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February 21 was chosen because that was the date of the founding of
WFTGA in 1985 in Israel.
T
he Cyprus Tourist Guides Association had
run “Get to know Cyprus Day” for several years and Loizides proposed it
be extended to the rest of the world. This was accepted and approved
by WFTGA president Jane Orde. Edinburgh ran tours for OAPs, the
blind and the disabled.
Ros Newlands, who was then Edinburgh Branch chair, remembers the
first event running coach tours for the “Great and the Good” showing
them what tourist guides do.
The guests included the Chair of the Scottish Tourist Board, the Lord
Provost of Edinburgh and many others.
‘The next year costumed guides ambushed a tour coach at various points. This included Robin Mitchell the founder of the Cadies Witchery Tours and an STGA BB guide putting thumbscrews on the aforementioned Lord Provost.
‘We had a group of costumed members outside the Georgian House – Isabella Lennie was Elizabeth Grant of Rothiemurchus and her “lace cap” was actually her black knickers!
Murray Hunter was Sir Walter Scott.
‘We also did walks of the Royal Mile which included finding waifs and strays in closes and being accosted by prostitutes – I think the main culprit there was Audrey Jones.
STGA members were – and still are - renowned for keeping tabs on how their money was spent.
So in 1998 Morag Bevan put together a breakdown of how the £100 membership fee paid in 1997 had been spent.
‘Of your 1997 £100 15% goes straight to your branch for local activities (marketing, meetings etc), 9% goes on trade fairs, 8% on direct advertising and 11% on producing the list of members.
‘9% is spent on insurance and legal fees (excluding the professional indemnity insurance), 25% is spend on postage, stationery and photocopying whilst 5% has been spent on board and AGM expenses. ‘For 1997 there have been one off spends of 6% on the new STGA badges and 8% on new STGA office equipment for both Kate and myself (Morag) leaving 4% spent on miscellaneous expenses.
‘The booking service is self-funding whilst my own position of administrator is paid for primarily by the two-year grant funding from the Scottish Tourist Board, Scottish Enterprise and Highlands & Islands Enterprise.’
The STGA celebrated its 40th anniversary by presenting a bench to Historic Scotland at a reception in Edinburgh Castle when a ‘splendid’ birthday cake was cut by Anne Lister. The bench has been placed in Crown Square at the Castle.
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