The members of Lower Landsker Trefoil Guild were delighted with the success of the 100 Years of Guiding in Tenby exhibition which they hosted in the Scout and Guide Hall for three days last week.

It was put together under the expert eye of member Barbara Pegg, and included memorabilia and photos dating back to 1923. From the moment Mayor Sam Skyrme- Blackhall opened the event on Friday morning, the Hall was filled with a buzz as many local people relived old memories and re-kindled old friendships.

It was a special pleasure to have the ever elegant Mrs Kathleen Phillips as one of the first guests. Mrs Phillips was a Past Guider, County Commissioner and County President and was delighted not only to meet old Guiding friends, but to also chat to past pupils of Greenhill School where she taught Home Economics for many years.

On Saturday, despite the atrocious weather, the Hall was filled to capacity and it was good to meet up with families such as the Burnleys and the Maggs for whom Guiding had played such an important part in their lives. Phone cameras were much in evidence and photos of many of the exhibits were soon winging their way to friends all over the world.

One of the highlights was the Brownie Book of 1952, an exquisite collection of hand-painted flora and fauna of the local area, all painted by former Brown Owl, Miss Kathleen Rees and Brownies of the era. This book is kept at Tenby Museum so it was a real treat for people to be able to browse through it. It was even better to have one of those ex-Brownies, Kate Phillips actually present, and to find the flower that she had helped paint with her name beautifully printed below.

Some years ago, members of the Trefoil Guild took the book to the Antiques Road Show at Pembroke Castle where it was much admired. Guiding friends from Milford Haven were also among Saturday’s visitors including another past County Commissioner, Sian Garside and her mother, Wendy Barnet, both well known figures in county Guiding.

Sunday saw another busy morning with Linzi, daughter of Laurie Dale enjoying the old Gang Show photos, and Heather, formerly Turnbull, delighted to see photos of her Aunt, Miss Iris Mabe ,both as a Guide in the late twenties and a Guide Captain in the fifties and early sixties.

Judging by all the comments in the visitors’ book, it had certainly been a worthwhile project, and a great deal of coffee and tea was served as people lingered to chat and reminisce. It was extra special on Sunday, to have present day Guiders Rhian Morgan and Lauren Smith together with some of their Guides helping , showing that the movement is still flourishing today.

The exhibition will surely be talked about for some time to come and many thanks go to the Trefoil members who made it all happen, particularly Barbara Pegg, Barbara Morris and Margaret Peake, and to all those who served coffee and tea, and who cleared it all away in less than an hour. Teamwork ! Or could it be, ‘Once a Girl Guide, always a Girl Guide?’