Folkestone town mayor Janet Andrews, Shepway District Council Chairman Susan Carey with Lyminge guides and their mascot 'Gladys'
Saturday 19 September is an important day for the girlguides. Across Kent they have been ‘beating the bounds’ of their areas and I have been asked to join them on the East Cliff at Folkestone to hear them renew their promises as rainbows, brownies and guides.
It is a lovely day with hazy sunshine and the cliffs look ethereal and mysterious in the mist. It doesn’t matter how often I see this view, I always find it stunning and think how lucky we are to have such natural beauty on our doorstep.
The Folkestone girls have walked here fron Samphire Hoe and the Hythe girls from Scanlons Bridge in Hythe. They renew their promises as Rainbows, Brownies and Guides and sing songs (one of which involves us joining little fingers). I am joined by the mayor of Folkestone. Janet Andrews and the girls ask us to pose for photographs with them and their mascot, Gladys the Swiss cow.
The Beating the bounds badge
Everyone who takes part in this event (including me) receives a special badge and Ros Battrick, The Folkestone Division Commissioner tells the girls that they will remember today and will tell their grandchildren that they were here. Ros asks me if I was ever a guide and I have to confess that I wasn’t. However, this is my second event with the girls and they make me feel as though I’ve always been one of them.
A memorable day for us all.
Cllr Susan Carey, Diane Thompson and girls on the East Cliffs at Folkestone
Tags: Folkestone, Hythe