A Northumberland castle crowned possibly the world's youngest tour guide.
The nine-year-old from Whickham, Newcastle, took on the role of tour guide at the medieval Langley Castle Hotel, near Hexham, on October 30.
Leo Grant presented his own version of the four-star castle’s history, with a little toilet humour thrown in, as he drew attention to the hotel boasting the best example of medieval garderobes in Europe.
With other parts of the narrative to appeal to kids of his own age, his talk went down a storm.
Langley Castle guests who had stayed on to listen to it, after taking the castle’s official daily Battlements Tour, thought he was “very good”, helping them learn more about the place in which they had spent the night.
He threw himself into more in-depth explanations of particular features within the castle, such as the seven-foot-thick walls and the chapel on the Battlements. This was created with the express permission of another Leo, Pope Leo XIII.
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Leo demonstrated fully why he has been christened ‘Encyc’Leo’pedia’ by one of his teachers at St Mary’s RC Primary in Whickham. He also highlighted why he fully deserves the title of ‘Langley Castle Young Battlements Tour Guide of the Year’.
The youngster was presented with a trophy by Langley Castle’s general manager, Mohamed Serag.
Mr Serag said: “When Leo speaks about the history of the castle, it is as if he is transferring his energy to you. It is impossible not to pick up on his passion.”
Leo was thrilled with the experience and loved the opportunity to communicate the facts and figures he acquired when planning his campaign for the title of Young Battlements Tour Guide of the Year.
He said: “It is incredible to be here in the castle. It is like stepping into the history books and living in a different time. We can all learn so much about the present from appreciating the past. I love being the young tour guide of the year and helping to share the love of history with others.”
Leo will return to the castle for a family stay, with his mother, father and younger brother, which is part of his prize from Langley Castle.
He will also help the castle create a new leaflet to spread the appeal of its Battlements Tour amongst a younger generation.
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