UNITE THE UNION FOR YOU GUIDELINESGUIDELINES APTG MEMBERS HAVE THEIR SAY WEBSITE LEADS SURVEY Many thanks to all those members who responded to our recent Website Leads Survey covering leads received during 2017. In total, Seventy two members completed the survey, which is about 13-14% of the membership, a figure we hope will grow in future surveys. Less than 2% said they had never had a lead from the website, whilst the majority received between one and fifty Leads. 18% had received more than fifty leads, which is pretty impressive. Not surprisingly, the majority of leads are for English-speaking guides, but we hope to increase the range of languages requested as we work to improve the website. The vast majority of enquiries are coming from individual customers and not tour operators, clearly an opportunity for us to increase the latter’s awareness of the site. Just under 80% of those who got leads converted at least one to a paid job, whilst some Guides managed to convert over twenty into jobs. For the majority of those who responded (78%), the site generates an income up to £2,000, about a fifth are earning between £2,000 and £5,000 and some guides are securing tours worth over £5,000 a year from the website. About 30% of those who confirmed tours recruited other guides to help deliver the tour, mostly just a handful, but on two occasions eight and ten guides respectively, which is a pretty good knock-on benefit of the site. Added to which, just over a quarter of guides had repeat business from clients through the John Donald out of uniform website, and some now have regular contracts. In terms of the improvements members would like to see, there were lots of good suggestions, and during the autumn we will work through everything and look for ways to improve it, in particular the GuideMatch functionality. We continue to market the site heavily through social media campaigns and are currently achieving a whopping average of 20,000 visitors a month. If you are keen to win work through the site, please ensure your profile and photo are up-to-date and you regularly update your availability, as the site gives preference to those who have most recently updated. Thanks again to all those who participated in the survey – we appreciate your time. Ruth Rossington, Marketing Working Group

FEES BALLOT Also in this issue: The members’ fees ballot accepted the recommended increase of three per cent. Therefore, the minimum fee for guiding in English in 2019/20 will be: CHAIR’S LETTER – PAGE 2 £278 for a full day and £170 for a half day. WHAT DID SHAKESPEARE LOOK LIKE – PAGE 4 The recommended minimum fee for guiding in a foreign language will be: LONDON’S NEW ELECTRIC TAXI – PAGE 7 £311 for a full day and £196 for a half day. LIFE IN THE FAST AND SLOW LANES – PAGE 8 The recommended fees for overtime and unsocial hours will also rise by three per cent.

ASSOCIATION OF PROFESSIONAL TOURIST GUIDES www.guidelondon.org.uk September 2018 Union news

Chair preparing for a Battle of Britain tour BRANCH COUNCIL LETTER FROM Nick Hancock (Chair) Ruth Polling (Secretary) THE CHAIR Alfie Talman (Treasurer) I believe in karma. I think that what goes around comes around, that sometime and somewhere Steve Szymanski (Vice Chair) people will reap the rewards of their actions. “Pay it Forward” is sometimes used by our more cosmic American friends, as they make an introduction or carry out some other act of kindness Angela Morgan (Marketing) without any realistic likelihood of payback. It is something that is an integral part of the guiding Danny Parlour (Site Liaison) community and APTG . Ruth Rossington (Website) Whilst we are all self-employed, we are a small but self-aware community. We help each other, Alex Hetherington (CPD) pass on jobs, share updates and information selflessly. By keeping an eye out for fellow guides, being aware of their needs as well as those of our own groups, we can move them and us Sue Hadley (CPD) effortlessly around London. By being considerate to the various and varying entry conditions Dominic Burris-North (Events) we are true ambassadors both for London and for the Tower, Abbey or British Museum. This is something we can all take pride in. It is why only we maintain our privileged guiding rights. Liz Rubenstein (Fees) It is now the tail end of a hugely busy season and I hope that you are looking back with happy Anne Marie Walker (Membership) memories remembering the individuals and groups that we have entranced with the wonder of London. We have announced our fee increase for 2019-20. It is 3% and was achieved by debate at a Members’ Open Meeting and then by balloting every member . We are a members’ organisation and this gave every member not only the opportunity to speak and be heard, but Ruth Polling also to vote. We should be proud of this level of active involvement . Ruth is APTG Secretary and We should also take pride in the way that the APTG Branch Council is working to support APTG takes the minutes of meetings Guides The new Members Area is a treasure trove of useful information. Site Liaison updates of both the Branch Council sit alongside the rules and regulations of every venue that we regularly guide at. It is easy to access and does not open you up to public ridicule as the hundredth person to ask the same and at the Members’ Open Meetings. question on BB Colleagues. There is also a chance to update your availability and get new She also asks the questions at the annual job opportunities. Thanks to another initiative by Branch Council you will also see APTG APTG Quiz Nigh colleagues guiding on the DLR this summer We are guiding on foot, by coach and now by train! Our aim was to get more work for members - these are just two of the ways that we have delivered just that. Nick

A TRIBUTE TO LAY GAIK UNE POLAING All who came into contact with Lay Gaik know that she was incredibly kind, thoughtful, generous and loving; with a sweet and radiant smile and a sense of honour and integrity that ran through everything she did. She would often be seen whisking a homeless person into a café or fast food chain in order to ensure that they were getting something to eat. Lay Gaik was born in 1961 (the year of the ox) in Penang, Malaysia into a large and loving family that numbered nine children. Her sense of fun and selfless nature meant that she readily made friends. She was a proud Malaysian but also an adept linguist who spoke seven languages. Lay Gaik came to Britain in 1992 and soon gained a place on the blue badge course, her potential quickly recognised by Katrine Prince. She was a keen supporter of CPD events and was always taking meticulous notes in galleries and museums. Her passion made tour groups hold her in such affection that visitors returned again and again to have Lay Gaik as their guide. From the funeral eulogy by Martin Polaine (Lay Gaik’s husband) NEXT MEETING The next Members’ Open Meeting is on Tuesday 11 September, 6:30 at the Unite Office. PRE MEETING TALK The next Members’ Meeting will be preceded by a talk by Keith Hanson, former Yeoman Warder and Chief Exhibitor of the Crown Jewels, who will give a talk about the Crown Jewels. After a thirty year career in the army Keith worked for Citroen as a service manager for two years and became a Yeoman Warder in 1997.

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He was promoted to become the Chief Exhibitor and was primarily responsible for the security and presentation of the Crown Jewels and The White Tower. Keith became well known for his all-encompassing knowledge of the collection and an inimitable presentation style, which was enjoyed by many visitors. In 2004 Keith became a member of the Queen's Bodyguard of the Yeoman of the Guard, a role that ran alongside his position as Chief Exhibitor. He retired in 2017 but maintained his Royal links through the Bodyguard and gives talks to groups, societies and cruise ships. This will be a thirty five minute talk starting at 5:45 pm in the Diskus Suite, Unite. There will be a short interval before the Members’ Meeting starts at 6:30 pm. If you wish to hear the talk please arrive promptly so that Keith is not interrupted. Dominic Burris-North

WINDSOR AND ETON ENDORSEMENT COURSE The next Windsor and Eton course will take place on 18 - 20 and 22 February. The course will include tours of the Royal Kitchens, State Apartments, Royal Library, behind the scenes at St. George’s Chapel, walking tours of Windsor Town and Eton, Eton College and a coach tour of the Runnymede Memorials, Windsor Great Park, Savill and Valley Gardens and Cumberland Lodge. A written examination will take place on the afternoon of 2 March.with successful candidates gaining the Windsor and Eton Endorsement. The course fee is £300. For further information and an application form contact Barbara Askew at The Firs, Farthing Green Lane, Stoke Poges, Bucks, SL2 4JQ Email: [email protected] Application deadline: 31 October 2018

CONTINUING PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT What a summer! Everyone appears to have been pretty busy. So spare a thought for your hard-working CPD Committee who have been paddling beneath the waves to put together some interesting and useful events for the forthcoming autumn/winter programme. We are now finalising details: be prepared for a wide range of subjects from coach refreshers to tours of places we often pass but don't get to see inside. We will be trialling a new booking system via Eventbrite, details of which will be in your October mailing and on the members’ page of the website. I hope as many of you as possible are able to take advantage of this enhancement to your professional skills, and enjoy some good Blue Badge company at the same time! Sue Hadley, CPD Chair

GUIDELONDON There were 21,205 unique visitors in July - the fifth consecutive month with over 20,000! * 374 leads generated with the most via the individual tour pages. This figure is strong but year to date growth is now only 4% due to the missing week of data in March and changes last month on the Westminster Abbey website and their promotion of Verger-guided tours. We are now off by about 225+ leads. On a positive note, the Guide London website in July generated at least one GuideMatch lead for 38 of the 44 tours we are currently promoting on the website. We have to continue generating awareness and buzz for lesser known tours. * Top five tours requested via GuideMatch: 1. Tower of London Tour - 42 leads 5. Churchill War Rooms Tour - 6 leads 2. Westminster Abbey Tour - 18 leads 5. Legal London Tour - 6 leads 3. Classic London Tour - 11 leads 5. London Architecture Tour - Modern & Contemporary - 6 leads 4. Windsor Castle Tour - 10 leads 5. Royal London Tour - 6 leads One New Blog Post: Visiting The Postal Museum In London As the number of new blog posts has fallen off during the busy period, I have worked on Search Engine Optimization for existing content. This means making minor tweaks existing blog posts so that it is more search engine friendly. I have also been working on the Guide London Pinterest account. Most consider Pinterest a social media network but it operates like a search engine with over two billion monthly searches; only Google generates more search traffic. To get some of the Pinterest search traffic directed towards the Guide London website, I have been creating shareable pins for popular blog posts on the website. I will ultimately create one for all ten top posts as well as others that are evergreen. I have been asked about the value of leads being generated. To date is around £578,000 - but keep in mind, this is a vanity metric. What really matters is conversion into paid jobs and, while we have some projections, the data will only get better once we get the guides who are receiving leads to provide consistent feedback (see Ruth Rossington’s article on page one). Ursula Petula Barzey

ASSOCIATION OF PROFESSIONAL TOURIST GUIDES www.guidelondon.org.uk 3 guiding news

WESTMINSTER ABBEY Please do not guide in the North Ambulatory! Marshals will be policing the area to prevent blockages. The Abbey also ask that guides keep their stop at Scientists` Corner brief, especially at Hawking and Newton. If you wish to extend your commentary move your group to the space in front of Stanhope on the south side of the screen. Judy Pulley, Ian Godfrey FACES OF THE BARD What did Shakespeare look like?

The only definite images of are the image on the of his plays and the portrait bust above his grave, which his widow Anne Hathaway supposedly said was a good likeness of him, while others have compared it to that a prosperous pork butcher.

The Droeshout There were two Martin Droeshouts in a family of Dutch engravers. This portrait, which appears on the frontispiece of the First Folio of Shakespeare’s plays published in 1623 (seven years after his death), is generally thought to be by the younger Martin. It is not well-regarded as a work of art but was said by Ben Jonson to be a fair likeness. Status: definite

The Droeshout Engraving

The Stratford Bust The other undisputed image of William Shakespeare was also by a Dutch artist, Gerard Johnson (originally Janssen) who may have known the writer, as the family workshop was close to the Globe Theatre. The monument, made from Cotswold marble, is mentioned in the introduction to the First Folio so must have been completed by 1623. Status: definite

The Stratford Bust

The Chandos Painting This was the first painting acquired by the National Portrait Gallery, donated by the Duke of Chandos in 1856 when it was founded. Probably painted in the early 1600s by John (or Joseph) Taylor it may once have belonged to William Davenant, a playwright and poet rumoured to be Shakespeare’s natural son. The portrait has never been definitively identified as Shakespeare and is assumed to be him only because of its likeness. Note the raffish earring Status: Probable but not proven The (by permission of NPG).

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The Cobbe and Jansen Portraits This painting, on view at New Place in Stratford, has been identified as one of Shakespeare by the Birthplace Trust. It belonged to the Anglo-Irish Cobbe family and may have been painted from life – although some scholars say that it actually portrays Sir Thomas Overbury. A version of this portrait by Cronelis Janssen belongs to the Shakespeare Folger Library of Washington DC, although the distinctive receding hairline was painted on later. Status: possible

The Cobbe portrait at New Place

The Grafton and Sanders Portraits These are portraits of men made during Shakespeare’s lifetime which have been identified as him. There is no further evidence that they are, although the Sanders is traditionally attributed to John or Thomas Sanders, who may have been a scene painter for Shakespeare’s company. Status: doubtful

Sanders Grafton

The Soest Painting This portrait – admired by many – was painted at least thirty years after Shakespeare died, possibly after the theatres reopened following the Restoration, by yet another Dutch artist Gerard Soest. It was owned by Joseph Wright, an artist who lived in Covent Garden and it now belongs to the Shakespeare Birthplace Trust. Status: definite but not from life

The Old Twenty Pound Note/Garrick statue These are probably the best known images of Shakespeare based on a statue modelled by the actor-manager David Garrick, who did so much to re-popularise Shakespeare in the 1700s. Garrick was the first actor to be buried in Westminster Abbey, beneath the statue of him posing as Shakespeare. A copy of this is in the British Library, having been moved from the British Museum when the Library was built twenty years ago. This image of the bard was used on the series D £20 note from 1970 to 1993 together with a picture of Romeo and Juliet. Shakespeare was succeeded by Michael Faraday, then Edward Elgar. In 2020, the artist JMW Turner will be on the new plastic £20 note. Status: definite but not from life

Edwin Lerner

ASSOCIATION OF PROFESSIONAL TOURIST GUIDES www.guidelondon.org.uk 5 guiding news

NPG PAINTINGS GOING HOME In a new initiative the national Portrait Gallery is lending portraits of major figures in its collection to museums in the area they come from. A portrait of David Hockney will go to the Cartwright Hall Gallery in his home town of Bradford, while Sir Thomas Lawrence’s unfinished portrait of slavery abolitionist William Wilberforce will go to the Ferens Art Gallery in Hull, while Tracey Emin’s death mask will be sent to Margate, where she grew up, and Kate Peters’ photographic portrait of Jessica Ennis-Hill will go to Sheffield.

V & A NUMBERS UP THE RANGER’S HOUSE, GREENWICH The Victoria and Albert Museum and its English Heritage has reopened the Ranger’s House in Greenwich until the end of September. The satellites, Blythe House and the Museum museum features the collection of the diamond merchant Sir Julius Wernher, who liked to collect of Childhood, welcomed 4.4 million visitor ‘beautiful ugly’ pieces such as a 500 year old ivory carving of a woman which shows her as a skeleton last year, an increase of a quarter. on the reverse. The house, originally the home of the Greenwich Park Ranger, is open from Sunday to Wednesday and is also available for private functions. The museum’s director Nicholas Coleridge described the increase as ‘phenomenal’ and attributed the increase to a new, less intimidating entrance in Exhibition Road LONDON’S UNDERGROUND RAILWAY and the interest generated by the London’s only finalist in the Museum of the Year was the National Postal Museum. Visitors can view Pink Floyd exhibition. early pillar boxes (originally coloured green) and vehicles used by Royal Mail such as a Post Bus which The V&A opened a new £55 million porce- combined collecting and delivering mail with ferrying passengers in remote areas. lain-tiled entrance last June designed by They can also see – but not use – pistols Amanda Levete. which those carrying the mail were allowed to Other museums such as the BM, however, carry to protect them from robbers as well as have fared less well and have been holding early stamps such as the Penny Black, which crisis talks to determine the reason for always showed Queen Victoria as a teenager falling visitor numbers. even in her later years. The highlight of a visit, however, is a ride on the underground train which ferried mail around London until fifteen years ago when it was closed down as email overtook snail mail. THE LAST TSAR A new exhibition at the Science Museum LOOTED ARTEFACTS RETURNED looks at the lives of the Romanovs, the last imperial rulers of Russia who ruled a sixth of The British Museum returned eight items looted from Iraq following the fall of Saddam Hussein in 2003. the world but were killed by revolutionaries The objects were recovered by police from a now defunct art dealership in London and later presented 100 years ago. to the Iraqi Embassy. The Last Tsar, from 21 September until next BM director Hartwig Fischer said they were “committed to the fight against illicit trade and damage to March, is free – but booking is required. cultural heritage”. There is, however, no indication that the museum plans to return the Parthenon Marbles to Greece.

POWER RANGES Low carbon power generation is increasing so rapidly that it now accounts for nearly half of Britain’s electricity. Coal, meanwhile, has declined from nearly a quarter to under ten per cent in just three years and 21 April 2017 was the first day that the UK generated no electricity from coal since the industrial revolution. Full breakdown for 2016, the latest year for which statistics are available: 47% - low carbon; 42% - gas; 9% coal; 2% - other.

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LEVC - LONDON’S NEW TAXI The world’s most advanced electric taxi the TX LEVC can now be seen on the streets of London. LEVCs are designed to turn between two walls 8.5 metres apart and are equipped with the most advanced safety features available, on-board wifi and wheelchair accessibility. Passengers can also power their laptops and mobiles with on-board chargers. Courtesy of LEVC The new taxis are made in Britain and their manufacture is expected to provide a thousand new jobs.

BOAT DWELLERS CAST ADRIFT It is estimated that around 15,000 people live on boats in UK, many of them in London because of rising property prices. Boat-dwellers, however, are now being faced with mooring increases which are higher than the total Council Tax bills of flat and house dwellers with some being asked to pay 80-90% more. A fifty foot boat would cost around £10,000 a year to moor in Chelsea, £6,500 in Docklands with additional costs for maintenance and licences.

SMOKING STATS 15% of Brits smoke and this is dropping fast. One in four manual workers smoke while only one in ten in management or professional jobs do so. The figure for 18-24 year olds is 18%.

A NEW STONE AND EXHIBITION FOR WILLIAM BLAKE A new gravestone for the poet-artist was unveiled at Bunhill Fields by Philip Pullman, President of the Blake Society, whose own work is influenced by the prominent dissenter. Blake was buried there in obscurity in 1827 and the exact spot of his burial was identified by two Portuguese admirers Carol and Luis Garrido after two years of research. A new exhibition next year will focus on the work of Blake as an artist. With around 300 works, including his watercolours, paintings and prints, the exhibition will examine his relationship with the art world of his time and allow visitors to see his works as he wished them to be seen. (Tate Britain from September 2019 to February 2020.)

PRESIDENT TO BE DEPOSED? HMS President, the UK’s last remaining submarine hunter from the First World War is facing the prospect of being scrapped after its preservation trust failed in its bid to secure funding for its restoration. Head of the trust Paul Williams said it would be a “travesty” if the ship was lost an called for the Chancellor of the Exchequer to provide funds to save the ship.

ASSOCIATION OF PROFESSIONAL TOURIST GUIDES www.guidelondon.org.uk 7 VICKI BICK EXPERIENCES LIFE IN THE FAST AND SLOW LANES

I am not talking about getting a coach through town while England plays in a World Cup match, or the opposite, which alas we know so well, thanks to London's misguided town planners. Try whizzing through the air on a zip wire, a stone's throw from Parliament! Last year, for a celebratory birthday treat, I booked my daughter and myself on a crazy thrill ride in Lambeth's Archbishop's Park. Our courage was not boosted on hearing that they had delayed opening it by a couple of months due to “ safety issues”. First, we were helped to clamber into the complicated array of straps, girdles, braces and hard hats. Second, we were instructed what to do and how it would all work. Do not be too worried when you heat a loud “snap”. Just remember to duck as the braking mechanism kicks in. A nervous walk across the park to the ten storey tower (which looked as if it was made of Meccano) and a slow ascent in all the heavy gear as part of the condemned chain gang. At the top my daughter suddenly looked very worried as we waited our turn to jump. Courtesy of Zip Now She did not much like the swaying movement of the tower. Two of you go at the same time side by side, helped to descend the two steps taking you off the platform – and then you are above the treetops, nothing directly below you as you pass the point of no return. A quick glance of encouragement to each other, then there's only one thing left to do - scream! It is wonderfully exhilarating for a few seconds, followed by a mix of sadness and massive relief as you are helped to clamber back onto another platform above base camp. The promised views of Parliament are a bit of a stretch, but the excitement and beauty of the ride were well worth the price. The slow lane experience came via an invitation to rediscover Paddington Basin and all it now offers. Tucked between the Metropole and St Mary's is a beautifully landscaped bay, surrounded by flats, offices, bars and restaurants, offering various ways of relaxing and chillaxing. There are gin tastings, open air screenings, but we went for a peaceful put-put in an electric boat on the Regents Canal. The price is very flexible and varies with the timings. Once again, there are only the briefest instruction on how to manage the boat and canal etiquette. Bring your own booze is permitted. You exit the mooring bay passing the long side view of Brunel's fantastic station and can practice a bit in the wide area around the small island, just beneath the rising Westway. Leave that behind and you start negotiating the narrower canal and its dark tunnels. Gazing up the verdant banks at the posh white mansions in Regent’s Park, looking out for giraffe necks and birds as you pass the zoo, hearing the roars of the animals, in our case as the sun sets, was totally relaxing. London continues to offer more and more. Further details of these rides are at: zip-now.co and goboat.co.uk. Vicki Bick

Thanks to Thanks to Ruth Rossington, Vicki Bick, Victoria Herriot, Augusta Harris, Ursula Petula Barzey, Jeanie Carmichael and all others for their contributions. We love getting material from members. It's YOUR monthly magazine and Guidelines is the way we can communicate with each other through the medium of hard copy. Articles and images are always welcome.

APTG, 128 Theobald's Road, We welcome articles and photos from members, but contributions may be held over and London WC1X 8TN we reserve the right to edit them. Images should be high resolution – 300 ppi. Switchboard: 020 7611 2500 Direct line: 020 7611 2545 Please submit all copy and images by email to [email protected] by 15 September [email protected] for inclusion in the September issue. Editor: Eddie Lerner

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