Select a region
Soo Wellfair spends her time researching, writing, walking, and talking so who better to meet for a chat about the Autumn Walking Festival.
The annual series of guided walks is underway now, with a different route highlighted every day until Sunday 1 October.
The Autumn Walking Festival always includes coastal rambles, ruette tranquilles, tours of St Peter Port, and the other islands too.
Soo is just one of a number of tour guides who will be leading these walks.
Pictured: Find out more about the Autumn Walking Festival HERE.
As a Gold Accredited Guide, Soo is one of the island's most experienced tour guides, having done additional training to demonstrate the diversity of the tours she comes up with herself.
"I do walking tours," she said - unlike others who may conduct their tours on bicycles, buses or cars - "the cruise ships are very busy during the summer season, and there's the Autumn Walking Festival, as well as the Spring Walking Festival, and I offer tours all the way through the year.
"There're lots of opportunities, and then in the winter I'm mostly writing as well."
By writing, Soo means researching for new tours and writing up new material for the following year, as well as working on her books.
Her first two books - 50 Gems of Guernsey and Illustrated Tales of Guernsey - will soon be followed by a third, due to be published next year.
Pictured: Soo Wellfair is one of the guides running tours throughout the Autumn Walking Festival. More details HERE.
Though her research for her books and her tours, Soo has built up a wealth of knowledge on different locations, people and local history and folklore.
"I could say I probably know a fair bit about the island and its history and stories and folklore, but there's still a lot more to learn," said Soo.
"I think sharing what we know is sharing our knowledge and telling our stories. We're all natural storytellers, I think. I love learning and I never stop learning."
In particular, Soo said she enjoys her tours in Herm, and her new 'Spook-Tacular Tour of St Peter Port' tour which she ran earlier this week went very well.
"(Herm is) my little paradise. It's my happy place and I think people on my tours, especially over in Herm, they pick up my passion for the island.
"I had a really successful tour (on Tuesday) night - 25 people come out. It was really good fun. It did threaten to rain at the start, but we decided 'no, we're going for it' and actually it was fine. That one was fully booked but I've got a second one on 25 September and there's plenty of room on that date."
Soo has one of her 'Hermlore' walks this Sunday - focusing on the folklore of Herm.
That is one of 35 tours being held over the 16 days of the Autumn Walking Festival with other accredited guides including Neville Jehan, Korinne Le Page and Tim Osborne each hosting their own.
Having moved to Guernsey more than 20 years ago, Soo and her family are actively involved in many areas of island life.
She is regularly seen at Parkrun on Saturday morning's where she is a keen volunteer along with her son who is starting his Duke of Edinburgh Award experience by helping out at the free weekly runs from this week.
Soo says she'll be 'tail-walking' this coming Saturday - a job she takes seriously, donning a tail along with her volunteer's vest.
When marshalling, Soo plays music to keep the runners motivated as they pass her.
Soo also volunteers at the Shrine of the Sacred Heart at Fort Hommet, helping to keep it open to the public on a regular basis.
"That's become really important for me. It is something that I'm really proud of and I try to spend as much time as I can helping out," she said.
To tap in to Soo's vast knowledge of the Bailiwick and her enthusiasm for island life, you can book on to one of her tours - or one of the others held during the Autumn Walking Festival HERE.
Guided Town Walks re-start for April
Comments
Comments on this story express the views of the commentator only, not Bailiwick Publishing. We are unable to guarantee the accuracy of any of those comments.