74th Silverdale Scout Group
Silverdale Scout Group was formed in 1929 and is celebrating its 80th Birthday in 2009.
The Group celebrated with a camp at Kibblestone in May 2004 and also has had a badge specially designed. These badges are available to purchase please click on the badge to the left if you want to order
As part of the Group’s 50th Anniversary in 1979 a window in the Church was dedicated to the Group and one was dedicated to a former GSL of the Group Cyril Harvey, who had held the position for 40 years.
History of the Group
The Group would like to hear from any of its members about their memories of Scouting
with Silverdale no matter how recent or long ago. Please visit our Memory Lane Page
to see other people’s memories and e-
To start us off I have taken a few stories from the booklet the Group Produced in 1979 to mark the 50th Anniversary of the Group. A group of Leaders scoured the logs and memories of long standing members to produce some memories and funny stories.
I was a Cub Scout and, I think, a sixer ... and we were at a District activity (probably
Cub-
Before my panic really took hold -
Steve Broadhurst Newcastle District Commissioner (Current)
The Cubs have written some of their memories of George and a selection of these has been reproduced here (These have been reproduced as the cubs wrote them)
“George was a good person to know because he used to always talk to us and bring sweets down to cubs for us. He also always taught us knots and was always in the kitchen doing the dishes. I think that it is really sad that he has left us but all of us in Silverdale Scouting will always remember him”
By Chloe
“He gave us sweets an learnt us knots he was a real good man Many Thanks”
By Sam
“I can remember when George came down when we were playing a game and he gave us all a mint. George teached us how to do knots. He was a really nice man.”
By Amy
“I did not meet George by my mates told me about him. They told me he learned them how to make knots and they told me if you did the right things he would give you sweets. George sounded like a kind man to be around.”
By Josh
“My memory of George is he gave us sweets and learnt us knots. He was always washing the dishes. Lots of Thanks
By Aiden
Some extraordinary “goodies” brought by boys for Christmas Parties:-
Extract from log 28/4/1958 – All cubs brought wool and knitting needles to learn to knit.
One Christmas a Scouter ordered 50 pork pies for the Scout Christmas Party and 100 for a party where he worked. Unfortunately a mistake was made and the lot were delivered to the scout party ……. the lot were devoured ……. the baker worked all night to replace them …….. meat was rationed at the time.
A rumour has it that on a certain day, round the a tree in Gallowstree Lane at midnight a ghost would be seen. The Senior Scouts sat round it from 10pm until 2am but saw nothing (fortunately)
In the “old days” if a boy misbehaved at camp Father Howlett (the Groups founding
GSL) dealt out a punishment, the boy had to stir the oatmeal porridge for breakfast
for two hours non-
Our troop at one time consisted of 8 bellringers, 8 alter servers, 14 choirboys and not forgetting the two organ blowers. (I believe one of the two organ blowers may have been George Fowles?)
During bob-
Have you ever eaten fried custard? Our scouts have the mix up occurred when someone could not tell the difference between custard powder and the wartime dried egg.
Administration fees for 1976 were £1.60 this money had to be sent to Head Office in London. Subs raised to 5p.
1977 Group Camp at Seascale – The Cubs were thrilled to get up early several mornings and go “mushrooming” under the leadership of Mr Cyril Harvey, Mr Bill Sale and Mr George Fowles – everyone survived after eating them for breakfast.
Extract from 1977 magazine – On Tuesday 11th October in the Scout HQ we are holding a social evening when Mr Bourne of Newcastle will come along and give a talk on Old Newcastle from Roman times to present – this should interest a lot of elderly people and revive memories (I’m not sure how many people in Silverdale in 1977 could remember Roman times?? I just hope the younger ones weren’t put off)
The cubs went on Church Paade, when the collection plate went round one cub was seen to put 10p on and take 5p off.
Our handcart broke down when we were about to go for a weekend camp to Maer. Mr D Rhyder (the undertaker) lent us a bier and we loaded our gear onto it. When we pulled it through Silverdale several men took off their hats as we passed.
Boys are to meet with a bottle of water and hot cross buns in readiness for a hike to Heighly Castle via Madeley and Devils Well, Leycett.
June 1943 Fr Howlett writes – We are looking forward to our annual camp which will be in the Isle of Man, this will be more expensive than other camps have been ( the camp at the vicarage was 5 shillings for a week, Wrexham was 10 shillings) this year the cost will be 17 shillings and sixpence. In July we are giving a display and campfire so rally round and support us to try to reduce the cost.
An early memory of the days when meetings were held at St Luke’s School is the game of British Bulldog; the ferocity of which rivalled the Charge of the Light Brigade.
Despite the romantic appeal of open fires, the memory is tempered with thoughts of
smoke-
The first Silverdale Cubs were invested on 17th December 1940 by Miss F L Smith
One of our Scouters became DC for Lincoln – Ernest Nield
Cubs were not allowed to use Kibblestone until our GSL (Cyril Harvey) became chairman
of the Divisional Wolf Cub Sub-
We have had two different boys in the Scouts whose fathers have been Mayor of Newcastle. (I don’t know if this has changed since 1979? If anyone knows different let me know)