A BROWNIE unit has celebrated its 70th anniversary by taking a trip down memory lane.
When the 10th Redhill Brownies formed in 1943 the main activities were a reflection of the times, with most of the girls taking part in sowing and cooking classes along with other home-based tasks.
Now even the uniforms, which have evolved from dresses to T-shirts and jogging bottoms, reflect the change in attitudes and the activities the girls do.
The Brownies are now much more active, taking part in practical tasks and holidays, and, perhaps unsurprisingly, one of the biggest activities is now computer skills, something that didn't even exist when the Brownies started.
"There's still lots of lots of girls in the Brownies and Guides," said district commissioner Janette Chapman, who has been involved with the group for 25 years. "It's changed but it's still very popular."
She added: "When they started they used to do a lot more homemaking-type things like sowing and cooking. They still do bits of that but it's changing because they do computing and internet safety, fire safety and that kind of thing. Even if you just look at how the uniforms have changed. The ones from the 1960s aren't very practical if you think about it with the loose dresses where as now the uniforms are far more practical and made for doing practical activities.
"The groups are just the same as they were before, they all come from different backgrounds, whether it's private school or state school, or where they live, it's a total mix of girls."
Brownies old and new attended the celebrations at Redhill Methodist Church, where the group meets, and a special cake was presented to the group and cut by Ann Webber, who was a Guider with the Redhill unit from 1966 until 2005.
Also in attendance was 36-year-old current leader Joanne Hayward, who was a Scout between 1984 and 1987.
"I really enjoy spending time with the girls," she said about why she decided to come back to the Brownies to lead a new generation. "I used to come back once or twice and then I got dragged back in slowly. I started when I was seven. It's changed a bit. Obviously the uniforms have changed but now we try to run Brownies by the girls so they help design the programmes and activities we do."
A few of the younger members of the unit were on hand and explained why they joined and enjoy being in the Brownies.
Emily Raynor, nine, is coming up to her third year in the group. She said: "I like seeing new friends and I enjoy doing the cooking. I really like going on the Brownie adventures."
Edua Borbely, nine, who has been in the Brownies for about a year said: "My favourite bit is the Brownie holidays when we do activities pushing each other down slopes.
"I enjoy just being a Brownie and all the fun and games we do."
