Last updated 13:35, Thursday, 01 May 2008

THE news I get from Julie Bryceson about the activities of the Scout groups that include the Cubs, Beavers and also girl Cubs warms my heart.

I remember someone once reprimanding Hukue when she called them ‘her’ Scouts, of course they are hers and they will think themselves just so as long as they live.

Julie puts much of her valuable voluntary time into running these groups and what a wonderful achievement.

This week’s report reminded me about my time in Guiding, we were not, in those days, tied so much to the rules and regulations heaped upon the modern day packs.

I recall once taking ‘my’ lot to Blackpool for an outing and going over to the beach for a paddle. On coming back the traffic was so bad we could not cross the road.

However, we were all in uniform and mine loosely resembled that of a police woman so I stood in the middle of the wide Blackpool Pleasure Beach Road and held up the traffic, again in those days the buses, trams and cars were used to a policeman halting them so I stopped the whole street with one wave of my hand – what power!

Another time we were orienteering, never my strong point, and got lost between Caldbeck and Sebergham near the woods.

On meeting two men I inquired as to the route to Caldbeck. “Don’t know,” they said. “We’re strangers in these parts.”

We could have been in Piccadilly Circus!

Eventually we found our way, but got lost again on the way back!

The thing that reminded me about ‘my’ girls was when Julie’s Scouts were cooking rabbit.

The guides had a 25-mile Get out of That contest with the Wigton Army Cadets and at the end of the day had to make their own supper, even down to skinning the rabbits, which Ken Graham, cadet leader, had shot earlier.

They were game lasses and produced a great rabbit stew before camping out under the stars for the night.

Personally I left Ken in charged and went home – my feet were killing me!