South East England

Maidstone Guided Tour for Hospice Volunteers
This year SEETGA, with the help and support of Tourism South East, organised another regional event to mark International Tourist Guides Day. Following last year's success we again offered free outings to the volunteers from three hospices in the region. Maidstone Borough Council kindly offered to host the event in Maidstone, the historic county town of Kent on Friday February 20th.

Heritage Travel, Warrens Coaches, and Epsom Coaches provided complimentary coaches and Blue Badge Guides Frances Farrer-Brown, Rebecca Howard, and Bronwen Mills accompanied the coaches.

A varied and interesting itinerary had been organised in the town. The Mayor of Maidstone, Councillor Morel D'Souza welcomed the visitors to the

The Mayor of Maidstone, Cllr Morel D'Souza, with a group from Princess Alice Hospice, Esher, Surrey.

town and local BBG Trudie Nielsen-Kerr conducted guided walks around the historic centre during the day. Visits were made to the Tyrrwhitt-Drake Carriage Museum, which houses a fascinating collection of horse-drawn carriages, and also the excellent Maidstone Museum and Bentliff Art Gallery, where there is something to interest everyone. There was also time to stop at All Saints Church where visitors can see the possible inspiration for the Stars and Stripes on the coat of arms of Laurence Washington, an ancestor of George Washington.

All the guests also visited the very attractive Museum of Kent Life situated on the banks of the Medway just outside the town. Lots of memories were awakened here. Visitors can explore an oast house, peep into Hopper's Cottages, and step inside a chapel and various farm cottages, all furnished as they were in the 19th Century with loving attention to detail. In the summer it is possible to make the journey from the centre of Maidstone to The Museum of Kent Life by boat.

It was a memorable day and we would like to thank everyone involved. All our guests have said how much they enjoyed going on this outing, and how impressed they were with the coach companies, the Guides, the attractions, and Maidstone itself.

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Southern England

Andover
Test Valley Guild of Tourist Guides
Andover's Green Badge Tourist Guides celebrated by taking over the upper floor of Andover's 1825 Guildhall for the day giving visitors a short presentation and guided tour of the historic building. Also a group was given a guided walking tour of the town's Heritage Trail.

Event was supported by Test Valley Borough Council (TVBC), which provided free use of the venue, full size photographic copies of the Test Valley Tapestries, a local tourism display and projection equipment. The Mayor of Test Valley provided tea for the afternoon visitors and Guides, and showed people round the Mayor's parlour.

Publicity was by posters outside the Guildhall and TIC and press releases to local papers and TVBC, which generated items in the West Hants Observer, Andover Advertiser and mention on the TVBC website.

Oxford
A good response of over 30 people attended the tour conducted by the Blue Badge Tourist Guides of Oxford (Terry Bremble & Annetta Harvie) Christ Church College also supported the event by allowing access for the tours. The people who attended had heard of the event from the local paper/radio, internet and local TIC staff. A good tour was had by all, also giving the opportunity to advertise the tours which leave the TIC all year round.

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West Country

South Devon
Frank Turner gave a slide and talk show to the Torbay Branch of the Devonshire Association on the "Life and Works of Agatha Christie" . Realising that this years theme was blue, he made a point of mentioning a Christie novel entitled "The Mystery of the Blue Train". The talk encouraged a lot of non-members to attend, which helped fill the hall, several of whom then joined the association. The basis of the talk was formulated during a tourist guides trip down the Nile three years ago, when Frank was asked to give a talk on Agatha Christie (Shades of "Death on the Nile"!). The mdia picked it up in the shape of the Herald Express, who were kind enough to mention the Guild of registered Tourist Guides.

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Heart of England

Forest of Dean.

Familiarisation Tour of The Wye Valley.
Tuesday, 24th. Feb.
Although we stated months ago that two of our guides would lead this tour FREE, funding was found from UWIC to pay the coach and Pat Lacy and myself as Green Tourist Badge Guides.

1.	Tour organised by members of the WYE VALLEY Tourist Association
2.	53 present, 6 from 4 local .T.I.C.'s, a Monmouthshire Tourism officer, members of the University of Wales Institute of Cardiff, based in Newport & Cardiff. Also members of The WVTA., the Abergavenny Tourist Assoc & the Monmouthshire Farms Assoc made up the rest.
3.	The itinerary included stops at WYASTONE CONCERT HALL & Recording Studios (Classic music-NIMBUS Records.) The Shirehall Mon., to see the Henry Vth. tapestry & Courtroom, the Old TINTERN Station TO SEE THE LLAMAS AND STATUES OF ANCIENT FAMOUS PEOPLE -- Abbey Mill & Tintern Abbey, for a Taste of Welsh Produce & PARVA Wine tasting. Chepstow Castle & .T.I.C. & the New Conference Hall at Chepstow Racecourse.
4.	Return was via Itton, Devauden,Trellech to Monmouth, with views over the USK Valley.
5.	The Monmouthshire BEACON sent a photographer
6.	The feedback so far: Excellent & well worth while!!

Results

1.	Social & business mixing of groups in this area.
2.	Some Publicity for ITDG.
3.	Interneting.
4.	A Getting to know your area; syndrome.
5.	Good practice for us, getting rid of the "rust" early in the season & meeting Tourism Providers in the area.

P. Colley.
Forest of Dean Tour Guides.

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East of England

Bury St Edmunds
Saturday morning saw a good response for the’Newcomers Tour’ of the town. This was followed in the afternoon by a tour aimed at Borough and Town councillors, who showed much interest and asked many questions.

Cambridge
Three successful tours took place in Cambridge for ITGDay.
One tour for student teachers in the area; and two tours for local teachers showing the range of tours linked to the national curriculum that Cambridge Junior Explorers offer for school parties. In addition the Chairman of the Cambridge Society, John Newnham, gave talks publicising the blue badge to three different Rotary Clubs.

King’s Lynn
The Blue Badge Tourist Guides of King’s Lynn were invited by the Mayor to his parlor, where he gave donations collected by the local guides, to those who work in the heritage and historical organisations in the town. The total amount was £2,450. Two local newspapers covered the event, which included articles and photographs. All the money came from guided walks conducted by the local tourist guides.

Norwich
Tours on offer for the day by The Association of City of Norwich Guides included ones specific for children, a walk around the castle mound and one that focused on links Norwich has with other countries. There was publicity in the local "What's on" Guide, Eastern Daily Press and Eastern Evening News. The chairman was also interviewed on Radio Norfolk and on the BBC "Look East" in the early evening.

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North West England

Southport
Several tours were organised by the Mersey Guides Association, the first being a Sunday walk entitled "Faith in one City" based on the various churches and a second included The Wednesday Walk Group around Southport. The big one seems to be an opentop sighseeing tour using a vehicle given by Maghull Coaches, using 12 tourist guides on four tours. Jacob Biscuits donated orange club biscuits, Premier Foods donated teabags and The Beatles story offered reduced admission. Di Nowell is thanked for obtaining the biscuits and teabags, which were distributed at the end of each tour with the help of her husband. In total about 200 people turned up, which was an excellent response.

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Wales

Cardiff
Our contact in Wales, Margaret Butler, provided hourly tours of St John's Church (Parish church of Cardiff), with any donations going towards the restoration of the organ. Posters and adverts in the central library and church brought in a number of people. As these were a number of overseas visitors, the opportunity to climb the 130foot bell tower and toll a bell gave many, special memories of their visit to Cardiff during a cold but sunny day. Aomgst the visitors were also eight special needs young men plus their carers, who managed to get up and down the tower. It was also clear that a number of locals had no idea until then that there were tourist guides in Cardiff.

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