On Monday 24 October, 1st Loose Guides were joined by members of 8th Maidstone, Mote Rangers and 9th Watford Guides on a fantastic trip to Paris. 30 girls and 7 leaders set off via coach and Ferry to France, arriving at PGL Chateau de Grande Romaine in the early evening. We shared our coach with a small group from King’s Arely Guides in Worcestershire, who had been on it since 3.00am – oooh la la they must have been tired! They still had enough energy to join in with our energetic singing though!
Our first day was a sight-seeing trip in Paris, where we walked the steps to the first floor of the Eifel tower and held a Promise Celebration for one of the girls. Then we joined a boat trip down the River Seine and the lovely weather meant we could sit on the top of the boat and soak in the Parisian way of life. The afternoon was spent visiting Sacre Coeur and Montmartre, where the guides enjoyed shopping for souvenirs and taking in the atmosphere of the famous artist’s square. The journey back to PGL involved a tour of Paris, and of course lots more singing to warm up our voices for the evening campfire.
On the next morning we headed to Disneyland (obviously singing Disney songs all the way!) and enjoyed a long day in the park, going on rides, meeting characters and seeing shows. Everyone got to go on their favourite rides and had a chance to visit the famous Disney shops, we all watched the parade and saw the magic of the park and castle lit up after dark. The Halloween decorations were amazing and everyone got back on the coach ready for bed! We departed on Thursday 27 and headed back towards Calais, lots more singing of course, stopping en route for some last-minute purchases. Everyone had a great time, met new people, tried new things and had new experiences – it was a pleasure to take the group away.
Jody Page
1st Loose Guides
