What can I say ? ... Lots of happy memories of my time with the First Mids?

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 If I remember correctly, I started with the new school term as a cub in Jan 1980, (My 2 best mates at school were in the pack and they convinced me to give it a go).

The cubs were separated at the time; meeting on a Thursday night. (There were no Beavers!)

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My first camp was at Earlswood Log Cabin. It was hilariously good fun for an 8 year old, but was a complete washout (The guys running it had pitched the patrol tents on a slope!). We (red six) were at the bottom of the hill and spent the Saturday sitting on a settee made from our gear, on the one groundsheet we had (one of the other lads had brought a net curtain - ha ha!) watching the water run by. Mind you,Yellow six had made paper boats and were sailing them in the puddle in their tent😊. The highlight was playing cricket in 3 inches of mud with a bat made from a pallet - was fun (The group did not have much in the way of equipment back then!).

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Both my brother Ed and I stayed with the group through Scouts, Seniors and as an adult leader until, at the age of 24, work took me away from home after university. Dad and Mum were big supporters of the Group with Dad ending up as Grandpa Beaver!  

 

We used to do one big fund raising Jumble Sale a year which ,I remember, started out being stored in my Mum's garage (ended up in the big command tent in the back garden as well for most of October until the sale!). Now I have more time its nice to give something back!

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As much as one of my favourite places ever is sitting on the rock halfway up Bradnor Hill at Dunfield looking at the views; I have an incredibly soft spot for Hanbury Hall. Had to go there recently for work and the big metal Cartwheel rim that used to be the equivalent of the naughty step on Cub camp is still in Kites Orchard 30 years later.😊

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We used to get up to a wide range of activities not just the static camping, (used to love building a camp oven) but lots of backswoods and bushcraft, hike camping, abseiling and ariel runways. There are pictures of me somewhere ploughing through a pond at Wythall on an ariel runway (I am sure Keith slackened the rope off !!!).

Mind you that probably sums me up…  my whole scouting life involves falling over/off things, burning things on open fires (set light to my wellies once) and running around soaking (Great British weather) with a big smile on my face……

 

Matt - Scout Leader