The September meeting started with our chairman informing us of some famous anniversaries for this month.

These included the Great Fire of London and the adoption of the Gregorian Calendar.

Our attention was drawn to many group activities including the Gardening Group's trip to Upton House near Banbury, the Wine Appreciation Group's visit to a very old wine merchant's in

Shipston-on-Stour and the Keep Fit Group's resumed efforts.

The monthly poem drew attention to the despoiling of nature by the hand of man.

Mrs Pat Cole, a Blue Badge Guide with the English Tourist Board, then gave us a most fascinating verbal tour of the training, experiences and pitfalls of her work.

She emphasised the rigorous and expensive training programme that a Blue Badge Guide has to undergo and the necessity of liking people, not always easy when a tourist suggests that they should be able to use your ensuite bath in the hotel.

The facts and information that a tour guide needs at their fingertips seems to be endless.It includes art, education, history, heraldry, agriculture and architecture; for example we learnt that in Bedford Square, London, all the doors have differently shaped fanlights which was the means of identification because the houses were not numbered.

Invitations carried a picture of the appropriate fanlight. We also heard that the 'English Coat of Arms' used to have a Welsh Dragon but James 1st substituted the Scottish Unicorn.

Mrs Cole started her tour guide career with Guide Friday in Stratford-upon-Avon.She is now also a Blue Badge Guide in London. Americans seemed to form her main tourist groups and the various amusing anecdotes included being asked "What is a Free House?" and "How can you tell which team is which in cricket as they all wear white?" Also, having looked at old Norman castles, a student asked "This guy Norm, was he French?".

An appropriate and appreciative vote of thanks was given by Jan Rowe.