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VIRTUAL TOURISM Are tours on the internet the future for blue badge guides?

With restrictions on travel Some organisations have requested resulting from the corona virus London Stories Video that guides do not offer virtual tours lockdown, several APTG of their sites. These are Historic members have been offering Royal Palaces (which includes the virtual tours over the internet to Tower of London) and English their clients and colleagues as Heritage (which maintains well as members of the public. Stonehenge). Therefore, in order to These include Nigel Haynes, maintain good relationships with Amber Tallon, William Harry these bodies, Guide London will not Mitchell, Russell Nash, Vicky be promoting such tours on the Bailey, Karen Pierce-Goulding, website. There is no problem offering Rhys Thomas, Aaron Hunter, virtual tours of open access areas, Fiona Lukas. Rachel Pierson, for example Literary London, The Emma Matthews, Leo Heaton, East End, A Walk through Don Brown, Emily Dell, Simon Westminster or the City of London. Whitehouse, Olga Romano, Furthermore, guides should be Katie Wignall and Patricia Clockwise from top left: APTG members Emily Dell, aware of copyright limitations if they Gentry. Topics covered range Sarah Ciacci, Antony Robbins and Danny Parlour offer virtual tours. Do not simply take who each contributed to the London Stories video. from the Jack the Ripper to an image from the internet and Kew Gardens via The assume you can use it! Any image Changing of the Guard and Royal Love Stories. Several you take outside in a public space can normally be used, but members are also offering virtual tours of some of London’s there may be limits to photographs taken on private property. museums and galleries. Images taken inside a museum, gallery or historic site should not be used without permission. APTG wishes to provide support to members embarking on - or thinking about - this career move. Pepe Martinez, Simon You can normally use Creative Commons licences but make Whitehouse, Nick Salmond and Katie Wignall provided sure you use them properly and give credit if you do so. Works successful training courses for members and tours are being where the author has been dead for more than seventy years advertised and promoted via the Guide London website. The are in public domain but a photograph made of that object in video London Stories featuring Danny Parlour, Antony the last seventy years may still be in copyright. Guides should Robbins, Sarah Ciacci and Emily Dell was produced by not commercialise online tours of a site or attraction unless London and Partners/Visit London to promote London and its they are sure that they have permission to use the images of blue badge guides. You can see it on YouTube at that site in their presentation. youtube/z8el0EKGctY (or search for ‘London Stories’). Good luck to all members starting on this new venture!

BRANCH COUNCIL Also in this issue: Danny Parlour - Chair Aaron Hunter - CPD CHAIR’S LETTER - PAGE 2 Alex Hetherington - Secretary Craig Kao - Technology SAVE OUR STATUES! - PAGE 3 Alfie Talman - Treasurer Edwin Lerner - Guidelines FIRESTONE FELLED - PAGE 4 Tricia Ellis - Sie Liaison Nan Mousley - Membership ENGLAND’S HYMN - PAGE 5 Maria Gartner - CPD Nick Salmond - Marketing LEARIE CONSTANTINE - PAGE 6 Victoria Herriott - PR Amy Wang - Mandarin GO MAKE IT HAPPEN - PAGE 8

ASSOCIATIONASSOCIATION OF OFPROFESSIONAL PROFESSIONAL TOURIST TOURIST GUIDES GUIDES www.guidelondon.org.ukwww.guidelondon.org.uk AugustSeptember 2020 2019 August 2020.qxp 21/07/2020 10:09 Page 3

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LETTER FROM THE CHAIR We are now in the second six months of 2020 and what a year this has been! In the last couple of weeks guiding opportunities have improved a little and we can now confidently guide groups of up to five people whilst working within government guidelines with regards to social distancing as a result of Covid-19. Virtual tours go from strength to strength. I am told that they are particularly popular with U3A groups, art societies and families - especially families that have already experienced a physical tour with the guide - as well as from those guides with a social media following. Thank you to those delivering these virtual wonders which help to promote us and the blue badge at a time when our physical tour options are limited. Once again we have shown how creative and adaptive we are as a community. Around 100 members of APTG have completed the Virtual Tours CPD, which is fantastic. I understand that such tours are not for everyone: we are all unique and work in different ways, speak many languages and guide in different markets. What we all have is a wonderful amount of knowledge - and a smartphone to hand. Looking at the positives, I think that now is a great opportunity for each of us to dedicate some time to marketing ourselves. We may never get as much free time at this time of year again. Fingers crossed we wil be able to provide tours every summer from next year onwards. I would urge everyone to take a moment to follow/like/subscribe to and share all the various Guide London social media channels, if you do not already do this. Scroll to the bottom of the Guide London website and you will find the links: YouTube, Instagram, Twitter, Facebook. Guide London has a Linked In account too. If you cannot find it, message me and I can send you a link personally. This is a simple, free and effective way for us to pormote ourselves and Guide London and make the most of the money that we dedicate to marketing. The Guide London live broadcasts (saved on YouTube) and blog posts (saved on the website) are doing wonders to retain high traffic to our website but we need more members to get involved. If you have any contacts who would be happy to make a recording with us, please contact Nick Salmond at [email protected]. Are you a dab hand at writing? We always need more posts. Contact Anne Pollak first at [email protected] to make sure nobody else is working on the same topic. The guide who writes on a topic/site often gets booked to deliver a tour later on. Blog posts on major sites, food and drink and royalty always prove popular. Thank you for reading and best wishes for your summer ahead. Make the most of it while it lasts, however you plan to do so! Enjoy and be safe. Danny Parlour

WEBSITE TRAFFIC SOCIAL MEDIA LIVE BROADCASTS There were 25,883 unique visitors to the site. Year Over the last three months, there have been 42 to date, website traffic is down by 11%. After broadcasts which reached 281,965 people with removing duplicates, spam, etc, the website 135,183 views, 4,428 likes, 2,333 comments and generated just 34 leads in June. This is well below 931 shares. We have had involvement from sixty last June when we generated 430 leads but it is much better different blue badge tourist guides in these broadcasts. than May when the website achieved only five leads. (Yes, The live broadcasts have now been reduced from three a five - that is not a typo.) Most requests were for virtual tours. week to one a week with the focus on promoting virtual Leads are down by 68% this year so we need to do more tours and showcasing attractions which have reopened. outreach to groups promoting virtual tours. MULTI-LANGUAGE PROJECT: BLOG POSTS We hoped to go live at the end of July and need to ensure that the website launches with as many French guides as Recent blog posts include: possible. Fifty have sent bios already and they need to A Virtual Tour of London wth a BB Guide by Pepe Martinez update their diaries every thirty days. If they do not they will Five Top Battle of Britain Sites to Visit by Ruth Polling not be in the mix for GuideMatch when things pick up and British Dishes Other than Fish and Chips by David Drury an English guide will probably get the lead, which defeats So far we have doubled our blog posts this year. the whole purpose of the project.

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Union news

NEW MEMBERS SAVE OUR STATUES! Carole Hiley (right) Memorials, blue plaques and street Email: [email protected] names are the tools of our trade, the Telephone: 020 89774959 furniture of our open air workplaces. Mobile; 07754 179789 I therefore feel very protective of all Mother tongue: English of them. And I was deeply shocked Other languages: French, Italian by some recent scenes. Should we Jerry Miller remove from textbooks antiquity altogether because Lucy Power (left) the ancient Greeks and Romans used slaves? And stop guiding in the British Museum's Ancient Egypt Email: [email protected] and Assyria rooms for the same reasons? We have Photo Tel: 07391 809046 about 1.5 million Muslims living in London, so should Mother tongue: English we knock down the statue of Richard the Lionheart in front of the Houses of Parliament because he was killing Muslims on the Crusades? More than half a A MESSAGE FROM EILEEN HAUPTMAN million French citizens live here. Should we pull down My warm thanks to the many who have been enquiring about Nelson's column and rename Waterloo station to my health. It is very kind and lovely that so many were thinking make them feel at home? Or smash Napier and of me. It was very thoughtful, particularly when everyone leads Havelock so as not to offend the feelings of London such busy lives. My recovery from a nasty attack of Covid-19 Pakistani and Indian communities? Eventually, will has been very much boosted by the warmth of your messages. only the fourth plinth on Trafalgar Square survive I feel very humbled. intact? I take the opportunity to pay compliments to the many of you, Let's focus for a moment on one monument that who have been so unbelievably full of initiative, motivated with actually was removed recently, the beautiful statue of your varied and interesting ideas to keep the flag flying so that Robert Milligan by Richard Westmacott in front of the Jo public remembers - and is reminded of - their need of and Museum of London in Docklands. I know that the how much they will benefit from being with a fully qualified tourist beauty and historical significance of Westmacott’s guide when visiting. work is irrelevant in this discussion. But I will miss it on my walks in Canary Wharf. Yes, Milligan used You have been fantastically amazing with your energy and slave labour on his sugar plantations in Jamaica. But determination which can only benefit all and lead the way it was not against the law more than 200 years ago. forward. Congratulations. It is encouraging that the years of hard This memorial was not erected because of that, but work from those who contributed, both past and present, that because he made a significant contribution in their efforts have not been in vain putting The Fully Qualified developing the port of London which brought Tourist Guide firmly on the map. prosperity and glory to this country. Judging by what I empathise with the many who must be finding it excruciatingly you will find on the site Topple the Racists difficult, depressing and harrowing having to struggle financially (toppletheracists.org) we BBGs should be worried and to our new guides who have not yet experienced working about the fate of many more monuments that we like as a tourist guide. I wish you the best and to those who are to talk about to our clients. experiencing difficulties, may you find great inner strength. My tourists from ex-Soviet Union countries, where Eileen Rochelle Hauptman. they have had a wave of removing monuments and erecting new ones during the last thirty years, always APTG ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING tell me how much they admire British up-keeping of APTG’s Annual General Meeting will take place on Tuesday 8 tradition. And here we have a Spartacus rebellion December. Details of whether it will be a virtual or ‘real’ meeting undermining the basis of this tradition. I personally will be forwarded later. Please note the date in your diary. would hate to witness a post-Soviet style creation of sculpture cemeteries here in Britain. A few more considerations: I think that memorial THANKS TO GARECH BUTLER AND UNITE toppling crowds are in a sense mimicking what has Many thanks to Garech Butler at College Hill Press and the been happening in the United States although there team at Unite for their efforts in ensuring APTG members is a big difference between these two situations. What received their copy of Guidelines during the lockdown. EL is more, those who are destroying or defacing memorials today should expect that whatever they hold dear could be desecrated by future generations. A MESSAGE FROM THE EDITOR And, finally, any pulling down or renaming should be Jerry Miller’s article (right) represents his personal opinion, not decided in a democratic way by referenda, etc. that of APTG. What do you think? Please let us have your I strongly feel that APTG should clarify its position views. We support the right of all members to express their regarding this question and I may write an open letter opinions and will print all respectful replies. Edwin Lerner to the Mayor of London. Jerry Miller

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FIRESTONE FELLED The demolition of an iconic building forty years ago

This August Bank Holiday is the fortieth Alas, that is not the case for the anniversary of what many consider to be Firestone Factory. The company had the most heinous example of heritage been going through a difficult period destruction in twentieth century London, in the late 1970s and in early 1980 eclipsing even the loss of the Euston Arch the factory was closed with the loss nineteen years earlier. Over the weekend of 1500 jobs. The building was sold of 23/24 August 1980 a demolition team to the Trafalgar House Company run came to Brentford and destroyed the Art by Lord Victor Matthews and Nigel Deco splendour of the Firestone Tyre Broackes. After a lot of negotiation, Factory. The factory was the “jewel in the contracts were finally exchanged on The Firestone Building before it fell crown” of what is known as the Golden (Photograph by Clive Warneford from Wikicommons) Friday 22 August. During the Mile and, although many of the other Art previous week, a Department of the Deco buildings still survive, Firestone was lost, albeit Environment Inspector had visited the factory and had controversially. However, its loss - or perhaps it could be decided to spot-list the building – an emergency procedure to called a martyrdom - was an important milestone in the future protect it from demolition. Unfortunately, no senior Civil of industrial heritage in London. Servant could be found to sign the paperwork before the Like much of London’s suburban expansion the Golden Mile weekend and Trafalgar House arranged for their demolition developed in the interwar years. It is a stretch of the Great team to come in on Saturday 23 August. West Road (A4) opened by King George V and Queen Mary In a previous life I worked with one of the bulldozer drivers in 1925 that cost over £1 million to build. Snaking through and he told me that none of the team wanted to destroy such orchards, fields and market gardens, it became attractive to an iconic building. After discussion with management, who businesses because of good communication links, availability had been called to the site, they were told that they would all of space and a ready supply of labour. The road became a be sacked if they did not carry out the demolition. centre for industry. Many companies, particularly American The demolition shocked local people, who had high regard manufacturers, seeking to get round trade tariffs by building for the building, and also many heritage groups. The loss of UK plants, established facilities and the work of the legendary the Firestone Factory was the first serious case for the Art Deco specialists Wallis, Gilbert and Partners still looms recently formed Twentieth Century Society. The outrage at its large. The buildings were spectacular advertisements drawing loss galvanised support for their aim of the protection of crowds, particularly at Christmas, with wonderful displays. twentieth century buildings and led directly to the listing of 150 From the Chiswick Roundabout to Syon Lane a series of inter-war buildings, including Battersea Power Station. buildings culminates in the factory that gave the junction its name – Gillette Corner. Beyond Syon Lane, land use changes to residential as that land was owned by the Church All that Commissioners who refused to allow industrial development remains of the on it. It is not without interest as the road is lined with sewer original gas destructor lamp posts and is also the location of the Firestone church like tower of Osterley Station, the work of the brilliant Building Charles Holden and Stanley Heaps who were responsible for so many of the 1930s London Underground stations. Still surviving on the Golden Mile is the Barratt Building Today, all that is left of the Firestone Building are the (aka Wallis House) which was pedestrian gates, a couple of lamps and fence posts. named after the architect and Incredibly in 2004, approval was given for the demolition of has now been converted into the gatehouse to make way for additional parking. The gates residential blocks, Also on the are now on display in the Museum of London. As guides, we same side are the former Pyrene Fire Extinguisher Factory get a fleeting look at the Golden Mile as we speed to Windsor and Currys, restored by Foster and Partners and now JC and Bath on the M4 but, to get a taste of how the Firestone Decaux. A little further along is what was the Coty Cosmetics Building looked, we have to go a few miles north to see the Factory which is now the BMI Syon Clinic (above). The other great work by Wallis, Gilbert and Partners. It is five miles Golden Mile ends with the imposing brickwork of the Gillette out of London on the Western Avenue and, as Elvis Costello Factory designed by Sir Bannister Flight Fletcher. Gillette reminded us, I am talking about the splendour of the Hoover relocated production to Poland in 2006 but the building, like Factory. I know that you would like it if you see it too. all those mentioned, has survived and is listed. Steve Szymanski (who also took the photographs)

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guiding news ENGLAND’S HYMN The birth of the song ‘Jerusalem’ a hundred years ago

William Blake’s poem Jerusalem is always sung by the audience as a hymn on the Last Night of the Proms at the Royal Albert The plaque Hall. The poem, which is part of a larger work on Milton, was little and house in known until the then Poet Laureate Robert Bridges asked Hubert Sussex where Parry to set it to music in 1916. Bridges, who helped popularise Parry lived the poetry of his friend Gerald Manley Hopkins, felt that a when he wrote the patriotic song was needed to lift the morale of the English. music to accompany Blake’s poem

Although the composition of the poem and its musical setting are separated by over a hundred years, they were created within ten miles of each other as Parry lived in nearby Rustington when he wrote the music. He died two years later in 1918 during the so- called ‘Spanish flu’ outbreak. Parry had given permission for the song to be sung by campaigners for female suffrage, which he supported, and the song was later taken up by the Women’s Institute after women were given full voting equality in 1928. Most visitors to England will know Jerusalem from the popular film and play Calendar Girls, which is based on the true story of how a Women’s Institute group in Yorkshire raised money for a cancer ward by producing a calendar showing themselves naked but with strategically placed items tactfully concealing their nudity. The phrase ‘chariots of fire’ also comes from the poem Blake’s cottage in Felpham, where he wrote ‘Jerusalem’ and was the title of the Oscar-winning film about the British team Blake had composed Jerusalem whilst living in the village of that went to Paris for the 1924 Olympics. Felpham in West Sussex. He was given a house there by his The most famous lines from the poem, however, are ‘dark patron William Hayley, who wanted Blake to illustrate his own satanic mills’ and ‘England’s green and pleasant land’. Blake poems. The cottage in which Blake lived with his wife Catherine, wrote it in a rural Sussex village but, following an argument with one of only two of his houses that survive, is being converted a local soldier called John Scofield and a trial for sedition, he and into a study centre after an anonymous half million pound Catherine packed their bags and headed back to London after donation to the restoration fund set up to honour the memory of three years at Felpham. In truth, Blake felt far more at home this talented but dfficult poet and artist. amongst the dark stanic mills than he did in the green and pleasant land which he did so much to celebrate.

Memorial plaques to All that is left of Blake in Blake’s house Felpham in Lambeth - a housing estate named after him In the poem Blake wonders if the young Jesus came to England carried on the back of Joseph of Arimathea as he travelled through the country. This is a popular legend but there is no documentary evidence that it ever happened. Joseph is said to have built the first Christian church in England on the site of what Blake died in 1827 and was buried in Bunhill Fields amongst later became Glastonbury Abbey and to have buried the Holy other non-conformists like the hymn writer James Watt and the Grail, the vessel used by Christ in the Last Supper, there. You writer Daniel Defoe. Parry, always more of an establishment can see the site of the supposed grave of King Arthur, who is figure, was buried in nearby Saint Paul’s Cathedral. indeliby associated with the grail legend, at the ruined abbey of Glastonbury, about an hour’s drive from Bath. Edwin Lerner (who also took the photographs)

A talk I gave on this subject can be seen on YouTube. Go to youtube.com and search for ‘Jerusalem Edwin Lerner’. EL

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guiding news

CONSTANTINE THE CRICKETER Angela Morgan introduces Learie Constantine, who went from Lord’s to the House of Lords

Most visitors to Lord’s Cricket Ground enter He played for Nelson until 1937 and through the W G Grace Memorial Gates, retired from professional cricket in unveiled in 1923. In that same year, Learie 1939, but was later called upon to play Constantine entered Lord’s for the first time as occasional matches. His focus was a a member of the West Indies Cricket Team. new career in law and he was called to Though Constantine and Grace would not the bar at Middle Temple in 1954. have met, they were connected by Learie’s Despite his high-profile cricketing father, LeBrun Constantine, a member of the career, he still experienced prejudice. In West Indies team that came to Britain in 1900. 1943 he was in London to play in a One of theirSubway matches at Crystdal was against Palace a London charity matchYork andUniversity had booked Campus rooms in County Xl captained by Grace. (The West a hotel in central London. On arrival he Indies lost by 198 runs.) was refused accommodation and had Learie Nicholson Constantine, known to APTG member Steve Szymanski at Lord’s no alternative but to resort to legal friends as “Connie”, was born in Trinidad, to a action. As there was no law against lower middle-class family. His father was an overseer on a racial discrimination, Learie had to rely on the grounds that cocoa estate, one of the first free generations of Blacks in there had been a breach of contract. He won his case and was Trinidad, so he was the great-grandson and grandson of awarded token damages of five guineas. He dedcated the rest slaves. He was named after an Irishman called O’Leary whom of his life to challenging racial prejudice and discrimination. his father met during his first tour of England in 1900. Learie The 1960’s proved to be a busy time for Learie Constantine was introduced to cricket at an early age – at three years old and every step of the way he was making Black British History: he would be seen outside of his home, bat in hand asking 1961 - Appointed High Commissioner for Trinidad and Tobago passers-by to bowl with him. 1962 - Knighted - he is now Sir Learie His performance in the 1923 West Indies team was noted by an influential cricketing hero Pelham Warner who wrote that: 1963 - The surprised guest on This is Your Life “Constantine has not set the Thames on fire but he hasn’t tried 1963 - Honorary Bencher, Middle Temple to.” I think it was a compliment! 1965 - Founder of the Sports Council Unlike Grace, who earned lots of 1967 - First black Rector of St Andrews University, Scotland money playing for various teams 1967 - Member of the Race Relations Board and doing guest appearances, 1968 - Appointed to the BBC as a governor earning money as an amateur in the Caribbean was virtually 1969 - First black Peer to sit in the Lords as Baron Constantine. impossible for Learie. Despite his As a retired cricketer he would be cricketing talent, it was difficult for invited to play in charity matches. On him to become a professional one occasion Learie was hit on the pad player. Racial prejudice, but the umpire called ‘Not out’. Learie colourism and colonial attitudes said to the umpire ‘It was a bit close?’ Constantine the cricketer influenced island life including The umpire tells him that he was out sport. Black players, if they were chosen to join the national but it was his job to keep him playing team, could not always meet travel costs and expenses - or be for the benefit of the crowd! assured of having a job when they returned. In 1928, when on After a long illness, Learie died in July a trip to England with the West Indies, Learie made the crucial 1971. His body was flown to Trinidad decision to stay behind and seek a professional contract. and buried in Arouca. He received a His performance in the 1928 match at Lord’s against Middlesex state funeral with a nineteen gun County displayed his power as a batsman. He was likened to salute.Trinidad posthumously awarded Constantine in ‘civvies’ a blacksmith as a bowler, the Press referring to him as the him its highest honour the Trinity Cross and a memorial service “Coloured Catapult”. He accepted an offer to play professional was held at Westminster Abbey. cricket and joined the Nelson Cricket Team in the Lancashire Learie Constantine - a black cricketer who played at Lord’s and League with a contract for £500 a season plus bonuses. This ended up sitting in the House of Lords. What an achievement! made him the highest paid sports player in the country. Angela Morgan (Constantine photos from Wikicommons)

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guiding news

NEW SITE NEAR STONEHENGE GUIDING LIGHTS IN SCOTLAND A new book tells the story of the Scottish Tourist Guides Association from 1959 to 2019. Over the past sixty years the association has trained hundreds of tourist guides and today it has more than 500 members. The book has been written by A ring of shafts has been unearthed near Stonehenge. Tests Scottish Blue Badge Guide Alasdair suggest they date from 4,500 years ago and may have been Northrop (right). a boundary to a sacred area connected to the henge. The 1.2 Among the interesting tales in the book is one about how a mile circle of large shafts measuring more than thirty feet in guide took Prince Edward and his friends on an incognito tour diameter and fifteen feet in depth are larger than any of Edinburgh Castle where the Royal family member queued comparable prehistoric monument in Britain. Because of their with everyone else to see the Crown jewels. Another guide discovery the proposed tunnel near the site is further delayed. tells how she was about to visit Dunvegan Castle when one of

her guests revealed that she had been invited to tea with the CHIPS WITH EVERYTHING Countess of Sutherland just as they were arriving. One of the YouGov asked BritIsh what they think are the best sides or funniest stories relates how, when trainee guides were on a sauces to have with chips from the fish and chip shop. Salt practice tour, a lecturer took them up a single track road to reigns supreme with 80%, compared to 69% who also said see a geological feature and discovered that there was vinegar. Londoners are the biggest fans of mayo with their nowhere for the coach to turn around. It had to reverse two chips (28%) whereas those in the Midlands and Wales prefer miles back up the road! theirs with curry sauce (32%). Scottish guides have played a major role in the World

Federation of Tourist Guides Associations (WFTGA). Blue TIPPING POINT badge guide Jane Orde attended its formation meeting and YouGov also polled people on their tipping habits. We are became president in 1987. As president Jane encouraged most likely to tip when dining out in restaurants. A third (35%) professional training for guides and promoted International say they ‘always’ leave a tip, and 28% ‘often’ do. Only 5% of Tourist Guide Day. Another Scottish guide Ros Newlands also Brits say they ‘never’ leave a tip for waiters or waitresses while became WFTGA president and was awarded an OBE in 2010. 10% ask for the service charge to be removed from the bill. She was involved with the setting up of the definition of a Older people are most likely to tip with 41% of Brits over the tourist guide for the EU. age of 55 ‘always’ doing so, compared to 19% of 18 to 24 Guiding Lights: A History of the Scottish Tourist Guides year-olds. Over a quarter (29%) of the public tip when they Association 1959-2019 is available as a digital book on get a haircut but men are less likely to tip their barbers, despite Amazon at £15.99, all royalties going to STGA. However, paying less for haircuts than women. Tips for tourist guides APTG members can buy it as an ebook on an easy to read flip were not included in the survey. format directly from Alasdair for just £5 a copy. If you wish to buy the ebook email: [email protected]. CHANGES TO PROPOSED 999 MEMORIAL There are plans print the book but they need a minimum order of 75 copies. More on Alasdair at caledoniatours.co.uk. Changes have been made to the design of a proposed memorial to honour the two THEATRES REOPEN WITH THE MOUSETRAP million people who work in Members have been the emergency services. receiving regular updates Sculptor Philip Jackson, via email as attractions whose previous work reopen following the includes that of the Queen lockdown. The first major Mother in the Mall, will now west end play to start again include an NHS worker will be Agatha Christie’s The wearing a visor to reflect Mousetrap which is due to their contribution during the restart on 23 October with coronavirus outbreak, socially distanced seating, audiences limited to 200, paperless during which over 180 NHS ticketing and no group bookings until further notice. Copyright; Tom Scholes Fogg staff have died. The Thanks to him for permission The Mousetrap opened in November 1952 and, since then it to reproduce this photograph campaign to erect a ‘999 Memorial’ is headed by Tom has been performed over 26,000 times, making it by far the Scholes-Fogg and has the support of Prince William. It aims longest-running play in the history of theatre. Agatha Christie to raise over £3 million to erect a twenty foot high monument sold the film rights on condition that no film would be made in central London. (Go to: nesm.org.uk to donate.) until the play closed: no sign of that yet.

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GO MAKE IT HAPPEN! Danny Parlour writes on how GMIH helped him gain his blue badge

The charity Go Make It Happen From left: Danny Parlour (2014-2016) has supported several trainees Dominic Burris-North (2014-2016) on the London Blue Badge Denisa Podhrazska (2012-2014) course in recent years. Marija Legonkova (2012-2014), Photograph: ©Tina Engström Xiao Yu (2013-2015) and Rob Quail (2013-2015).

Go Make It Happen (GMIH) is a Having regular meet-ups each year charity that helps young people build careers in the travel with beneficiaries, old and new, was and continues to be and tourism profession and has given assistance to many invaluable too. Now as a full-time guide, the tables have blue badge guides. turned and I find myself being the one often giving advice I was lucky enough to receive support from GMIH in 2014, and sharing my knowledge to new beneficiaries starting the shortly after gaining a place on the coveted London blue course. badge training course. I think many people believe that the Keith set up the charity to continue the legacy of his son main support from GMIH is financial but that is just not the Sam Harding, who was tragically killed in a road accident case. It is an important part but its support goes much when cycling on 6 August 2011. He is passionate about further. tourism and about giving young people an opportunity to The £1,000 grant from GMIH made a huge difference to gain a qualification in the industry. For most beneficiaries me. Without it I may have never been able to afford a place the qualification most sought-after is the blue badge. Keith on the course. At the time I had looked at and borrowed thinks it is a shame that many young people are taken from every avenue possible, in part to support living costs advantage of as they are encouraged to work for free, be it in London but mostly to pay for the remainder of the London as part of an internship or to enter their ideas as a training course. competition. The struggle as a young, non-professional person living in I am eternally grateful to GMIH and will continue to support London (not at home with the parents) is real. Back then I them. I hope you are able to do so too as they are doing was working for Historic Royal Palaces as Front of House, great work which benefits the entire guiding community. I a good employer that I believe pays more than any other believe that having a diversity of guides from all age groups heritage organisation in the city, but I was still not able to is key to the success of our profession. live off my salary comfortably. If you are able to make a donation please go to: justgiving.com/gomakeithappen. The financial help from the charity gave me some financial 3 Savile Row breathing space but their greatest support was the advice Alternatively contact Keith Harding directly and find out if given by Keith Harding, who founded and runs GMIH, and there is any other way you can help. by the many other beneficiaries from the organisation. Keith Danny Parlour was always on hand to assist us and/or put us in touch with this or that person creating many networking opportunities. (GMIH was a beneficiary of the recent APTG quiz.)

This article first appeared in the Institute of Tourist Guiding magazine Communique. We are grateful to the Institute and Communique editors for permission to reprint it.

Thanks to: Augusta Harris, Jerry Miller, Angela Morgan, Alasdair Northrop, Danny Parlour, Steve Szymanski and all other contributors

APTG, 128 Theobald's Road, We LOVE getting material from members. Guidelines is your monthly magazine and London WC1X 8TN it is the way we communicate with each other through the medium of hard copy. We Switchboard: 020 7611 2500 welcome articles and photos from members but contributions may be held over and Direct line: 020 7611 2545 we reserve the right to edit them. Images should be high resolution – 300 ppi. [email protected] Editor: Edwin Lerner Please submit all copy and images for the next edition by email to [email protected] by 15 August for inclusion in the next issue. (JN8627) HB131218