February 2004

I always find that I get loads of e-mails from fellow Brownies at this time of year. Many of them come from Brownies in other countries, trying to find out about Brownies in the UK for Thinking Day. It’s really cool, as I now have friends who are Brownies, Bulbuls, Girl Scouts, Bluebirds, and other variations from all over the world.

This year I received an e-mail from a Girl Scout in America who wanted to know more about how Brownies used to be here in the UK. Well, that made me think. Of course, I knew all about how Brownies started and I wrote and told her all about our new uniforms and badges and how much more up-to-date and funky they are from our old uniform and badges. Dad even managed to take a digital photograph of my sash so that she could see how the designs of the badges have changed.

When I told Brown Owl about my new friend she pointed me in the direction of the “Brownie Traditions” badge. Trust BO - one mention of, well, anything and she’ll find a badge for you to work on! Note for diary: must remember not to tell BO anything!!

I was going to forget about our conversation, but you know how it is. I was sitting in my bedroom, bored out of my skull - netball having been cancelled for the third time this term, rain hammering against the windows, yet more repeats on the telly - and that badge book just kept winking at me from the shelf next to my bed.

Before Mum could yell “Peas or beans with your sausages and mash?” up the stairs, I had drawn the Union flag, practiced the national anthem and plaited a metre of embroidery silks (which I found in the bottom of my cupboard from when Nan Com tried to teach me how to cross stitch).

Anyway, over the sausage, mash and peas, I was chatting to Mum about this particular badge and, knowing that she, too, had been a Brownie (around the time of the dinosaurs, I suspect) I asked her about the uniform they wore in her day. Did she have a sweatshirt? What about culottes? And did she have a baseball cap? Mum just gave one of her funny sideways smiles and disappeared out the kitchen. Two minutes later I heard the loft ladder being pulled down. What was she up to…?

Fortunately for the kitchen walls I had just swallowed the last forkful of peas when Mum rushed in with a rather dusty looking box.

“Found it!” she cried, looking somewhat pleased with herself.

Seconds later I was crying with laughter at the brown cotton dress Mum unfolded from several layers of tissue paper, where it laid undisturbed for many centuries! The long sleeves - “very uncomfortable in summer” - were covered in triangular badges - just like some of my older-style ones. A thin piece of yellow fabric crossed over the top button with a familiar-looking promise badge - a poor excuse for a neckerchief! But the icing on the cake to all this was when Mum pulled from the bottom of the box a brown felt beret!!! I’m sorry - I know fashions change - but if this was what Brownies used to wear they must have looked more like French baguette sellers!! Even Mum began to giggle then.

At the very bottom of the box lay a faded photograph of Mum, aged 8, wearing this same uniform at a district Thinking Day event (according to the back of the photo).

I must just go and scan this and e-mail it to my new friend in America…

If you want to find out more about Brownies and Guides in your local area why not visit their excellent web site:

www.girlguiding.org.uk