Darlington's girl guides in the spotlight of new exhibition

1st Darlington Guides learn semaphore in 1911.
All pictures courtesy of the Darlington Centre for Local StudiesRobert Baden-Powell began forming the Boy Scouts in 1907 following his experiences in the Boer War. He took a group of youngsters from Eton, Harrow and inner London on a trial camp and taught them survival skills. He wrote about the camp in a book, Scouting for Boys, and then started a magazine which seems to have inspired boys across the country to form their own small groups.

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In Darlington, avid male readers of the magazine at Albert Road School formed a patrol of Cuckoos and they quickly joined up with a patrol of similarly-minded Wolves from Elton Parade to form a pack. With tents made out of old sacks, they headed off to Ketton Hall Park for a camp.

But, of course, girls can read, too.

Darlington 18th Girl Guides celebrate their 50th anniversary in June 1978In 1909, Baden-Powell held the first Boy Scout Rally at Crystal Palace in London, and it was gatecrashed by a group of young females who declared themselves to be “Girl Scouts” and demanded that “something for girls” be set up along similar lines.

Baden-Powell put his sister, Agnes, on the case and in 1910 she established the Girl Guides Association.

This, too, appealed to the youngsters of Darlington.

21st Darlington Guides by the River Tees at High Coniscliffe in July 1932“One of the most interesting Guiding items we have is a lovely log book, or journal, which we believe was owned by Florrie Coapes,” says local studies librarian Mandy Fay. “Florrie was a Darlington girl who joined the girl guides in 1910, when it was still in its infancy.

“After leaving school, Florrie worked for The Northern Echo, but she was involved in guiding all her life. She died in 1990.

“Her logbook, with hand drawn cartoons, photos and journal entries about the many memorable meetings and events in the lives of local Girl Guides gives a fascinating insight into early Guiding in Darlington.”

Parts of her logbook are in the exhibition, along with these – and many more – wonderful pictures.

Patrol leaders and corporals from the 1st Darlington Guides in 1910The exhibition has opened this week and is building up to a Guiding and Scouting Open Day in the Centre for Local Studies on October 31, 10am-5pm, when there will be even more items, from both the girls’ and the boys’ groups, from the library’s collection for people to inspect.

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Darlington Brownies in 1973