Looking back at Girlguiding centenary celebrations in Hastings and St Leonards

Parties were held at Priory Meadow Shopping Centre and the Phoenix Arts Centre on October 20, 2010, at the same time as hundreds of similar events were held around the country.

At Priory Meadow, around 200 Guides from the Hastings Division were joined by mayor Kim Forward, Hasting Carnival Queen Tamara Gates, Scouts and charities which had supported the girls over the year.

Celebrations included a fashion show of past and present uniforms, talks from the girls on what they had done during the centenary year, some singing and watching a live link-up with Chief Guide Liz Burnley.

Janice Harmer, Girlguiding division commissioner for Hastings, said at the time: “All of our members, from the youngest five-year-old Brownie to the oldest 89-year-old Trefoil Guild member, joined together with parents and distinguished guests for this memorable occasion.”

Tamara had travelled to the Hastings event from her university in Guildford, and drove back to Guildford the next morning, proving her commitment to her Girlguiding duties.

All present and former members renewed their Promise, led by the Chief Guide on the broadcast link-up.

At the Phoenix Arts Centre, hundreds of Rainbows, Brownies, Guides, senior section members and volunteers from Girlguiding St Leonards had fun at a disco, camp fire singing old and new songs, growing their vision by putting tags of wishes on a tree and watching the live link-up.

The Guiding movement began in 1909 when a small group of young women gatecrashed the Boy Scout rally at Crystal Palace Park in London and lobbied Robert Baden-Powell for ‘something for the girls’.

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