A tourist guide has delivered an “entertaining and educational” talk.
Blue Badge Guide John Cutland spoke at Salisbury Rotary Club, sharing insights from his career and experiences guiding visitors around Salisbury, in a talk entitled Emmets and Grockles visit Salisbury Rotary Club.
A spokesperson for the club said: “And what a story it was – a wonderfully illustrated and informative talk about his observations and time as a Blue Badge Guide in Salisbury.
“A superb, entertaining and educational talk.”
John explained that official tour guides all started with the 1951 Festival of Britain, and the Government deciding that people should have official training to be a tourist guide.
The training now takes up to two years at university level and requires 200 hours of self-study.
The spokesperson said: “John further advised that according to ‘Visit Britain’ tourism brings in £346 billion for the economy with around 44.3 million visits in 2025.”
During the talk, John took the audience on a virtual tour heading up Castle Road, through Stratford sub Castle, up to West Amesbury, and then heading back down through the Woodford Valley – talking about the history, houses, buildings and churches, and past inhabitants.
The spokesperson added: “If you thought you knew Salisbury and the surrounding villages, think again – a Blue Badge Guide can only add to your knowledge.”