Guiding history on display

To tie in with yesterday’s World Thinking Day, guests were invited to enjoy refreshments and see the array of photos, books and records that have been collected over the years, along with some old uniforms.

Before two Trefoil Guild members cut the red ribbon to officially open the display, chairwoman Margaret Redhead paid tribute to Guernsey Guiding’s former archivist, the late Edith Le Patourel.

It was she who had been responsible for keeping all of the material which had taken new archivist Kirstie Prevel and a small team many months to sort through.

Miss Le Patourel also left Guiding a financial gift and this has been used to turn a former office area upstairs at the headquarters into the official archive.

‘Edith used her own home to store all kinds of things and we had boxes and boxes and boxes of stuff,’ said Mrs Redhead.

The official opening was carried out by Jane Wilson and Rachel Rabey, both of whom joined the Guides in the 1940s, with Miss Rabey becoming a Brownie after being evacuated to Rochdale and Mrs Wilson joining when she returned to the island in 1945.

Among the many items on display is a log book for the 4th Company compiled by Miss Rabey in 1948.

Both went on to become leaders, with Mrs Wilson taking on the role of island commissioner for a time.

She said that Guiding was ‘a marvellous organisation. It really made my life and opened so many doors.

‘I’ve done so many things that I would not have done otherwise, and I’d like to thank Guiding for that.’

Miss Prevel said there was still material to be sorted through and she was also hoping to talk to people about their time in the Guiding organisation, to have an oral history of the Guernsey group.

• Anyone who would like to contribute stories of their time in the Guides to the archive should email girlguidingguernsey@suremail.gg

• Don’t miss: more information and pictures on the history of Guiding in the Guernsey Press next week.