A concert for guide funds – 1937

In the Wiltshire Telegraph and Advertiser newspaper of 1937, there is quite a lengthy write up about a concert put on by the Girl Guides in Market Lavington. A huge amount of work must have gone into producing this.

Bessie Gye was obviously very involved in the organisation of this event. She was the sister of Tom Gye, who became the husband of Peggy, our museum founder. (In 1938, young Tom made his sister the workbox which you can see upstairs in the museum. See A work box from 1938.)

The previous year, the 20 year old Bessie had organised this concert.

But it was the Brownies who starred in the first part of the programme.

The Guides took over in the second half, starting with a play.

At the museum, we have various pictures of Bessie, both as a guide leader and, as the wife of village photographer Peter Francis. Bessie herself was involved in the photography business too. Here they are in a Devizes Times and News paper, dating from 1987, fifty years after Bessie’s Guide concert.

This photo is of Peggy Gye and Bessie Francis with the Guides in 1938.

The Guides met in West Lavington and their group included girls from both West and Market Lavington.