AMANDA BRYETT
For over 15 years Amanda Bryett worked for a major pharmaceutical
company specialising in vaccines. As media spokesperson for the
company, Amanda appeared regularly on radio, TV and in the written
press.
She is also a registered Blue Badge Tourist Guide for London and
Windsor with a special interest in the Monarchy.
It was this interest combined with a background in infectious
diseases that lead Amanda to research the fascinating topics that
she now gives lectures and presentations on.
SAMPLE LIST OF TALKS
(Note this is only a sample of available talks)
Royal Flush
The British line of royal succession has changed many times over
the centuries by something as innocuous as an infectious disease.
Henry VIII, Charles I and George V were not born to be King – their
elder brothers died of typhoid and influenza. Smallpox saw the end
of the Stuart dynasty in the 18th century and Prince Albert died of
typhoid in the 19th century. Even in the 20th century a tragedy hit
our current royal family. The amazing stories of how the royal
family were treated by doctors over the centuries. Bleeding,
sweating, walking around and even brandy were regularly prescribed.
Hear how one King who died of tuberculosis was propped up dead at a
palace window while the powers that be argued over who should
succeed him.
The Perils and Pleasures of a Blue Badge Tourist Guide
Amanda Bryett is a registered London and Windsor Blue Badge
Tourist Guide. This talk is a highly entertaining look at guiding
tourists from around the world through our major London sites such
as The Tower of London, The Houses of Parliament, St Paul’s
Cathedral and Westminster Abbey. The rigorous training required of a
guide and the tools of the trade. She also answers some of the
questions that no training can ever prepare you for. ‘Why did the
Queen Mother abdicate in 1952?’ ‘How did Diana get her wedding dress
through the revolving doors of St Paul’s Cathedral’
The History of Vaccination
Come on a journey of the history of vaccination. Discover how the
first attempt at vaccination was brought into the UK by an 18th
century female aristocrat and how George III’s son died as a result
of the procedure. Hear about the country doctor who unlocked the key
to the dreaded disease of smallpox by looking closely at his
milkmaids (purely scientific of course!) along with a little help
from Blossom the cow and how over the next two hundred years other
killer diseases were conquered. An entertaining and often thought
provoking look at how we are protected today from diseases which
routinely killed our forebears.
From Athens to London With a Hop, Skip and a Jump
In 2012 London will be hosting the Olympics for the third time –
the only country ever to have done so
Come on a journey back to 1908 and 1948 and hear why London
hosted the 1908 Games when it was actually supposed to be in Rome;
how the modern marathon distance became 26 miles and 385 yards
thanks to the Royal Family at Windsor Castle; the disaster of the
Opening Ceremony and the rather strange sporting events. 1948 was
called the ‘Austerity Olympics’ where London came to the rescue
after World War II. Athletes brought their own food; were taken to
venues by double-decker bus and British athletes had their butter
rations doubled! Fascinating and heart-warming stories from the
greatest sporting event in modern history, the Olympic Games