B-P’s Last Message

Scouting was started by Lord Baden Powell in 1907 and that was the same year that 1^st Walton was registered with Scout Headquarters as ‘Boy Scouts’. In 1910 it was the formation of Sea Scouts although it was some years before we made the change.

Wolf Cubs were formed in 1914 and immediately there were boys wanting to join as they had seen what the older boys were doing and naturally wanted to have the same fun and enjoyment.

It wasn’t until 1982 that Beavers made the headlines and the group started with the youngest section which nationally today has the largest numbers of all sections.

There were a variety of places where the Scouts met over the first years – church halls, schools, above shops, and so on. The present HQ was built as a boys club and stood closed for a time when there came a chance to have a permanent home.

At the time the building stood alone surrounded by fields with access from Sunbury Lane called Accommodation Road. Where Thamesmead Estate now stands the field had dray horses grazing for the firm of timber merchants Gridley Miskin where Jewsons are now. These horses would bring timber from barges moored at the wharf at the end of Felix Road to the yard in Terrace Road. The area grew with the housing surrounding the HQ as it is today, is and has been where youngsters have joined the group.

It was the generosity of Frank Miskin that secured the building for the group.

This year of 2012 the Group is making great strides to move the HQ from the present site to the river end of the recreation ground. To provide direct access to the river at towpath level with pupose built accommodation above to suit a modern Sea Scout Group with boys & girls in Beaver, Cub, Scout & Explorer sections.

Richard Holley, Group Scout Leader. December 2012.

 

 

 

 

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Notes on its history (retyped by Jeremy Cook, Viking BSL 2007)

The Scout Hut (as far as it is known in the early days) was built in the field to the West side of Terrace Road. This field belonged to Grindley Miskin, timber merchants and importers. So far as is known, the building was given by the Miskin family, of ‘Hillrise’ Manor Road. A member of the Miskin family was one of the first Scoutmasters. The Hut was complete with gas lighting, gas fires, water, and sanitation was provided. Gridley Miskin owned the fields stretching from Terrace Road to the Surrey river bank. The horses, heavy draught animals, were kept in the fields. They also owned wharves and timber sheds close by on the Surrey bank. The Hut was erected soon after the First World War but this date might be corrected after further research.

In the 1930’s there was quite extensive building of houses by the local authority in the Felix Road area and Grindley Miskin’s fields became a Council recreation ground. Steps leading down to the Thames river bank were built and a wall and flower beds and shrubs were provided at the top of the steps. No other development as a recreation ground took place apart from the errection of soccer goals posts in the area nearest to Terrace Road. Thus the Hut stood more or less in the middle of the fields, but close, on one side, to the newly built houses.

By the late 1920’s the Group consisted of the Troop, the Wolf Cub Pack and Rover Scout Crew. It is on record that the Troop was represented at the 21^st Birthday Jamboree, at Arrowe Park, Birkinhead, in 1929. One of the Scouts so representing 1^st Walton was Leonard Brazier of Cottimore Lane. The Group was always know as ‘1^st Walton-on-Thames B.P. Scout Group’. There was another Group in the town (Troop, only) known as ‘B.B. Scouts’ (British Boy Scouts) and these were a breakaway group, not recognised by the Official ‘B.P.’ (Baden Powell) organisation.

In the early 30’s too, the Group was commencing to struggle owing to the shortage of leaders; still a continuing problem in the Movement, even today. Some names that be called to mind, as Leaders, in those days were: Cyril Stennings, ‘Son’ Laver, Len Brazier.

When the writer of these notes joined the Wolf Cub pack in October, 1933, the Cubmaster was a Mr. Jack da Costa and Cyril Jennings and ‘Son’ Laver were still with the Group. A Mr. Ted Tolhurst, of Churchfieild Road, was the Rover Crew and he assisted him with running the Pack. Despite any problems, the Pack and Troop were all represented in local competitions and other activities.

In 1935 the Pack was taken over by Mrs. Amy Gregory whose home was in Dudley Road. She was Akela of 4^th Walton (St. Mary’s) which was attached to our local Parish Church. Mrs. Gregory made a marvellous job of keeping both Packs going and seemed quite able to divide her time between both Packs. She was supported in all this by her husband, George, who was S.M. and G.S.M of the 4^th Walton.

The Group struggled, also, financially and, in 1937, after summer camp, which was at Ford, in Sussex, it was decided, for a number of reasons that the Troop would close down and, all being well, would re-open as a Sea Scout Troop. To the best of the writer’s recollections, the Cubs Pack remained operative. However, the trustees of the building allowed the use of it by a recently formed boys’ club. This situation existed until mid or late 1938, when the Troop was re-activated and the Group renamed ‘1^st Walton on Thames Sea Scout Group’. It was some years before ‘Viking’ was put into the official Group Name. The Troop Scouter at the time of the temporary closure was Harry Baigent whose home was in Cottimore Avenue. He also took charge of us when we re-activated. We had much help, training wise, in our early Sea Scouting, from 1^st Molesey Sea Scouts, especially from their Scouters, Keith Revis.

By early 1939, the new 1^st Walton Sea Scout Group was up-and-going and it was only the outbreak of War in September 1939 that gave it the same troubles that almost all Groups had. Our gig, ‘Lady Luck’ was damaged beyond repair, later in the war but it had been in use up until 1941. Se was damaged at her moorings, in the Backwater, near Walton Bridge.

In the Blitz in the Autumn of 1940, a direct hit by a German bomb, close to the front door was a severe blow although, luckily, the large door step acted, in some measure, as a blast wall for the building. Walls were shaken and there was extensive roof damage but, although unusable at this time, the Hut was not a write-off. The writer of these notes was on duty as a messenger in the Auxilliary Fire Service, that night, two members of 1^st Walton being on duty that night. When ‘Raiders passed’ was announced, we both cycled down to the Felix Road area to see what happened to the Scout Hut. The Group Scoutmaster at this time, was Eric Ball and he was also Rover Scout Leader. His wife, Doreen, was running the Pack. He organised a working party on the Saturday to tidy-up as best as we could. The other A.F.S. Messenger on duty with me, on the night of the bombing of the Hut, was Andrew Mackenzie, who later joined the Royal Air Force as Air-crew. I remember that night that the hut was hit was a Thursday.

We kept the Troop going by meeting in certain member’s houses, etc. Another of our Scouters was in Civil Defence was Norman Horwood, from Weybridge. He served in the Fire Service. The most active Troop Scouter, until he joined the Royal Air Force, was Alan Beech, also from Weybridge. Two of our Rovers were Bill (Shorty) Keeble and Terry Collins. Bill later joined the Royal Navy and Terry became a glider pilot with the Airbourne. Terry was taken prisoner on one of the airbourne landings and spent some time as a P.O.W. in German hands.

In 1942, the Hut had been repainted and was re-opened at a special ceremony. The person performing the re-opening of the building was Haydn Dimmock, Editor of ‘The Scout’ magazine, the Movement’s weekly for boys. The item, reported in ‘The Scout’ magazine, by Hadyn Dimmock, was headed ‘Week-end at Weybridge’ and the re-opening and the bombing were mentioned in some detail.

After the war, with the return of Leaders from the Forces, the Group again built up. Terry Collins took over the Troop. There was a new G.S.M. We gradually built up our own fleet of boats, especially canoes. 1^st Walton became a very active Group. There were, of course, occasional Scouter shortages but not serious ones and we now had no problems recruiting boys. By the late 50’s and leading into the 1960’s, we seem to have got over all problems. We had a Troop, Pack and Senior Scout Troop. Rover Scouting, in the Movement, as a whole was being reorganised with new age-ranges but we did, later, in the 60’s form a Rover Crew.

By the early 60’s, we could say that our Leader situation was strong. We had a G.S.M. (later G.S.L.) We had a Lady C.S.M and these Assistants, backed up by Cub Instructors. We has an S.M. and three A.S.M.’s. When the writer of thise notes left the Group, in 1966, on change of occupation, this was the situation. The Group was active and thriving.

William H Cook, Petersfield.
(Leader at 1st Walton 1959-1963)

Information
from Bill Cook (27^th March 2004) retyped by Jeremy Cook, (no
relation) Viking SL, 2013

Other
jottings:

Back in the
real ‘dim & distant’, I am sure we used to have in the Hut (in the 1930’s)
a framed picture of ‘The Brotherhood’ which showed a Wolf Cub, Boy Scout and
Rover Scout.

Some years
ago, when I was at the Firs, I acquired a copy when I bought a 1931/32 copy of ‘Boys
Own Papers’. The picture was a free print, given away in the edition. I believe the edition was January 1931 (or 1932) I eventually gave the book to Brighton Toy Museum. However, I removed the picture and photocopied it, carefully putting the photocopy in the magazine before parting with it. I have the original copy from the publication, framed, here. If you would like a photocopy (it colours well) I will let you have one. My U.S. friends took a copy back to the States.
American Scouters are great collectors of Scouting and BP ephemera.

 

Our land
Scout uniform was the common one of Khaki shirt, dark blue shorts and black stockings (with two green bands) Cub uniform was with a green jersey. The Group scarf in the 1930’s was navy blue, but slightly lighter that navy blue – not as light as royal blue. I am certain the official colour was navy blue. Cubs wore the same colour shorts and stockings as the Scouts.

I believe that the original Group scarf was grey with a red cord border. There was one floating round my house for years and I am almost certain it was an original old 1^st Walton scarf from the 1920’s.

When the Sea Scouts were formed, we had the scarf as is nowadays but there was a white swan motif embroidered at the point. I don’t believe such scarves were worn after the war years.