Barry Skinner has lived in Beddgelert for the past twenty years. He was born in Coventry and started walking and climbing in the mountains of Snowdonia at the age of fifteen.

After a spell in retailing and interior design, he left all behind in 1964 and for the next sixteen years toured Britain, Europe and America playing guitar and singing his own and traditional songs, recording several albums and appearing on television and radio. He was one of the founding members of the first Coventry Folk Club in 1962, is still involved in performing and writing music and is available for folk club, concert and festival bookings.

From 1979 until 1985 he worked for the Coventry Education Waterways Scheme, running narrow boats for school groups. During this time he wrote a large number of songs about the canals.

In 1985 he came to live permanently in Snowdonia, initially building custom made doll's houses to commission and also painting and enamelling.