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The Mansergh:
Scouts go off to camp with trek carts

Past Camps

Going to camp was always the main adventure in the Diehards. At the 50th Reunion we had the pleasure as our Guest of Honour The Chief Scout Maj Gen Michael Walsh CB DSO. During the dinner Bob Larkin proposed a spontaneous toast to anyone who remembered going to camp hiking with the trek cart to Waterloo. This greatly amused our Chief Scout, the picture above shows just that in the 1920s along Lisson Grove with LJK leading on the right.

Certainly after the WW2 the main transport was in the back of the furniture lorry which took not only the camping kit, trek cart and all, but all the campers! This picture was taken in 1954 of the Group going to Summer Camp.

Ian Smith recalls from one summer camp a small village near Maidstone in the Garden of England proved a very popular venue for naughty Scouts. The Cherry and other orchards proved a happy scrumping ground for hungry and resourceful Scouts. That is until the Farmers shotgun threatened to pepper the backsides of those who did not move quickly or were stuck hiding up the top of a tree.

Another popular form of transport which was started in the 50s was touring with dormobiles and subsequently minibuses. Today the kit goes by van or trailer and all personnel by car.

It is interesting to note that the Group only just made it back to the UK from a foreign Tour before the Second World War broke out. Despite the sad loss of those serving their Country, that did not return from the war, the Group continued its tradition of camping as soon as possible after hostilities had ceased.

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8th St Marylebone Scouts' distinctive neckerchief
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