I arrived in Rushden in 1967 and Mrs Maidwell, who was the District Commissioner wasted no time in getting me to start the 6th Rushden Guides at the Catholic Church. We started it sometime in October 1967 and Kathleen Walker was one of the girls who came along on the very first night. 'Can my sister come and help', she said. So the very next week along came Eileen and she has been around ever since. That first Summer 1968, I took some of them and some Guides from other Units to camp. We joined my sister in the Yorkshire Dales and I took them on the train to Settle. I must have been mad! We went again the next Summer to Anglesey. In the following years we did lots of camps. Eileen, Gill Sharp and I took our small children with us and they had a great time. Life was much simpler in those days and they were very happy times.

I had some great times with 6th Rushden Guide Unit. We used to put on concerts and loads of people from the church used to come and support us. One time Eileen, Kathleen and I did a mime to 'Sisters' - me in a Ranger uniform with a mini skirt and laddered black tights, Kathleen in a Guide Uniform and Eileen dressed as a Brownie with long pig-tails. We used to run dances on a Saturday evening in the Catholic Club and we used to raise a lot of money that way.

Mrs Gibbard was Division Commissioner in those days, much revered. I became Division Camp Adviser in the Autumn of 1968. Going to camp meetings in Northampton in those days used to terrify me as I found the people on the team were very daunting. Then the over 65 rule came in and it wiped out about ¾ of the team and it was much better!

Mrs Maidwell resigned as District Commissioner and Lily Anderson took over. All of us loved Lily, but the Guides were always a bit frightened of her. Mrs Gibbard moved away and Mrs Mackness was the new Division Commissioner.

One thing I remember well. We had a District Christmas evening in the Salvation Army Hall and each Unit was asked to put on a short performance or song. My Guides did a silly action version of The 12 Days of Christmas and we made everyone laugh. Afterwards Lily took me on one side and told me that was supposed to be religious! I think I was in trouble, but at least we made everyone laugh.

We left Rushden in December 1977, so a lot of water has gone under the bridge since then.