56th Cambridge

Cambridge District Scout Archive

Note: Listed in District Directory 1968 despite the closure/ abeyance date of 1965 above.

Haslingfield was founded in 1933, Harston joined as a patrol in 1934. The requirement for a purple woggle is a unique uniform need.

The local Parish Magazine for All Saints Haslingfield report a meeting on 23rd Jam 1930, but nothing clearly ahead of that time. It was held under ASM HW Rooke of Cambridge. The only available parish magazines after that date is December that year and it has no Scout information. It is possible that this was a starter’ meeting that did not take off.

Harston became 1st Harston at some point as they moved into South Cambridgeshire District (later Granta) in the four way division of the very large Cambridge District in 1934/35. The date is not recorded in the Log Books held by the group. They refer to themselves as Harston. The Troop, Haslingfield and Harston, later Group, met together into late 1935 and whilst the name did not change for a time had Patrols based in Harlton/ Little Eversden, Harston, Haslingfield, Newton, and Hauxton; they met in their own villages and each aimed to specialize in one area of Scouting.

Many of the Groups in South Cambridgeshire worked together on shows and camps.

The early Harston Scouts from 1933

Fred Rayner’s experiences in Harston Scouts

JWR Archivist Mar 2019