THE traditional mayor-making parade in Eye was put back in the calendar this year to allow for an extra special celebration.

Usually held over the May Bank Holiday, the tradition, which sees the inauguration of the town’s mayor, was postponed to allow the Girl Guides to join in.

The movement celebrates its 100th anniversary this year and archivists had been hard at work for the last month putting together authentic uniforms for the girls to wear at the parade, which was also attended by local Scouts, Cubs and Brownies.

Yesterday, new mayor Bruce Bennett – replacing outgoing mayor Nancy Ford – was paraded from Linden House down to the local church by his town council colleagues, where a blessing was given for the year ahead.

Suffolk Girl Guide archivist and leader of the 1st Eye pack, Wendy Spencer, said: “The parade was very well supported by people from the town and other visiting mayors.

“The town council kindly delayed the parade this year so we could celebrate the birth of Girl Guiding by gathering uniforms from as early as 1910, the ’30s, ’50s, ’60s, ’80s and ’90s.”

The uniform has changed a lot over the years and began as a makeshift outfit cobbled together by girls who wanted to be Scouts but were not allowed to join.

Guides would borrow their brothers’ Scout shirts and hat, and team them with a floor-length skirt, but since then the uniform has taken on its own identity.