York Christmas Walking Tour Guide selected for presentation to Chairman of Visit England

The Institute of Tourist Guiding, the regulatory body for professional tourist guiding in England, Northern Ireland and Jersey, has announced the launch of a new and enhanced photocard for qualified tourist guides.

Amongst others, the new photocard was presented to Sarah Cowling, Yorkshire and London Blue Badge Tourist Guide by Lady Victoria Borwick, VisitEngland Chairman, at the Institute's Annual General Meeting in London on 14 November. The photocard will be rolled-out to the Institute's more than 1700 registered members throughout 2025, in Yorkshire and across the rest of the country and is supported by Visit England as a visual symbol of the professionalism of qualified tourist guides and reassures visitors, the tourism and heritage sectors and local communities that they are dealing with a qualified tourist
guide.

As well as being a Yorkshire and London Blue Badge Tourist Guide and founder of York Christmas Walking Tours, Sarah, has also worked closely with Hull Museums and Visit Hull and East Yorkshire to improve their visitor experience. A White Badge training course was provided to train volunteers to provide guided tours for free to enter Museums and Ferens Art Gallery. Working with Hull Culture and Leisure, a Maritime Walking Tour was developed to bring together 5 sites and 2 ships to mark Hull’s important Maritime History. She is currently working on similar initiatives in the run-up to Bradford City of Culture in 2025 and with Knaresborough Town Council. Now in their 6th year, the popular York Christmas Walking Tours are running every
day at 4pm.  

Join Sarah, and discover the History of Christmas and York in an extra-special walking tour through the twinkling streets of York. Once voted ‘the most festive’ city, the medieval heart echoes with the voices of Christmas past. Wrap up toasty warm, as the smell of roasting chestnuts and the sound of carols drift on the crisp evening air. Plus, who knows? - we might even pass a takeaway mulled wine stand! According to one 19th-century historian, over 1,500 years ago, in AD 521, King Arthur and his retinue celebrated Christmas in the city of York 'not by holy conversion and devout exercises,' as he wrote reprovingly, 'but in the spirit of heathen revelry; with feasting and mirth; in wantonness and many excesses... this was the first ever Christmas festival held in Britain’   

If this is true, then York is THE original Christmas City. If not, then York has still witnessed two millennia of Mid-Winter festivities in the guises of Solstice, Saturnalia, Yule and of course Christmas! They have all left their mark on our celebrations today.