Pulling trek cart

Girlguiding UK has been celebrating the centenary of the Senior Section this year. Two of the Guide Cadet members, Sylvia Patullo and Evelyn Young, attended the get together arranged by Girlguiding Dundee recently and thought it would be a good idea to try to meet up with their fellow campers. Dundee Guide Cadets went on a trek cart camping holiday round the north of Fife in 1957 (see photograph above).

“All the camping gear and the rucksacks were piled into the trek cart which was borrowed from Ryehill Scouts,” explains Evelyn. “The cart was then pulled from Guide HQ in Roseangle along Riverside Drive to Craig Pier where we boarded the Fifie to take us across the Tay on the first lap of our trek through North Fife.

“Over the next week we had many adventures with our cart camping at Kilmany, Cupar, Ceres, Cameron and Strathkinness. The only time we struggled was when we were faced with a rather steep brae. Help was at hand when a man with a horse and cart offered to help pull us up!

“We even made up a song about our trek to the tune of Roamin’ in the Gloamin’. The first verse shows how arduous it was to pull all our belongings

over a distance of approximately 50 miles.

“Trekking with our cart round bonny Fifeshire,

Trekking with our cart it was our heart’s desire

When our cartie came to rest, it’s the time that we liked best.

Oh it’s lovely trekking in Fifeshire.

“Two years later youth hostelling in Arran (1959) and the Lake District (1960) provided us all with just as many memories and hilarious moments.

“Although contact had been lost with some cadets over the years since our last reunion, with a bit of detective work and the wonders of social media, those still living in Dundee got together again last week after a lapse of almost 40 years.”

Evelyn says: “We reminisced over memorabilia and had a most enjoyable afternoon of chat and hilarity.”