I woke up this morning recalling Easter cub/scout camps of my childhood, especially cooking baked potatoes in foil on the fire with baked beans. But I can't remember if we used a pan for the beans. I also recall the sizzle of sausages and drinking weak tea or coco. There is something primitive and yet great about eating off a camp fire. I don't suppose they have open fires these days. When my mates suddenly dropped out of the scouts because it was no longer cool, at the age of about 13, I was distraught! But I also quit, sheep that I am.
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@SporadicAddick one lasting memory of Hammerwood was the old bloke in the tuck shop using his extremely grubby hands to handle the sweets!
Really is such a wonderful movement and proven how popular by the fact there was a 3 year waiting list for him to be able to start.
We always used the Scouts Camp at Downe near Biggin Hill, can't remember what time of year, just rememebr other Scout troops going Canada and places like that and we'd go to Downe, 5 minutes up the road
He loved it, I can’t remember ever feeling so apprehensive while he was away!
Looking back, I suspect that my first "camping" with the Cubs would have been in one of the lodges at Downe, I would have been young and it was all very exciting!
The furthest I went with the Scouts was Poole I think, where we camped. I remember visiting Brownsea Island.
We used to go to Downe as well, we were in the 21st Lewisham North group, if I recall correctly there was a bloody great big slope there that you had to cart the camp fire wood back up from the woods to the campsite.
We did most of our camping down at Hammerwood, East Grinstead, where it was a lot more remote and you had to take everything with you as there were no shops for miles.
Had some great laughs down there.
Akela, I will do my best to do my duty ....
Can’t remember much about Cubs apart from being nervous the first time I went. With the Scouts though, we went up Snowdon and Tryfan, the Peak District and a few more. Plus other Camps.
Wasn’t concerned about being uncool as I was never one to hang outside McDonalds.
My other half put my Son in Beavers, aged 6 and he has just started Scouts, my daughter also went to Beavers and is now in Cubs (she is in Brownies also) and our 5 year old starts Beavers later this year... hopefully.
They’ve been on quite few camps, one of the favourites being a summer family camp weekend at Downe. Seeing how hard everyone works feeding 80-100 people, when asked if I could help out on a weekly basis by the assistant leader, she’s also a family friend, I thought no, but said yes. It’s a good way to pay back what Scouts did for me, to spend time with my children and to help other kids get off their iPads!