She joined St. Mary's Guides in 1939 and loved the activities.

When War broke out the guides helped settle the evacuees. When the children arrived on a coach, the Guides were waiting for them, and took them to the homes allocated to them. She took her bicycle, so she could strap the child's luggage on to the back and set him on the saddle whilst she pushed the bike along.

I recall especially her telling this to my own children, describing the little suitcase he carried, and the label tied to his coat (they, of course, associated this with Paddington Bear). She then said to my oldest "I was 11, the same age as you, and he was the same age as your little brother (then 4) and I had to make sure he was safe and didn't get too upset". This brought home to us all the enormity of the responsibility given to, and taken willingly, by the Guides.

The Guides helped at activities for the evacuee children.

She took her turn at fire-watching (I believe the ARPs specifically asked the Guides to help, but am not certain).

Although the War meant that the Guides were given responsibilities that Kitty took on gladly, she was disappointed that she never had a chance to join in the more usual Guide activities. She did tell me how they pitched tents and enjoyed "camping" in the grounds of (I think the Rectory or the Institute)

When I turned 7 (1958-9) she wanted me to share the Guiding experience. We lived in Irthlingborough and there was no Brownie Pack at the time, so she arranged for me to go to St. Mary's in Rushden. We met in the "stute" as she had, and did activities in the grounds. A friend from Irthlingborough (Anne Chamberlain) came with me. Sometimes we caught the bus, and sometimes we got a lift with Brown Owl's husband, who worked in Irthlingborough. Brown Owl was Mrs. Maidwell who live in Hall Ave. She had 2 daughters, Vicky, and one a little younger, called Helena.

I loved all the activities. We never went away on pack holidays, but we had some "activity days" - I remember one at (I think) Addington Hall where we had to use a loo with a long wooden bench seat, and a decorated china pull on the chain!

I remember an outing to Heathrow Airport, where the coach took us alongside the planes and a trip to the House of Commons.

I did a lot of badges and loved the interesting things I learned. At age 9 I was a "seconder".

My mother felt that Irthlingborough should have a Brownie pack and asked a friend who felt the same to help. So they set up the Irthlingborough pack, and Anne and I were drafted in as the first "sixers".

My dad made boxes for all the 6s to keep things in; I painted a Gnome on ours, the symbol of our "six". Within 3 weeks they had a waiting list. We did a lot of activities with Rushden to begin with, whilst my mum and Doreen found their feet.

A year later I turned 11, and it was back to going on the bus to Rushden with Anne to join the St. Mary's Guides (Poppy patrol). A lot more activities, especially outdoors. Our first meeting (September) we were taught how to build a campfire in the "stute" grounds and spear sausages for cooking. I wish I could remember Captain's name! I'm sure her first name was Kathleen, she was a teacher at Kettering High School and she lived along Higham Rd. She was lovely, kind, firm and sensible. I do remember our Commissioner was Mrs. Gibbard.

Many of my memories of Guides centre around camping A hiking. In April 1963 we went camping in the grounds of Grendon Hall. It rained nearly the whole weekend, and we cooked in a "camp kitchen" under cover. This brief experience qualified Anne and me to be "tent leaders" in the summer (as the other girls in the tent had no camping experience at all!). In July 1963 we went to Thornbury-on-Severn and enjoyed campfire singing, camp cooking and challenges.

Back then, you did various tests, all ticked off in a little book we carried, and at a certain point, were then considered "qualified" to lead a hike or camp.

I have many jumbled memories of hikes and camps, but these stick out:

1965-6 approximately:

I was to lead a hike, during which we must stop and cook a meal over a campfire. By then, it was not easy to find land where this could be done. Fortunately, our family friend, David Pack farmed at Woodford Lodge Farm, and identified a corner for us. I think there were 3 of us: Jane Crawley (who later became a Queen's Guide), Anne and me. Our hike took us through Twywell, where we drank from the well, which is still there with its attached tin cup, up to the land David had marked on the map for us.

We "turfed" the ground - we routinely carried a large "sheath knife" (sold by the Guides Association). You cut down 2" in a rectangular shape, big enough to build a campf ire on. You then rolled the turf back, cutting carefully as you went, and placed the roll of turf carefully aside. You built your campfire on the exposed earth, cooked (sausages were the easiest and most acceptable!) and after extinguishing the fire, and carefully disposing of any remaining sticks, replaced the turf.

So we enjoyed our sausages and went on our way. That afternoon, David went to inspect his land, and that evening called our home "wasn't it today the guides were supposed to come and build their cooking fire?" "Yes, we did, thank you". "But I called round and there was no trace, did you go somewhere else by mistake?" To make sure I went up the next day to show David where we had made our fire - indeed there was no trace at all - we were such good Guides!

May 1965:

A big camp was organised in the grounds of Castle Ashby Hall, the Chief Guide (still Olave Baden-Powell then) was to attend, and those of us who wished to be qualified as Camp Leaders were invited to run our own mini-camps. We had to arrange a camp for 6 Guides - check all the equipment, count up the cost of transport & food, send out letters to Guides <& parents, plan activities, and order all the food we needed to do our own cooking (deliveries were arranged by the District Association). There was a dreadful thunderstorm, and I had to put on my waterproofs and go out with a torch to "storm guy" our tent. Unable to sleep, we sang to keep spirits up! But we remained dry, the tent stayed up, and in the morning we cooked our scrambled eggs A filled our enamel mugs with strong tea.

Several of us qualified as a camp leaders and were congratulated by the Chief Guide.

August 1965:

I used my Camp Leader badge to set up a 4 day camp at Milton Ernest Hall, accompanied by a Guide from the new troop at Irthlingborough, and my friend Anne. We were on our own - visited just once by a District Leader, to check all was OK.

It was a glorious summer, and with no-one else to think about, we had a wonderful time.

I recall the date because I had a tiny transistor radio, and whenever I hear the Byrds' version of Mr. Tambourine Man, I am back in that glorious summer camp.

We were able to enjoy canoeing on the river, and campfires with a Scout Troop from Hemel Hempstead who were also camping in the grounds. For 2 years I enjoyed a romance-by-letter (and occasional meetings) with one of those Scouts!

Many years later, taking my own family camping, I would make lists of things to take and organise, and remember when I first learned to do that.

I also remember that we did a lot of joint activities, the whole District of Guides, and with the Scouts. I remember one bright spring afternoon, canoeing down the River Nene with the Venture Scouts. We did our First Aid badges with the St. John Ambulance Brigade. I also remember doing my "nursing" badge, and when I became a nurse, was pleased with the basic knowledge I had gained at Guides.