A new source has been located; some of the circular letters that were passed between members of the 23rd Cambridge Rover Crew who were scattered on Active Service have been loccated.

Their existence was mentioned by Ken North in his ’70 years’, but it was assumed that they were lost, as indeed many were during the war. They were forwarded many times, as each member was moved from barrack to barrack, sometimes two or three times between each new entry.

These letters are of Scouting and Cambridge and tell of the doings of men, often in the less glamorous roles that the Services require.

They also tell of the deaths of friends and Crew mates.

Already the snippets from a first quick reading are informing the pages on line.

JWR

The 69 ‘Cambridge’ Groups have all been entered. The Cambridge District and the ‘1st’ Groups have yet to be entered in full. They tend to be later and are less well documented in the available records.

A number of pages on BP visits to Cambridge have been entered. Further contemporary commentary will be added to these – most of which have photo’s.

A single reference to an earlier 1908 visit is yet to be traced.

JWR

I have found the time and more importantly the resolve to enter these groups. The pages are staying put – hooray!

Some of these are dotted with notes to myself and all need a more detailed history adding. This I will work on one at a time.

I do need to complete 1st to 10th and then the ‘District’ Troops (pre 1932) and the numberless and ‘1st’s’ that also exist.

However, they are now up and open to review. If you have been patient, thank you.

JWR

I have had the pleasure of meeting Robin Summerfield (see Flood Relief in Derbyshire) now GSL of 1st Harston.  For a long time they were in South Cambridgeshire/ Granta and have now moved to Royston District.  Interestingly the Group was formed as a patrol of the 56th Haslingfield  Group in 1934 when they were both in Cambridge District.

The original log books exist and give many interesting insights into he formation of village groups, but little about the start of the new District (see The Changing District).

Robin has passed on a trophy to the District and identified the location of another.

Part of their history can be seen on the Harston History page, under Communities.

Pages on Dens, Early meeting places and dates phrases have been added along with a number of Group pages, down from 69th and up from 1st Cambridge District.  These will be added in small batches.   Some of the Group pages still need constructing.

This site is the only place that google locates as mentioning the 58th Cambridge Scouts.  Maybe someone will want to know some day.

JWR

The Senior Scouts Adventure Trophy has come our way.

Many thanks to Roger Summerfields (Harston GSL), who also loaned some very informative log books from the 1934/35 incarnation of the Group.

Early snippets from these books will illustrate these archives, although these early days overlap the move to South Cambridgeshire District where Harston has sat for most of its history.

JWR

The ‘Trophy’ section has been started with those Trophies that exist in the Cambridge District Scout Archive Collection. The physical trophy gives significant amounts of information over and above the engraved names.

The names are used as the definitive list of winners, details which cannot be assumed from annual reports which cover two years.

The physical work and financial worth of a trophy gives information about perceived or intended worth of the event . The early trophies are not just another pre-made shield indistinguishable on the shelf but items with hall marked details or considerable workmanship invested into their manufacture. See the Scout Athletics shield and Swimming Trophy.

The ‘Uniforms’ section has three pieces added, in particular the Scout Scarves and a revamped piece on knives.

‘Sections’ have new pieces on ‘Ladies’ and Camping has a piece on recording of past camps.

As with most of these pages they have been pre prepared and have been waiting for the site to be ready. I am beginning to start new pages, not because the existing ones are all up loaded but because that is the fun bit.

JWR

Three areas have all received a number of uploaded pages; World Wars, University links and Sections. A few have had missing pictures and charts replaced and these appear to be holding in place. Maybe I have got it right.

Trek carts have a few pictures and Senior Scouts have charts and a picture or two.

There is a temptation to add dramatic pictures to illustrate these pages but I am trying very hard to avoid material that doesn’t come from the Cambridge Archives.

A good number of new pages have been added over the past week. Trousers and Shirts and Hats, also awards and Chief Scouts in Cambridge(shire) which is as much a plea for more information as a definitive list. The de Beaumont family who were hugely influential in Cambridge Guiding but also LR Missen who was a passing Cambridge Scouter but nicely illustrates the difficulty when considering the influence of the Military.

Also Beacons and Flags and Pennants.

I am still working on a layout for the individual Group information. I can put it on a page but it is not an easy read.

Mike Petty’s compendious work I am now trawling for Scout references. The temptation to step into distraction is great but not using the search has the merit of fleshing out the era. The speed limit of 2 mph through the village, the howls from the 11 year old boys and their mother on the sentence of birching, the excitement at seeing aircraft overhead and the first reports from the front line. I am still in 1914.

Please do pass on your memories, a sentence or a paragraph or an essay.

JWR

A few more pages and a few replaced pictures. Dedicating colours has a short page as does Strong language. Shirt sleeves has its pictures back and Cycling Scouts has a longer page. Also Boats on the Cam – I hope to do a fuller report on the Cambridge Boat Club as I get access to a clearer history.

I have started on a series of pages concerning the archives, lining up the Collections received, the Sources most frequently quoted and the Thanks due. I keep remembering another helpful contributor; thanks to all for the help received in many ways.

JWR

A few more pages , Girls and Girl Guides, British Bulldog, Officers and Members in the first 25 years, Bands and the plans of Grafton Street.

I have also added pages on individuals, too many of whom died young.

I am conscious that many obituaries have been written for Scouters which have not made it into print or the Archives. The Archive will add these as they come available.

JWR