Trefoil Guild Wales/Cymru

"Getting involved and making a difference"

© Trefoil Guild Wales/Cymru

'A CENTURY OF PROMISES'

 

This is the title of a book celebrating the centenary of Girlguiding West Glamorgan.  As archivist for West Glamorgan, I have been working on this book for the past two years.  The original research was carried out by the previous archivist, Rhona Ray, a long-serving Guide leader from Swansea.  Sadly, Rhona died in 2009, so I have been working with the publisher, David Roberts, of Neath (Bryngold Books Ltd.), in adding to the manuscript, and bringing it

up-to-date.

 

The book now includes all areas of this Guiding County, from Margam westwards to Gower, and northwards to cover the Afan, Neath and Swansea Valleys.  The present-day members of the Movement are included in a colour chapter, and there is also a colour chapter showing the celebrations held for the centenary of Girlguiding UK in 2010.  We were very fortunate, in that the Chief Guide, Gill Slocombe, and the Chief Commissioner for Wales, Felicity Ladbrooke, agreed to write forewords to the book.

 

The Launch of the book took place at Swansea Civic Centre on Saturday, 24th September

2011, in the presence of the County Commissioner, Mrs Mary Knill; the Deputy Chief Commissioner for Wales, Mrs Lesley Mathews; the Lord Mayor and Lady Mayoress of Swansea, and the Mayor and Mayoress of Neath Port Talbot, together with Rainbows, Brownies, Guides and Leaders from the County.

 

The Launch was featured in the 'South Wales Evening Post' and in an on-line newspaper.  Then I received an e-mail from BBC Radio Wales, inviting me to be interviewed about the book 'live' on air by Roy Noble in his afternoon programme on Tuesday, 11th October.  His researcher had read a copy of the book, and was impressed with its contents and presentation.  I felt a sense of apprehension about this, but agreed to do it, in order to promote Guiding in this area.

 

On the appointed day, I drove the 30 miles to the BBC Wales studios in Cardiff, and was reassured by the kindness of the staff on the programme, most of whom had been members of the Guide or Scout Movements.  I was taken into the studio for the interview, and had precisely 3 minutes (the time it took to play a tape of a song) to be introduced to Roy Noble, take my seat, and put my notes on the desk, ready for to be interviewed 'on air'.

 

Roy had obviously done his homework well, and knew exactly what questions to ask.  It was very easy to have a conversation with him, and he put me at ease.  I was 'on air' for about 20 minutes, talking about various aspects of the history of Guiding, both nationally and in West Glamorgan.  A few listeners rang in with their memories of Guiding, and Roy mentioned these later in the programme.

 

This was a new experience for me, and one that I would not have missed.  I hope that it has given listeners a broader understanding of Girlguiding in all its aspects.

 

                                            June Shakeshaft, Archivist West Glamorgan Girlguiding.