Market Drayton Brownies celebrate 75 years of fun and friendship

The 2nd Market Drayton Brownie unit was opened on 3 April 1951 by Miss Edna Evans who became Tawney Owl, she was joined by Miss Betty Edwards who married and became Mrs Betty Silvester. Her warrant ended in 1986, when Mrs Shelia Vernon became Brown Owl.

Mrs Shelia Vernon ran the unit alongside Mrs Anne Astley (Tawney Owl) for 25 years before retiring from Guiding in 2010. At this time, Louise Bonner took over as Brown Owl alongside Lucy Monger, who married and became Bussue, as Tawney Owl. They are still running the unit today.

In 1969 the pack met at ADASTRA house in the Methodist School room.

In 1971 they moved to their new Guide hut on Longlands Lane in Market Drayton. This was a former RAF hut previously used at Buntingsdale, where they had 24 Guides and 64 Brownies.

We are unsure when the Girl Guides moved to their new Headquarters off Shrewsbury Road, but this was a wooden building which was once a Roman Chapel at the former Tern Hill RAF Station. It saw many Rainbows, Brownies, Guides, Rangers and adult leaders over the years, before moving to their new home in November 2016.

All Girlguiding groups moved to The Phoenix Centre in Drayton Grove in November 2016, where the Brownies still meet every Tuesday evening for girls age 7-10 years. They currently have 25 Brownies on the register, along with one Young Leader and five adult leaders who volunteer their time to provide the girls with crafts, games, helping the community, completing badges, sleepovers, day trips and keeping their Brownie Promise by doing a good turn every day - 75 years after that first meeting, the same Guiding spirit lives on!

If you would like to get involved with Girlguiding, there are opportunities for girls aged 4-18 years, and for adult volunteers aged 18 and over. For more information, and to register your interest, please go to girlguiding.org.uk/get-involved.