It was a celebration to remember as former members of the 4th Norwich Guides held a reunion celebration at St Thomas Church Hall on Earlham Road. Derek James reports.

Friendships forged so many years ago were rekindled at a special 75th birthday party in Norwich.

Former members of the 4th Norwich Guides, many who hadn't seen each other for such a long time, were finally together again.

They had come from across the city and county and further afield to celebrate the 75th anniversary of the organisation which played such a leading role in so many young lives over the years.

Guides and former Guides gathered at St Thomas Church Hall on Earlham Road for the party, where they had a lot of catching up to do after so many years.

The Earlham District incorporated the churches of St Thomas, Bowthorpe and St Bartholomew.

District Commissioner for Girl Guides in Earlham, Tracy Kemp, said: 'I have only relatively recently worked with the Earlham district, but having the opportunity to speak with these ladies and discover their memories has been a privilege.

'The general feeling on the day was a great sense of pride that they were all involved in the 4th Norwich Guides,' added Tracy.

The unit was formed during the 1930s by Mrs Gallop and it was thriving by the time the war arrived in 1939. They had to move around after being bombed out of St Thomas Church and then the teacher training college on College Road.

Many of their precious archives were lost during an arson attack on the church hall a few years ago. But thanks to reunions for the Guide centenary last year and now the 75th birthday, the story of the company over the past seven decades in Norwich is now pieced together again.