BEING IN THE GIRL GUIDES 2024/05/27
When I was going to the Ursuline Convent Secondary Modern Schools for Girls 1 (1950-1955), I joined the Girl Guides 2 (known as Girl Scouts 3 in the US). The Head Girl at school (whose name I can’t remember, but who I was obsessed with) was also a member. One year, the troupe had a fancy-dress competition. I went as a 1909 Girl Guide, with long skirt and full blouse, both of which I had made, but I didn’t have the broad-brimmed, khaki hat. The costume wasn’t complete—more evidence that I just didn’t have what it took to be accepted, liked. I felt embarrassed and defiant all at the same time as I walked in the parade.
The Head Girl and her best friend came as “Board Stiff”. They won. Their costume, if you can call it that, was wooden boards strapped to their legs, so they could only walk very stiffly, and did so, laughing and laughing, as we all did. I remember feeling shocked at them, somewhat embarrassed they were making such fools of themselves. I was such a serious, unhumorous kid!
Our troupe, under the wing of Ms. St Lawrence, went on a trip every year. One notable time was when we went to a farm near Shrewsbury, on the border of England and Wales, which meant a long train journey. We got on the train at Kings Cross, waiting for it to leave, when a whole pile of Boy Scouts got on. They were from Germany, and two of them sat with us in our carriage. I ended up sitting next to one of them, a good-looking boy called Seifried, while his friend, Wolfgang, sat opposite.
I fell in love. I immediately was completely stricken with awe at this gorgeous, blond haired, young man sitting next to me, beautiful, speaking English with a slight German accent, which made him all the more attractive. We all talked constantly for the three-hour journey as we girls twittered and giggled. At some point, the lights in the carriage went out, not that we noticed it then, but when the train went through a tunnel it was pitch dark in the carriage and one or both of the boys made kissing noises. When we came out into the light, they were laughing. We were laughing too, but I know I was embarrassed, and, at the same time, I wanted to be kissed and held.
My next memory is of camping, in a field, with those round army tents used by soldiers in WWI, heavy, grey canvas, eight of us in each tent. We had to make supports to keep our clothes off the ground. We went scrounging in the local woods for sticks and Ms St Lawrence (who I had a complete crush on, wanting attention from her, but when she did interact with me, I would get tongue-tied, blushing and stuttering, almost incoherent, looking at her with googly eyes, that is when I could raise my head up), she gave us string to bind up the sticks, making platforms and other pieces of furniture. Hands down, my tent won, and I was asked by other tents to help them. Since I was one of those who was always chosen last for pretty much anything, being asked to contribute was unsettling, unfamiliar, and welcome.
One day we went to Snowden 4, and climbed to the top. On the way down, going slowly, I saw the Head Girl fall and roll down the mountain next to me (fortunately we were near the bottom). She looked at me and told me not to tell anyone. I didn’t, but I oh so much wanted to. Another time we went into Shrewsbury to see the castle 5 (built in 1070) and was not impressed as it didn’t look like a real castle, being made of red brick. We made friends with the farmers sons who thought we were kind of exotic, coming from London, as the furthest afield from home they had gone was Shrewsbury itself, about 5 miles away. We worked on our badges and, of course, I can’t remember what badges I had, but I do know that the Head Girl had lots of them.
On the night before we had to leave, we all sat around a large fire, drinking cocoa and singing. We all got to choose a song, and I chose “Land of the Silver Birch” 6, a Canadian folk song, which we sang, with gusto, trying to get it over with as fast as we could, so we could sing the next song, so another member of our troupe could have her choice.
But for me, that song was about regret. I was having to leave a place I loved, had fun in, had adventures in, to go back to the arid desert, the unwelcome space, that was my home.
1 Ursuline Convent Secondary Modern School for Girls, now the Ursuline Convent Senior Secondary School. https://ursulinegreateroida.org.
2 The Girl Guides: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Baden-Powell,_1st_Baron_Baden-Powell.
3 Girl Scouts: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Girl_Scouts_of_the_USA
4 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Snowdon
5 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shrewsbury_Castle
6 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Land_of_the_Silver_Birch