing them to the magnificent mountain scenery of my new homeland.
That is why I find it so exciting now, as I can offer in return an opportunity for my fellow North Americans, to share this rich historic backdrop of my original homeland. Of course anyone reading this who already lives in Britain and has never visited Northumbria before...the time is now! Contact me!..You will love it!
I consider myself very lucky to have friends and associates either side of the "pond" embracing both British and North American cultures. I love my two cats, two grown up daughters and husband (perhaps not in that order)!!!
I really look forward to hearing from you and allowing me to tell you more about "Northumbria Trails ".
Let us share it with you..... and together we will" Follow the Ancient echoes of the Secret Kingdom"
Lindsey Wilkinson
Lindsey will be spending many hours accompanying you during your fabulous week with Northumbria Trails, so let me tell you a little bit about her:
Lindsey is a native to the North East of England and graduated from the Classics Department at University College London UK in "Ancient World Studies." Her interest in ancient history goes back as far as she can remember and she tells me as a teenager when all her friends were spending money on lipsticks and shoes, all she wanted to spend her money on was second hand-books with titles such as "Greek Mythology" and "Uncovering Ancient Civilizations." Consequently she has quite the collection now; and still not many lipsticks!!!
She has been married for almost five years and in her own words " lucky to experience North America for three of them". She worked for an international event company, where she organized and delivered scores of team building activities mainly to U.S.A companies and clients.
After being a student and surviving on beans on toast (the equivalent of North American Kraft dinner) for many years she raves about having discovered the delight of cooking with real, fresh and organic ingredients. Her favourite at the moment is butternut squash Ravioli (any recipes gratefully received).
Lindsey is lots of fun and just a fabulous addition with her enthusiasm and knowledge of her specialized subject. You are going to "love" her company and personality on our "Northumbria Trails" experience.
David Simpson
David is a historian, author of fourteen books, public speaker and sought after broadcaster for television and radio. He is also a wonderful warm and interesting man that I was delighted to meet on my recent visit to" Northumbria," so I was extremely thrilled that he agreed to be part of the team on our Northumbria Trails experience.
He has been praised by former Prime Minister Tony Blair, who made reference to his work when compiling his "Millennium Address to the Nation". David has also personally presented copies of his work to His Royal Highness the Prince of Wales.
His spare time is enjoyed with his small daughter and his other passion, photography.
Apparently in his youth he thought he was destined to be a famous drummer and toured with a band called the" Whisky Priests". Unfortunately that rock"n" roll path did not evolve but lucky for us we have him as a valued, interesting, amusing and knowledgeable historian whose company you will enjoy immensely!
Phil and Lin Smith
When I was researching to find a genealogist to join the team at "Northumbria Trails" all my searches uncannily kept coming back to Phil and Lin at Family History Tracers. Being many thousands of miles away from them at the time I decided to telephone them to see what response I would get.
Well the rest is history (pun intended).What a fabulous couple they are. Their enthusiasm is infectious and their stories are amazing. They even got back to me within 24 hours telling me which school I had attended and the years I had been there. Even more amazing they had worked out the company that I founded in Canada by researching a feature article in a magazine. They knew nothing about me other than my name!! Wow, that was an eye opener, how did they do that??
I can do no more than repeat in their own words ......." We look forward to meeting you and hope we can share our huge enthusiasm for genealogy because it would be wonderful if we could help you preserve your past for your future."
Regardless of how much you desire to explore more of your family tree or history you will enjoy the company of Phil and Lin during your "Northumbria Trails" experience.
James Rootham
James is my "King-Pin" and main cog in the wheel of our exciting week with "Northumbria Trails" as he will be transporting us to all the magnificent castles and fabulous sights we have in store for you. A veteran of transportation with world wide driving experience, I was lucky to have the "stars aligned" and "collided" with James at just the right time!
A true "Northumbrian" and a gentleman in every sense of the word, James is a vital member of the team with extensive local knowledge gained over a life time of living in the area.
James has two daughters and a granddaughter who willingly take up his time when not working. He is a true delight and it is our privilege to have him "on board".