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That year the STGA also hit the headlines with a story in the Edinburgh Evening News about a campaign against ‘inept and untidy amateur tour guides.’ It reported that the STGA was uniting with full time London guides, members of the Guild of Guide Lecturers, in an attempt to secure legal safeguards against the use of amateurs. At the first meeting in London of the two groups, a resolution was passed unanimously calling for immediate action to persuade the Government to protect their professionalism.
The STGA published an annual list of practising guides and the front cover of the 1978 edition features a young Susan Shedden who played the part of a tourist and was later to become a BBG herself. In those days Susan was working at the Tourist Information Centre at Waverley Bridge and her manageress Frances Pratt is also featured on the cover together with BBG Archie Roy.
‘I spent about two years in that office then moved in 1979 to the Scottish Tourist Board HQ on Ravelston Terrace to the Marketing Department where I had responsibility for developing the Youth Market in Scotland and was also liaison for Scandinavian and Benelux markets.
‘I seem to remember at some point helping Alec McGregor with recruiting people to train as Scottish Tourist Guides as it was STB who did the training in these days and it only lasted about 6 weeks, if I remember correctly!’ she added.
One of her colleagues in marketing at the STB days was Anne McSween who was a member of the famous haggis making dynasty. “She was a real character and she was a BB guide,’ Susan recalled. Susan moved on from the STB in October 1981 to work for the British Tourist Authority in Amsterdam for about seven years before returning to Scotland and training as a BB guide between 2010 and 2012.
The Association started as a male dominated body in 1959 and the position was completely reversed 20 years later when Miss Elizabeth Seton was appointed as chairman and Mrs Anne Lister, secretary. Willie Simpson retired as treasurer the following year and the position was filled by Mrs Jane Orde who was to really make her mark internationally in the following decade.
Basil Skinner also stepped down as Director of Extra-Mural Studies at Edinburgh University in 1979 after 13 years in the role and was replaced by geology expert Con Gillen.
In 1979 Jane Orde did an interview with Joan Bakewell on a programme called Away from It All. It marked her out as someone who was going to be playing a major role in the development of the STGA in the next two decades and putting it on the world stage.
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