A bit of shade

 

Weather this weekend was really quite good so exploring was very much on the agenda here as I followed the canal towpaths taking my time to take in the countryside tucked beyond the built up area.

Sections have rough and ready pathways affording the abilty to get close to trees providing much needed shade this week before making ones way towards the next lock moving along.

A Walk in the Countrty

 Inspiration can come from many places and sometimes where you may not expect such as comics where a few did try to do for them what the popular "Why Don't You..." television series on the BBC did and use their medium to encourage children to put down what they were doing and do something like go outside instead.

The girls comic Tammy did a fair bit about being fit and going out exporing the countryside  not just oin the regular comics but also in their annuals.

Here from an page in the 1970's they are looking at the things you need on and with you and the things you might do along the way like identify trees, flowers, birds and so on which isn't a million miles removed from what you'd do in Scouts and Girl Guiding but with the advantage anyone anywhere can just do it where there can be waiting lists and in a few places the lack of age appropriate unit for you.

Inspiration

 

You may feel fearful, afraid of the challenges ahead but like the one that went before you, boys have and can master their fears, learn to move onwards and upwards and know everyone other one will support you along the way.

That is one of the most imprtant lessons to learn.

Thoughts on two basics of Uniform

 

Although they are out of favour within Cubs being replaced by a baseball style cub with the words Cubs in the current stylized font, frankly I much prefer the traditional cap  which apart from being much smarter, will keep your head warmer on cooler days.

Safe for now at least, the traditional kneckerchief survives even if the woggle is usually plastic and that is mine.

The Bellbells are out!

 

One thing this area is famed for is the Blue Bell Walk  but you don't of course just have to go there in order to see them as they're not cultivated - they're wild -  so while making my way towards the canalside recretional area I saw this this rather nice natural grouping.

Dandelions are out too in most of the meadows around and about which often featured in our childhood activities and games.

Making our way

 

Having come through the lock gates, the vessle peacefully makes its way down the canal towards a group of cottages built for those ashore before encounting a second set of locks.

In the fields, a few horses have been transported for grazing on the freeholding near the farm animals.

We're out

Weather has been a bit better in the last week so much has come out not least with wild flowers that have been well alone from the over use of lawnmowers which means it's of more use to wildlife than smooth expanses of grass.

While it looked as fresh horses had arrived not far away, the cowslips were out as I had my insect repellant on given it's prime tic season and them and me certainly don't mix.

It was good however to be out for a good couple of hours enjoying the countryside,

 

Authenic new-old uniform looks II

Continuing on with the theme given how well the sweatshirt turned out I was looking at a number of contempary pictures and noticed there was a official polo shirt.

I first thought it just would not work as first example only went up to size 36 chest which would be a tight fit and, as thin as my arms are, there would not be enough room to comfortable pull it stretching under the arm.

Looking beyond just the regular polo shirt I noticed there was one with purple tipping contrast on collar and sleeves and that it did go up to 38 inches so allowing for the generous cut there was a good chance it would fit well.

It arrived and having tried it on it fits perfectly, indeed compared to many of my t shirts the arm is actually a good inch longer.

Perfect!

Getting from a to b

 

I seriously doubt we'd have him do this this very breezy morning but this is just the sort of great summer activity cubs and scouts would be undertaking most likely to be at a weekend session away from your hut, learning how to get across from one side of a stream to another.

In certain parts of the U.K. insect repellant is strongly recommended for keeping creapy things off you like Tics which are real issue for some of us as much as we love outdoor life.

Of awards

Last entry of the month as the weather keeps alternating between cold sun and trying to rain here.

We don't talk about television on this blog as generally it has little to with Scouting although scouts and girl guides have featured on various programs usally those aimed at family audiences or for children.

One that has had a high level of coverage over the decades is the children's magazine show Blue Peter shown today on Friday's from either whole troups, individual girl guides and scouts and indeed one former presenter Peter Duncan became the Chief Scout and was succeeded by Bear Grylls.

Unexpectedly on last Fridays show after presenting the Blue Peter Gold Badge, the highest accolade the show can present to children who write in or a handful of adults who appear on the show to ten year old cub scout who'd do a lot of fundraising for the environment, he was presented with it himself by Shini, one of three presenters.

In receiving it, he reflected upon what he had loved watching the show himself as a child, the insiration to go on adventures, undertake challenges, learn more about nature and by going out of ones confort zone, learn more about yourself.

As Chief Scout he inspires scouts of all ages along their own journey apart from being a figurehead for the Scout Association and I feel that award is well deserved.

The meal before off

Guess what it's doing as I type this? Yes, raining again!

As I sit looking at the clouds through the window here indoors, my mind runs back to ones boyhood experiences at home - and for being at boarding school for part of that time they're different than a good many - and routines such as meal times specifically how that got into various activities we had.

These may of included going to things like organized trips, weekend scout activities or an evening session.

For reason I won't go into the nature of dad's employment could and did mean he could be called away on Saturdays for reasons we'd never be told of (not even NOW) so seeing your brothers in at least part cub or scouts uniform at the meal table with mum alone wasn't unknown and obviously at that point you're representing them.

After finishing eating and any last minute preparing, your coat and footwear suitably polished would go on as you then made your way out promising to let her know if anything changes which was different in the era of call boxes rather than mobile phones.

That kind of scene and it's emotions don't leave you, one reason you look back those times the way you do.

St. Georges Day

 

As the great sogginess continues here one can only think about the things I loved to attend or join in with such as marching  with or without drummers on warmer sunnier days or St. Georges Day which is today and we celebrate?

Here Beavers parade holding the Standard in Worcester.

And cubs  parading in York with their official jerseys with all the badges present and correct.

Will you be marking our Patron Saints Day?

Tin Tin

 

Herge may have his detractors today being very much a product of his times but I loved the Adventures of Tin Tin series and here Tin Tin is aiding the scout who's injured his leg, another example of how scouting has woven its way into fiction.

Halt and fall in!

 Just pausing and enjoying the view as you all march with your Standard on a pleasant if overcast day out with your mates.

Authenic new-old uniform looks

Uniform, always needed, was prescribed but the Scout Association and Girlguiding UK have added their own takes in the last fifty years and then for those of us more "in spirit" rather in chronological age where do you get yours from?

There are replica manufacturers about who obviously do adult sizes, that being their market but this is the actual current "official" one available in sizes upto and including 38 inches as the modern ten year old may to put things delicately be "well made" compared to many of us at the same age.

As it is I do fit a 38 chest well (my regular sweatshirts come from uniform suppliers) so while renewing mine, I did get this.

It has the current logo, which recently changed from where we were six odd years ago (and a number of times before then) and your purple badge goes toward the top right when garment is down in front of you sowing

I'm not that keen on the new logo not least because that stylizing soon becomes out of date where something more timeless is really a better idea but it is what it is.

Teamed up with some grey short trousers, classic knee length socks and garters, you can arrive at a new/old hybrid which mentally at least is where some of us are.

As with any kind of replication, think about where you might be if in public as the last thing we want to do is cause alarm or distress although in the late autumn/winter you'll probably have a jacket over it.

Maintaining the appeal

 

The age old question of how to promote and draw in would-be scouts has had many approaches over the year from open days to use of events to bring forward to people just what they have to offer.

An interesting modern take on this can be seen here with the popular remote controlled  robots being entered into an event not unlike the popular a few years ago Robot Wars laid on by a B-P Scouts group that highlights some of the fun that can be had when you make things working together.

It also sets out the sections the B-P Scouts have co-ed but fairly traditional following B-P's original and tested ideas and what the offer is including monthly membership as while you do want to the costs down, inevitably it does cost to run scouts.

Encouragment from within the pages

 More very damp days here I'm afraid.

For some the Berenstain Bears books were very much a part of early childhood, where you're trying to make sense of the adult world, devouring as many clues as you can.

Those Bears tended to inhabit your world so like with the Peanuts series, sooner or later something as iconic as Scouting was going to come into the series and in this book we go exploring and kayaking.

These aren't manuals for scouting, no replacement for your guidebooks but were a way of communicating what scouting had to offer so no matter where you lived the idea was planted you just might want to join and share in the fun.

The start of something big

 Despite the strong winds as experienced at the weekend and the continung rain, blossoms are out on the fruit trees which attracts the attention of such winged friends as Bumble Bees which I spotted several and the odd wasp rather less welcome.

I just love watching the seasons change across the year.

Outdoor games

 One wishes, as you sit and watch mainly attentively as the games course is being set out  before instructions for the forty minutes or of games, played more for the fun of it to start at your packs social event playing knock down the cans, bean bag target and obsitical course.

If you're like me this weekend you also got an hunt for objects with prizes!

Sat by the campfire

While I'll be honest and say I'm no good with a guitar myself although I was brought one around the age of eight, I do really enjoy a campfire sing song with folk songs or traditional scout favouries that might have actions we'd all join in with.

 

Real values

Envy and the competitive streak can show in Scouting as much that we may stress the importance of lending a helping hand and taking your turn apart from doing things for the right reasons which for her means helping out so everybody enjoys the fun of the Easter Egg Hunt and not just gaining a badge.

We don't go through life doing things just to tick boxes and collect a prize, its about what we put in to it.
 

Making a difference

 

While we all would think straight off about what we might get from Easter, these Cubs from Wrexham, North Wales decided to put things the other way around by sending Easter cards to residents of care home and spreading some good cheer.

They stopped off before attending their regular weekly meeting to make a detour aided by the Miss Teen  of this welsh town and in return they recieved cards and refreshments.

Easter fun

We're entering Easter so many Squirrels, Beavers and Cubs will be taking part in Easter related activities such as making Easter Bonnets, cards drawing, cuttting out and writing the greeting apart from that great staple, the Easter Egg Hunt.

How many of us don't feel the pull of something so simple and infectious as going around armed with clues looking for where these eggs have been hidden over, in or under things around the course.

That's before we consider the eggs themselves!

I'll be tucking into mine across Easter so have fun!

Blossoms are out

 Even if the weather is being rather topsy-turvey the blossoms are out here as are needless to say the bees too as one seemed fascinated by my legs yesterday just before midday whilst out in the park during the Easter school hols.

Surrounded by and encroached at the rear by nondescript post WW2 development that's rather out of keeping with it, the sixteenth century cottage still cuts an impressive site.

Coming in

Inland waterways abound in these parts and their users are frequent visitors so often you don't just see them, you engage very much with them even when you're taking the picture as they steer read to get into line for the next lockgate ahead.

Industrialization and encroaching urbanization are challenges in this district as development continues to eat into our green spaces and the needs of people to get away from all of that  receive scant protection but with care you can find spots that keep more of a rural character.
 

Post 1000

Today we are marking a very special day in the life of this blog, one that I have to admit did rather creep up upon me.

In 2018 I started a Tumbr blog after a few issues we've little reason to return to that had a fairly distinct focus around Scouting and related activities after finding I was posting more around that and that much to do with it played a big part in being the kind of boy I am.

These things were interwoven into my life and as time moved on I began to find refocussing on what I valued the most from that time and even revisiting chunks was to prove very valuable in moving past some issues I was facing in my pesonal life because the values and what you learned were in may ways the medicine I needed to get better.

Around 2020 that Tumblr blog that was the start of all this disappeared in mysterious circumstances but by good fortune I had started the expanded version here on Blogger that survived all of that as much as I had survived Covid recovering from being seriously ill aided by scouting apart from the many issues many in society included children and young people had from that whole era.

I got more involved in funding scouts as we'd been affected very much both operationally and especially financially by covid and our national leaders understood as I discovered myself we needed more scouting to help those children and young people affected apart from transmitting those time honoured lessons and skills that would benefit them as they moved on in life.

I faced some of my biggest fears and physical disabilities managing to climb up the walls with support  exploring this castle, go on hikes and get up steep hills.

Going through this was transformative.

On this blog we looked at some of those things in modern day scouting because it's no retro blog, nor is it focused on uniforms as much as you might be interested in and at the time desired it for what you were about to become.

The "and me" side looked at what I was doing being in spirit at least that Wolf Cub, being challenged, learning new things, overcoming fears and restrictions (and fear can be restrictive).

It is a good day to renew that Promise.

Just passing through

 

Springs really is here even if we've had some heavy rain of late with temperatures being high enough to despense with wearing a coat such as on Monday when the sun was quite strong out.

I went out exploring by the canalside where it was quite busy with quite few people about and a lot of narrowboat activity as folks were waiting to go through the various locks, getting into position and turning the handles.

Here the boat is being steered avoiding moored vessles as it makes its way southwards.

Then their were ducks out and about, some in nearby gardens backing on to the canal

Camp Russian style

 

Something a little different but in the usual vein, a group of Russian Scouts at camp, chatting and enjoying an outdoor meal together while one kayaks on an organized activity, clearly enjoying the experience of being away, learning to rely on one another.

At ease and in play

 "Caught ya!"

Take a bit of sun and some grass  and as if by magic we'll come up with a game we can play when Akela has finished with the formal cubs session, perhaps some variant on Tag, which I loved playing  or something involving hide and seek perhaps.

That was always the thing, beyond those times we had to pay full attention to why we were there, we had fun together even if perhaps one of us might be the butt of somes joke for fifteeen minutes or so for just how we did.

Play is so valuable.

Play for the cub

 Not one of ours obviously, but one thing I certainly loved as a boy was playing not least on things like the climbing frame as it was quite a challenge so perhaps as part of a excursion out or camp, to do so in Cubs  would of been just brilliant.

Even if we're to learn new skills and try different experiences at Camp, play still matters I feel.

Old patches

 

While the daffodils may well be out, the trees have yet to regain their leaves here as I went walking near where I used to live where every day I saw this very tree in a green oasis surrounded by development.

Given there wasn't a playing field just this patch and a courtyard by a group of houses we played in it played an important part not just as a backdrop to our games but also for seeing wildlife close up such as birds observing the seasons.

Birthday card

Although not so prevailent today, the "official" birthday card as a beaver,cub or scout would no doubt be one you would value whither or not it was a representation of your section in uniform or as here taking the form of a reproduced photograph showing the kind of activity you'd undertake.

It's very likely you might recieve a card signed by your pack leader and all your friends in Cubs at the nearest session to your birthday.

 

Enjoying the view

It's that time of the year again so while I'll be enjoying myself no doubt they'll be things I'll be seeing along the way.

While this tree has yet to show signs of blossom, the local pigeons are out enjoying its many branches expecting free food in the local park accompanied by the local magpies.

Playtime

 After a bit of a lull over the last few years, while out recently I have seen more squirrels on the move, climbing trees, crossing paths and playing together in the woods or on grassland which I find really interesting to watch.

It's here

 So after an extra day in the Month, we have entered March and already there are signs of Spring as topsy-turvey the weather has been over the last few months from being unseasonably warm to really quite cold.

Yesterday I saw the Magpies and Blackbirds out and talking of out so were the daffodils having come up from the planted bulbs at a number of locations apart from in some peoples gardens too plus a good many blossoms.

Spring is almost here

Trees do need managing whatever some more extreme activists seem to think to encourage fresh growth, remove any damaged branches that may pose a hazard or even be taken out completely and replaced if diseased.

Playing in the bed of leaves by this one was a load of fun.
 

The Moat

 Moats are a common feature of castles and here is the one at Framlingham when looking into the distance the river levels weere wunning high.

Playing games

The secluded grounds of our base camp with its many trees made for a fine spot for playing games that involved being hidden and having to be discovered as you could easily merge into the background apart from watching the local birds and squirrels at play.
 

More castle

 Part of the castle was used for a workhouse for the poor until the 1834 Poor law Act and this part of the building was a part of that workhouse where assistance would be administered by the Parish before the more centralized and inhuman system set out under The Act came into place that seperate man from wife and both from their children all of which were ill treated.

Here we can see the chiney stack of the castle in all its glory.