Page 131 - Microsoft Word - Guiding light final version 0839 1106.doc

Many of the drivers that took the band to competitions were tour drivers.
‘They planted the seed and soon I was on my way to becoming a tour driver,’ he said.
After being a conductor for a year he went on to become a driver in 1965.
The following year he joined the STGA course and his mentor was James Anderson who was one of the original Edinburgh guides. He gained his badge in the spring of 1967.
‘Tour drivers wore a long white coat with black collar and cuffs on top of their uniform. Our hats also had a white top.
‘Many of the passengers were local people. It was quite a novelty to be taken round the Queens Drive. Then into the 70s more and more English people started coming up and by the late 70s there were increasing numbers from the Europe, the USA and Canada.’
Alan stopped driving in 1978 when he became an Inspector.
He still did some occasional guiding and played his pipes at the STGA ceilidhs at the Carlton Hotel in Edinburgh in the 1980s.
Alan became redundant in 1999 and applied to the STGA to see if he could regain his membership which had lapsed.
He recalls having to write an essay on a full 10 day tour of Scotland. He also had to calculate the driver’s hours so that he would be within the rules.
As well as that he did some practical tours with the class of 2000 class including Edinburgh sightseeing and a trip to the Borders after which he regained his valued blue badge.
Finding a saint
By Sue Casely
‘I took a small coach from Inverness to Aberdeen on an absolutely monsoon wet day. Luggage was in a back locker and we found on arrival that the door had been leaking and some people's clothes were wet in the suitcases. I asked about drying facilities at the hotel or where laundrettes were. No joy. The under manager took pity on me and took all the wet clothes home to dry in his own tumble dryer at no charge. It completely charmed a rather disgruntled group of passengers and I am eternally grateful.
A lucky break
By Helen Manning
‘One of our passengers stumbled and fell whilst taking a photo of the Skye bridge in a lay-by above Kyle of Lochalsh. He insisted he was OK but had great difficulty descending from the coach when we stopped for lunch in Portree. So I suggested our driver drop us both at Portree hospital to be checked over. It was Sunday and no X ray available but a doctor examined him and was pretty sure he had a broken leg. He recommended we go to Broadford Hospital whose X ray department was open.
‘However by this time our coach had already left with the rest of the group and was en route to the Clan Donald Centre. An extremely kind lady who overheard us speaking offered to take us to Broadford in her car. The visitor was immediately X rayed and his leg was encased in plaster. We called a taxi and finally caught up with the group as the coach was about to board the ferry to the mainland. Everyone was astonished to see him hobbling on crutches as he had previously insisted he did not need medical attention and would be fine! We hired a wheelchair for him from the Red Cross in Inverness and all the hotels gave him a ground floor room. He was able to continue his holiday. I hope he made a full recovery and took a good photo of the Skye Bridge!
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