Your knowledge of the history and of the physical landscape throughout France & Belguim, the connections with the people was most impressive.
Your organization of the itinerary for our two days was very complete, visiting all of the sites, you hit the mark and made my trip a lifetime experience. You educated me on so much for which I am most grateful. I will be sharing my experience and this history with family & friends forever. I will hold your name in high regard and will recommend you to any would be visitors. Lanny Cross, Canada

Totally impressed with Mark’s knowledge base and ability to communicate. His style, personality and relationship skills are very good. We appreciated his helpfulness. Terry Myers, Australia

Mark added significantly to the tour. He in essence became one of us – but always exceptionally helpful, courteous and flexible. A great traveling companion but always mindful of his responsibilities without saying so. Don Uhrich, Nova Scotia, Canada

Tour has been outstanding  -  a mix of history, sightseeing and family business. Best thing was Mark – he was a treasure – it was a pleasure and privilege to spend three days with him. I liked the way he helped individual tour group members find their own people – he went out of his way to do this.  Mrs Pam Menzies, New Zealand

Mark is one of the best tour guides we have had; very knowledgeable, energetic, enthusiastic and friendly. Edward and Diana Langford, Vancouver, Canada

We have just returned from our 2 day Somme & Ypres Salient tour & we would like to say thank you for an amazing trip which was well organized, efficiently run & very enjoyable. In particular we would like to highlight our guide Mark, whose knowledge & enthusiasm for his subject made the trip truly special; he has a wonderful skill in that he makes everyone feel included & the trip pertinent to everyone no matter which country they are from. Once again thank you very much indeed. Sarah & Charlie Inman, Gloucestershire

Mr Mark Banning customized an already remarkable tour to focus on the heritage of the WW1 Regiment and our current Regimental affiliation.  Mark’s arrangements were flawless and he made a number of small suggestions for our group even on days before the tour began that really helped with a group of 16.  Although the tour was tightly arranged, Mark was very willing to make changes as we went that enhanced the tour.  His knowledge on the Canadian Army in both wars is stunning and his additional research on the 10th Battalion, the Calgary Tanks and the Calgary Highlanders allowed us to see things that previous tours set up by the Regiment had even missed.  He was easygoing and fun to be with and worked to make personal connections with our Cadets.  He made the trip a success and was able to keep 14 teenaged Army Cadets absolutely engaged stop after stop, day after day.  I cannot recommend Mark too highly for a battlefield tour. Accommodations and meals exceeded our expectations.   

Major Robert Craddock, Area Cadet Instructors Cadre Officer, Calgary Highlanders Cadet Force, Calgary, Canada

I thought it might be a boring, tedious ‘history’ lesson, and it was far the other end – it was living history of three dimensional people with families and personalities – thank you.  Rick and Carolyn Howes, Canada

We have been all over the world on tours, and can truly say that our guide, Mark, was the best we've ever had. A true English gentleman, he was extremely informative with his wealth of historical knowledge, had an extraordinary talent for remembering names of each and every client, catering to each person's personal desires to visit graves of loved ones (the sites of which were not on the official tour), and delivering a historically accurate lecture on each site visited. He even did me a personal favour by going out of his way to visit the site of the "Christmas Truce" in Ploegsteert.  I had never been extended a courtesy like that on any previous tour. Fred and Joy Long, Massachusetts, USA                                 

I just wanted to follow up my tour on Saturday by thanking you again for a very enjoyable day. You are a superb tour guide and host – exceedingly well briefed and knowledgeable and keen to share your immense understanding of the Western Front. I was seriously impressed by the depth of your knowledge and the engaging and thoughtful manner in which you deployed information and went out of your way to accommodate individual interests. Matt Gow, Marlborough, UK

As regards the ‘historical’ content: it is your commitment to ‘get it right’ with first-class bespoke research, always tailored to each individual trip, and woven together in such an engaging personal style of delivery, that does such justice to the sacred memory of these men. But it is your instinctive ability to genuinely consider the personal needs and wellbeing of all of your guests, at all times, which makes you so special. Your concern is that everyone should fully connect with the experience and not just the few. This, combined with your awareness of the importance to then be able to assimilate, relax and socialize, where appropriate, makes every evening a wonderful and memorable balance to the intensity of the day’s focus: something with which to ‘warm the winter evenings’, long after the trip has been and gone. .
You know, it is rare to walk such hallowed ground in the company of one so dedicated to the sanctity of Remembrance and yet, equally, so consistently mindful of everyone’s experience which makes accompanying you on any Pilgrimage both a pleasure and a privilege. Thank you Mark.
‘Lest we forget’. Mary Ellen Freeman