Page 43 - Microsoft Word - Guiding light final version 0716 1206.doc

Complex, bringing an air of antiquity, contrasting the old with the new - 1707 dissolution with the recreation.
‘At the top of the stairs there were further symbolic links to Scotland’s democratic past. Then into the glazed corridor where opportunities abounded for further discussion on Miralles’s architectural concepts, before taking the visitors into the floor of the chamber, to stand beside the symbol of Parliamentary authority, the Mace with its aspirations of what the Scottish people want of their MSPs “Wisdom, Justice, Compassion and Integrity.”
‘For the final part of the tour we brought the visitors into a Committee Room, allowed them to sit on the visitors’ chairs and fire any questions at the guide. By this time most people had lost their predetermined opinion of the complex.
‘Questions ranged from building costs, parliamentary procedures, history, architectural concepts, Scottish politics and Scottish independence! It was an exciting time guiding in the Scottish Parliament, seeing Scottish political figures in the flesh. They frequently interacted with the visiting parties especially with school parties. I remember once when I was guiding a group of about two dozen children, when First Minister, Jack McConnell, stepped out of a lift and immediately took over my group.
‘I followed him and after five minutes or so had to ask him to give me back my group so that I could continue the tour! On another occasion I was asked to guide Benedetta Tagliabuie who had brought a party of Spanish architects to see the building. She was charming. I was very nervous but I delivered my normal tour which was heavily weighted into Miralles’s concepts. She thanked me at the end for my kind words and presented me with a book on the Scottish Parliament that she had signed. It made my day!
Andrew Thackrey said he greatly enjoyed guiding in Parliament and the questions which people put to him. ‘The one I remember is: ‘Where is Tony Blair’s seat?’
Helen Manning remembers doing the last tour of the day with four visitors - one couple were Scottish and the others were on holiday and were English.
‘As we entered the Debating Chamber, I saw that Jack McConnell (then First Minister) was showing a small group of friends and family around too,’ she said.
‘I smiled and he immediately welcomed my small group. The Scottish couple were delighted that he spontaneously took the time to greet them. The English couple asked politely afterwards who the friendly gentleman was. The Scots were pleased to tell them.
‘I met Jack McConnell again the following summer when he was travelling on his own on the ferry to Arran (presumably to visit friends and family as he grew up on the island). I was guiding a press trip for VisitScotland and had several German journalists with me. Knowing how approachable he had been last time I chanced my luck and asked him if he would like to meet my journalists for a chat. They were very impressed by his open manner and by the fact that he knew so much about their own country. Top marks! Politicians are often accused of being out of reach and out of touch. Irrespective of party I don't think this is often the case North of the Border.’
In March 2006 the contract was extended for a further 18 months to September 2007. By then the number of tours had been reduced and the STGA was only providing four guides per day. Doreen said that in June 2007 the STGA was invited to re-tender for the Contract, but it was made quite clear that it had to reduce costs considerably as Parliament was losing money on the contract.
‘After a great deal of work by July 2007 the Contract was extended from 21/9/2007 to 20/9/2009,’ said Doreen.
‘In 2007, we were lucky enough to persuade Kenny MacAskill MSP to host our STGA’s 10th Anniversary as a company with a reception in the Parliament Garden Lobby. A great event when Billy Kay, the writer and broadcaster spoke and Karine Polwart sang.
‘In the second half of 2008 it became very clear during the monthly contract meetings I had with Parliament, that the number of visitors and therefore tours were decreasing, and they asked us to reduce the number of guides again down to two per day. It was very frustrating for both STGA and Parliament Visitor Services because Parliament felt that as they were not a commercial company, they could not market the guided tours as effectively as we would have liked.
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