The Elizabeth film

Went to see the film Elizabeth the Golden Years with Cate Blanchett on horseback with armour and various red wigs, snogging Clive Owen as Walter Raleigh and generally being heroic against miserable papist Spanish. It probably won't go down too well in Spain or amongst Catholic audiences (surprised they didn't tone that stuff down) but it was, like a lot of tour guiding, true to the spirit of the story while a little with the historical precision - Elizabeth was after all 55 at the time of the Armada in 1588. Raleigh did not defeat the Spanish fleet almost single-handed and would never have been as bold in manner or as casual in dress as he was shown in the film. However, I liked the Queen and Bess Throckmorton's name for him - 'the puddle man'.
Guides usually print the legend rather than the truth in the words of Randolph Hearst/Louis B Meyer? so we should not be too snooty about Hollywood taking liberties with accuracy for the sake of a good story. Sometimes the legend is worth preserving as it reflects our view of ourselves as a nation - and helps to bring more tourists over...
Making some progress on the Guide Book which will be strictly factual, especially in the section exposing the Da Vinci Code. Watch this space.

LIMPING ALONG

One thing you need to be able to do when conducting a tour is walk, which I am finding rather difficult at the moment with a gammy knee. Sometimes I feel OK to walk but a flight of stairs is a real problem. the longer I do the job the more I realise that in my early days I set a cracking pace and often left people behind. I am now at the age when I am of a similar vintage to the people I take around - when i started I was often the youngest and fittest in the party. Have a soctor's appointment and have had X ray so should get a clearer picture when I am back from next tour. Operation may be needed and would like to schedule that for New year which is probably wildly optimistic with our NHS.
Also limping laong is THE GUIDE BOOK which I should be able to finish this winter. It is a lovely autumn and as I am staying in Sussex the temptation to stroll along the seafront and enjoy the sea and setting sun is often too much, which is maybe no bad thing. With no television and only a small circle of people we know in the area and an empty diary I should be motoring on with my plan for the new book but i have been a bit lethargic. Not unusual at the end of the season> Will soon be up and running. Really.

SUCCESS AND FAILURE

"She knows there's no success like failure and failure's no success at all," sang Bob Dylan in one of his early songs (Love Minus Zero, I think). I am not sure what he meant but I have been thinking of success and failure recently. We had a meeting recently and discussed ratings (see previous post) and I said that, when I qualified as a guide and got my blue badge I thought; "Thank God, I will never have to take another test or exam again in my life." Then I started tour directing and found myself being tested every day and by each passenger, who had no interest in my qualifications only in my personality and how I could make their holiday better.
Fair enough, except that in the constant search for that elusive perfection I realise it is the failures that you remember far more vividly and forlonger than the successes. Fortunately the successes far outnumber the failures - as they should do, most people aiming to enjoy their trip - but the person who did not like you, who felt you were unhelpful, lacked sympathy, whatever, is the one who stays in the mind long after the people who were delighted have faded from memory.
Having said that I am glad to have a throroughly pleasant crowd for the theatre week in London and enjoyed going on a walking tour with their leader today, who knew more about London than most locals and who added some interesting anecdotes. However, managed to leave one behind last night when doing the post-theatre pick-ups and that will be the abiding memory. Failure again. One day I will runt he perfect tour - and then retire...