Scouting

R.A.F. SECTION

The acquisition of a parachute, complete with harness, towards the end of the term offers new variety for part of the Summer training programme. There is no cause for alarm; it will be used only on the ground.

The annual Summer camp will be at the Royal Air Force Station, Watton, Norfolk, from 26th July to 3rd August.

A normal training course has been followed during the term, and a number of cadets have for the first time undertaken work as instructors. It may be emphasised here that this kind of work is regarded as an essential part of the C.C.F. training for the senior cadets.

Leading Cadets Sedman, Welsh, and Nesham were promoted to Corporal during the term.

SENIOR SCOUTS

Training in the Ambulance and Fireman Badges was completed in the first weeks of term and all the Seniors who were examined in the badges were successful, thus completing a large part of the Queen's Scout Badge requirements. Training during the term concentrated on the Public Health and Venturer Badges, and it is hoped that a number of Seniors will be able to pass sections of the latter badge during the Easter holidays. It was not possible to arrange an Easter camp as had been hoped, but a Summer camp will be held and it is planned that this will be a trek camp. Further details will be sent out during the Summer Term.

During the Easter holidays three of our Queen's Scouts, D. A. A. Lamb, D. Pfluger, and E. H. N. Turner, are attending the National Scout Service at St. George's Chapel, Windsor, an account of which appears later.

SENIOR SCHOOL TROOP

As usual in the Easter Term, many of the weekly meetings have been held indoors, with the exceptions of a treasure hunt and a wide game. Another small group of Scouts completed the course for the Fire-fighter Badge and there has been steady progress with First Class tests.

Most of the Scouts will have been busy in the holidays. "Bob-aJob" week commenced on Easter Monday and was followed by the 43

Lake District Tour, an account of which appears later. This year we are indebted to (Mr. Cooper and Mr. Chilman for taking charge of the party.

The Troop decided early in the term that the Summer camp should be held in •North Wales. A list of possible addresses was supplied by the scout authorities there and after a visit to some of them an excellent site near Llanrwst has been selected. This site is in an upland valley surrounded by wooded hills and is within easy reach of most of the mountains of Snowdonia and some of the finest scenery in Wales.

EASTER HIKE, 1955

On Wednesday, 20th April, we set off from York in fine weather. By the time that we had changed trains at Leeds the complete party of ten scouts, plus Messrs. Chilman and Cooper, had assembled. The first incident of note was the fragmentation of one glass jar half full of raspberry jam in Howat's rucksack. Fortunately, the eruption took place in a side pocket and the chaos spread outwards rather than inwards, but we were scraping off pieces of raspberry jam from unlikely places for some days. Cleaning up operations blocked a washbasin in the train, and the results would have been even more catastrophic if a timely jab with a marline-spike had not eased the situation. Our engine-spotters had a happy time during the journey, which ended at 'Windermere at 2-30.

Our walk to the Hawkshead Youth Hostel close to Esthwaite Water was uneventful. After a halt in Bowness, during which some of us visited the church and others stocked up with iron rations, we crossed the lake by the ferry. Before reaching Far Sawrey, Wright and two satellites took a short cut, but they arrived at the hostel only forty minutes behind us and were in good time for supper. Distance walked : 7 miles. Up 400 feet—down 500 feet. Duty at hostel—spud-peeling.

THURSDAY. Hawkshead to Coniston Mines. Weather fine. We stopped at Hawkshead to look at the church, a 17th century imitation of Norman architecture. The lunch interval was taken at Tarn How's, after which we went down to High Yewdale and up Tilberthwaite Gill. We took the path over Coniston Moor and by the little tarn at 1,400 feet we split into two parties, the "steadies" going direct to the hostel and the "flying column" dumping rucksacks and attacking Wetherlam, At 2,000 feet one member of the party returned to look after the luggage, but the remainder reached the top by the ridge and came back by a more stony and interesting route. After picking up rucksacks and guard, a rapid downhill journey took them direct to the hostel. Distance walked : 9 miles. Up 2,700 feet—down 2,200 feet. Duty at hostel—washing-up.

FRIDAY. Coniston Mines to Eskdale. Weather fine. Up the Old Man, an exhausting grind in spite of the fact that we were starting at 44

700 feet. The "flying column" then went to each summit that it could find whilst the "steadies" made for the saddle on Hinning House Fell. IINe then made downhill for iCockley Bridge, where we had a rather late lunch—it is a long way down. In the afternoon we toiled up Hard Knott Pass, at the top of which most of the party heaved a car out of a ditch. Those who did not assist regretted it. The "flying column" flew down past both the Roman fort and tea, but the "steadies" had a most interesting time at the fort, where three men have been tidying up the walls for about two years. They showed the party pieces of 'Roman tile, some of which travelled round with us, and also the pivot hole for one of the gates of the fort. After an extra large tea the hostel was reached in good time. Distance walked : 10 miles. Up 3,700 feet—down 4,200 feet. Duty at hostel—washing-up.

SATURDAY. Eskdale to Borrowdale. Weather cloudy and wet at times. We decided not to attack Scafell Pikes from the South but to go round via 3urnmoor and the Sty Head Pass. If the weather cleared unexpectedly, we could still go up high by Lingmell Gill, and if it stayed wet we need go no higher than the top of Sty Head. We had lunch in the lee of a wall at 'Wasdale Head and tea over the pass by Stockley Bridge, neither meal being upset by the weather. We found the Sty Head Pass somewhat of a drag up, and were glad to reach the top. Our rearguard unsportingly accepted a lift from Seathwaite and reached the hostel at the same time as the "flying column". Distance walked : 13 miles (it seemed more). Up 2,100 feet—down 2,000 feet. Duty at hostel—sundry sweeping and cleaning.

SUNDAY. Borrowdale to Honister Hause. Weather very fine. The "steadies" went to matins at Borrowdale church and then walked up to the Honister Hostel, where they left their rucksacks. In the afternoon most of them went up the Gables. The "flying column" went straight up to Honister Hause from Borrowdale, and then climbed the Gables, dropping down close to Sty Head Tarn for lunch. At one stage they heard a whistle, but it was not repeated, and it was only later that we learnt that the Mountain (Rescue Party had been called out on Scafell to deal with a climbing casualty. After lunch the party went up Scafell (Pikes by the 'Guides' Path, reaching the top by a somewhat unusual but probably better variation. Most unfortunately, the top was just in a small cloud which obstinately refused to clear the summit until the party had left it. Time was lost on the way down and, after tea by Grains Gill at about the 1,000-foot level, it was obvious that speed was essential. A hurried council of war at Stockley Bridge decided that a short cut up Borrowdale Yews was preferable to a walk round by Seatoller. The steepness of the climb after an already hard day soon split up the party, some of whom strayed too far to the right, but all reached the hostel in time for supper. Distance walked : 14 miles. Up 5,400 feet—down 4,600 feet. Duty at hostel—washing-up (one plate broken; this modern crockery won't bounce). 45

MONDAY. Honister Hause to Keswick. Weather fine but windy. Straight up the fell to High Scawdel and then along the tops to Maiden Moor. We had lunch by a stream before coming to Cat Bells. Two of the party waited for a launch at Low Brandlehow, but the remainder walked through the woods to Nichol 'End before embarking on a rival launch. We reached the other side first, but to our fury discovered that the two scalliwags had gone three times the distance for the same amount of money. A nasty sea on the beam soaked some of us, but they had a following wind and arrived dry. Our tea at 'Friar's Crag was shared with a collection of chaffinches and a fat Aberdeen terrier. We reached the hostel comparatively early so that shopping and other activities could be carried out. Distance walked : 8 miles. Up 1,200 feet—down 2,100 feet. Duty at hostel—washingup. In the evening we sang the communist version to "Green grow the rushes, 0", a ditty guaranteed to change the politics of all within hearing.

TUESDAY. At Keswick. Weather fine. We took a bus to Scales, where we saw Mr. Rhodes in his car and a buzzard hovering above our path at one and the same time. We all followed the path up Scales Fell, but four "steadies" took the simple route to the top of Saddleback, whilst the remainder attempted Sharp Edge, but somehow reached the top without finding it. Both parties saw ravens. The view from the top of Saddleback was particularly fine, but it was rather too cold to admire it for long, particularly in the case of one gentleman, who had only had time to sew three-quarters of a patch covering a rent in the seat of his trousers. We quickly dropped down to the head of Roughten Gill, where we had lunch. As we were all comparatively fresh, it was decided to climb Skiddaw as well, and we made good time over Mungrisdale Common. We were about to start up the long N.E. ridge, when we came across a jeep hull down in a peat bog. Our services which we offered were gratefully received, and after nearly an hour's work, brute force and luck, combined with low cunning and language, got it back on to the track. After our labours we were invited to tea at Skiddaw House, which stands protected by trees at a height of 1,500 feet away in the wilds behind Skiddaw. A gamekeeper and a herdsman live there with their families, and the de-bogging of the jeep saved them a twelve-mile walk to the nearest shop and back. The unexpected delay made it clear that only the "flying column" could hope to get to the top of Skiddaw, so we separated at the Salehow Beck, the "steadies" proceeding to Keswick in a direct line. The "flying column" reached the top all right, and came down some of the way by some highly interesting screes. They reached the hostel with one minute to spare. Distance walked : 15 miles. Up 3,900 feet—down 4,300 feet. Duty at hostel—washing-up (we should like to crown the cook who burnt the custard in one pan).

WEDNESDAY. Wet. A bus journey back to Windermere was made interesting by the gradually changing colour of the cheeks of two of

our members. By Grasmere they were white, by Ambleside they were pale green, and by Windermere it was kinder to look the other way, but they held out all right. A small "flying column" had to break all records from the station to a bread shop—and then the journey home. At York we parted company, and the writer was returning from the refreshment room after a double black coffee, when he found one economist looking worried. He had expected to be met by his parents, and had not even fivepence for the bus trip home when they did not appear. He had, however, found time to deal with the fourth quarter of his patch.

The hike was a most successful one in every way. Distances and heights are in all cases those of the "flying columns", the composition of which varied slightly from day to day. Bygate could be relied upon to be in the van, and Bolton was without doubt the steadiest of the "steadies". Howat proved a good stayer, but was unable to increase his speed when it was most needed. It is interesting to note that in the course of a week we walked over 75 miles and went up and down very nearly 40,000 feet, which is quite good for plainsmen. It is becoming clearer each year that the best form of footwear is either good, solid, nailed boots or else gym. shoes, ordinary shoes being slippery and apt to disintegrate.

THE ST. GEORGE'S DAY PARADE AND SERVICE, WINDSOR

D. A. A. Lamb, D. Pfluger, and E. H. N. Turner were fortunate enough to be selected to attend the St. George's Day Service in St. George's Chapel, Windsor, on the 24th April.

Travelling down to London early on the previous Saturday morning, we had the afternoon and evening for sight-seeing and entertainment. Having found our abode for the night in a scout room attached to the 1st Westminster Troop, we began our tour of inspection of the 'Metropolis. In the evening we invested in tickets for Cinerama, which had been recommended to us, and from which new sensation and experience were achieved, with some frightening moments. When we had completed our evening meal we returned to our lodging and met our "room-mates", three from Scarborough and two from North Wales.

On Sunday morning, having breakfasted and cleaned up, we set out for Windsor via Waterloo on the Southern Electric route. From the station we made our way to the Royal Mews where we checked in, and were thoroughly inspected. After a brief snack we were whisked off upon a tour of the Castle, and gained useful tips for the afternoon parade. While on the tour we were fortunate enough to see the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh leaving their private morning service in the St. George's Chapel. After lunch we returned to our 47