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institute of tourist guides

New Manchester Walks is the only official tour group in the North-West open to all guides, past, present and future, without fear or favour. We choose a guide for a tour based on their knowledge and capability, not on which colour badge they own. Anyone who wants to earn money hosting a quality tour to enlighten and entertain the public is welcome to work with us.

New Manchester Walks is run by Ed Glinert, the country’s most prolific tour guide, who works prolifically in Manchester, Liverpool and London. Glinert is an experienced journalist, founder of City Life, former staff writer for Private Eye and launch production editor of the rock ‘n’ roll magazine Mojo.

Ed is also a celebrated author whose Penguin work The Manchester Compendium was described by the Independent newspaper as a “superb work of in-depth research and dry Northern wit”. This irked Ed a little for he hails from London, Dalston no less, though he has lived in Manchester for nearly 45 years.

Ed’s books have been published by Penguin (The London Compendium, The Manchester Compendium), HarperCollins (London’s Dead) and Bloomsbury. He has also edited the Sherlock Holmes stories, the complete Gilbert & Sullivan libretti and George and Weedon Grossmith’s The Diary of A Nobody for Penguin Classics. His life ambition is to complete The Manchester Encyclopaedia so that the city has an accurate, interesting and beautifully-written history.

John Alker
John is a talented pianist and Green Badge guide who specializes in walks with an industrial, art and political theme, dealing with mills, canals, Lowry and Valette, markets, warehouses, railways and ragged schools. With over 10 years experience in schools and 20 in further education as a lecturer, he is the ideal guide for any student group studying social and economic history. He is also a trained classical musician and currently lectures in music, and fine and performing arts. His walks are highly entertaining, and he brings his skills of communication and motivation into a series of refreshing and stimulating views of the city.