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any stage of the coach journey and it was a nerve- wracking experience at times. We also had to learn walking tours in those regions as well on my home turf of Edinburgh.
On the coach we had mentors who would tell us what we did right and wrong and there were also examiners on the final trips. During the summer of the second year we went on a week-long tour of the highlands and were lucky enough to have the most beautiful weather. Our final test was learning 300 facts about Scotland and being examined on them. I am delighted to say that all of us passed.
The University of Edinburgh had been involved in the training of guides since its foundation so it came as a major shock in 2013 when negotiations to continue the partnership collapsed after the retirement of Con Gillen. The then chair Sue Gruellich said the STGA seized the opportunity to take the course in-house and tailor it more to tourist guide needs. A subsidiary company, Guide Training Ltd, was set up to look after the running of the Blue Badge course which ran for 18 months instead of two years.
The STGA Training Manager Pat Blain and Course Director Mary Kemp Clarke presented the newly developed course to the AGM in 2014. Mary said she was no longer bound by one course provider and was able to choose the best speakers from a multitude of institutions.
Some 160 applications were received for the 2014-2015 Blue Badge course without having to advertise at all. Sixty candidates were invited for interview and 36 new students enrolled on the course.
Mary points out that there have been many changes to the course over the years.
‘When I signed up as a BB trainee I signed up for one year and at induction was told it would be two years! We have gone from open/public lectures with guide attendees as a side-line, to purpose- thought talks and lectures aimed at multi-skilled guides. Technology has changed things dramatically,’ continued Mary. ‘We now film presentations and share individual folders and performances on Google Drive and other platforms. ‘I remember that our BB intake changed from mainly female trainees to a few more males after 2011, and slowly, ages also began to decrease a little. It was all good news showing diverse appeal and a willingness to devote a lifetime to this career. When I joined there was still an air that this was a ‘semi-retirement’ choice for some but not all. For me it was, and is, my income.’
Viola Lewis said as training manager between 2007 and 2012 she oversaw the wider STGA training of all levels of badges, plus initially Continuous Professional Development and the follow-up training for the Scottish Parliament Contract. ‘I worked with Ros and Mary, who as course directors shaped the Blue Badge Course over the period I was
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