Our Expert Team

Alice studied History of Art & French at the University of Bristol, where she specialised in the visual culture of the mediaeval Mediterranean. Her art historical interests have prompted her love of travel, and she spent time living and working in the South of France before joining the Kirker team. More recently, she has visited Italy, Malta and Andalucia.

After leaving school, Amanda joined the family travel agent business, where she first encountered Kirker Holidays. She worked in the travel industry in New Zealand for 6 years, travelling throughout Asia and the USA, before initially joining Kirker in 2000. 

Amanda then took an extended break from Kirker, working at The Leading Hotels of the World and for Six Senses Hotels, before re-joining Kirker in April 2022, since which time she has travelled to Italy several times, including a journey on the Venice Simplon-Orient-Express.

Andrew joined Kirker in 1992 as a reservations consultant and accepts that it was a much more straight forward role than it is now.

There were just five destinations to learn about and sell with confidence, whereas the company now features over 70 cities and 250 countryside properties throughout Europe and further afield. Andrew oversees the relationships that the company has with hotels, airlines and transfer suppliers and does his best to ensure Kirker clients are especially well looked after. He also works closely with the company’s excellent operations and finance teams.

Barry Cheeseman has been the Manager of the Kirker Cultural Tours & Music Holidays programme for over 10 years. 

Barry has been an opera lover for more than 40 years and has seen and heard every major singer during this period. He loves the challenges of organising complex arts events and working closely with the musicians. Out of the office, Barry manages to fit in time to organise his own Chamber Music Festival in North Norfolk where he lives

Ever the adventurer, David has spent most of his adult life living abroad in places as far flung as Japan, Vietnam, Paris and the South of France. 

His love of geography and experiencing different cultures has led to extensive travel around both Asia and Europe, including a mammoth three month journey taking in 21 countries from Japan to the UK, including a week on the Trans-Siberian Express. Now happily settled back in the UK, David is sharing his passions for travel, music and food in his role as Kirker Concierge.

Dominic has worked for Kirker Holidays for many years and during this time has travelled extensively throughout our programme in Europe and North Africa. 

Dominic boasts excellent knowledge of a wide range of Kirker destinations and is delighted not only to recommend his favorite hotels but also his favourite restaurants. Prior to working for Kirker Dominic spent several years in Germany and studied History at university in London. He remains an expert on Germany and is a great advocate of rail travel throughout Europe.

Ricky has been with Kirker since 1989 and there are not many destinations in our brochures that he has not visited. With family in Valencia as well as Holland, he is an expert on Spain and Portugal in particular, and has also travelled to South Africa, Morocco and many regions of France.

As Product Manager for Spain, France, Portugal and Morocco he has in-depth knowledge of all our hotels in these countries, and spends much time each year reaseraching and visiting new properties.

Ignacio joined Kirker in 2005 and has great knowledge of Spain - his parents live in Andalucia. In addition, he has specialist knowledge of many Kirker destinations including cities such as Paris, Berlin and Venice, and more far-flung regions including Oman and Southern Africa.

Ignacio - or 'Nacho' to his colleagues - is passionate about his native Spain, and enjoys sharing his local knowledge of Andalucia in particular. He is also a Southern Africa specialist, with extensive experience creating carefully-planned itineraries to this region.

Jack earned a Bachelors in History from the University of Liverpool, specialising in Viking studies and Early Mediaeval Europe. 

Once he had completed his studies Jack travelled for three months around some of Kirker’s most popular destinations including the South of France, Italy and Austria as well as more esoteric locations like Montenegro and Albania. Since joining the Kirker team he has travelled to Rome, Florence and Bologna and explored the scenic rail journeys of Switzerland.

A Fine Art graduate, Kathryn has previously worked as a tour leader in Latin America for 3 years, and lived and worked in Northern Portugal and the Amalfi Coast. 

Kathryn has gained first-hand experience of many Kirker destinations, including Italy, Spain and Switzerland and is a specialist in our Cultural Tours and Music Holidays programme. She is also a Kirker Cuba expert and can share her tips for creating the perfect holiday to this fascinating country. 

Whilst studying Social Anthropology Lucy spent a year in Bilbao as a language assistant, and during her year in Spain she took the opportunity to travel extensively throughout the country.

After graduating Lucy travelled for 5 months in South America. On her return she worked at the European Commission in Brussels before joining the team here at Kirker.

Lucy currently looks after Kirker's programme of Cultural Tours & Music Holidays, ensuring that every itinerary is meticulously organised and carefully-planned to offer a balance of expert-led visits and time for independent exploration or relaxation. 

As product manager for regions including central and eastern Europe, Scandinavia, Turkey, Egypt, Greece and the low countries, Marcus has over fifteen years of experience visiting Kirker destinations in Europe to negotiate contracts, inspect new hotels and carefully select the properties which we work with.

Since joining Kirker, after gaining a degree in Tourism Studies from Bournemouth University, Marcus has travelled extensively - Vienna, Berlin, Istanbul, Egypt, Iceland, Switzerland and the Lofoten Islands off the coast of Norway are just a few highlights from his travels with Kirker. Each year he looks forward to discovering new properties and destinations, revisiting old friends in some of our favourite cities, and ensuring that Kirker clients continue to receive excellent service wherever they stay. 

After graduating from the University of Birmingham with a degree in Modern Languages, Mark has since lived and worked in Spain, France, Germany and Thailand. He is an avid traveller and has travelled extensively throughout Europe and Asia. 

He knows Paris and Barcelona particularly well, having worked as a translator and teacher in these cities, and most recently travelled to the Low Countries, as well as Helsinki and Tallinn.

From a very young age Matt has been a regular traveller, and he has now visited around 40 countries across four continents. He holds a particular passion for Portugal, where he has family and returns at every opportunity. 

Prior to joining Kirker, Matt studied Medieval History at university and worked at a business travel management firm. More recently, he has travelled to cities including Paris, Vienna and Venice, including a memorable journey on board the Venice Simplon-Orient-Express.

A native Venetian, Pat has been Kirker's resident expert of the hidden gems of Venice for many years and can offer a useful insight into the non-tourist side of Italy.

Being a mother of three children means she has an understanding of the needs of family holidays and can put together itineraries and suggest hotels, which will make a holiday with the whole family both enjoyable and relaxing.

In addition to Venice she has also lived in Lake Como, Venice, Milan and Rome, and has travelled the length and breadth of her home country, visiting Kirker hotels in from the Cinque Terre and the Italian Lakes to Sicily and the Amalfi Coast.

An enthusiastic traveller with a keen interest in European history and culture, Patrick has explored a large part of the continent, including some fascinating parts of Northern Europe.

He can personally recommend Iceland - a unique and unforgettable experience - and has a passion for Russia having spent his first two years in Soviet Moscow.

Patrick studied History at Warwick University and has a special interest in some of Kirker’s most historically rich destinations from Istanbul to St Petersburg and Florence to Madrid. Since joining the company he has become Kirker’s marketing specialist and is committed to finding the best offers, most inspiring events and exciting new destinations to whet the appetites of discerning clients.

A graduate in Illustration, Sarah has a keen interest in the Arts, and enjoys learning more about fine art, music and culture by exploring new destinations around the world. She has spent time working in the South of France, and enjoys taking the opportunity for a cultural city break whenever possible.

Originally from France, Sarah moved to the UK for her undergraduate studies, making her our French expert – especially when it comes to her home town of La Rochelle and the West Coast. 

After joining Kirker in 2022, Sarah travelled to Rome and Florence, and she has since been to Oporto and Lisbon in Portugal, and explored Iceland on a driving holiday.

Ted Wake joined Kirker Holidays in 1987 and has been instrumental in helping to establish Kirker as the leading Short Break specialist offering tailor-made holidays.

Although Kirker has never had ambitions to become a large business, it is now one of the most respected companies providing independent holidays and cultural tours for discerning travellers. Ted has helped the company to focus on clients who understand that life is too short to risk making their own booking arrangements… Kirker customers prefer to plan ahead using the Kirker Concierge to include tickets or private guides to ensure that they are able to relax and enjoy cultural activities such as opera, concerts, museum exhibitions, and private excursions.

Ted has played a critical role in developing Kirker’s unique marketing style and ensuring that the company has an outstanding reputation for providing all clients with excellent service. Ted is a well-known figure at travel industry events and regularly appears on judging panels for industry awards and consumer journalism awards; he also sits on a panel for AiTO (Association of Independent Tour Operators) and is often invited to speak at industry conferences including ABTA, AiTO and the SPAA. He has created a range of DVD conference presentations focussing on marketing and sales ideas using interviews and case studies from other industries including Nigella Lawson’s favourite bespoke baker – Konditor & Cook; Broughton’s Bentley, Boden and Berry Brothers & Rudd wine merchants.

In a former life, Ted worked in the US for a stockbroker in Boston, a boutique oil company in New Mexico and on a remote Seychelles’ island, Aldabra, studying blue green algae. Ted has a degree in Botany & Garden Design and continues to pursue his interest in these subjects whenever the opportunity arises. Apart from his passion for tailor-made short breaks for couples, Ted is a great advocate of family short breaks where he is able to encourage his 3 children to develop an interest in museums, music and food – naturally, all with the help of the Kirker Concierge and Kirker’s expert local guides. Recent holidays with the Wakelets include Venice, Florence, Paris, Istanbul and Rome.

Tom has a background in mediaeval studies, with a particular interest in the Mediterranean world including Greece, Italy and Malta – and the history of the Crusades. He has travelled extensively throughout Europe, and since joining Kirker he has been to Venice, Florence and Rome, taking in some of the key museums (and best cocktail bars) in all three cities.

William came to Kirker following a Master’s degree in Art History and work in the Heritage Sector. He is passionate about European culture – with a particular love of the French Gothic and Renaissance Italy – and has travelled widely in Europe, including recent trips to Rome and Florence, and to the South of France.