Members of Girlguiding Isle of Wight have recently returned to the Island from a very special camp in Norfolk.
Celebrating the Girl Guide experiences of Her Majesty The Queen this Living History camp held at the Gressenhall Farm and Workhouse Museum, Norfolk, was based on Guide activities in the 1940s when HM The Queen and Princess Margaret were Guides and Rangers.
Guides and Rangers ‘travelled ‘back in time’
Girlguiding Norfolk staged this six-day 1940s Guide Camp with activities based on the challenges the then Princess Elizabeth would have tackled as a Guide and, later, a Sea Ranger.
Front row l-r, Shannon and Holly, both in Sea Ranger uniform.
There was also a session on car mechanics, which the Princess learned while serving with the ATS (Auxiliary Territorial Service) during the Second World War. Guides and Rangers taking part in the camp ‘travelled ‘back in time to experience living in the 1940s, with equipment, uniforms and activities tailored to that era.
Green: “We were as authentic as we possibly could be”
Helen Green, Girlguiding Norfolk’s archivist, who organised the camp, said,
“We were as authentic as we possibly could be.
“It was a challenge not being able to use anything made from plastic or other modern materials but was a fantastic way of bringing history to life and experiencing some of the things the Queen herself would have done in Guiding. This was such a fantastic opportunity to mark the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee in a really hands-on and fun way.”
Activities included:
- Skinning and cooking rabbits
- Car maintenance, learning how to change tyres, oil and spark plugs
- Mastering different signals on a bosun’s whistle
- Trying out 1940s hair styles
- Having a Royal tea party and Scottish dancing
- An incident hike to test how prepared the girls were
- Giving guided tours of the camp to members of the public visiting the museum
- Crafts from that time – knitting, making lanyards and netting
Running for 16 years
This is the 16th year that Girlguiding Norfolk has run the 1940s camp.
Island members, Shannon Attfield, Holly Taylor, Coral Hatcher and Tessa Bryson all from Carisbrooke Rangers travelled to Norfolk with their Leader Emily Sparrow.
On arrival they transformed into 1940s Guides and Rangers by wearing 1940s uniforms.
Emily said,
“Rabbit skinning went well, those that wanted to have a go could and really enjoyed it, others gave it a wide berth, but everyone tried the rabbit stew we had the following day, and many were surprised they liked it.”
News shared by Suzanne on behalf of Girl Guiding Isle of Wight. Ed
Image: © Girl Guiding Norfolk
