
Morgan Phillips
Custodian and Drake’s Island Tour Guide
Morgan served in the Royal Navy as a Weapons Engineer.
After leaving the Royal Navy, Morgan worked overseas for a number of years, in such Countries as Lebanon, the United Arab Emirates, Azerbaijan and Georgia and has worked extensively throughout the Caspian and Central Asia Region, involved in the main Mechanical and Electrical Engineering for a number of significant projects, in Rail, Oil and Gas and Construction.
Morgan was instrumental in setting up the Company that purchased the Island in 2019 and has been part of the Management Team since then.
Morgan has a passion for history and specifically the history of the Island.
As well as conducting Tours, Morgan is working on the next package of funding to take the Island forward to full development.

Dr Peter Allum
Drake’s Island Tour Guide
Peter is a retired University Academic Lecturer from the University of Plymouth, specialising in Paramedicine and Pre-hospital Critical Care, with a PhD in Sustainability in Emergency Medical Services. He has over 30 years’ experience of working for (and with) UK Ambulance Services and has lectured both nationally and internationally alongside numerous publications for healthcare education. Since taking an early retirement in 2022, Peter joined the Drake’s Island Team in 2023 because of his interest in local Plymouth history and a love of the Island.

Steve Johnson
Volunteer Cyberheritage Drake’s Island Guide
Steve is a retired Plymouth professional photographer. Steve studied photography & cinematography at Plymouth College of Art and Design in the early 1970s, later moving on to a career of many years in industrial, commercial, scientific & technical photography. In 1996, in the early days of the Internet, Steve had formed “Cyberheritage” with its strap line “content over style” which quickly grew into a well-known and respected local heritage webpage. In recent years with the cost of web space ever increasing, the website moved onto Facebook where there is now a family of Cyberheritage pages covering varied heritage interests with a total of 30,000 followers. Currently Steve’s focus on local history is “Fortress Plymouth” & this forms the central theme of his occasional interpretational tours of Drake’s Island.

Philip Photiou
Volunteer Cyberheritage Drake’s Island Guide
Phillip has studied all aspects of history since a very early age. He has written articles for local newspapers and has published three books, the factual Plymouth’s Forgotten War, & 2 historical novels, the Wrath of Kings and the Lamb of God and he is currently working on his fourth book. He also lectures to various groups and in association with Cyberheritage and he has taken civil war focused tours of Drake’s Island. Philip also works with Cyberheritage on a number of historical podcasts which have been very popular. He has also been asked to do a number of walking tours next year based on the English Civil War in the south west.

Simon Clark
Drake’s Island Tour Guide
Simon served in the Royal Navy as a gunner, in Europe, Scandinavia, the West Indies, North, Central and South America and the South Atlantic. Originally from the North of the country, after leaving the Royal Navy he settled in Plymouth. He first set foot on the island in 2019 and joined the team shortly after because of his interest in local history and how that fits in to the national story.

Chris Luckhurst
Drake’s Island Tour Guide
Chris spent 40 years working in the farming industry in Cornwall. Semi-retirement has allowed him to follow his lifetime passion for history. He has wandered through dark age mysteries, early Anglo-Saxon origins, medieval machinations, military history, Tudor nation building and Industrious Victorians. In particular, he is always fascinated by how the past has left footprints all around us, affecting us unwittingly to this day and are visible to those who want to see them.
PS, he also has a secret lifelong brass band obsession.

Helen Marshall
Drake’s Island Tour Guide
Helen is a retired Pharmacy manager and after enjoying over 35 years’ experience of working in hospital pharmacy decided to retire in June 2022 to pursue her many hobbies.
She has a keen interest in outdoor activities including walking, wild swimming, gundog training and working on her allotment. Helen has completed many national trails including the Southwest Coast Path. Since retiring Helen now volunteers with the SWCPA as a walk leader for The Coast Path Connectors project. This involves leading health and wellbeing walks along the coast path, sharing information on local history, wildlife and fauna.
Helen joined the Drakes Island team in 2024 to share her love of Plymouth and it’s history, the coast line around the sound and of course her enthusiasm for Drakes Island.

Barrie Mills
Drake’s Island Tour Guide
Barrie has enjoyed a career spanning 34 years in The Royal Marines Band Service rising to the rank of Major and Director of Music of The Band of His Majesty’s Royal Marines Plymouth before retiring in 2003. He then embarked on a second career with the newly-formed Plymouth Youth Music Service, being responsible for all aspects of practical music-making in Plymouth schools, the formation of city youth ensembles and creating showcase events for young musicians. He retired as Deputy Head of Service in 2020. He has had an interest in the history of the Southwest and Drake’s Island in particular since moving to Cornwall in 2002.

Chrissy Santic-Linford
Drake’s Island Tour Guide
With a career at sea spanning 18 years as Engineer and Bosun on almost every type of vessel, Chrissy has disembarked in Plymouth to focus on her son Jake and spending family time on the water!
Whether it is on or in the sea, she has a passion for the ocean and is currently re-trading (BSc Combined STEM) into the marine conservation and research fields. Having spent a large portion of her life travelling the world and working on many historical vessels, Chrissy has an endless fascination with history (particularly maritime and seafaring) especially if there is a swashbuckling story to be told!
As well as conducting tours Chrissy is project managing some upcoming events on the island!