FOR a quarter of a century Ann Collier has dedicated her time to the Brownies and Guides of Herne Bay.

The mum-of-four has camped in farmer's fields, trekked through the African wilderness and visited the street kids of Mexico during her 25 years voluntary service.

But age-old guidelines mean the 64-year-old has been forced to call it a day and pass her Reculver Brownie pack into new hands.

The sprightly grandmother and former foster carer bid a bitter sweet farewell at an end of term meeting last Monday.

Joe Walker caught up with her to find out how it all started....

So how did you get involved with the Reculver Brownies?

My daughter Tara was Brownie age shortly after we moved to Herne Bay.

I took her along to the local pack and found out the tawny owl and brown owl were retiring, so I volunteered to step in.

I was warranted in 1984 and by the end of the year I had 12 girls ready to move onto Guides, but there were no spaces anywhere.

So I set up Reculver Guides and ran both together until 1990.

I was then asked to be district commissioner and later division commissioner before coming back to Reculver Brownies in 2003.

Were you a Brownie when you were younger?

Yes. I joined a pack in Norbury when I was seven and then joined a Guide company in Sussex.

I've got so many memories about all the things we used to do.

I remember taking loads of badges, camping in farmers' fields and struggling with my knitting as I tried to finish my promise.

I can remember one camping trip where we went in the back of a lorry and sang all the way there.

You wouldn't be able to do that nowadays with all the health and safety regulations and risk assessments.

A girl I met during my time as a Brownie actually came to my 60th birthday party four years ago.

How have things changed since you were a Brownie?

We've had to move with the times. In my time Brownies and Guides centred around the more traditional skills like cooking, sewing and knitting.

But now they do pretty much anything the boys do, like abseiling or canoeing.

We've also got to compete with all the other activities like dancing, swimming and gymnastics.

There are so many opportunities for the girls nowadays, many of them international.

I took some Guides to Kenya in 2004 and to India 2005. Where else would they be able to do that?

What part do the Brownies and Guides play in a young girl's life?

I really think it gives them a firm footing in life.

All the valuable core principles I learned when I was younger I still have with me today.

Learning values like friendship, loyalty and honesty stand them good in stead.

But above all it allows them to have so much fun, which is what guiding is all about.

Why are you leaving now?

Because I have to. The rules say that you can't run a unit once you reach the age of 65, and I'm 65 in November.

I thought it would be best to go at the end of term and let the new girl takeover in September.

If the rules allowed I would have stayed on. I think they worry a 65-year-old can't move with the times, but I've always kept abreast of things. I'm still full of energy and hope to be asked back to help with pack holidays and meetings.

My final farewell will be next month when we take the younger girls to a purpose-built Brownie house in Sittingbourne.

What will you miss most?

Definitely the girls. I've got so many fantastic memories which will stay with me forever.

I particularly loved the holidays because they were when you really got to know the girls properly.

What else have you done?

When I left school I did various jobs including testing the quality of milk at a dairy.

I then went on to work as an air hostess for Invicta Airways out of Manston. I did that for three years and it was the best job I ever had.

I met my husband Michael through his sister, who was an air hostess, and we married in 1968.

He was in the RAF so we were always moving. My eldest son Stephen was born in Oxford, Tara was born in Belgium, Kate was born in Northampton and Daniel was born in Canterbury.

We moved to Herne Bay 30 years ago and I started working in Beltinge pre-school before running a nursery out of our bungalow in Reculver Road.

I then went to work for a nursery in Canterbury before running my own for six years. I retired three years ago.

Why did you start fostering?

When Daniel was six he developed rheumatoid juvenile arthritis. I was on the children's ward at Canterbury hospital when a woman came in with two babies.

I got talking to her and it turned out she was a foster mum. I thought to myself 'I could do that' and Michael said we should give it a go.

We started with under fives before moving onto teenagers for a couple of years, which was a bit of a nightmare.

Two children left recently after 10 and 13 years with us. It was then we decided enough was enough. We were worn out.

What was your first job and how much were you paid?

It was a Saturday job at a tea room in Sussex. The lady who ran it used to let me decorate the cakes, which I loved.

I was 17 and taking a catering course so did it for a bit of pocket money. But I wouldn't have a clue how much I was paid.

What was your first car and what do you drive now?

My first car was a blue mini which was 20 years old. I absolutely loved it. I've now got a blue Vauxhall Astra.

I didn't actually learn to drive until I was 30. I failed two tests when I was younger but then had a family and never really had the time or money to keep it up.

If you could have three people round for dinner who would they be and why?

I'd have to have Lord Robert Baden-Powell wouldn't I?

He said that scouting was the greatest game ever invented and I'd love to show him that 100 years on it is still going.

I'd also have Elvis Pressley because I was a really big fan when I was young. I'd like to know how he was as a real person and not the star we all saw.

My final guest would be my dad Terry, who died in 2002.

I've been researching my family tree recently and there are so many things I'd love to sit down and ask him. He was an inspiration to me.