Guides and Brownies carry on their activities at their weekly meetings, without the glitz of publicity.

But at times, they do go public and it was on these occasions that the Oxford Mail was happy to despatch a photographer to record the event.

Picture 1 dates from 1984 when a quiet Sunday afternoon at Blackbird Leys, Oxford, was broken by the echo of drums, trumpets and cymbals.

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The musical interlude came as hundreds of Guides, Brownies and Rangers filled the streets for the bi-annual church parade.

The march, led by the Banbury Sea Scouts band, took the girls round the estate after their service at the Church of the Holy Family.

More than 400 took part in the parade and service, during which they celebrated the 70th anniversary of the Brownie movement by cutting a special cake.

Oxford Mail:

There were more happy faces in Picture 2 as three 15-year-old pupils at Oxford High School for Girls were awarded Queen’s Guide badges and certificates.

Seen left to right in 1964 are Eleanor Vickers, Leslie Morphy and Margaret Welch, who received their awards in the school grounds from the county guide commissioner, Mrs R Houghton.

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The girls worked at Oxfam every Saturday morning for three months, sorting out mail and money, addressing envelopes and helping with office work.

Leslie and Eleanor also built a cupboard at the University Church of St Mary the Virgin church in High Street.

Oxford Mail:

Thirsty firemen found themselves being spoilt by a group of Brownies, in Picture 3, who served them tea and cakes at the Rewley Road fire station in Oxford in 1984.

Picture 4 was taken in 1968 during the movement’s Thinking Day when girls were encouraged to think of others elsewhere in the world.

Oxford Mail:

More than 100, led by a group of standard bearers, attended a service at Cowley Road Methodist Church in Oxford, where the minister, the Rev Anthony Gibbon, urged them to be “a rebel but an informed rebel”.

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Oxford Mail:

Guides from the 8th North Oxford company, in Picture 5, saved their pennies to buy roses for Cutteslowe Court old people’s home in 1973.

The girls in Picture 6 were preparing for a Maypole dance at the Royal Tournament in London.

They were due to join 300 other Guides from all over the country in medieval scenes at the show.

Oxford Mail:

The Oxford girls were Jane Sarson, 16, of Rawlinson Road, Frances Shore, 17, of Balfour Road, Sharon Elger, 15, of Osney Lane, Rachel Dean, 15, of Fern Hill Road, and Rachel Corney, 16, of Victoria Road.

Read more from this author

This story was written by Andy Ffrench, he joined the team more than 20 years ago and now covers community news across Oxfordshire.

Get in touch with him by emailing: Andy.ffrench@newsquest.co.uk

Follow him on Twitter @OxMailAndyF