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5,000 girls from 40 countries set up centenary camp at stately home
THOUSANDS of Girl Guides were today preparing to turn the grounds of Harewood House in Leeds into a giant campsite.
Around 5,000 Guides from 40 countries will be sleeping under the stars on part of the Harewood estate for a week from Saturday.
The event celebrates 100 years of the Girl Guides Association, now known as Girlguiding UK.
The decision to hold the celebrations in the Earl of Harewood's back garden provides a link to the past, as his mother, Princess Mary, the Princess Royal, was president of the association from 1920 to 1965.
Chris Bond, the camp's communications director, said: "This promises to be a once-in-a-lifetime event for thousands of girls, young women and adults.
"We can't wait to welcome the UK and international members and kick off a week to remember."
Guides staying at Harewood will be able to take part in activities such as go-karting, bungee trampolining and even sledging, courtesy of eight tonnes of snow that is being brought in from Glasshoughton's Xscape complex.
The highlight of the event, however, promises to come on Wednesday.
The 5,000 campers will be joined for the day by another 15,000 Guides and younger members of the movement like Brownies for an entertainment extravaganza called Fusion.
It will feature more than 1,000 professional street theatre artists plus workshops and a performance from the National Scout and Guide Symphony Orchestra.
Harewood House and its grounds will be closed to the public on August 4 but open throughout the rest of the week.
Motorists are also being warned to expect traffic delays in and around Harewood from 7am to midday and 4pm to 8pm on August 4.
The centenary camp is being backed by the Welcome to Yorkshire tourism agency.
For more details, visit the www.girlguiding.org.uk website.
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Friday 25 May 2012
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