We are now celebrating 50 years of continued Scouting
or should I say Wolf Cubbing. The person responsible for re-starting
the group was Dr Thomas Wood, he attended the Sudbury and District
Association in 1950 and after a meeting with the vicar decided to
start a Scout Group in the village. The Scout Troop actually
re-started in 1953 by the Reverend Cyril Sharp and the Wolf Cub Pack
in 1952 by Mrs Mary Hynard.
The Early Years
In 1956 John Ineson A.S.M. wrote to: 'The Boy Scouts Association' in
London for a confirmation that a Scout group did exist in Bures. In
the early years a Scout Group was registered by the Local Association
of Sudbury in 1910 and this was cancelled on 16th September 1921. |
| It
was subsequently re-registered under the title 'Bures' on 6th March
1923 and this was then cancelled with effect from 30th September 1925.
There was no further mention of a Troop or Pack of that name until the
group was re-registered on 19th May 1952. On parade
There was a Scout Group at Bures in 1911, we have a photograph of the
Group on parade outside the cottages next to the Eight Bells Public
House with staves and their trek carts. There are a few familiar
names: Stanley Prior, George Baxter, Bert Everett, Peter Webber and Mr
Davies to name a few. We do not know where the first early years
meetings were held or what activities they did. |
|
Bures's Oldest Scouts
After some researching, we were put in contact with a Les Garrod of
Towns Hill, St Edmunds Lane and Cecil Webber of Woolpit Downs, Bures,
they told us that they were Scouts between 1930 until war broke out in
1939, they are both in their eighties. The Scout meetings were held
down the Wharf Lane in a black barn, which was owned by Mrs Roser
Drake now converted into a dwelling now called (Wharf House). She had
dog kennels below with the Scouts meeting on the second floor. The
entrance to the meetings was via a rope ladder! These meetings lasted
about two years and were run by Miss Christine Stirling of Great
Ropers Hall. The Scouts brought wood from Wheelers timber yard and
built there own Scout Hut on land owned by Christine Stirling. This
was opposite St Edmund's Lane entrance onto the Assington Road now
called Larskhill House, there was |
 |
enough room for a billards table too. Subs were 1 penny per week.
During building work the meetings were held at Great Ropers Hall they
used a room - this was called 'The Den' with games and activities
taking place in the gardens. Mr Garrod's father was a chauffeur at
Great Ropers Hall and they used his car for transport to St. Osyth for
their Summer Camp and Mr Cousins's lorry based at the Eight Bells
Public House for their equipment. When the Second World War broke out,
the Scouts were called into the services and the Scout meetings
stopped. The Scout Hut was then taken apart and reassembled at
Garlands Farm, Pebmarsh - the new home of Miss Christine Stirling. |
The first meetings of the 50's
The first Scout meetings in 1953 were held in the Post Room (now
demolished to make way for a driveway to the new Vicarage). The Group
was run by the Reverend Cyril Sharp and Captain Peacock. The first
members were: Roy Hartley, George Warden, John Collins, David Vango,
David Rutt, Charlie Sargeant, Stanley Brown, Peter Baxter, David
Baxter, Sidney Gee, M. Cansdale, John Pink, Graham Holmes, David
Nickells and R Hill. After a couple of years the Group used a barn,
just off the drive into the old vicarage - this meeting place was
called 'The Scout Rooms'. |
 |
|
