Always at the centre of things, Sadie Barmes loved the warmth, merriment and camaraderie of organized camping with youth groups such as the Girl Guides. The countryside provided a setting for these occasions. Out in the fields or woods, distractions, diluting elements and outside loyalties could not intrude and the camp could temporarily become an all-embracing, self-sufficient community. The natural environment also became a means of personal discovery, development and fulfilment for Sadie. Long, footsore tramps over the South Downs brought a kind of spiritual union with the landscape induced by physical exhaustion. In the woods, Sadie found transcendental ecstasy expressed in spontaneous dancing with friends or alone. Thus the countryside provided a natural space in which, unhindered by convention or social expectations, Sadie could discover herself and unite with others.