Look at the following picture.
Now, can anyone tell me what the building on the left is?
Perhaps the more astute reader may have already noticed that I mentioned we were in Cambridge, and it doesn't take an architect to correctly identify it as a chapel. If you attended Cambridge University, visited there or possess a certain level of general knowledge, you might have even correctly named it as King's College Chapel. If you did, well done - top marks.
As this photo was being taken, a punt was passing on the river Cam that flows through the college grounds. This punt was a guided tour and at this point in the tour the guide announced:
"And here we can see King's College Chapel, the 10th most recognisable building in the World".
I didn't have my Top 10 of Everything 1991 to hand, but if I did, I would wager that under the section labelled "Top 10 Most Recognisable Buildings in the World", King's College's Chapel wouldn't have been making an appearance. I very much doubt it would even break the Top 10 for the British Isles. Maybe it would have made it into "The Top 10 Most Recognisable Buildings Viewable From a Punt Guided By a Lying Student", I don't know - I'll have to look it up.
The fact is this punter was abusing the tour guide - guidee relationship. The people in his punt didn't laugh or scoff at his statement. No eyebrows were furrowed, nor even raised. They seemed to take it as stated, most probably because they were under the belief that as a tour guide, this man must know what he's talking about.
Whether this expose will be featured on the next series of BBC 1's Rouge Tour Guides with Fiona Bruce, I don't know - I guess it's pretty likely - but until then, just be aware.
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