For renowned historian and storyteller John Adams, it all got started at Fort Rodd Hill. His career will come full circle when he features as part of the entertainment at the Colwood Seaside Festival on Sept. 18.

For three summers in the early 1970s, Adams, who says he has always had a fascination with history, took a job as an interpretive guide at the national historic site.

B次元官网网址淚t was one of those fabulous summer jobs B次元官网网址� It was really my first experience giving guided tours and learning how to do it,B次元官网网址� he recalled.

Adams had experience with public speaking in high school, having taken a course and participated in Toastmasters. HeB次元官网网址檇 also done some acting in elementary and high school. B次元官网网址淚 wasnB次元官网网址檛 unfamiliar with standing up in front of people and talking,B次元官网网址� he said.

Still, guiding and storytelling was a bit of a different animal and itB次元官网网址檚 something that Adams admits he had to work on.

B次元官网网址淚t got better with practice.B次元官网网址�

His experience at Fort Rodd Hill further piqued AdamsB次元官网网址� interest in history, and as a consequence he made the decision to enrol in a museum studies course at the University of Toronto.

Seventeen years ago he founded Discover the Past, a tour company that continues to deliver historical and ghostly walking tours around Victoria.

The key to a good story, Adams explained, is to capture the audienceB次元官网网址檚 imagination.

B次元官网网址淎 dramatic element is helpful. ItB次元官网网址檚 like any kind of story, like any kind of novel or play. It has to build up, there has to be a crescendo and there has to be a good focal point or finale,B次元官网网址� he said.

One of the elements of his profession that he enjoys the most, beyond interacting with the guests on the tour, is the element of preparation. A lot goes into telling a story and it takes many hours of work before a tale is ready for a full audience.

B次元官网网址淭he research, for me as a historian, is a really integral part of this. I enjoy doing the research and that usually involves long hours in the archives, looking at old newspapers, documents and reading other peopleB次元官网网址檚 accounts,B次元官网网址� he said.

Adams then rehearses his story meticulously, practising what heB次元官网网址檒l say and where heB次元官网网址檒l say it.

B次元官网网址淚tB次元官网网址檚 almost like a stage play B次元官网网址� but for the public it should look as though itB次元官网网址檚 coming natural,B次元官网网址� he said.

Adams isnB次元官网网址檛 exactly sure which of his many stories heB次元官网网址檒l tell at the Seaside Festival, but said heB次元官网网址檒l sprinkle in a mix of history and ghost stories that will be informative and entertaining for audiences of all ages.

B次元官网网址淸Fort Rodd Hill] is beautiful. ItB次元官网网址檚 one of the most beautiful settings around B次元官网网址� You can talk about so many things, you can talk about the natural beauty of the scenery B次元官网网址� and you can point in almost any direction and tell stories of human interest.B次元官网网址�

Of course, there are some spooky elements to Fort Rodd Hill, as with many sites in the Capital Region, and Adams plans to delve into some of those as well.

Other entertainment options at the festival will include a puppet show, musical performances from Cookeilidh (featuring Irish and Scottish tunes with a Maritime flavour) and The Big Weee (bluegrass covers). Local food trucks, box kite building and a B次元官网网址渧intage selfie stationB次元官网网址� are among the other highlights.

The festival will take place between 11 a.m. and 4 p.m. at Fort Rodd Hill and Fisgard Lighthouse National Historic Site. Admission to the site is free for the day.

For more information, visit the eventB次元官网网址檚 website at colwood.ca/seasidefestival.

joel.tansey@goldstreamgazette.com