In this photograph Mrs. Walker holds the Registration Certificate dated 1919, With her are the Knightsford Bridge Guides and Brownies from left, Maria Bielecki, Jane Walker, Jean Harris and Susan Rickets. Miss Mary Walker, present captain, is standing at the back.

Since it was formed 50 years ago this month, Knightsford Bridge Guide Company has had only two captains, Mrs. J. Walker and her daughter, Miss Mary Walker, the present captain.

The Company was formed in 1919 by Mrs. Walker after she had heard a talk on the movement by the Chief Guide."We met after school hours in the old village school at Knightwick and because there was so little for girls in the parish to do it was immediately popular." Mrs Walker recalls.

"In those days the day-hike was the high-light of our activities. We even took an invalid Guide along in a pony and trap. We made camp not to far from home and cooked our dinner in the open - usually rabbit stew- for which each girl was expected to take with her a carrot, an onion and a potato."

Today the company, 20 strong and with four recruits waiting to be enrolled, goes regularly to camp. The village school closed down a decade ago, but the girls meet at the Walker's home, the Old Rectory, Knightwick.

In the Bewdley division, the company often feels cut off from the rest of the county, hemmed in as it is by the river and hills. But members are not merely content with making an effort to join in county events. They play a part in the world movement as well.

One of their number attended the World Camp at Windsor and the following year they entertained girls from other countries. More recently they entertained two Swedish Cub leaders and at their invitation 24 members of the company visited Sweden and Denmark.

The company boasts a Queen's Guide, Winnie Smith now a district nurse at Bishops Cleeve, and there are five rangers, four of them Mrs. Walker's grand-daughters. Of these four are working for the Duke of Edinburgh Award.

One of the Rangers, Mary Walker, who is 19, is teaching agricultural science out in Zambia under the V.S.O. scheme., and maintains an important link with the girls at home.

Although she gave up her warrant in 1958, Mrs. Walker, now 83 maintains a lively interest in "her" company, is a member of the Trefoil Guild and attends events whenever she can. During the early years of the last war she saw membership drop to two and as recently as 18 months ago there were only six Guides.

But today the company flourishes once again and includes in its ranks, daughters, grand-daughters, and nieces of former members.

Extract & Photograph from the Worcester Evening Newspaper (6th March, 1969).

 

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