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1975 she was married and gave birth to a son and left her job. About 18 months later she got a job as an agent at a language school for students coming to Edinburgh. She had been in the job for some 13 years when she was asked if she would consider taking a group of students on a tour to Edinburgh. She liked the experience and then saw the advert recruiting students for a Scottish Tourist Guides Association course. The fee was something like £600 or £700, which, in 1983, was quite a lot of money.
Ros said there were 30 students on the course and they had to go to classes twice a week, Tuesdays and Thursdays, in the evening.
‘We had days where we went out, but nothing like what they do now. We did Edinburgh, Fife and the Borders, and paid a very brief visit to Glasgow. The first time you went out you were assessed so trainees had to do recces in advance of the regional tour. I can remember doing the bit, I'll never forget it, from St Andrews down to Anstruther and going the weekend before and learning it all.
‘We had a written exam, which involved writing a lot of short essays. And then, we did a practical assessment in Edinburgh, only. I now know that they had a policy that they were going to make sure that only 15 people got through. That was the number of guides they needed, and that’s what happened.’
So Ros became a guide and remembers Anne having ambitious plans for the STGA.
‘Anne had a dream that we would, one day, have an office, and that we would also have a National Council,’ said Ros.
At that stage the STGA had two main branches in Edinburgh and Glasgow. Then Anne organised training in Dundee and Aberdeen and set up what became known as the National Council in 1986. It consisted of members from the Edinburgh, Glasgow and Aberdeen branches. Anne was the chair. At its first meeting in April 1986 Edinburgh branch was represented by Emelie Berry, Jean Duncan and Jane Orde. Glasgow’s members were John Biggar, Jean Coleman and Jay Wright while Yvonne Cook and Isobel Moir attended on behalf of Aberdeen members.
Among the issues discussed by the new national body was a course set up by the Manpower Services Commission to train 16 to 18 year olds to be tour guides. The new council believed that they would be too young to accept the responsibilities and emergencies which may occur on extended tours. Anne agreed to get in touch with the secretary of state for Scotland Malcolm Rifkind to point out the existence of the STGA and the possible dangers which young people may be subject to in guiding. Anne may have had a serious role but she had a good sense of humour. In an interview celebrating the 25th anniversary in the Edinburgh
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