A LETTER in the County Press led to some special visits from past members of the 1st Carisbrooke guides and brownies.

The unit asked past members to help them celebrate 100 years, and the letter had several responses.

The guides and brownies started to undertake interviews with some of the past members, and their recordings will form part of an oral history project in conjunction with Carisbrooke Castle Museum, which was founded by Queen Victoria's daughter, Princess Beatrice, who had a connection with the 1st Carisbrooke unit.

The interviews will form part of a Girlguiding exhibition staged at the museum later this summer.

It turned out that one of the past members is an expert in interviewing — County Press editor Emily Pearce.

She offered to give the guides some guidance on interviewing, to help the project, and be interviewed herself on her Girlguiding experiences.

Guides Holly Avey and Bethany Wells, both ten, undertook the interview with Emily.

Emily said: "It was great to go back to my old guide unit and meet the girls there. I think the project to record members' experiences across different generations is a fantastic idea, and I was happy to help.

"Holly and Bethany were very good interviewers — maybe we will see them working at the County Press in a few years."

All past members who responded to the letter or contacted the 1st Carisbrooke (Princess Beatrice Own) units will be invited to a picnic and entertainment at Carisbrooke Castle in July, where they can see the exhibition.