Eight new Oliver Cromwell House Tour Guides have officially graduated this month and are set to help visitors to Ely learn more about the history of Cromwell and the civil war.

The new people come from a range of backgrounds from lawyers to teachers to librarian and worked hard over the last three months to learn how to be official Oliver Cromwell’s House Tour Guides.

The course was run by two expert Blue Badge Guides and the exam consisted of a written and practical tests.

The new Guides will now assist with group tours around the house as well as family activity days which are run during the school holidays. They will work alongside the Blue Badge Guides and City of Ely Guides to deliver a variety of range of tours around the House and City.

Councillor Richard Hobbs, Chairman of the Community and Environment Committee, said: "It is fantastic that eight new Oliver Cromwell House Tour Guides have graduated this month. They will now be bringing what they have learnt, their story telling and personalities to the tours of Oliver Cromwell House. What is very exciting is the range of different backgrounds our new Guides come from which just goes to show that history and our past can appeal to anyone. I wish all our Guides the best of luck in their new careers and look forward to hearing from them all in the future."

For further information contact Ely Tourist Information Centre on 01353 662062 or check out the website at www.visitely.org.uk.