Channel Swim - WELL DONE!!

After a weekend of waiting, Team Twenty Ten finally set off from Folkestone at 3am on Monday 2nd August. 15 hours 24 minutes later they arrived in France - not quite a national record but definitely a record for Surrey West!
Well done to the team of six and their very numerous band of supporters.

Now we really are closed for Summer!!

CLOSED FOR SUMMER

As we have all had a long and exhausting year I think we all need a complete break - or as complete as it can be allowing for the camps, swims etc due in the next six weeks. Today the office closed for Summer and I am closing down the County for six weeks as well. From today:

1. I will pick up emails but not reply except if it is an emergency
2. I will answer the phone but only deal with emergencies

So, if it can wait until September, it should do.

See you in September - although I can't pretend to leave this blog unaltered until then.

Beautiful Gardens

This weekend I spent Saturday and most of Sunday at Hampton Court Flower Show helping at the GirlguidingUK Centenary Garden. What a busy two days as people came through the garden in droves. They were very complimentary and many ladies had wonderful memories of Guiding. If you didn't know, the garden won silver gilt and also was the people's Choice. There were also the balconies - Hinchley Wood Guides' Icelandic Balcony was highly commended. We also had several entries in the container category although I haven't discovered whether we were successful there.
It was a splendid event and excellent publicity. Although it was exhausting it was also exhilarating.

Wise words

"A 'No' uttered from the deepest conviction is better than a 'Yes' merely uttered to please, or worse, to avoid trouble."- Mohandas Gandhi

Brave the Waves

At the end of July six intrepid ladies will set out from Dover Harbour and will swim in one hour slots to Cap Gris Nez in France. This is 22 miles on a good day but wind and tides might add to this. For two years they have been working hard training week in, week out while still having to go to work, support their families and do "normal" Guiding. What an enormous venture this has proved to be.
Now, dear readers, it is your turn to support them. Channel Swims do not happen without a great deal of cost attached for hiring boats, arranging insurance, covering training costs etc etc. The bill is substantial and fundraising is ongoing.
Before they set out we are holding a sweepstake which will give a £30 prize to the person who guesses how long it will take them to swim across. Please take part - it is £1 a guess and you can give Hours, minutes and seconds. If you want to take part please email me on Countycommissioner@girlguidingsurreywest.org.uk with your guess and then pop £1 a guess in the post to me at 4 Pineridge Close, Weybridge, KT16 9SP.
The sweepstake will end on August 1st so email me now.

Thank you

To all those who read this blog!
If you know anyone who helped at or came to the Herons Wey Fair or made a donation or contributed in any way at all, please will you pass on our warmest (!) thanks for their help in such a busy year. We ask a lot of our volunteers and in such a busy year I am sincerely grateful you could find a gap in your diary to help.
I would also like to thank the brave man who cooked the pig on a very hot day, the Brewery staff who sat quietly most of the day and our superb Announcer who made a great impression on everyone.
I would also like to thank Godalming Band who entertained us on a very warm evening with skill and good humour.

HW Fair

What a hot day! I am burnt to a frazzle.

We had a splendid day at the Fair yesterday with a wide variety of stalls and a great concert in the evening - what, you missed it? Well so did most people because we had very few people came. Whether we made any money we have yet to find out.
In case you missed it (which you probably did) The Cabin at Herons Wey has been renamed "Enid's Cabin" as an XXXth birthday present from Countyto Enid Brewer who has been an extremely able warden for many years. What better than to name a building after her. We thought she would rather have the Cabin named after her than the toilet block!