Saturday, May 22, 2010

142. Raking over the coals


His effervescent personality reflected in his eyes and his quirky smile. As the ‘show’ commenced, Richard sized up his eager audience and knew he could flick the switch to vaudeville. He had long determined that being a tour guide was more performance than teaching, that there was little point knowing a subject backwards, if you were unable to lead an audience to a deeper connection.

Richard learnt the historical dates and events, the geographical and geological background, and then searched deeper for a connecting mechanism. He needed to bring the cast of characters who lived on this island to life, to breathe relevance into them, to allow them to strut upon his stage. His knowledge was peppered with important historical figures, with generals, governors, explorers and inventors. It was when he stumbled upon the lives of the island’s convicts that he made his own connection.

‘Come and meet Boney Anderson’.

3 comments:

Clytie said...

Yes! A true genius!

I want to hear about this Boney Anderson!!!

diane b said...

I love listening to these guys who love their subject. Trouble is I forget what they tell me these days.

Joan Elizabeth said...

The photo makes him look as alive as his commentary.