Colin Crosby Heritage Tours

Free Mystery Tour As Popular As Ever

The "Free Mystery Tour" was a great success again this year. This is a Coach Tour that I have been organising and leading every February since 1995.

It is my annual contribution to International Day of the Tourist Guide, when Blue Badge Guides all over the world give their services, mostly on Guided Walks. I organise a Coach Trip with the co-operation of Woods Coaches of Leicester, who are good enough to supply the coach and driver.

The idea is to show that one is far better off anywhere being shown around by a properly qualified Guide.

Every year of course all the tickets for the Free Mystery Tour go quickly, with many people regrettably being disappointed.

The only thing that mars the proceedings is that every year a few who have booked don't bother to turn up. Therefore some of the disappointed people, of course, didn't actually have to be disappointed.

Still, most of those who book do take part, and they all thoroughly enjoy it.

This year, I took passengers on a tour around the historic and beautiful county of Leicestershire, following the corridor close to the River Soar that leads through Rothley, Mountsorrel and Quorn to Loughborough, and from there through Diseworth and past East Midlands Airport.

I made a stop at Breedon-on-the-Hill, and took passengers into the amazing St. Mary and St. Hardulph Church, where I was able to point out the fantastic collection of Anglo-Saxon carvings.

I always stop for coffee at a place where there is plenty else to see. This year it was Conkers at Moira.

The return journey took us through Whitwick and past the Grace Dieu Priory ruins, then across Charnwood Forest by way of Woodhouse Eaves, Newtown Linford, the edge of Bradgate Park and Anstey, before returning to St. Margarets Bus Station.

The Visitors' Book, which I instituted on the Oxford trip, shows a lot of happy people, who made comments such as "enjoyable trip as usual", "first trip, very informative", "Colin certainly knows his locality", "very much enjoyed the visit to Breedon-on-the-Hill Church" and "we will certainly be joining you again".

Posted by colin on Wednesday 21st February, 2007 at 12:31pm