Tour Leaders
Tour LeadersOur tour leaders are hand picked for their professional or personal experience, their personalities, and their passion. Their most important job is to provide pastoral care to ensure that their groups are well looked after. Tour leaders are an integral part of each tour, providing knowledge, insight and enthusiasm. They are interesting and accomplished people in their own right, and the sort of person you will enjoy sharing a drink with at the end of a busy day.
Dr George and Jan Beccaloni
Dr George Beccaloni is an entomologist/evolutionary biologist, museum curator and the Director of the Wallace Correspondence Project. George founded the Wallace Memorial Fund in 1999 and in 2002 he played a key role in helping acquire the world’s largest and most important collection of...
Jan Beccaloni
Jan Beccaloni is a museum curator specialising in spiders and their relatives and a respected natural historian. She is the Meetings Secretary of the British Arachnological Society, the former Secretary of the Wallace Memorial Fund and the author of the acclaimed book “Arachnids’. Jan is an...
Dr Peter Brinsden
Dr Peter Brinsden was born in Peking, China, and lived in China, the United States, Canada and Hong Kong. He qualified from St George's Hospital, London, in 1966 and joined the Royal Navy. He served as a Ships Medical Officer, before beginning training as a gynaecologist, gaining the MRCOG in 1976...
Bill and Helen Bynum
Bill Bynum is Professor Emeritus at University College London. A Yale graduate in medicine, he began his career in the history of medicine with a Cambridge PhD before moving to the Wellcome Institute for the History of Medicine. His 'History of Medicine: A Very Short Introduction' and 'A Little...
Dr Simon Chaplin
Dr Simon Chaplin is Director of Culture and Society at the Wellcome Trust in London. Prior to that he was Head of the Wellcome Library. He was formerly Director of Museums and Special Collections at The Royal College of Surgeons of England, where he managed the Hunterian Museum - an accredited...
Theresa Clasquin
Theresa Clasquin, RN, RM, MPHTM currently works as the Senior Maternity Advisor for the Northern Territory Health based in Darwin, NT. Theresa comes from a strong public health background that has enabled her to focus her career on addressing inequities in maternal and neonatal health outcomes...
Dr Campbell Costello BVSc
Campbell Costello, or “Cozzy” as he is more usually known, was born and raised on his family’s isolated beef cattle stations in the outback of North Queensland, Australia. Growing up on a few hundred thousand acres of bush with plenty of animals and not many people made choosing a career in...
Allison Cummins
Allison Cummins is a high-profile academic who is passionate about education and research. Allison is Associate Professor in Midwifery at the University of Newcastle; in her role as Lead in Midwifery she has implemented a new, innovative curriculum and increased the visibility of the profession of...
Professor Rosalie David
Professor Rosalie David OBE, BA, PhD, FRSA is a British Egyptologist, emeritus professor and Director of the KNH Centre for Biomedical Egyptology at the University of Manchester. The focus of her career has been the establishment of a new university specialisation – biomedical research within...
Michael Dooley
Michael Dooley is a Consultant Obstetrician and Gynaecologist and a Fellow of the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists. His special interest is in reproductive endocrinology. Michael was Director of Sports Science and Medicine for the British Equestrian Federation between 1994 and...
Professor Phillip Dowell
Professor Phillip Dowell is a specialist periodontist and past president of the British Society of Periodontology. He qualified at The London Hospital and after a number of hospital jobs, he entered general practice. Some years later, after working in the West Indies, he won an international...
Professor Harminder Dua
Harminder Singh Dua MBBS, DO, DO(London), MS, MNAMS, FRCS(Ed), FRCOphth., FRCP(Ed), FEBO, FRCOptom., MD, PhD is an Indian-British medical doctor and researcher. He is the chair and professor of ophthalmology at University of Nottingham and is the head of the Division of Ophthalmology and Visual...
Jo Durrant
Jo Durrant is the award winning presenter of “Jo Durrant’s Beautiful Universe”. This is an independent arts & science podcast which won the Sir Arthur Clarke award for Space Achievement in the Media category in June 2021. She’s a highly respected and accomplished interviewer and...
Kevin Esplin
Kevin Esplin has been a specialist in prosthodontics for many years. He trained at King’s College Hospital, London and then embarked on a two-year postgraduate program at the University of Connecticut, followed by a stint at the Eastman Dental Institute, London. For the past 35 years he has been...
Agustina Fitte
Agustina Fitte is originally from Buenos Aires in Argentina, where she received her degree at University of Buenos Aires. After graduation she started working at the Buenos Aires zoo and later on at Temaiken Animal Park, where she participated in the zoo design and translocation of African animals...
Carolyn Fry
Carolyn Fry is an author and journalist specialising in science, conservation, natural history and adventure travel. She has written and contributed to 11 books, covering botanical explorers, the origins of plant-based foods and climate science. Carolyn has won many awards for her work, including...
Dr Jo Grey
Dr Jo Grey is a specialist travel medicine practitioner. Her initial interest in things creepy-crawly, tropical and contagious developed whilst serving as the Regimental Medical Officer at 2nd Health Services Battalion, Gallipoli Barracks, Queensland caring for defence personnel deploying to...
Susan Hagan
Susan Hagan MIFPA MBTPA Cert ED. DipAy has been a tutor and practitioner of complementary therapies for 40 years. She was the International Chair of the International Federation of Professional Aromatherapists from 2002 to 2005 and sat on the Committee for National Occupational Standards for...
Kate Heffernan
Now semi-retired, Kate Heffernan's career in horticulture spans over 40 years. The last two decades have been spent in professional and volunteer roles with Gold Coast Regional Botanic Gardens (GCRBG) and as a consultant to other botanic gardens in Queensland and Victoria. Kate is a former Chair...
Katie Hickman
Katie Hickman is a British historian, novelist and travel writer. Her highly acclaimed history of British women in pre-Raj India was published in 2019. She is the author of nine other books, including two bestselling works of non-fiction: 'Daughters of Britannia', about the lives and times of...
Briony Hudson
Briony Hudson is a freelance pharmacy historian, lecturer and museum curator and is published widely. She is a past chair of London Museums of Health and Medicine and of the British Society for the History of Pharmacy. She is an accredited lecturer for The Arts Society, an honorary lecturer at the...
Dr Clare Hurle
Dr Clare Hurle is a GP Partner and Trainer at Cross Deep Surgery in Twickenham, where she has worked for over a decade.She graduated from Cambridge University with a degree in Natural Sciences and then the Wharton School, Philadelphia, USA with an MBA. Her first career was in business with...
Jason James
Jason James OBE is Director General of the Daiwa Anglo-Japanese Foundation. Having been fascinated by Japan on a choir tour at the age of 13, he chose to read Japanese Studies at King’s College, Cambridge, where he was a double scholar (academic and choral), graduating with a “starred first”...
Paul Johnson
Paul Johnson qualified in dentistry in Leeds in 1979 and medicine in Cambridge in 1984. He was appointed consultant in Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery at the Royal Surrey County Hospital. He lectures widely on maxillofacial and facial plastic surgery. In private practice he specialises in oral...
Sigfridur Inga Karlsdottir
Inga is a midwife and a nurse and works as a professor at the School of Health Sciences, University of Akureyri, Iceland. For more than 30 years Inga has had a variety of roles in midwifery practice, education, and research. She has a broad clinical experience, and have worked at labour wards, and...
Ruth King
Ruth King is the Nursing Director for Midwifery, Women’s and Children’s Services North West for the Tasmanian Health Services and the professional lead for the North West Maternity Services Transition Project. Prior to this, Ruth was engaged as a senior project officer for the Nursing and...
Michael Knight
A chartered engineer, fellow of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers and a member of the National Society for Professional Engineers in the USA, Michael spent the major part of his working life with an American chemical corporation. He was based in the USA for several years as a global project...
Professors Nicky Leap and Pat Brodie
For almost 40 years, Professor Nicky Leap has had a variety of roles in midwifery practice, education and research. She has published widely and is a frequent speaker at national and international conferences. Nicky is well known for her work supporting the development of midwifery models of care...
Christopher Liu
Professor Christopher Liu OBE is based in Brighton. Born in Hong Kong, Christopher came to England aged 15 to study before entering medical school in London. He is widely travelled and enjoys introducing western delegates to exotic cultures. He has led the Royal College of Ophthalmologists Study...
Janice Liverseidge
Janice Liverseidge was previously Director of Membership at The Royal Society of Medicine and is now a full time guide and in her spare time a trustee of both the Royal Medical Benevolent Fund and the London Handel Festival. Earlier in her career she worked for the British Medical Association. She...
Dr Paul Luckin
Dr Paul Luckin AM CStJ MB.BCh.(Rand.), D.A.(S.A.), F.F.A.(S.A.), M.MED.ANAESTHESIA (Natal), FANZCA is an anaesthetist in Brisbane. He started training in rescue as an ambulance paramedic in Tasmania before studying medicine in South Africa, where he spent 8 years in a Mountain Rescue Team. Paul...
Dr. Derek Mahony
Derek Mahony is a Sydney based orthodontist who has spoken to thousands of practitioners about the benefits of interceptive orthodontic treatment. Early in his career Dr Mahony learned from leading clinicians the dramatic effect functional appliance therapy can afford patients in orthodontic...
Lucy Malouf
Lucy Malouf is an award-winning food and travel writer with a particular interest in the Middle East and Eastern Mediterranean. She believes firmly that food is a delicious way of appreciating and understanding histories and cultures different from our own. Together with her first husband,...
Very Reverend Dr Richard Marsh
The Very Reverend Dr Richard Marsh has a long association with the Orthodox and Oriental Orthodox churches. He is the author of 'Black Angels: The Art and Spirituality of Ethiopia', 'Prayers from the Eas't and co-authored 'Millenium Challenges for Development and Faith Institutions'. He is the...
Dr Christine May
Dr Christine May is a general dentist with career experience in cosmetic, special needs, complex and HIV dental medicine, aged care, dental phobia management, rural and remote dentistry and teledentistry, Dr Christine May also has a degree in Chinese medicine. Christine has completed advanced...
Natasha McEnroe
Natasha McEnroe is the Keeper of Medicine at the Science Museum in South Kensington, London. Her previous post was Director of the Florence Nightingale Museum, and prior to this was Museum Manager of the Grant Museum of Zoology and Comparative Anatomy and Curator of the Galton Collection at...
Shyla Mills
Shyla Mills is former CEO at Palliative Care Queensland (PCQ) and is now CEO of Palliative Care South Australia. She is a member of the Flinders University research centre for Palliative Care, Death and Dying and holds a Master of Public Health and Palliative Care, with a special interest in...
Jason Mills
Jason is a registered nurse and associate professor at the Flinders University Research Centre for Palliative Care, Death and Dying. He holds fellowships with the Australian College of Nursing, the Royal Society for Public Health and Higher Education Academy. He serves as chair of a national...
Shyla Mills and Jason Mills
Shyla Mills is former CEO at Palliative Care Queensland (PCQ) and is now CEO of Palliative Care South Australia. She is a member of the Flinders University research centre for Palliative Care, Death and Dying and holds a Master of Public Health and Palliative Care, with a special interest in...
Speaker - Giles Milton
Giles Milton is the is the internationally best-selling author of eleven books, including narrative non-fiction such as Nathaniel's Nutmeg, White Gold, Samurai William, Paradise Lost, Russian Roulette, D-Day: The Soldier's Story and Churchill's Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare. His most recent...
Lindy Moffat
Lindy Moffat is a major events specialist who has travelled extensively - including living on an Israeli kibbutz and in the UK. She spent many years at the Australian Football League producing Brownlow Medal functions, Grand Final entertainment and managing overseas tours. She then established the...
David Oliviere
David Oliviere is a consultant in psychosocial palliative care, a social worker, an educationalist and a clinical supervisor. He is former director of Education and Training at St Christopher’s Hospice in London and visiting professor at the School of Education and Health Sciences at Middlesex...
Dr Chet Pager
Dr Chet Pager grew up in Honolulu and spent a lot of time in his parents' home cities of Melbourne and London, graduating to adulthood with five passports and a love for travel. He is qualified as a medical doctor in both the UK and Australia and has practised in both countries. Since completing...
Hemant Patel
Since 1995, Hemant Patel has served on the local, national, European, Commonwealth and world pharmacy bodies. Before retiring, he served the profession of pharmacy as President of the Royal Pharmaceutical Society of Great Britain for four terms and was awarded in 2011 the first ever Charter...
Marilyn Pattison
Marilyn Pattison is the founder and General Manager of MPOT/Access Fitness, a leading provider of adult community rehabilitation services in South Australia, the General Manager of Talking Matters, a leading provider of paediatric services in South Australia and the immediate past president of the...
Professor John Pearn
Professor of Paediatrics and Child Health at the University of Queensland since 1986, Professor John Pearn truly a Renaissance man, renowned for his many hats, diverse interests and unquenchable energy. He has been an academic and clinical teacher for 50 years in medicine and health sciences. He...
Kerryn Phelps
Professor Kerryn Phelps is an Australian medical practitioner and public commentator on integrative medicine, public health, and human rights issues. Professor Phelps was president of the Federal Australian Medical Association (AMA) where she pioneered their first position statement on...
Sheila Purves
Sheila Purves (贝维斯) recently retired from her position as Director of International & China Programmes, The Hong Kong Society for Rehabilitation (1988 – 2013). She is now working as Consultant for The Hong Kong Society for Rehabilitation. In the past twenty-five years, she was ...
Dr Carol Reeves
Carole Reeves has a PhD in the History of Medicine (University of London). She has worked as a medical illustrator, and as a writer/director, communicating medicine and science to specialist and public audiences through film and television. She has travelled the world for work and pleasure. She...
Dr Nathalie Richard and Tim Sunnucks
Dr Nathalie Richard is a consultant in emergency medicine with several years experience. Nathalie is also a member of the Royal College of General Practitioners, has worked in a multidisciplinary dental and medical centre in Harley Street and regularly teaches emergency medicine to dentists...
John and Susi Richardson
Dr John Richardson is an Emeritus Professor of Primary Care and General Practice. He has led study tours worldwide and was a medical escort to parties of war widows and veterans on journeys of remembrance for the Royal British Legion. He has also run many history of medicine battlefield tours. He...
Dr Mary Ross-Davie
Dr Mary Ross-Davie is a UK-based midwife with a varied career across clinical practice, national and leadership roles. She is currently Director of Midwifery for the largest maternity service in Scotland, NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde. After qualifying as a midwife in 1995, Mary worked in London;...
Dr Chantal Sargent
Dr Chantal Sargent (MBChB MRCPCH DCH) is a paediatrician and works in the NHS in Worcestershire, UK. She recently took a sabbatical to complete a Professional Diploma in Positive Psychology and Coaching. Her passion is people and different cultures, and understanding the essence of what makes...
Dr. Ashok Sethi
Dr. Sethi has pioneered, in the UK and internationally, the art and science of surgical and restorative implant dentistry for 25 years. His practice is totally dedicated to implants, achieving outstanding success rates in terms of predictability as well as aesthetic and functional outcome. He...
David Shannon
David Shannon graduated from Southern College of Optometry, Memphis, Tennessee, as a Doctor of Optometry. He served for ten years on the board of the Association of Optometrists including as chair between 2010 and 2013. David consulted for Johnson & Johnson Vision Care and trained...
Professor Linda Shields
Professor Linda Shields is a Honorary Professor in the School of Medicine at The University of Queensland, Australia.She previously worked at Charles Sturt University. Her research interests are in the care of children in health services, particularly in rural and remote areas. Professor Shields...
Kit Sinclair
Kit Sinclair PhD is an international education consultant in the areas of occupational therapy service and curriculum development. As a founding faculty member of the occupational therapy education programme in Hong Kong, she has played an active role in occupational therapy professional...
Richard Smith
Professor J. Richard Smith MD, DSc, FRCOG is a consultant gynaecological surgeon at the Queen Charlotte's and Hammersmith Hospitals, Imperial College NHS Trust and Honorary Consultant in Transplantation Surgery at Oxford University Hospitals. He was Adjunct Associate Professor at the New York...
Dr Norman Swan
Dr Norman Swan AM FAHMS is a Scottish-born Australian physician, journalist and broadcaster. Norman trained in medicine and paediatrics in Aberdeen, London and Sydney before joining the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC). Based in Australia, Norman hosts Radio National’s (RN) Health...
Dr John Tidmarsh
Dr John Tidmarsh {MBBS FRACP; BA [Hons] MA (Hons) PhD) is a co-director of the University of Sydney’s excavations at Pella in Jordan and is also co-director of the ANU/University of Melbourne excavations at Jebel Khalid in Syria. He has previously excavated in Greece and Cyprus. His main...
The Right Reverend Lindsay Urwin OGS
Lindsay Urwin, originally from Melbourne, journeyed to the UK with intentions of priesthood in 1976. Following his ordination in 1980, he served at several parishes before being appointed Diocesan Missioner of Chichester and later Area Bishop of Horsham in 1993. During his tenure, he took on...
Adjunct Professor Kylie Ward
Tour leader, Adjunct Professor Kylie Ward RN, MMgt, FACN, FCHSM (HON), Wharton Fellow, FAICD is CEO of the Australian College of Nursing (ACN) and CEO of the Australian College of Nursing Foundation. From humble beginnings, Kylie has gone on to become one of the most influential professional...
Professor Cathy Warwick CBE
Dame Cathy Warwick was Chief Executive of the Royal College of Midwives for 9 years and now works independently. Cathy is also Honorary Professor of Midwifery and an Honorary Professor of Midwifery at Kings College London. In 2006 she was awarded a CBE for services to Midwifery and Healthcare and...
Dr. Gillian Webb
Professor Gillian Webb is an Australian physiotherapist with a physiotherapy career spanning more than five decades. She has been involved in physiotherapy education for most of those five decades. Her research interests are in health professional education and particularly in clinical education,...
Sue Weir
Sue Weir is a former Westminster Hospital nurse and a registered Blue Badge Guide. She developed a special interest in medical history and runs her own company, Medical History Tours, which takes groups and individuals to places of medical historical interest both at home and abroad. She has...
Valerie and Clive Whittington
Valerie and Clive have spent their working lives in education, at all levels, with adults and children across the age range. They have lived and worked abroad and have travelled extensively. Since retiring, they have lived in Crete, building a house and garden on a wild and windy hillside. In...
Dr Matt Young
Dr Matt Young has been a GP for over 25 years. His practice at Medeco Inala won the RACGP Australian General Practice of the Year in 2018 and acts as the home base for his mobile Hep C eradication crusade, the Hep C Kombi project, which he co-founded. As well as medicine, Matt loves travelling...
Zhang Zhong Jiu
Zhang Zhong Jiu (known as John) has worked with Jon Baines since 1994, taking healthcare, education, other professional groups and cultural groups around China. Educated in Beijing and London and widely travelled, John is extremely knowledgeable and popular with our groups for his warmth and sense...
