Memories

Scouting and Cubbing at St. Augustine's, 50 years ago by "Fire King"

[From Stumps No 59 January 1969. "Fire King" was the pen name of J T (Jack) Ash]

The year is now 1922 and I am a young Scout of 12 years, very keen, doing a "Good Turn" every day (or trying to) and regarding with awe my Parol Leader - a hefty seventeen year old - as were all our Patrol Leaders in those days.

The Sheffield Association of Scouts were sending a team of swimmers to compete against the Belgian Scout team. Opportunity was taken to combine this with a 10 day touring holiday and thrown open to other Scouts wanting to join the party.

It was on the train journey to Harwich that our troop first encountered Mr Albert Harland - of Snuff Mills fame - who was to become such a good friend of the Troop for so many years. We enjoyed his hospitality at Scarborough and at his farm at Sawdon on many occasions in later years.

I remember, still vividly, as our boat slowly berthed at Zeebrugge, seeing the masts of the ships sunk there during the Fist World War, which, after all, had only finished four years previously. We visited Ghent, Brussels, Antwerp, Ypres, Bruges and waterloo - where the great battle was fought in 1815.

At Bruges, we met up with a young Danish Rover called Find Grancol (we nicknamed him "Treasure Box") who with the help and advice of Mr Harland, prospered and eventually became the head of the Nu-Swift Fire Extinguisher organisation.

Another member of the Sheffield party was Sheffield's Sporting Parson, the late Rev Harold Ewbank.

The first Headquarters Fund was now in existence together with the problem of finding a suitable site within the Parish. Ultimately in 1926 or thereabouts, on Mr Casson's (the Scout Master) resignation the sum of £40 was turned over to the Sheffield Association funds.

In 1924 there was a Jamboree held at Wembley; the Sheffield Scouts were billeted at a school at Alperton, among the party was -a curate attached to St. Mary's, Walkley, who was later to become Vicar of St. Augustine's - the late Rev. T.M.Garaway.

In the same year, 1924, the troop records show that April 26th, was "Self Support Day", in these days called "Bob-a-Job". Then, half the proceeds went to the Association and the remainder to the troop. In this particular year, the Association benefited by 6/9d. and the Troop by the same amount!

In 1925, we camped at Derwent on the side of the river l opposite the Cricket Field (now part of the bed of Ladybower Reservoir). It is interesting to note that the charge per boy from Friday supper until Tuesday lunch was 5/- all in! But then, of course, two dozen bananas were 2/8d., slab cake 1/- per pound, sugar 7 lbs. for 2/2d, ½-lb. tea was 1/6d. and ¼-stone flour was 9d!