I remember playing some crazy game when I used to go in Dartford. It was like an early form of Wipeout. Without the soft landings.
Everyone in a circle and a flat leather football at the end of a piece of rope was swung around and around by somebody standing in the middle. Last man boy standing won.
Countless times the rope just wrapped around legs and got smashed to the floor.
Already tweeted The Scout Association regarding Downe’s sale, so glad of the post.
I volunteer at Cubs in Sidcup and the only reason I started to get more involved was, when on Family Camp with my children, I saw how hard all the other Beaver, Cub, Scout and Explorer volunteers worked for all the children.
I’ve only been going there for about four years and worked at our weekend Winter Camp, in one of the huts, two weeks before the March lockdown. It already means a lot to me, it’s a great place.
Such a shame that this resource won’t be available for young people in the future, and especially for the ridiculously low amount I understand that the sale would make.
Seems short sighted in my view and I’m sure there must be other options.
@RolandsOut one of my boys did that last year (aged 8) with Boys Brigade.
He loved it, I can’t remember ever feeling so apprehensive while he was away!
The Boy's Brigade, oh those were the days. None of that stupid 'dib dib dib' malarkey and 'Arkela, we will do our best' stuff. Absolutely loved the Boy's Brigade and actually met up with my old Captain when in Norfolk last year but I digress. We went on some great summer camps - Harlech, Isle of Wight, Burnham on Sea, Seaford to name a few. Very fond memories of being in The Boy's Brigade.
I was in both. Well, Boys Brigade & Cubs. Only did 1 year in the scouts & then left as the Boys Brigade was more "seamless". Also, because the BB was more Church centred I found it more "formal" with more emphasis on "inspection" and looking the part. Like Large I enjoyed the camps, which did take you around the country more it seems, rather than just going to Downe. And we had a football team....!
BB was the 6th West Kent at the Baptist Church on the Bexley/Dartford border. Cubs/scouts was in Summerhouse Drive & backed onto Joydens Wood, so spent summers tracking in there.
I was in the 7th Royal Eltham Cubs and Scouts at Deansfield School.
Scouts in particular was very good. Went on some great camps and climbed Snowdon, Tryfan and Mam Tor - we stayed at Cromford Railway Station when in Derbyshire and had a day out at the Tram Museum... great stuff for a Charlton fan!
Don’t know if as many Scout Groups go as far as they used to for camps, due to cost and insurance. Imagine some do though.
My daughter rung me about this yesterday, only seems yesterday I was dropping all 3 kids there when they held the world Jamboree, I can even remember going myself, I do hope now this has been made public that funds can be raised to save it, this place really is worthy of being saved and I will definitely donate should a fund raising page be launched.
I was in the 7th Royal Eltham Cubs and Scouts at Deansfield School.
Scouts in particular was very good. Went on some great camps and climbed Snowdon, Tryfan and Mam Tor - we stayed at Cromford Railway Station when in Derbyshire and had a day out at the Tram Museum... great stuff for a Charlton fan!
Don’t know if as many Scout Groups go as far as they used to for camps, due to cost and insurance. Imagine some do though.
My kids went Holland, Lake District, Cornwall to name but a few
9th Lewisham North......circa 1956/59. As a cub we used to go to a beautiful little camp site in a clearing at Toys Hill/Hosey Common......about a quarter of a mile to the rear of Chartwell.......Westerham. Also went to a huge annual jamboree at Gilwell Park on one occasion. Very Happy days.🏕⛺️
@RolandsOut one of my boys did that last year (aged 8) with Boys Brigade.
He loved it, I can’t remember ever feeling so apprehensive while he was away!
The Boy's Brigade, oh those were the days. None of that stupid 'dib dib dib' malarkey and 'Arkela, we will do our best' stuff. Absolutely loved the Boy's Brigade and actually met up with my old Captain when in Norfolk last year but I digress. We went on some great summer camps - Harlech, Isle of Wight, Burnham on Sea, Seaford to name a few. Very fond memories of being in The Boy's Brigade.
I was in both. Well, Boys Brigade & Cubs. Only did 1 year in the scouts & then left as the Boys Brigade was more "seamless". Also, because the BB was more Church centred I found it more "formal" with more emphasis on "inspection" and looking the part. Like Large I enjoyed the camps, which did take you around the country more it seems, rather than just going to Downe. And we had a football team....!
BB was the 6th West Kent at the Baptist Church on the Bexley/Dartford border. Cubs/scouts was in Summerhouse Drive & backed onto Joydens Wood, so spent summers tracking in there.
Rumour has it you got thrown out of the scouts for continual moaning.😏
Ah yes, scouting days. Reading stories about scout camps took me back to the 1960s wen I was a member of the 17th Royal Eltham scout group. We used to meet at the Saint Alban's church hall on coldharbour. I remember the troop loading our camping gear in the back of a lorry, traveling to Kings Cross station, travelling overnight to Edinburgh Waverly station. Taking another train to Pitlochry in Perthshire and camping in a highland field, cooking on an open fire, digging the latrines (toilets) taking water from a stream and scouting for I think about ten days. We also camped in Brockenhurst in the New Forest and somewhere near Barnstable in Devon. I went to Pitlochry a couple of years ago trying to remember what an adventure that must have been. What good times they were.
17th Lewisham North - camped at Hammerwood near East Grinstead. This thread made me do a bit of research - still going strong and a good facebook page with loads of old photos.
Remember going to a party up the Invicta School on the Standard celebrating something to do with cubs or scouts, and it ending up.in a bit of a food fight. Jelly being the chosen weapon.
18th Erith @ St. Andrews Church was in both the Cubs and Scouts there
Nice to see so many went to Scouts, always remember it being a bit of a joke to other people who didnt go in the 90s, one memory at Secondary School was running into another boy I went to Scouts with, he was with his mates and I made some mention to him in passing about seeing him there one evening and he told me to shut up... I quickly apologised and said I'd got the wrong boy as his mates had started to take the piss out of him for being a Scout.
Remember going on several camping trips to Downe though, really nice Valley... One year there were loads of scouting groups there (cant remember why) but we all played this game where we had a strand of fabric and had to keep away from the Scout Leaders who were hunting us, if caught we'd have to hand over the fabric and head back to "base" and get a new one
Biggest memory of Downe though was camping in November with the Patrol I was in, got so cold I got my Dad to come and get me in the end as have never been so bloody cold
Unfortunately Scouts left me a bitter towards the end as parent power meant that some boy about two years younger than me got made a Patrol Leader ahead of me (little prick was also a Palace fan who tried to convert me), it meant that I ended up being the eldest at the time yet was only ever an APL
I find this very sad and disappointed with the decision. Once sold it will never be recovered. Scouting has been flourishing in the last 20 years and this is really damaging to the development of young people.
Ah yes, scouting days. Reading stories about scout camps took me back to the 1960s wen I was a member of the 17th Royal Eltham scout group. We used to meet at the Saint Alban's church hall on coldharbour. I remember the troop loading our camping gear in the back of a lorry, traveling to Kings Cross station, travelling overnight to Edinburgh Waverly station. Taking another train to Pitlochry in Perthshire and camping in a highland field, cooking on an open fire, digging the latrines (toilets) taking water from a stream and scouting for I think about ten days. We also camped in Brockenhurst in the New Forest and somewhere near Barnstable in Devon. I went to Pitlochry a couple of years ago trying to remember what an adventure that must have been. What good times they were.
I didn’t do scouts but Outward bound. We also went to Brockenhurst and near Pitlochry. I still go now.
I find this very sad and disappointed with the decision. Once sold it will never be recovered. Scouting has been flourishing in the last 20 years and this is really damaging to the development of young people.
I find this very sad and disappointed with the decision. Once sold it will never be recovered. Scouting has been flourishing in the last 20 years and this is really damaging to the development of young people.
Sorry redman......I’ve obviously missed something. What decision has been made to sell what?
I find this very sad and disappointed with the decision. Once sold it will never be recovered. Scouting has been flourishing in the last 20 years and this is really damaging to the development of young people.
I find this very sad and disappointed with the decision. Once sold it will never be recovered. Scouting has been flourishing in the last 20 years and this is really damaging to the development of young people.
Sorry redman......I’ve obviously missed something. What decision has been made to sell what?
An activity centre used by generations of scouts and school children is to be sold due to the impact of the pandemic.
The Downe Scout Activity Centre, on the Bromley-Kent border, was set up in 1929 by Scout Association founder Lord Baden-Powell to train scout leaders.
Oh right......well what a shame, a big part of local history for many thousands of kids from SE London (and beyond) over the decades. Never been in there myself but driven past it many many times over the years.
It would be a disaster for Downe to be lost for future generations. I attended 30+ years ago, my boys have been for the last 3 years. Hopefully a benefactor comes in and purchases, but allow it to operate as it does presently.
@RolandsOut one of my boys did that last year (aged 8) with Boys Brigade.
He loved it, I can’t remember ever feeling so apprehensive while he was away!
The Boy's Brigade, oh those were the days. None of that stupid 'dib dib dib' malarkey and 'Arkela, we will do our best' stuff. Absolutely loved the Boy's Brigade and actually met up with my old Captain when in Norfolk last year but I digress. We went on some great summer camps - Harlech, Isle of Wight, Burnham on Sea, Seaford to name a few. Very fond memories of being in The Boy's Brigade.
I was in both. Well, Boys Brigade & Cubs. Only did 1 year in the scouts & then left as the Boys Brigade was more "seamless". Also, because the BB was more Church centred I found it more "formal" with more emphasis on "inspection" and looking the part. Like Large I enjoyed the camps, which did take you around the country more it seems, rather than just going to Downe. And we had a football team....!
BB was the 6th West Kent at the Baptist Church on the Bexley/Dartford border. Cubs/scouts was in Summerhouse Drive & backed onto Joydens Wood, so spent summers tracking in there.
9th Lewisham North......circa 1956/59. As a cub we used to go to a beautiful little camp site in a clearing at Toys Hill/Hosey Common......about a quarter of a mile to the rear of Chartwell.......Westerham. Also went to a huge annual jamboree at Gilwell Park on one occasion. Very Happy days.🏕⛺️
A couple of months ago, 3 of us ex 9th met up for lunch at Westerham and took a walk on Hosey Common, trying unsuccessfully to find the old campsite, 'Rovers Retreat'. A bit of Last of the Summer Wine thing... At least 1 of the others was your contemporary.... .
I was in the 1st Erith (Slade Green) cubs then scouts, around 1976-1978. We went camping quite a bit, Downe, Gilwell Park, Brentwood and Bleddfa in Wales. It was good at the time though obviously I moved on. Looking back, I don't think I really appreciated how much effort all the adults involved put in.
Very sad to read the news about Downe. Lots of great camps there with the Cubs and scouts. 38th Woolwich were the bosses. Always won the district football and usually the county too somewhere over Dulwich way. 13th Woolwich were our main rivals but we always had their measure
9th Lewisham North......circa 1956/59. As a cub we used to go to a beautiful little camp site in a clearing at Toys Hill/Hosey Common......about a quarter of a mile to the rear of Chartwell.......Westerham. Also went to a huge annual jamboree at Gilwell Park on one occasion. Very Happy days.🏕⛺️
A couple of months ago, 3 of us ex 9th met up for lunch at Westerham and took a walk on Hosey Common, trying unsuccessfully to find the old campsite, 'Rovers Retreat'. A bit of Last of the Summer Wine thing... At least 1 of the others was your contemporary.... .
I also went there about 10 years ago with my brother who had also been in 9th Lewisham North. We couldn’t find it either. We knew that Toys Hill and the common took a hell of a battering in the great storm of 1987 and figured that had been responsible for its tragic loss.
Very sad to read the news about Downe. Lots of great camps there with the Cubs and scouts. 38th Woolwich were the bosses. Always won the district football and usually the county too somewhere over Dulwich way. 13th Woolwich were our main rivals but we always had their measure
There were always scouts in attendance when my pack played apparently
Comments
Everyone in a circle and a flat leather football at the end of a piece of rope was swung around and around by somebody standing in the middle. Last man boy standing won.
Countless times the rope just wrapped around legs and got smashed to the floor.
And crab football as well - that was weird.
all the children.
I’ve only been going there for about four years and worked at our weekend Winter Camp, in one of the huts, two weeks before the March lockdown. It already means a lot to me, it’s a great place.
Such a shame that this resource won’t be available for young people in the future, and especially for the ridiculously low amount I understand that the sale would make.
Seems short sighted in my view and I’m sure there must be other options.
BB was the 6th West Kent at the Baptist Church on the Bexley/Dartford border. Cubs/scouts was in Summerhouse Drive & backed onto Joydens Wood, so spent summers tracking in there.
Scouts in particular was very good. Went on some great camps and climbed Snowdon, Tryfan and Mam Tor - we stayed at Cromford Railway Station when in Derbyshire and had a day out at the Tram Museum... great stuff for a Charlton fan!
Don’t know if as many Scout Groups go as far as they used to for camps, due to cost and insurance. Imagine some do though.
As a cub we used to go to a beautiful little camp site in a clearing at Toys Hill/Hosey Common......about a quarter of a mile to the rear of Chartwell.......Westerham.
Also went to a huge annual jamboree at Gilwell Park on one occasion.
Very Happy days.🏕⛺️
Reading stories about scout camps took me back to the 1960s wen I was a member of the 17th Royal Eltham scout group.
We used to meet at the Saint Alban's church hall on coldharbour.
I remember the troop loading our camping gear in the back of a lorry, traveling to Kings Cross station, travelling overnight to Edinburgh Waverly station.
Taking another train to Pitlochry in Perthshire and camping in a highland field, cooking on an open fire, digging the latrines (toilets) taking water from a stream and scouting for I think about ten days.
We also camped in Brockenhurst in the New Forest and somewhere near Barnstable in Devon.
I went to Pitlochry a couple of years ago trying to remember what an adventure that must have been.
What good times they were.
Did anyone else attend? Would've been mid 80's
Nice to see so many went to Scouts, always remember it being a bit of a joke to other people who didnt go in the 90s, one memory at Secondary School was running into another boy I went to Scouts with, he was with his mates and I made some mention to him in passing about seeing him there one evening and he told me to shut up... I quickly apologised and said I'd got the wrong boy as his mates had started to take the piss out of him for being a Scout.
Remember going on several camping trips to Downe though, really nice Valley... One year there were loads of scouting groups there (cant remember why) but we all played this game where we had a strand of fabric and had to keep away from the Scout Leaders who were hunting us, if caught we'd have to hand over the fabric and head back to "base" and get a new one
Biggest memory of Downe though was camping in November with the Patrol I was in, got so cold I got my Dad to come and get me in the end as have never been so bloody cold
Unfortunately Scouts left me a bitter towards the end as parent power meant that some boy about two years younger than me got made a Patrol Leader ahead of me (little prick was also a Palace fan who tried to convert me), it meant that I ended up being the eldest at the time yet was only ever an APL
I still go now.
What decision has been made to sell what?
An activity centre used by generations of scouts and school children is to be sold due to the impact of the pandemic.
The Downe Scout Activity Centre, on the Bromley-Kent border, was set up in 1929 by Scout Association founder Lord Baden-Powell to train scout leaders.
Never been in there myself but driven past it many many times over the years.
And @thewolfboy?
We couldn’t find it either.
We knew that Toys Hill and the common took a hell of a battering in the great storm of 1987 and figured that had been responsible for its tragic loss.