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Bill became one of the first guides to qualify under a scheme devised by the newly formed Scottish Tourist Guides Association.
Guidelines published the story of its foundation nine years later.
‘In 1959 The Scottish Tourist Board took the initiative in setting up, under the aegis of the board (which consisted of three persons) the Scottish Tourist Guides Association,’ it reported.
‘Until then there was no standard for professional tourist guides in Scotland although, of course, professional guides did operate,’ said the article.
‘Their standards of competency, as might be expected, varied very widely.’
The Scottish Tourist Board called a meeting of all professional guides known to it.
At the meeting it was decided that the object of the Association would be to improve both the standard and status of guides and it was unanimously agreed to set up the organisation known as the Scottish Tourist Guides Association, and a provisional Executive Committee was appointed.
Bill Nicholson enlisted the advice and help of renowned historian Dr John Barclay in organising classes and tests for the creation of a team of qualified guides. STB information officer Douglas Russell took the role of the first chairman and Miss Alice Finlayson was the STGA’s first secretary.Miss Finlayson, who was an employee of the STB, looked after all matters pertaining to the tourist guides.
At the first meeting it was decided that the object of the Association would be ‘to improve both the standard and status of guides.’ From the start the Board took upon itself to issue diplomas and badges to qualified guides. Diplomas, with accompanying badges, were issued to all practising guides who could show three years practical experience and produce two satisfactory references from employers, such as travel agents and coach operators. However, the board then decreed that no diploma and badge would be issued to anybody who had not passed a test set by the board and set about organising training classes for ‘would be’ guides.
The first ever Blue Badge
The classes were held at the University of Edinburgh’s Extra Mural department and they were led by the larger than life Dr Barclay whose public lectures were so popular that upwards of 600 people would come to hear him.
In an article in the 1984 edition of the STGA’s Guidelines magazine Nicholson said he had enlisted the advice and help of Dr John Barclay in organising classes and tests for the
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