LIPHOOK DISTRICT GUIDES

My first summer camp was in 2005. We had to look after babies made of flour bags and a balloon head. We called them mingers because they were so ugly. Then one day our baby's balloon head shrunk so we had to give him surgery then it all went wrong.......

From Holly Boxall (2nd Liphook Guides), Added Feb 2006

At Brownie camp Rachel fell over and cut her knee. She had to have stitches.

On my first Brownie holiday Rachel was running around the hall and fell over and bit her tongue. There was lots of blood everywhere and she couldn't eat much but she could eat jelly and ice-cream.

On my last Brownie holiday we went on an 8 mile walk and we were almost back to the hall and Rachel again fell over a stone and landed on a kerb stone. She went to McDonalds.

From Alice J (2nd Liphook Guides), Added Feb 2006

At Guide camp in July 2005, me and my friends Sophie, Jess and Nicole had a bit of fun and some one dared us to do moonies out of the back of the tent, so we did!

From Emma Shillabeer (2nd Liphook Guides), Added Feb 2006

It was good remembering some of the 3rd Liphook events I have attended with Mary Huggard over the years.

One of the most memorable events was helping my son Robert and the Scouter Bill teaching the girls to canoe down the brook at Mellow Farm and hauling the canoes downstream because they kept getting stuck.

This led to me taking part in the canoe marathon and accompanying them to the television studios during the evening. I still go annually to their get-together in Liss, and always get a hug wherever I meet them, even if it is in the middle of Woolworth's in Petersfield.

However the best times were the performances of the Orchestra recital in the Around the World review, December 1984. The audience loved them and they had encores. We performed on the floor for and the audience was on the staging!!

The second time they took part we had the 'Operation' which they gave us at our 'Around the World' concert. I think it was around 1987/9, before the Scouts joined us and the format changed.

From Barbara Crook (DC), Added Feb 2006

It was my first Guide camp and we were on our way to the toilet and I didn't have my shoes on properly. So I got there and a Young Leader told me to put my shoes on properly, so I tried and got one on but the other wouldn't go on because I was wearing my thick bed socks. So I took my sock off and gave it to my sister Sophie.

So while I was in the toilet my sister hung my sock on the door and the Young Leader took my sock and threw it into my cubicle, and at that point I flushed the chain (with the sock in the bowl) and I shouted "Sophie, you threw my sock in the toilet". But it wasn't her. The Young Leader went and told Heather. She was in stitches.

From Megan French (2nd Liphook Guides), Added Feb 2006

At my first camp it was a weekend in May. It was really fun. On the second night we had some visitors. One night a badger was prancing about outside the food tent. Everyone thought that there was just the one until there was an awful crashing sound....the other badger had sneaked in the food tent and walked into some dixies!

The next day we got a new marquee. The leaders were just putting it up when a sudden strong wind blew and the marquee was in the tree! It took about 10 people to get it down,

From Grace Marr (2nd Liphook Guides), Added Feb 2006

On our night hike in December 2005 on Weaver's Down, Suzy and Blair went through the middle of the mud and Suzy helped Blair get out and then Suzy was stuck there. When she pulled her wellie to try to get it out, instead her foot came out and she walked through the rest of the mud with one wellie on and one sock on! My Dad walked past and rescued her wellie, but Suzy had to take her sock off!!

From Becky Marsh (2nd Liphook Guides), Added Feb 2006

Some of our favourite memories are:

Camping and holidays, especially to Switzerland and Scotland and our stay on Brownsea Island. We loved all the outdoor activities like canoeing, raft-races, hiking, archery and climbing.

And we had great fun at secret midnight feasts at camp which were against the rules so Mary our Guider did not know anything about them, or so we thought at the time, but now we are not so sure!

From ex members of the 3rd Liphook Units, Added Feb 2006

At camp we got all the washing up because we did not want to get up. We pretended not to mind doing it but we hated it. We got the most dixies in history.

From Bethan G (2nd Liphook Guides), Added Feb 2006

On the Holly Woodage Fun day in 2005, Hannah R and me played a practical joke on Caitlin, Emma and Chloe. They were taking a tinkle and we sneakily ran to the outside door and locked it, then we ran back inside and locked the other door. When the girls had finished they came out of the loo to find that they were locked in. We on the other hand were splitting our sides.

Anonymous, Added Feb 2006

On the night hike in 2005 I learned all about the different food and drink Megan liked. I remember Megan who left without any reason, but likes sweet-corn and fish. She loves fish more than meat and laughs too much. And her love life is too complicated to think about. She has 4 challenge badges but was too lazy and smelly to do her BP with me and Kat. She helps with Monday Brownies now and they call her Sporty Owl because she does trampolining and somehow finds them 'cute' and 'sweet' . I told you she was mad. If you ever see Meg, smile and say Meggy, Meggy, Meg, Meg, Meg.

From Gemma Maynard (2nd Liphook Guides), Added Feb 2006

[Editors note: Megan is now a Ranger, and I can state categorically that she is not mad, lazy or smelly!! But she does smile a lot!]

My favourite memory was Guide camp in 2005. Me and Jo decided to do the crate challenge together. It was so hilarious I almost wet myself with laughter! I also remember a few weekends we spent in the hall, they were so much fun. I will miss them.

From Serena (Ranger), Added Feb 2006

At our first Guide camp, me and my friends were in the Blue patrol. One night the older Guides in our tent were talking about French kissing. Meanwhile at the back of the tent outside, there were Guiders listening to us we didn't know about. The next morning at breakfast, the Guiders announced in front of everyone that Blue patrol were talking about French kissing! How embarrassing.

From Chloe Jennings (2nd Liphook Guides), Added Feb 2006

Well it all started when we were pedal karting at weekend camp in 2005 and decided to be 'chavs'. We then had to make up a play for campfire so we did it about our funny chavs. We did a play and then sang our song which we made up to the tune of 'Candy Shop'

It goes like this:
I'll take u to the Burberry shop,
Don't need no mo......ney
Hide it under your coat
That we chav'ed last week.

Go grab that chocolate
And go to the toilet
We aint no pikeys
We are the chaa..ves!
Wow!

From B, B, B, L, R and S. ((2nd Liphook Guides), Added Feb 2006

My favourite time was at my first camp when we were eating and Rachel found worms in her pudding. It was so funny because she thought they were real until she picked them up and found out they were just gummy worms (sweets). You should have seen the look on her face.

From BW (1st Liphook Guides), Added Feb 2006

I remember when we were Guides, in fact I think we may have been Senior Patrol at Blacklands Camp. As a special treat for being the eldest we were taken real rock climbing with two rather attractive instructors as men of an older nature always appeared when you are about 14.

Ready to go we stood waiting for our turn to impress the instructors. We went up one after another and were warned there was a huge pile of fox poo in one of the foot holes. Extra care was therefore taken to avoid being the one who made the school girl mistake. However one of us forgot and stood in it, making the climb an unpleasant experience for anyone who followed.

Like a good Girl Guide she completely wasn't phased by the experience and removed the poo with a stick and wiped it onto a rock. Later after several more climbs and having a well deserved rest she made the fatal mistake of forgetting where she had wiped the poo and ended up sitting in it, causing great amusement to everyone, including herself several years later.

As a result of the forgetfulness she had to sit in the dog-bit of the car on the way back and was the only girl to get a much needed hot shower token without having to do any pot blacking. See there is always a silver lining although everyone else's smell was apparently far more noticeable to her afterwards.

From Clair Mapstone (Leader), Added Feb 2006

At camp on the 27th July myself and my friends got dared to do moonies behind the tent which we did.

From Sophie French (2nd Liphook Guides), Added Feb 2006

I have so many Guiding memories, but like many of the other contributors to this page, many of the most memorable ones were at camp.

One year the leaders heard a rumour that one of the Patrols was going to sneak into the neighbouring Patrol's tent after dark. We kept a discreet watch out until we saw some shadowy figures creeping out and disappearing under the side of the next tent.

Then Victoria and I made our way quietly over to the empty tent and crept in. To our surprise, Katherine S was still in there, struggling to get her trainers on. Katherine was very scared that she was about to be told off, but we reassured her and told her to go to tell the rest of her Patrol that the Guiders were about to come round to check the tents.

Meanwhile Victoria and I quickly hid in sleeping bags and under blankets. We heard muffled sounds of panic and all the Guides from that Patrol rushed into the tent and in complete darkness, tried to get into their beds as fast as possible. However, first there was an ear splitting scream, "Eeeeeeek, there's something in my sleeping bag!" followed by another shriek of "There's a body in my bed!".

When Victoria and I sat up, a hilarious panic followed.

From Heather Boosey (Leader), Added Feb 2006

In my old Brownies before I moved to Liphook, we all went on Pack Holiday for a week. It was my first one and after a few days about three quarters of the Brownies were sick. Everyone who wasn't sick thought there was food poisoning in the food.

From Robyn Coleman (2nd Liphook Guides), Added Feb 2006

[Editor's note: To reassure prospective Brownies and Guides. we've never had food poisoning at a Liphook Pack Holiday or camp and we've been going away every year for over 20 years. We're pretty confident we never will have a problem as hygiene is a very high priority! However according to some people there have been lapses, see next entry!]

I remember at my first camp, we had all sat down for our first breakfast and the porridge was brought out. As I don't like porridge, I didn't have any, but as we were all sitting there people were starting to realise that there were lumps in their porridge. At further inspection it turned out that earwigs had fallen from the ceiling of the hut and landed in the porridge!

From Eleanor Price (YL), Added Feb 2006

[Editor's note: I'm sure Eleanor will totally dispute this but I think the story has grown over the years from one to many 'lumps'!!!!!!]

We were at Blacklands camp, we were Senior Patrol and were in Brighton.

Me, Fig, Anushka, Jo Wilson and Holly walked into a pound shop and decided for reasons that still escape me bought a Gnome each. A discussion began with the cashier who happened to be a gay man called Gavin. In honour of this man our Gnomes acquired the surname Gavin therefore my Gnome's name was Pete Gavin after Peter Eyre. The names of the other Gnomes I can't remember, but they caused us great amusement and we made a Gnome garden outside out tent amongst the wellies, windmills and other camping goodies.

Strange things started to happen to these Gnomes. In fact they were kidnapped in the dead of night to go on adventures around the camp site. We found them in the swimming pool, canoeing the lake strapped to Pete's boat, watching us when we were going to the toilet, and frightened to death at the top of the abseil tower.

The hiding place of the last Gnome escaped us so we started Gnome news and put it in the shop. Later a ransom note appeared and he was found to be hanging from the TV in the camp office. Now this is where my memory of what happens next is a bit vague (apparently the whole thing was far too traumatic). I think we possibly rescued him whilst no one was looking and possibly when we were supposed to be in bed. That will have to be checked but the Gnomes and still here to tell the tale and I believe they are upstairs in the Guide hall as a reminder! How things have moved on; there was no Bear Factory* in Brighton in our day!

From Clair Mapstone (Leader), Added Feb 2006

[*Editor's note: this is a reference to the 2005 camp day out when the coach driver on the return trip home couldn't believe how many extra furry little passengers with cute outfits he had on board, as Liphook Guides had spent pounds and pounds in the Brighton Bear Factory. When you bought a bear, you were given a token towards the cost of another bear. By pooling all the tokens, we had enough to choose a free bear for a camp mascot. Rachel B also won a bear in a raffle which became the first aid bear.]

 

On my first Brownie holiday, I was running around the hall and clever me fell over and bit my tongue. There was lots of blood everywhere and I couldn't eat much but I could eat jelly and ice-cream.

On my last Brownie holiday we went on an 8 mile walk and we were almost back to the hall and I again fell over a stone and landed on a kerb stone. I thought nothing of it at first but then my sock was almost red, so I told Twilight Owl.

Twilight Owl told Sparkle Owl to go and get the car so she did, and in about 5 minutes she came back and took me to hospital. I had three stitches which felt like six. We had a different route via McDonalds and the beach and everyone was jealous.

From Rachel Edwards (2nd Liphook Guides), Added Feb 2006

Another camp memory is of two girls in Senior Patrol at a camp who shall be nameless, particularly as one of them is now a very respectable Guider! The theme of the camp was "The Elements" and the Patrols were called Earth, Air, Fire and Water, so the Senior Patrol were called Wind Patrol to tie in with this.

It turned out to be a very appropriate name, but it was not the kind of wind that was intended! The Senior Patrol were famous for having a particularly smelly tent and the noises that issued out had to be he heard to be believed! Perhaps it was a case of too many baked beans on the menu.

One night. some of the Guiders were going round the tents after dark with a torch, checking all the guy lines. We paused outside the Senior Patrol's tent as our attention was caught by a fairly serious and lengthy discussion inside concerning the current smells circulating in their tent, and we heard all sorts of strange noises almost like an orchestra. It became harder and harder for the Leaders to stifle their amusement.

One of the girls said "Wait for it there's another one coming........... " and there was a very long silent pause, at which point the Guiders outside, who were by now doubled up with pent up laughter, couldn't contain it any more and a stifled snort escaped.

The Senior Patrol obviously heard this as one of them said with alarm, "I think there's a Leader outside!"

At this point the Guiders ran to the back of the tent to hide. However we suddenly realised with shock that we had given ourselves away, as we had left a torch with its beam on near the tent front door. Two faces appeared from under the side of the tent, looking towards where the Guiders normally sat round the camp fire after lights out. We could see Senior Patrol, but they didn't spot us, and to our utter amazement didn't seem to question the lit torch by their door. But when they returned back inside and resumed their conversation, it was impossible for the Guiders to keep quiet and our howls of laughter rang out loud and uncontrolled, so we were discovered.

Strangely Senior Patrol were not in the least embarrassed!

This was their song:
Beans, Beans, a wonderful fruit
The more you eat, the more you toot
The more you toot, the better you feel
Let's eat beans for every meal!

From Heather Boosey (Leader), Added Feb 2006

I came to Brownies one evening in 1994 with my friend Andrea, to see what she was doing and so she knew someone else there.

I didn't know anyone but her as I went to Grayshott School and nearly everyone else went to Liphook Juniors. All I remember is that we were in the old Methodist Hall but I guess I must've had fun, because 12 years later and after moving to 2 more halls and changing from primary school to Woolmer hill and then college (briefly), I'm still here and a Leader and Ranger too! I actually think I'd be lost without Guides now, I've met some of my best friends through it and had some brilliant times, helped at all three Sections and been on (believe it or not) 10 week camps, 2 weekends and 2 pack holidays! (I counted).

From Rachel Topping (Leader), Added Feb 2006

My memory is when we slept in the marquee on the last night of camp 05 and Jayne started to talk in her sleep!

From Jess Topping (1st Liphook Guide), Added March 2006

My memory of camp is when we (me and Ellie) were in the tent, awake and some boys walked past. One of them shouted ‘@*%#’ and then another shouted ‘I’ll get you, you radish!’

Chloe Palmer (1st Liphook Guide), Added March 2006

My best memory is my first Guide camp and where I got my first peg for being ‘Most Helpful’. I was so proud of myself!! Also when I came a day early and me and Adele (Leader) were racing on bouncy balls.

Ellie Ross (1st Liphook Guide), Added March 2006

My favourite memory was from Guide camp where we all had to look after flour babies which had balloons for heads and a packet of flour for bodies. We all had to name them with the first letter of our patrol colour (ours was green) so we called her Gertrude. We were all rubbish at looking after her except for Ellie. Millie always held her by her legs, Lily left her in the toilets, Chloe rolled over her and I dropped her twice! Oops!

Roz Martin (1st Liphook Guide), Added March 2006

My best memory of Guides was at Guide camp when we went abseiling. It was loads of fun plus all the leaders joined in- it was really funny!

Sophie Doyle (1st Liphook Guide), Added March 2006

When I started Guides I knew nobody, I had just moved into the area. Everybody was so kind and welcoming so I made friends quickly. Now two of my best friends are in my Patrol and I’ve got loads of friends here!

Holly Coleman (1st Liphook Guide), Added March 2006

My memory is when I got enrolled and won an Oscar for 'finding my feet' at the Christmas party. Everyone cheered me on!

From Izzy Castle (1st Liphook Guide), Added March 2006

My best memory of Guides is at Guide camp when we went kayaking and had to pee in the Riverbank.

From Anonymous (1st Liphook Guide), Added March 2006

My funniest moment was when we had a big flour fight, we ended up with flour all over ourselves.

From Anonymous (1st Liphook Guide), Added March 2006