Scouting

'"a row-over". In the quarter-final the School beat University College, Durham, without exerting themselves. The final against York City was a rather harder race. The School were on the Station side, and at the start they went up on the York crew quite well. They maintained a good lead all the way down the course and finished about lengths ahead of the York crew. The "Evening Press" quotes the School as being " in all six heats St. Peter's School appeared the most efficient crew".

The First IV was :—J. B. Weightman (bow). R. A. Jackson (2). D. C. Dick (3). C. W. Thompson (stroke). T. A. Foy (cox).

C.W.T.

SCOUT GROUP

We congratulate Mr. Chilman on his appointment as ViceChairman of York Local Boy Scouts' Association. This is recognition not only of his long service as a Scouter in the School Group, but also of his services to York scouting in general.

On 'Wednesday, 28th January, a meeting of the Group was inspected by the Head Master. He then presented their Queen's Scout Badges to P./L.(S.) M. J. ,Baddeley, P./L.(S.) J. E. H. Quickfall, and Sec.(S.) J. H. Baines. In addressing the Group he emphasised the necessity for hard personal work if other boys were to achieve this high standard of scouting. After the presentation the Scouts of the Senior School and junior School Troops took part in an inter-Patrol competition, devised and organised by the Senior Scout Troop.

1. SENIOR. SCOUT TROOP

We congratulate P./L.(S.) J. E. H. Quickfall on the award of his Queen's Scout Badge. He travelled to Eton College, with those who gained the Badge last term, to receive the Royal Certificate from Lord Rowallan. A report of their visit appears elsewhere. During the term a course of study for the Ambulance Badge was followed and several Badges were gained. Most meetings were held on Saturday evenings and much time was devoted to preparations for the Cycle Tour.

The Cycle Tour to Southern Scotland started from Durham on Monday, 13th April. On unloading the cycles from the guard's van one tyre was found to be flat and it had to be repaired at frequent intervals throughout the day. Fortunately the owner replaced the inner tube the following day. Strong head-winds, sleet, snow, hail, rain and overcast skies typified the weather as we battled over the Border between snow-clad hills, finding it almost as difficult to cycle 54

down hills as up. We stayed at Ferniehirst Castle Youth Hostel, near Jedburgh, during the second night. In this 15th Century Border castle we cooked our supper in the large hall, later sat round a blazing log fire in a large open fireplace and retired to bed by climbing a spiral staircase. We continued to Barns Hostel, near Peebles, through a heavy snowstorm and, in passing, could only raise enthusiasm for those parts of 'Melrose 'Abbey which are still roofed over. During our twonight stay at Barns we visited Edinburgh and did a lightning conducted tour of the major buildings of interest. For the first time during the tour it did not rain and as we travelled by bus we did not care how strong the head-wind was.

On the Friday we cycled in pouring rain, but with the wind largely behind us, to Chapelhope, a lonely hostel by the Loch of the Lowes, near St. 'Mary's Loch. The latter part of the journey was over a road which consisted merely of two vaguely parallel strips of macadam. We had an exciting run down this road to Cappercleuch, because, wearing capes, we had to fight to prevent ourselves being blown on to the marshy ground or rocks by gusts of wind as we rounded the comers. We spent two nights at 'Chapelhope and visited the Grey Mare's Tail, a waterfall of some 270 feet, and explored the St. Mary's Loch district.

We returned to England on Sunday and spent the night at a small hostel at Rockcliffe-onJEden, five miles from Carlisle. On the following day we again discovered how useful bicycles are to lean on when walking up hills, as we climbed via Alston to a height of nearly 2,000 feet on a moor road across the Pennines. Our destination was a hostel with the curious name of Dirt Pot, which we found to be a converted Primitive Methodist Chapel. The weather had been steadily improving and the last stage of our journey down Weardale to Durham took place in brilliant sunshine.

Despite much bad weather we all thoroughly enjoyed the tour and made the pleasant discovery that though hostel meals are generally very good, by cooking for ourselves we could provide substantial and interesting meals at less than two-thirds of the cost of hostel meals.

SENIOR SCHOOL TROOP

A good deal of time this term has been spent in preparation for the Easter Hike and, as a result, there has not been the usual progress with proficiency badges and First Class tests. A special effort in this direction is needed next term.

A most interesting programme was arranged by the Senior Scouts after the presentation of Queen's Scout Badges, and the Scoutcraft of our patrols was tested very thoroughly. The Patrol Competition for the term was won by the Seals, with the Beavers only one point behind.

The Summer Camp will be held at Julian Park Farm, Goathland, from !28th July to 5th August.

EASTER HIKE, 15th-22nd April, 1953

The party of fourteen boys and three Scouters left York by the 8-35 a.m. train for Keswick, via Darlington. During the journey five Scouts and a Scouter decided to alight at Threlkeld, the station before Keswick, and climb Saddleback C2,847 ft.). The ascent was started in fine weather but this did not last long and the final thousand feet or so was a scramble up a steep, rocky ridge in a blinding snowstorm. Mr. Cooper, who had gone to Keswick and climbed from there, somehow arrived at the summit at exactly the same instant and led a rapid descent to the Keswick Hostel. Meanwhile the main party had explored the shores of Derwentwater and visited the Stone Circle, east of the town.

The next day was very wet. Mr. Bennett, with five boys, left for a two night stay at Honister Hostel. They went by launch across the lake to Derwent Bay and then up the Newlands Valley and southward over the fells into Honister Pass about a mile below the summit. Next morning the mist was swirling round the hostel but it cleared before mid-day and the party climbed southward on to Grey Knotts and continued along the ridge over Brandreth and Green Gable to Great Gable (2,949 ft.). The descent was by Sty Head to Seathwaite Farm for tea and then back to the hostel by road.

On Saturday the weather was perfect and a high level route was chosen to Grasmere over 'Green Gable and Esk Hause to the top of Stake Pass, then over Thunacar Knott and down into Easdale to arrive at the hostel just in time for supper.

The main party had stayed in the Keswick district on the Thursday and went to Grasmere on Friday by Watendlath Tarn, Ullscarf ('2,370 ft.) and down Far 'Easdale. On the Saturday they went up F.asdale and climbed Sergeant Man ('2,414 ft.) and Harrison Stickle, descending by Stickle Tarn on the return journey to Grasmere.

On Sunday Mr. Cooper and five boys went over Helvellyn (3A.18 ft.) and down the famous Striding Edge to Patterdale, where they stayed the night. Next day they explored High Street (2,718 ft.), which was on the Roman route from Ambleside to Penrith, and then joined the main body again at Greenside Hostel in Glenridding.

The others had enjoyed a rest day in Grasmere. They went to church in the morning and then basked in the sunshine by Rydal Water until it was time to return to the hostel for supper. On the Monday they all climbed Helvellyn, some descending by Striding Edge and the rest by Sticks Pass to Greenside.

The last night was to be spent at Ambleside and three groups set off by different routes which all led over Fairfield 02,863 ft.). The boats on Ullswater tempted one party and they spent a pleasant how 56

on the lake before climbing on to St. Sunday Crag (2,756 ft.). From Fairfield the whole length of Windermere and Coniston Water could be seen with the sea in the distance beyond them and ranges of hills in every other direction.

Next day most people went by bus to Windermere Station though a few preferred to complete the week on foot and caught the train with only a few minutes to spare.

The party consisted of P./L.s A. G. Hall, D. R. Holt, D. J. Oldman, Seconds T. Chilman, J. R. Loadman, C. J. Quickfall, F. F. Watson, Scouts P. H. C. Burn, I. C. Bytheway, N. j. Dick, D. B. Irvin, D. C. Mayson, N. D. Taylor, S. J. S. Wroe and 'Messrs. Chilman, Cooper and Bennett.

THE QUEEN'S SCOUTS' VISIT TO WINDSOR

First, we must express our thanks to Mr. Quickfall, who kindly undertook to transport us by road to and from Windsor. 'As we sped southwards on Friday, 24th April, the weather improved, and by the time we reached Windsor the prospect of a favourable weekend was good. We caught a Windsor-Waterloo train, which runs fairly frequently, and arrived in London just after the "rush-hour". From Waterloo all three of us walked to the Royal Research Ship "Discovery", which is moored on the Thames Embankment about two or three hundred yards from Cleopatra's Needle. The "Discovery" was the ship used by Robert Falcon Scott in his Antarctic expedition; it is now run by the Sea Scouts, and it was here that two of us, who were to stay here, left our luggage before continuing to 'Roland House, which is the normal place for Scouts to stay, and in which the other one of our party was to be accommodated. Having discovered the whereabouts of Roland House, we made our way to the centre of the city and had supper. We then made our respective ways back to R.R.S. "Discovery" and Roland House.

A good night was spent at Roland House; in the morning breakfast was about half-past eight and one could get up any desired time before that. On arrival at the "Discovery" the other two were met by a person, who supposedly was a young Sea Scouter, told to collect their kit and get down aft. The person followed up this request with the advice that they should turn in soon, and that he would be down shortly. At Roland House light camp beds were provided, whereas the "Discovery" possessed good, solid timber bunks. A little before seven o'clock on Saturday morning the Scouts in the "Discovery" were startled by the notorious "hoot" and `Vakey, 'Wakey", etc., coming over the very-loud-speakers. When most people were half dressed the loud speaker demanded that all "hands" assemble amidships immediately. The outcome of this was that thirty to forty Scouts were observed running along the Embankment in the direction of Cleopatra's Needle, early in the morning of Saturday, 25th April. 57

The two Peterites escaped from the "Discovery" fairly early, reached Waterloo Station, and deposited their luggage. One went off to visit a relative whilst the other waited for the third to arrive from Roland House. The latter two spent the morning wandering about London, visiting Imperial Headquarters as they did so.

We rejoined each other for lunch at twelve-thirty, after which we, along with several hundred other scouts, packed ourselves into the Waterloo-Windsor train. 'At Waterloo we had been divided into squads alphabetically. and consequently Quickfall was separated from Baddeley and Baines.

The presentation of the Queen's Scout Certificates took place in the main hall of Eton College, to which we had marched from Windsor Station. Lord Rowallan, the Chief Scout, presented the certificates to each Queen's Scout individually, which involved shaking hands several hundred times and saluting twice as often, in addition to speaking to many of the boys. After the presentation photographs were taken and then we had tea as guests of Imperial Headquarters.

We marched back from Eton College, through Windsor, to Windsor Home Park in which we were to camp. At the camp-fire in the evening new songs were learnt by some of us and, in addition, an excellent performance on the bag-pipes was given by a Scottish Senior I Scout.

Saturday night—or rather early Sunday morning—was cold and hence it was not easy to sleep, even though well wrapped up. A Scouts-own-service was held on Sunday morning in the marquee erected for that purpose. The camp consisted of over nine-hundred people, most of whom were in small hike tents; there were thus about five hundred tents in all. At a quarter to one we all alphabetically divided into squads as before, under the command of a Scouter. Then, headed by a band provided by one of the Guards regiments, we marched to Windsor Castle. The night before we had practiced the "halts", "eyes right", etc.; we three were glad that we were in the 'C.C.F. at School. On the slope up to the main gates of Windsor Castle, which leads into the quadrangle, we halted, and waited for the Queen to take her position on the dais. We then marched into the quadrangle of the 'Castle, turned right towards the Sovereign's Entrance, and then left towards the Queen. Looking out of one of the windows on our right was Prince Charles, but not all in the parade saw him. On the dais, slightly to the front, stood the Queen, dressed in black. Behind her were Princess Margaret and the Duke of Edinburgh, who was talking to Lord Rowallan.

After passing the Queen, we entered St. George's Chapel for the special Scout St. George's Day service. The Dean of Windsor, the , Right Reverend Eric Knightley Chetwode, officiated. After the service we filed out through the choir, passing the tombs and vaults of 58