Scouting in St. Helier
It's a long way from Reigate!
By Ron Bird
Carshalton Cubs 1948 Bishop Andrews Church
Donated by Ron Bird
5th. Morden Scouts 1953 Green Lane Methodist Church
Donated By Ron Bird
Off To Summer Camp 1952
Donated By Ron Bird
Hiking From Reigate Fort 1952
Donated by Ron Bird
In the 1940s – 1960s most churches, some schools and purpose built huts had a scout movement attached. This not only applied to boys as Cubs and Scouts but many had girls as Brownies, Guides and Sea Rangers.
I started as a Cub, meeting at Bishop Andrews Church in 1945 until 1948 when we moved and I joined the 5th Morden group at the Methodist Church in Green Lane where I remained until 1961. There was always an annual group photograph taken.
I spent many happy years with the 5th Morden which I think was set up about 1936. We used to camp all over UK and even to the continent where one year we went to the Folies-Bergere in Scout uniform. For my first major camp we travelled to Lynton, Devon in the back of a furniture removal van with all our tents and equipment, Martells of Sutton comes to mind? I doubt this would be allowed today.
Our nearest camp site was at Reigate Fort, the old ammunitions store built when there was a fear of being invaded by the French in 1898. We had great fun pioneering across the “moat’’ and even sleeping in the ‘’dungeons’’ if we arrived without tents and could not get into the warden's hut. The ‘’dungeons ‘’ were extremely cold especially in the winter when snow was on the ground. We often used our trek cart to take all our equipment to Reigate Fort walking all the way there and back. Again I cannot imagine doing that in today’s traffic. You will notice the Girl Guide in the picture. She was from the group based at the Congregational Church in Green Lane. They came up by bus for the day and accompanied us on our hike back to St Helier.
Sometimes, if we took Cubs to camp, the Girl Guides invariably camped as well to take care of the Cubs. Several friendships were made between the Scouts and Guides resulting in many marriages. Some still going strong after fifty years. I should know - I have been married to a Sea Ranger since 1961.
The trek cart could be disassembled into its component parts and used for competitions to be dismantled carried in pieces over an obstacle course and reassembled, the team taking least time being the winner. This was based on the navy competitions with their field guns which took place at the Royal Tournament. We made good use of the trek cart not only for camping. taking it with us on summer camps in the removal vans, but also for delivering fire wood, which we cut up from old railway sleepers, to elderly people in the area. We also collected jam jars and waste paper. the recycling of which raised much needed funds.
Further funds were raised at Scout Weekends held once a year consisting of a show on Friday and Saturday night including a pantomime and several turns based on the well known Gang Show held at Golders Green. Saturday afternoon a sale of goods was held and on Sunday a church parade.
This page was added by
Ron Bird on 29/05/2011.