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In 1922 the Music Hall Character Comedian G.S Melvin first performed as his "hearty outdoor girl" creation at the Holborn Empire.Wearing 'a beret,well stuffed blouse,shorts,gloves,anklesocks and plimsolls with a red nose,spectacles,pearl necklace and wig with a kiss curl and pushing a bicycle across the stage he sang "I like to jump up on my bike".Catching the mood of the time for "outdoor" healthy exercise "for the modern girl" Melvin later transformed his creation into a fully formed uniformed "Girl Guide" and by 1925 Melvin had become one of the highest grossing music hall performers in Great Britain,simply by performing what thousands of boy scouts and scouts would do for free in boy scout troop shows and boy scout Gang Shows.In 1926 Melvin recorded "Gladys the Girl Guide",banned by the BBC for a time for Melvins use of the phrase 'silly arse'.Such was the popularity of "Gladys" and "her"troop of Girl Guides that "She and the Girls" started being copied in Boy Scout Troop Shows,Displays and Entertainments.By 1928 the year of Readers Return to the uk boy scout troops were already establishing some future elements of Gang Show.Boy Scout impersonation of "Girl Guides" were for the most part derogatory and 'The Imperial Girl Guide Headquaters'(1925) issued advice to their Girl Guide members not to 'lend,loan' or in 'anyway encourage,their brothers' to dress in thier Girl Guide Uniforms'.One Girl Guide asked if she should lend her 'Girl Guide Uniform' including her 'knickers' to the boy scout troop attached to her local 'anglican sunday school',as she had 'no brother',being 'a lone girl'(1931).The word 'knickers' must have sent shock waves through the whole Girl Guide 'Top Brass' and subsequent correspondance shows that this girl was visited by'no doubt'a 'heavanly host' of senior Girl Guide Officers.Whatever else Girl Guides did sharing their knickers with their brothers or unidentified boy scouts recipients,even if they were members of the same sunday school was certainly not part of Girl Guide 'sharing activites'.The 'Girl Guide Association' liked to emphasis the importance of knickers as part of its uniform "wear your navy blue knickers,....we do so many active things and get into so many queer positions that quite often our underwear does show,..."(1963).Melvin continued to lead his Girl Guides across the music hall and variety stage until his tragic death by drowning in 1946.Melvins best known song was "I'm Happy when I'm Hiking" which has not only been included in Boy Scout Troop Shows from the early 1930's but included in published collections intended for Boy Scout 'Camp Fires'.Reader and other writers included "Girl Guides" in a number of their pieces for Gang Shows from the 1930's to the 1960's:"Girls of the Open Spaces","The Call of the Open Road",The Merry Month of May","Scouting for Girls","Who are you Waiting for Joe"etc.Readers "loud Mouthed Female Juveniles" 1953 and 1962 are the best reminders of Melvins contribution to Gang Show.Dr.Stu..
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