Going back

 

While it is unfortunate the iconic "Bottle Oven" one at its peak of over 22,000 here in Stoke-on-Trent crumbled after an attempt to spruce it up for a Royal Visit  which included taking the bands that held it together, after the demise of the Spode-Royal Worcester period of ownership in 2008 the former factory became a museum devoted to the history of Spode.

Spode was responsible for things like the popularity of Bone China, the colbalt blue Willow Pattern mania and as increased used of techniques such as transferware rather than multiple firings to get decorations on to ware for some hand skills.

It was great to get just a few miles along the road to see well set exhibits and to have guided tour on Wednesday not least for having family who worked in the industry.

Past places

 

Time was when I lived for a period in North Surrey and one place I loved to vist not least at this time of year was Polesden Lacey on the downs with its magnificient looks out of the sprawl that is Greater London, revelling in the peace and quiet.

A extra layer..

 

Tis Autumn and sometimes you need a extra bit of help if you're out camping  so here's Fleur de Lis Scouts Fleece Blanket which is 15 x12 metres in length that you can throw over your sleeping bag, has more than enough space to sow your badges  and easily rolls up for carriage.

It has polyester fleece lining and is made for the Scout Association so mine came from the official Scout Shop.

The application's a bit wrong, boy...

 

Sometimes as a society we can appear rather risk adverse and yet we need to learn those skills that as society we do need as situations can arise that no one first considered.

One instinctively sympathizes with this wanna be scout, he certainly needs to practice even if the manner he is deserves some censure with the gaping big hole dug and having tied up and suspended the one who is supposed to be in charge.

We can practise survival skills, we can enjoy winter with camps, fires and songs and halloween parties organized so youngsters like him need to join in the fun of Scouting and learn stuff.

Inspiration between the pages

 Stories about being in movements such as boys and girls brigades, brownies and cubs are not generally just pieces of fiction looking at the lives of those in membership but often are about what membership is about and how your being say a brownie or a cub comes into play in everyday life.

That's not least we're learning what today we call "life skills" apart from having heaps of fun together and the thing about life skills is there will be times you'll need to use them so compilations of stories don't just keep you entertained, they help form that connection and inspire you further on you way through scouting.

Very much of the 1940's and 50's, this how any girl in Brownies would wear her uniform and note she wears a tie  with her enrollment badge which was later changed.

Gaining Awards

 

The world of scouting changes over time be they for good reason or just a briefly popular trend that itself gets changed and in Cubs Awards had tended to change over time.

Here six 10-year-old Cubs from the 6th Holme Valley pack have been awarded the movements highest honour in March 1992. The boys - who are the first from Honleys Atlas pack to achieve the Adventure Crest award, that had has replaced the Gold Arrow. To earn the award they took part in a range of activities, these included tackling an assault course, abseiling and night hikes. The boys also had to display leadership qualities.

Those boys certainly deserved it but it is interesting to note from from the late 1980's little else had changed and so they very much the Cubs we knew.

Plaques

 

While still recovering from being really quite poorly, I came by this interesting plaque that clearly was made to a formular to recognize this boys services in the United States.

I cannot recall seeing something like this within the U.K. where formal award badges and certificates seem more common place.

Does anyone know any different?