THE GUIDE Summer19
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DISCOVER BRITAIN WITH BRITAIN’S BEST GUIDES Gthue ide SUMMER 2019 PARK LIFE Discover Britain’s National Parks INSIDE BIZARRE STORIES FROM BRITISH HISTORY • SIX SPECIAL PLACES TO VISIT THE ROMANS IN BRITAIN A DICKENSIAN TOUR OF LONDON Downton Abbey at the movies l The fun way to DISCOVER MORE OF LONDON, LIVERPOOL AND EDINBURGH Quiz books with a difference Come out on our themed tours in and around London, Liverpool and Edinburgh, each with challenging questions and detailed – often surprising – answers. These are no ordinary tours and this is not your usual quiz, because London, Liverpool and Edinburgh are no ordinary cities. The ideal gifts are now on sale in your local bookshop and online. Available in paperback and e-book. Published by To find your personal guide to the very best of London, Liverpool and Edinburgh visit www.britainsbestguides.org Contents 4 What to see this Summer Downton Abbey film, William Blake at the Tate, 100 years of the Forestry Commission 6 My Favourite Guides recommend their favourite places to visit 8 A Great Step Forward Sophie Campbell takes us on a tour of Britain’s national parks 16 Legends, Lies and Lore Fact and fiction from British history 18 New Roman Times Marc Zakian looks at how the Romans changed Britain 26 Tour de Force Elizabeth Eastwood, Chair to the Blue Badge Guide Gina Mullett takes us on a Dickensian British Guild of Tourist Guides tour of London 30 Tour de Force A WARM WELCOME Blue Badge Guide Warwick Allen tells us the story of TO ‘THE GUIDE’... Salisbury Cathedral As the new Chairman of the Guild I would 34 My Favourite like to welcome you to the summer edition Guides tell us about their favourite places to visit of The Guide. As the days lengthen and become warmer, many of us will be getting out and about exploring the countryside. If that’s you, then Sophie Campbell’s article on our national parks has lots of tips to help you discover the great natural outdoors: from walks with a pub lunch, to windmill spotting and star gazing. As a St Albans Guide, I have a soft spot for the Romans. Britannia was a distant province 6 8 on the edge of the Roman Empire and would not have been a popular posting for Roman officials. But the remains the Romans left behind never fail to fascinate. People often comment on how the Romans seemed so far ahead of their time – especially their baths and central heating. In this issue we explore what the Romans did for us with our editor Marc Zakian who reveals the origins of the mile and that 18 26 famous Roman plumbing. For our first Tour de Force story we look at Front Cover: Cleveland Way, North Yorkshire Moors Photo: Visit Britain Dickensian London with Blue Badge Guide Gina Mullett leading us on a trail that twists Editor: Marc Zakian Design and print: E: [email protected] MYPEC T: +44 113 257 9646 and turns and takes us from misfortune to W: www.mypec.co.uk fortune. Proof reading: Dave Marshall Display advertising: Our second story features Salisbury Publisher: Andy Bettley T: +44 7846 979625 British Guild of Tourist Guides ©2019 [email protected] Cathedral, one of our greatest buildings. Blue Badge Guide Warwick Allen takes us on a This magazine is produced by the British Guild of Tourist Guides – the national 9 3 tour of the church, which includes not just association for Blue Badge Guides (the highest guiding qualification in Britain.) 4 0 - Magna Carta, but intriguing stories of Email: theguide @blue-badge.org.uk • www.britainsbestguides.org 3 5 0 mysterious rodents! I will leave it to Warwick 2 : N to explain. S S I Have we tempted you? Whatever your interest or destination there is a Guide for you; just visit britainsbestguides.org and ENGLAND LONDON WALES NORTHERN SCOTLAND GREEN BADGE IRELAND explore Britain with Britain’s Best Guides. 3 NEWS History, Culture and Events Suited and Rebooted Ed Glinert, Manchester Green Badge Guide The upstairs and downstairs of Downton Abbey is back, this time with a big screen BRITAIN’S BEST GUIDES film version out this autumn. The movie takes place in 1927, telling the story of George V’s visit to the family home and the problems this causes for a household Blue Badge Tourist Guides are the official, professional tourist guides unprepared to cater for such a distinguished guest. of the United Kingdom – recognised The cast features Hugh Bonneville as the Earl of Grantham and Maggie Smith by the local tourist bodies and as the Dowager Countess. Locations include Highclere Castle, the Carnarvon VisitBritain. There are over 1,000 Blue Badge family home in Hampshire; Brampton in the Cotswolds, which doubles as the Guides in England, Scotland, Wales and Yorkshire village of Downton; and the Beamish Museum in County Durham Northern Ireland – each region and nation which showcases life in rural and industrial north-east England at the turn of has its own badge. They guide in all the UK’s the century. Find a Blue Badge Guide for a tour of these locations at major tourist attractions, as well as its cities britainsbestguides.org and countryside. Green Badge Guides have expert local knowledge of particular towns and cities. White Badge Guides have detailed knowledge of their specific site. TYGER AT THE TATE In 2018 Guild guides ran over 100,000 tours, taking 1.8 million visitors to hundreds of places across Britain British Guild of Tourist Guides is the national association of Britain’s guides. Since its foundation in 1950, the Guild has dedicated itself to raising and maintaining the highest professional standards and meeting our visitors’ needs. Newton – William Blake Our guides work in the UK’s museums, galleries, churches and lead walking, The largest William Blake exhibition in decades comes to London this autumn. Best known for cycling, coach, car and driver-guided tours the words to the anthemic hymn Jerusalem and the poem The Tyger, Blake was also a skilled throughout the country. Our members and prolific artist, never truly recognised in his lifetime. work in over 30 different languages. Tate Britain is exhibiting over 300 original watercolours, paintings and prints – as well as recreating the cramped domestic Soho room where Blake lived and worked. To find out more or to book: Other highlights include his image of Newton – the inspiration for Eduardo Paolozzi’s statue +44 20 7403 1115 outside the British Library – and the miniature painting Ghost of a Flea, painted following a www.britainsbestguides.org séance-induced vision in which the insect spoke to Blake. 4 from around the UK Highclere Castle © Visit Britain Wood You Believe It Forest Live Concert Forest Run To celebrate the centenary, there will be events all around the This year marks the centenary of the Forestry Commission. It was country, including a special garden by Sarah Eberle at the Chelsea founded in September 1919, with a mission to restore the nation’s Flower Show illustrating the importance of protecting the nation’s woods and forests following the First World War. Today it is the woods and forests. There will be 10km runs in locations including country’s largest landowner, looking after over 1,500 forests around Sherwood Forest and the Forest of Dean, and a series of woodland the UK. concerts by artists such as Paul Weller and Tears For Fears. 5 MY FAVOURITE Blue Badge Guides show you their favourite places around the UK ...MARKET Borough Market ...is Borough Market. It’s such a gem, tucked away under railway bridges on London’s busy Southbank. There has been a market here for over a thousand years, but the 21st century version combines the best of British – fish and chips, local beers, English apples – with Portuguese pastry and French cheese. You can imagine Shakespeare visiting the market as we know he was a parishioner at the local church, Southwalk Cathedral – maybe it’s where he came for a glass of excellent wine and fresh oysters. Olga Romano, London Blue Badge Guide, olga_tango @yahoo.com ...CASTLE ...is Stirling Castle. It offers wonderful views to all points of the compass, from the River Forth’s flood plain to the start of the Highlands. Scotland’s nationhood started nearby: at Bannockburn and Stirling Bridge of Braveheart d n a l t fame. Inside the castle there are living quarters and o c S t historic buildings. It’s always a pleasure i s i V to take people here and introduce them to the castle’s © e history – especially its superb Great Hall and Royal Chapel. l t s a C David Tucker, Scottish Blue Badge Tourist Guide g n i dave.tucker @me.com l r e t S Beaulieu ...is the Secret Army Exhibition at Beaulieu Motor Museum in ...EXHIBITION the New Forest. During the Second World War, Beaulieu acted as a secret training ground for undercover agents parachuted into Nazi- occupied France. Its display cases are like Q’s workshop in an early Bond movie with maps hidden in shaving brushes and pistols in cigarette cases. I am fascinated by the people who worked here, including Beaulieu graduate Nancy Wake, one of the Allies’ most highly decorated servicewomen and once the Gestapo’s most wanted person. Richard Madden, South East Blue Badge Guide, www.richardmadden.co.uk 6 ATTRACTIONS • THEATRES • TOUR OPERATORS • COACH COMPANIES • RIVER AND CRUISE LINES • HOTELS • TOURIST OFFICES & MORE! Register now to attend the BIGGEST event for group travel in 2019... an i’ completel fre! 1 0 s t e h & Quick and easy online registration is now open for you to visit n O y c e Britain’s biggest and most important group travel show! With t o K b n ample free parking just outside the Marshall Arena.