A Tour Guide Of British nationality living in Berlin, Germany. I can speak English, German and my services include Tourist Attractions, Nightlife, Other.
My "Berlin through the Ages" walking tour covers all the historic sites and much more. My City West walking tour explores the centre of the former downtown West Berlin. I construct bespoke tours to meet the special interests of the client. I offer a discount price for educational establishments and charitable groups. For price details see my site pages.
About Me:
Prior to my retirement from employment with the Metropolitan Police civil staff I took, at my own expense, a Tour Management course with Worldwide Travel Training of Peterborough. I am a registered guide with Global Guides.
In the twelve years prior to retirement I visited Berlin up to six times per year. During this time I researched and eventually published my own combined History and guide to Berlin (see text sample). I have, since that time, revised the text and hope to re-publish during the next twelve months.
While in Berlin I have devised my own walking tours and accompanied visitors from abroad. These tours are bespoke according to the interests of the visitor.
Why did I choose to retire to Berlin ? Because it is absolutely fascinating!
Early life.
I was born in London but was brought up in South West England. After leaving school in Exeter I entered the Royal Navy. My first ship was H.M.N.Z.S. Taranaki a New Zealand frigate. Subsequently I served on H.M. Ships Hermes, Dartington, Adamant , Kent , Bossington, Juno, Manxman, and Zulu. My last position was NATO Naval Tape Relay Supervisor, Maritime Headquarters, R.A.F. Petreavie. Quite a mouthful. On completion of my engagement, after 12 years, I left the navy. By this time I was married and it seemed that I never got to see my wife. I took a job as stockroom Manager for Littlewoods in Stockton on Tees . I then, with two others sailed a 28' trimaran to South Africa . The intention was to sail the Clipper ship route to New Zealand but unfortunately the owner gave up the project in Cape Town . There I worked as a Third Mate on coasters and the Cape Town University research ship Thomas B. Davey. I returned to the U.K. immediately prior to my wife's death. I then took a course in computer operating at Sunderland Polytechnic thereafter working for various firms on Boroughs mainframe computers. In 1982 I joined the civil staff of the Metropolitan Police and remained with them for 24 years.
On my 60 th birthday I moved from London to Berlin .
So what do I find so fascinating about Berlin? A simple question but the answer isn't. One day I was in the Arsenal in Vienna. On the walls were huge paintings depicting the Thirty Years War. I thought to myself "we were in that but I know nothing about it". I resolved to find out more. During the 1960's at the height of the cold war there were films such as Funeral in Berlin, The Quiller Memorandum The Ipcress File, Billion Dollar Brain, The spy who came in from the cold. Since then there have been films such as Cabaret, and The Bourne Supremecy. There were the novels of authors like Len Deighton with his Bernard Sampson trilogioies (I feel a partucular affiliation with Bernard Sampson when he unexpectantly turns up in Berlin and makes his way to his old digs and landlady - she has kept everything just the same - I can easily imagine it) and John Le Carre (The Secret Pilgrim, Smileys' People, The Honourable Schoolboy, Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy) , The list goes on, and what's more that's before you ever set foot in the place. Of course this was all fiction. The reality affected my childhood and adolescence and then my Royal Navy service. I was still a baby when the Airlift took place. I remember Coronation Year very well. The coronation of course, the conquest of Everest by Hillary and Tensing and the death of Stalin. I used to think that starlings came from Russia .
I joined the navy at just before the Bay of Pigs debacle (1961). That same year the U.S. stationed nuclear tipped Thor missles in the UK and on the night of 12 th /13 th August the barbed wire that would very soon become the Berlin wall was strung into place. The following year brought the Cuban Missile crisis and in 1964 the North Vietnamese attacked the U.S. Navy in the Gulf of Tonkin precipitating the U.S. involvement in the Vietnam War. By this time ANZUS had been signed. As the U.S. had been attacked Australia and New Zealand were obliged to join in. As I served in the Communications branch I was very well aware of what was happening around the world – we nearly went to a Third World War on several occasions – and in the centre of it all was BERLIN .
My Experiences:
It's a people job. You can expect anything and never be surprised, talk about Martin Luther and they think you mean Martin Luther King. History goes in one ear and out the other. Geographic knowledge can be near non-existent. Have you ever been asked to find a prostitute for a client - I have!
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