Ref. 29485-12THE BIG OUTDOORS: JULIE Lowe, 41, and her daughter Jesseca, 12, from Purbeck Close in Nythe, have mixed views on the changes.

Mrs Lowe, who was herself a girl guide, called for a sensible approach. "I am a traditionalist in certain matters, but I accept that times change," she said.

"If we are going to keep youngsters interested in guiding we have got to make it more appealing. When I was a girl we would wash using a bowl of cold water. We'd go swimming in a lake, which would be like a shower.

"Now youngsters are a lot more grown-up. Jesseca is like I was when I was 16. People of that age want their modern facilities and that's understandable."

But Julie said the principles of the scout and guide movement should not be jeopardised.

"We don't want camps to become more like hotels," she said.

Jesseca, a member of the 2nd North Dorcan Guides, admitted that she likes her creature comforts, but said she prefers life in the great outdoors. She said: "It's more fun camping out and looking after yourself.

"I don't think scouts and guides will be doing that in the future though. They will be staying in modern huts and using cookers rather camp fires. It's a shame because me and my friends would much prefer to stay in a tent."