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had video equipment to film us as we spoke about our chosen subject. This was something new to me, and I remember feeling my knees literally knocking together as I spoke about Provost Skene’s House, which was supposedly behind me. Janet and I, neither of whom had access to a car, were indebted to Yvonne for taking us out on the routes to be assessed, pointing out all the TVPs (long before that term was used) and giving us pointers on what we might say. I remember the day of the big practical exam, we had a coach with a microphone which did not work properly. For my job, I hired coaches regularly from this company and - this being long before mobile phones - we stopped at the phone box at Torphins for me to give them a piece of my mind and demand a replacement (mic, not coach!) This duly arrived by car a short time later. We received our Blue Badges and certificates from Councillor Alex Collie, at that time Lord Provost of Aberdeen and Chairman of Aberdeen Tourist Board, in a ceremony in Aberdeen Arts Centre in summer 1986.
‘The University of Aberdeen then went on to develop a Scottish Studies course’, Elma continued, ‘offering a rolling programme of modules in subjects including History, Geography, Scottish Literature and Art. Four modules were required to qualify and neither the Tourist Board nor STGA was involved in student selection, despite successful students being told the course would allow them to follow practical training to become tourist guides! There were also issues with the teaching quality. For example, the Scottish History taught was largely irrelevant to guiding and one student, who did become a guide, commented that she thought the academics just taught what they normally did and made no effort to make it relevant for potential guides. The first of these students to become a guide qualified in 1990, with another in 1992 and four in 1996. I was a part-time guide until I left the tourist board (by then Aberdeen & Grampian Tourist Board) in 1996, but during the 10 years between qualifying and then, I had used my guiding skills regularly for my job, which included setting itineraries and guiding fam trips for travel trade people and journalists.
In 1998 I became Local Director on the Board of the STGA representing Aberdeen & Grampian Branch and served for 4 years, including as Vice- Chairman from 2001-2002 and leading marketing efforts, such as they were, for at that time the Company had very little income and nothing to spend on marketing. During my time on the Board, I was approached by Toni McPherson, chair of Dundee, Angus and Fife Branch with a view to our two branches merging - at that time neither branch had many members. This we did and in 2002, Toni replaced me on the Board of the STGA as Director representing Aberdeen, Dundee & St Andrews Branch.’
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