TOURING THROUGH THE EYES OF A TOUR GUIDE AT ‘WINDSOR DUCK TOURS’
People often say I’m quackers about my part-time profession, and they’re not wrong. How many people in the world are paid to tour such a magical, historical, picturesque, and intriguing place, such as Windsor? And of those lucky few, how many do it by Duck!
We start the day at 10:00 when our first curious customers climb aboard. Some are first-time amphibious adventurers, while others have been lucky enough to climb aboard Boston, Dublin & London Duck Tours (now not in service) to name just a few others. Windsor Duck Tours is now the only amphibious tour in the UK.
Our guests come from all corners of the globe, which is why I like to start my tour with a few introductions and of course my best impression of an Australian accent. Despite the vast number of miles between them (and sometimes a language barrier), I am confident if I deliver my commentary with its usual passion and flair, I will have 26 happy guests at the end of our 60-minute adventure.
The introductions are over, the anticipation builds, the Duck is powered up… and we’re ready to go! Now where better to start than at the base of our glorious Windsor Castle [Book Castle Tickets Here], in the heart of Royal Windsor.
We wind our way through a plethora of different sights in Windsor, with plenty of photo opportunities for that next big Instagram shot! Now you can really feel the excitement start to build, my personal favorite from the kids down the front, “are we really going on the river”. Following a brief explanation from the young man’s parents with my involvement, we confirm, that is certainly what we’re doing. The river is now in sight! A beaming smile grows across his face.
SPLASHDOWN!!!!!!!
I would challenge anyone in any profession to match the overabundance of smiling faces when we hit the water – yes even 94-year-old granny in the back… although she did think we were just going to feed the ducks (but that’s a whole other story).
Our journey down the Thames is a relaxed one, but the commotion around us keeps us well entertained! Obviously, as a tour guide, I have to arm myself with precise and dense knowledge, and every customer type has its own type of questions. I have five categories, wise, confident, inquisitive, unpredictable and…. KIDS.
Windsor is unlike anywhere that I have experienced in my life. After all, it is a gorgeous town, that balances tradition with contemporary ideas and foundations perfectly. The sites honestly never cease to amaze me, and this, of course, goes without saying the immense image of Windsor Castle rising high above the water bobbing along the Thames. I count myself very lucky, to not only call this town my home and birthplace but to also share this experience with them all for the first-ever time.
I think that the Duck Tours are one of the rarities of activities that are for everyone. We warmly welcome young people, elderly people, people with disabilities, people with zero understanding of the English language, local residents, babies, and even dogs! (only if they’re well behaved of course). If I was a local resident and had friends from afar coming over to Windsor for the first time, I would strongly suggest that they partake in the Windsor Duck Tours experience.