GUIDE BOOK FINISHED!

I put a question mark behind the last blog which had this title but now I have an excalamtion mark. I have reached nearly 60,000 words which seems like a good target. In truth, you can never completely finish a project like this as there are always new things to add and ideas to explore. Should I include a few tourist guide jokes or is that naff? People would probably enjoy a couple, I think, eventhough I do not care for humour on the page and always flee from that section of the bookshop. Have just added something on Britain's pound coins which people often ask about and Cathedrals for the Blind which I wrote an article about some years ago - still my one and only article for what used to be called Fleet Street.
Anyway I am now ready to publish and can tinker in what will inevitably be a drawn out process. Will start hunting for possibilities tomorrow. Where have I heard that before?...

Good housekeeping

I was looking forward to the first tour of the year after a couple of months off but, as is the way of these things, sometimes you do not get back into the stride of things after being off. I found this an unresponsive and difficult group and, although the tips were good, I doubt the all-important ratings were up to much.
It is the good housekeeping aspect of tour directing that I need to work on - I still tend to act defensively when people complain, even though I do encourage them to provide feedback. As I get older, I think that I am less not more capable at looking after people. I have less patience and enthusiasm than I used to and, because I am experienced at tour directing I tend to think I know what to do.
Some of the passengers I have had over the last year just do not seem to take to my style and personality. I am finding this frustrating - it is not something you can control, how people think of you, so I am feeling like going back to day guiding. But will have to stick it out for a while yet at least until kids are through college...