Back in Melbourne

Sue Hodges October 24, 2011
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I’m now back in Melbourne having failed to blog each day because of a huge workload with SHP. I’m now planning to write a book on interpretation based on my Europe trip – watch this space! More news on SHP soon, but, in the meantime, some pictures of Paris are below.    

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No blogs because…

Sue Hodges September 10, 2011
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It has been some time since I blogged due to work in Australia occupying most of my time, together with establishing SHP in Europe. But I have had an amazing time meeting new and old friends and journeying through some of the most beautiful places in the UK. I have seen many examples of interpretation and thought deeply about what works, what doesn’t and the state of our industry. Stay tuned over the next few weeks for my thoughts on …

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Paris – a bit late

Sue Hodges August 30, 2011
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Here are some thoughts on Paris… a little late due to SHP calling me with its siren song. Parisian women look like their dogs. A lot. Both species are thin and elegant with perfect hair and perfect grooming. The dogs and the women tilt their heads up as if to challenge you for entering their territory. The dogs growl at me and the women look severe but amused. At 155 cm tall, and ‘stocky’, I do not look like my …

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Lonnie says:
Pretty insightful. Thanks! My blog: rachat des credits www.rachatdecredit.net more
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Robbed in Paris

Sue Hodges August 13, 2011
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Where do I begin with the worst travel days in the world? With having all my documents, money, cards and phones stolen on The Metro in Paris? With the diffident Australian Embassy? There’s a weird place for you. Located under Le Tour Eiffel (yes, I’ve picked up French) it features a large picture of an Australian beach (no clichés here) on the wall outside and some bored-looking staff inside. It is silent as the tomb, although six storeys high. You …

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Sue Hodges says:
Thank you. Where are you from? more
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Thoughts on interpretation

Sue Hodges August 7, 2011
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Scotland made me think intensively about interpretation and its value. I am coming to believe that didactic visitor experiences do not usually work with heritage sites. The old model, from the 1980s onwards, was that the curator or content provider sets out the information in a three-dimensional form (exhibition) or in the form of panels that tell a story. The other model from that time is the expert tour guide, who delivers ‘face to face’ interpretation. Both of these formats …

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Scotland

Sue Hodges August 3, 2011
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Scotland is a jumble of impressions. It is the beautiful, wild Orkney Islands; folk tales told by a master storyteller; a walk through the bucolic Scottish countryside on a glorious day, rugged coastlines and remote places where few traces of human habitation can be seen. It is the most incredibly beautiful place. Earlier it the week I travelled from the rather bleak Glasgow to Cairngorm mountain, where I was privileged to have a tour to the top with the guides …

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Berlin

Sue Hodges July 24, 2011
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Scratch the surface in Berlin and you uncover the horrors of the Nazi regime and the Holocaust in World War Two. My three days there were spent on a strange pilgrimage to World War Two sites, including a concentration camp at Sachsenhausen, 30 km north of Berlin, a series of memorials and the sites of the former SS Headquarters and Hitler’s bunker. I don’t know what drew me there so strongly but perhaps it is because the Holocaust is emblazoned …

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Conference refections Part 1

Sue Hodges July 17, 2011
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The combination of giving a conference paper and adapting to a new country proved more stressful than anticipated. Conferences always bring with them a strange mixture of adrenaline, excitement and frustration and this was no exception. Another delegate commented to me that there was always a real sense of anti-climax after one. And of course there is always the feeling that you could have done better; nothing really goes as planned. To paraphrase the old saying, they can put a …

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Freiburg

Sue Hodges July 10, 2011
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When people suggested I get fit for the trip, I brushed that off, believing I could just ‘wing it’. The foolishness of this viewpoint was brought home to me yesterday, after Patrick from Interpret Europe suggested I take a walk through the magical Black Forest – ‘you have to be fit!’. I soon discovered that German signage is not clear and wandered on a series of labrynthine paths through the forest of legends, superstition and religious piety. Small grottos and …

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Zurich 2

Sue Hodges July 8, 2011
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It was an amazing start to the day at 3 am when I awoke, still on Australian time, and worked feverishly to complete my presentation for the Interpret Europe conference. Needless to say this window of opportunity will be brief; I can already feel myself slipping into holiday mode. Also needless to say, my suitcase is incredibly heavy, despite everyone’s warnings, because of all the work gear and all-weather clothes I’m carrying. Some of those babies will be on the …

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