Even the rain won’t stop a Blue Badge Guided Tour

Tour guide Anne Thomas (far right) with visitors

Tour guide Anne Thomas wasn’t put off by the rain and took visitors on a tour of Spotland and Falinge this afternoon (Saturday 17 August).

“I always turn up, no matter the weather,” said Anne. “I would only call it off if it was torrential rain.”

As a Blue Badge tour guide, Anne knows the area well and chose the area she was visiting today as her first tour. “When I was training to be a tour guide, this was the area I specialised in” she said.

Today, eight people booked onto the tour of Spotland, but with the weather giving in to rain, only four people participated.

Anne said: “I’ve had some lovely people on my tours but people should be used to the rain by now.”

One of those used to the rain was David who travelled to Rochdale from Bolton to go on the tour. He said: “I’m interested in forgotten areas. They do tours of important places but I like to tour the small places.”

Sisters Roberta and Kaye Ashworth also attended the tour despite the downpour. Roberta said: “I have an interest in genealogy. I’m an Ashworth and all of my family are from Rochdale. Our dad is from Rochdale and we lived elsewhere so I don’t know the area very well.”

The group met outside St Clement’s Church on Wilbutts Lane, Spotland and were taken on a tour of areas including Spotland Bridge, Lenny Barn and Falinge Park.

“It is a circular tour of the area,” added Anne.