Archive for 2010
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March 2010
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Essex Tourism Show Held at Splendid Hotel
The annual Essex Tourism and Leisure Show was held recently, and as always I attended it.
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Bobby Charles
Bobby Charles, the outstanding Louisiana singer songwriter, has died aged 71.
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Coach Trip to Cambridge
I went as a passenger on a Coach Trip, run by Woods Coaches of Leicester, to Cambridge recently.
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Confex 2010
Earls Court in London was the scene of another trade show which I attended recently.
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Who Are All These Kings?: Jane
Jane was the short lived Queen of England for a very short spell in 1553.
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Travel Fair at Milestones
I went to another travel trade fair run by Tourism South East recently, this time at Milestones.
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Free Mystery Tour Was a Hit Once Again
The Free Mystery Tour took place again recently. This annual event, which I have been running since 1995, is organised to celebrate International Year of the Tourist Guide, which aims to show that, wherever you go, you are always better off to be shown around by a Blue Badge Guide.
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Top Twenty Visits of 2009
As a Blue Badge Guide, I visit lots of places. A year ago, it occurred to me that it might be fun to rate the places I had been to during the previous year.
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An Afternoon in Cambridge
I spent the afternoon in the historic university of Cambridge recently.
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Vista Group Hear About Church Dedications
I gave a talk recently to the Loughborough group run by Vista, who provide services to blind and visually impaired people.
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Working in Northampton
Northampton is another of the places where I worked briefly during my long career managing cinemas and theatres.
February 2010
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St. Clare`s Children Learn About Coalville
I led a private Guided Walk recently for Year 6 pupils (9 - 10 year olds) of St. Clare`s Catholic Primary School at Coalville.
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Travel Fair at Hall Place
I went to a travel trade fair recently at Hall Place in Bexley.
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Roadside Cafes and Truckstops
"Roadside Cafes and Truckstops" is an invaluable litle book for somebody like me who organises Coach Trips.
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Destinations at Earls Court
I went to another of the big trade shows in London recently.
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Grace Road Welcomes Graham Gooch
There was another meeting of the Leicestershire Cricket Society at Grace Road in Leicester recently, and this time the speaker was none other than Graham Gooch.
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Robin Performs in West Side Story
My youngest son Robin, now studying at Salford University, took part in a production of "West Side Story" recently.
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Retired Teachers Discover Market Harborough
One of the towns where I get most requests for a Guided Walk is the historic Leicestershire market town of Market Harborough.
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Clare Tells of Vista History
There was another meeting of the Community History Network in Leicester recently.
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London Walks Coming Round Again Soon
For those of you who look forward to the Guided Walks in London which I lead from time to time, here`s some news of the next ones.
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Did You Miss the Wells Trip?
My recent Coach Trip to Wells was one of the most successful, in terms of happy faces, that I have ever led.
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Social Evening at Humberstone
A recent evening saw my wife Anne and I going out together to a social function in Leicester.
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Who Are All These Kings?: Edward VI
Edward VI was King of England for a relatively short period in the 16th century.
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A Ghostly Walk Around Coalville
The former coalmining town of Coalville, now a thriving town at he heart of the new National Forest, was the setting for a Ghost Walk which I led recently.
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Church Group Hears about Leicestershire Folklore
I gave a talk recently to a group based at Christ the King, a modern church on the Beaumont Leys estate at Leicester.
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Two Thousand Times a Guide
On Wednesday 3rd February I reached an important landmark in my career as a Blue Badge Guide. On that evening, I led a group of people for the two thousandth time.
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A Visit to Northampton
Anne, my wife, and I had a day out together recently. As we are both very busy in different ways, it doesn`t happen very often that we can go out for the day, but this was one of those occasions.
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Graduation Day for Kevin
I had the pleasure recently of seeing my son Kevin graduating from Leicester University.
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Fifty Years Since I Started Work
Yesterday (2nd February) was a very significant anniversary for me. It was fifty years since I started work.
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Fine Art and Antiques Fair
I enjoyed a visit to an antiques show recently at the National Exhibition Centre (NEC) at Birmingham.
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Excursions at Alexandra Palace
Alexandra Palace in London was again the venue recently for the first of the major trade shows of the year for group travel organisers. Once again I attended the show.
January 2010
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Nearly Time for Leicester Comedy Festival
The highly acclaimed Leicester Comedy Festival is drawing near, and will be taking place from 5th to 21st February.
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Behind the Scenes With Time Team
I went to a particularly intriguing meeting at Vaughan College in Leicester recently.
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Leicester Tourist Centre is England Runner Up
The Leicester Tourist Information Centre in Town Hall Square has been given an accolade by Visit England. It is the highest ranked TIC in the East Midlands and the secomd best in the whole country, out of three hundred.
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Weather Stops Cricket Society Meeting
The recent bad weather caused the cancellation of a meeting of Leicestershire Cricket Society.
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Weather Stops Familiarisation Day
The recent inclement weather put paid to a familiarisation day that I was booked to attend in South Staffordshire.
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Did You Hear About the Morgans?
Having recently seen Guy Ritchie`s new film of "Sherlock Holmes", I went to the cinema again not long ago.
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Working in Southampton
The historic city of Southampton is one of the places where I briefly worked during my long career managing cinmas and theatres.
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Sherlock Holmes
I went to the cinema recently, to see the new version of "Sherlock Holmes".
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Sing Christmas at the Talbot
I went, with my wife Anne and youngest son Robin, to an enjoyable Christmas event recently at the Talbot Inn at Belgrave in Leicester.
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Kings, Queens, Bones and Bastards
An intriguing, fascinating and very useful book by David Hilliam is "Kings, Queens, Bones and Bastards".
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Christmas Talk for Mountsorrel Ladies
I gave a talk recently for the ladies of Mountsorrel Womens Institute, on a Christmas theme.
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Angela Tells of Christmas Customs
A recent talk at the Central Lending Library in Leicester had a Christmas theme.
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Who Are All These Kings?: Henry VIII
Henry VIII was one of the most famous Kings of England, although some might say notorious.
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Christmas Talk for History Lovers
I gave the Christmas talk this year for the Community History Network in Leicester.
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Christmas Lights at Sileby
When Christmas lights are switched on in a village, it is always an important date locally.
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Opportunities for Christian Tourism in 2010
Those of you who come on some of my Coach Trips, or who show an interest, will be aware that a strong theme is what has come to be known as "Christian tourism", giving the oportunity to visit places of religious significance.
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Dennis Amiss Visits Cricket Society
Leicestershire Cricket Society had another distinguished visitor, Dennis Amiss, at a recent meeting.
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Christmas Talk at Luncheon Club
I gave one of my Christmas talks to members of a Luncheon Club recently.
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Goodbye 2009 Hello 2010
Firstly, a very Happy New Year to everybody. I hope that everything happens in 2010 that you would wish to happen.