10th Finchley

Note: Some of the information that appears in this article, covering the period up to 1939, has been obtained from ‘History of the Tenth Finchley Scout Group’. Originally produced by A W Hartley in handwritten form, with personal illustrations, it was reproduced as a book during 2014. We are grateful to the 10th Finchley for allowing us to use some of its content.

Some people will tell you that William Laing Barclay (‘Pop’ Barclay as he was known) was the founder of the 10th Finchley. Whilst that might not be entirely true it is fair to say that without him the Group may never have been formed.

The story is that in 1914 ‘Pop’, who was 25 years old at the time, met a man at Muswell Hill Methodist Church who said that his son at St Barnabas, North Finchley was on a committee to consider starting a Scout Troop at the church. Knowing that ‘Pop’ was an Assistant Scout Master (SM) with the 1st Muswell Hill he was asked to attend a meeting to give a talk on Scouting. He was then persuaded to get the Troop going and agreed to go over once a week until an SM could be found. No suitable man was forthcoming so ‘Pop’ gave up his position in Muswell Hill and took on the role himself.

The Group was allocated the number 10. Numbers 1 – 8 were already in use by Finchley Groups and number nine had been reserved for a Group that was to open at St Luke’s Church.  As part of the Hendon and Finchley District they were also to be known as the 4th Hendon and Finchley, a title that was rarely used.

Their first documented record is from the minute book of a Court of Honour on 22nd December 1914, of a meeting held at the temporary headquarters: the Parish Hall, Gainsborough Road, North Finchley. At that meeting it was agreed that they would wear a khaki coloured scarf for general use but a purple and white one for ceremonies such as church parades.

Initially there were two patrols, the Kangaroos and Cuckoos, with the Patrol Leaders being J Costello and E Scott respectively. However, and despite the fact that the war had started, it did not take long for the Troop to grow and for there to be a new patrol (the Otters).

They were also fortunate in being able to find a permanent headquarters at Moss Hall Stables in Nether Street. It comprised not only a large stable but a cottage that served as a Scout club room.

In August 1915 they held a joint summer camp with the 1st Muswell Hill at Yalding, Kent, but because tents were not permitted at the time they slept in an oast house.

At the end of November the Group gave a concert at St. Stephen’s Memorial Hall in North Finchley, to raise money for a trek cart and other equipment. The local press provided a favourable review.

The outbreak of war had also given the Group the chance to do some real service. Not only did they use their newly purchased trek cart to collect old newspapers but they offered their services as orderlies at the VAD (Voluntary Aid Detachment) hospital that was to open in the neighbourhood. As a result the Troop provided 2 Scouts each week night and 2 all day on Saturdays and Sundays at King Edward Hall, Church End.

The senior members enrolled as Special Constables and their work included guarding railway signal boxes, junctions and tunnels, although what they liked best was being able to ride their bicycles without lights.

Having borrowed some drums and fifes a band was started but despite the enthusiasm it did not thrive and was discontinued. Nevertheless, they decided that each patrol should have a bugle. The purple and white scarf also did not work out as expected due to laundering problems and the colour was changed to green.

There was a Whitsun camp at Loom Farm in Radlett, that later became a regular venue for short camps. The summer camp was in Stanmore Park and with the site located on a hill it afforded fine views of the air raids over London.

John Costello became the Assistant Scout Master and took control after ‘Pop’ had been ‘called up’.

In November 1916 the Group held a concert at Stephens Memorial Hall. All contributions were from outside artistes apart from a camp fire sing song and a trek cart display with assistance from the 1st Muswell Hill.

During the year they learnt that they were going to need a new HQ. The current facilities were to be sold and to add to that, the water supply was found to contain typhoid germs.

In the early part of 1917 a new home was found, a large stable on ground belonging to Henry ‘Inky’ Stephens opposite King Edward Hall. They called their home ‘Wigwam’ but it had a dilapidated roof which required repairing, at a cost. There was however enough land for a vegetable garden and the produce was sent to the hospital.

John Costello was then ‘called up’, presenting the Troop with a leadership problem. Eventually Miss Griffin volunteered and did an excellent job.  About the same time Miss Darrington came forward to look after the newly formed Wolf Cub Pack.

It was not possible to hold a summer camp in 1917 and in early 1918 there were more problems with the ‘Wigwam’. A leaky roof could not be repaired meaning that it was time to move on yet again. Their new home, christened ‘Tophole’, was a garage located in a small mews at the main road end of Dollis Park. It consisted of two floors, the ground one being used for occasional meetings and the storage of their gear and trek cart, and the upper floor, accessed by a very shaky wooden ladder, that was used for patrol meetings.

War service duties continued and it is worth noting that seniors Eddie Holiday and Dudley Wright were on coastguard duty and George Millward and Ken Darrington had some sort of job at College Farm. The juniors continued their orderly duties at the hospital and had quite a good time making cocoa, cutting bread, rolling bandages and any other odd job that came their way. Bert Darrington was a great favourite there, being on duty almost every evening. He had a bed fixed up on the balcony for his use at such times as he stayed late, which was often.

Around this time Hector Paterson, who had just left the Royal Caledonian School (a residential home and school for Scottish orphans in Bushey, Herts) wrote to the editor of the ‘Scout’ for a recommendation of a Troop he could join. With Hector living in Finchley Road, and without realising the distance, he was advised to get in touch with ‘Pop’. Despite ‘Pop’ explaining the distance issue Hector still wished to join.

The decision of ‘Pat’, as he became known, was a major turning point for the Group. He was a piper and as a result the nucleus of the pipe-band was formed. With several of the seniors being Sea Scouts, parades provided an interesting sight of a piper in Sea Scout uniform leading Sea Scouts followed by the rest of the Troop in ordinary khaki uniforms.

Summer camp was at Ashridge Park, Berkhamsted with about ten boys attending. All the gear was transported on the trek cart and the journey involved a two night stop over at Bushey Hall. The location was being used as an Officer Training Corps centre by the army who took the time to look after the boys and even gave them a tour of the facilities. There are two other noteworthy episodes from that camp. The first being the comical effort of getting the trek cart through the ‘water-splash’ between Mill Hill and Edgware, when a couple of the boys and the kit got very wet. The other being the strenuous day that was spent acting as ‘beaters’ for the keepers during a deer hunt.

In October the Group severed their links with St Barnabas Church owing to the fact that the Group had moved to another part of the district and there were no boys actually attending that church. Shortly after the Armistice Sam Darrington took over the Scout section while Miss Darrington continued as the Cub leader with Miss Wright as her assistant.

The next major change was the decision to call the Group Scottish. Apart from having a Scottish piper there is no other evidence to suggest why this occurred.

Having broken away from St Barnabas the Rev. David Annal, minister of the Presbyterian Church was invited to become their Hon. Chaplain.

The question of a band was raised again and this time it really took off. Drummers were Wright, Emerson, D Costello and Pateman who received instruction from Sgt Clinch of Christ’s College and the pipers were Paterson (already an excellent piper), Rutherford, Genge and Mackenzie who were taught by a Mr Taylor.

By May 1919 both Miss Darrington and Miss Wright had left and the Cubs were being run by Howard Wells.

The first Rovers were formed in July with the original members being K Darrington, G Millward, D Wright, E Holliday, J Caspell, G H Paterson, H Tinsley, C Wainwright, T Tulk and C Cook. Troop numbers also began to increase as seniors returned, and before long there was something happening every evening, including signalling, gym, swimming and band practice.

Mr Vick, who had become a Vice-President of the Group due to his being in charge of the hospital and his close friendship with Group, arranged for the Troop to use the basement of King Edward Hall. This became their new home although ‘Tophole’ was retained for use by the Cub Pack.

Despite the Hall being dimly lit and poorly ventilated they made it look very presentable with a trophy table at one end and an office for ‘Pop’ tucked away in a corner.

The 1919 summer camp was held at Latimer, Bucks where the lower part of the field was occupied by a Girl Guide camp. One evening there was a severe rainstorm and when the girls were flooded out the boys went over to help them get their blankets under cover.

On 19th November there was a full turn out at St Luke’s Church for the consecration of the King’s Colour. A week later they put on a show at the King Street Mission in East Finchley. It became the forerunner of many such shows and provided a useful testing place for many concert items.

The Group’s annual Concert was held during February at the King Edward Hall. Councillor C S Syrett, who was the president of the Group, was in attendance along with several other dignitaries, including Colonel J R Pretyman-Newman M.P., an honorary vice-president of the Group.

Summer camp in 1920 was held in Jersey. ‘Pop’ had camped there in 1913 with the 1st Muswell Hill and after being demobbed he had a free travelling warrant to go there. He and Gordon Wells visited and were met by Father Hibbs who provided assistance. The militia ground at Don Bridge near St Brelade’s Bay was selected and at the request of Father Hibbs it was agreed that a Group from Southwark would join them.

A Camp Handbook was produced and issued to all those going to Jersey. It contained lots of useful information including details of the journeys there and back, the names of everyone and which tent they would be sleeping in.

Upon arrival they were met by the local Scouts and their band, and were lent extra trek carts to transport the gear. Although the boys from the two Groups did not get on well it was considered to be a good camp with lovely weather and trips to most parts of the island.

At the end of 1920 when the Finchley Local Association became responsible solely for Finchley Groups the title “4th Hendon and Finchley” was abandoned.

In 1921 the Group moved the headquarters again, this time to the Gun Station that had been occupied by the Anti-Aircraft Battery during the war. It was located at the corner of Summers Lane and the Great North Road and comprised several wooden huts in a compound about 50 yards square surrounded by a high corrugated iron fence. The largest hut belonged to Finchley Football Club as their ground adjoined the site.

The Rovers acquired for themselves an Armstrong hut – in sections – which they erected for use as a den. It was generally hoped that the Group would be able to buy the freehold but that did not work out.

The 10th were very fortunate with regard to leaders and according to the first census figures that have been found, there were 10 with warrants in 1921. There were also 14 Rovers, 37 Scouts and 30 Cubs.

During June Finchley District held their first annual Scout Sports. This was held at College Farm and won by the 10th who scored 91 points. The 2nd Finchley came second and the 16th Finchley 3rd. The trophy, to be known as The ‘Lane’ Challenge Shield was donated by Mr Ernest Lane of Woodside Park.

In June the Troop camped at Bushey Grange Farm and spent a considerable amount of their leisure time at the Caledonian Schools.  The summer camp was again held in Jersey but this time on their own. In total there were 50 members present, including 6 Cubs and, for the first time, a guest from the Caledonian Schools.  As with 1920 a Camp Handbook was produced.

The band played as the boat entered St Helier harbour and were overheard by a number of Scottish engineers on a trawler. As a result they offered to take the Group on a trip to Sark, provided the band played during the voyage. The offer was accepted but on the day of the trip the weather was extremely rough, which made playing very difficult. It proved an expensive trip as three drum-skins were broken due to sea water.

‘Pop’ was still intent on finding a permanent headquarters and upon returning from camp Mr Fouracre of the 81st North London (2nd Finchley) advised him that some land in Nether Street, adjoining the London and North Eastern Railway (now part of the Northern Line on the Underground), was for sale. It covered about three acres but was below ground level and inclined to be swampy in wet weather. 

Mr Denman, the father of three Scouts, purchased part of the land and ‘Pop’ bought the remainder, using his own money, for the Group. The Group borrowed £500 and a wooden building was erected, largely by the boys. It was raised on eighteen brick piers to ensure solid foundations and a bridge was constructed to join the footpath with the front door.

The new HQ was named ‘Gordon Hall’ after their patron the Duke of Richmond and Gordon. It measured about 60ft by 30ft with four rooms off the main section.

In 1922 the band had their first important engagement when they were asked to play at the Cardiff Scout Rally.

Easter camp was at the Radlett site and in June they attended the North London Rally at Alexandra Palace where they put on a variety of shows, including a trek cart relay race and supplying the band for the Guard of Honour to HRH The Prince of Wales.

Summer camp was held at Salcombe, South Devon and is notable for two things. The first is that the camp gear was temporarily lost by the railway company. It had been sent down early and when the advance party arrived on Friday to set up the site it was missing. The main party ended up delaying their departure until Monday. The other reason is that during that camp the Group changed the colour of their scarf to white. Due to the hot weather several Scouts used white scarves on their head for protection, and around their necks when not needed on their heads. It was claimed that being white was more hygienic as it needed cleaning more often and eventually official sanction was obtained for the change.

In February 1923 the Group put on their usual show at Redbourne Hall but it was not very well supported. A month later the concert was much more successful.

The Troop wanted to go to Scotland for their summer camp but was concerned about the cost. ‘Pop’ knew Sir Arthur Watson, a Finchley resident and General Manager of the London, Midland & Scottish Railway, and discussed the issue with him. He was of the opinion that the trip should go ahead and agreed to pay half the cost of the fares. He made all the reservations under the name ‘General Manager’s Party’ which resulted in them receiving VIP treatment on every journey. While in Scotland an inspector accompanied the boys and at every stop the stationmaster turned out to greet them with tips to porters not being permitted.

The plan was to spend the first week visiting the Isle of Arran and during the second week the Trossachs. They were again unlucky with the weather with a tremendous storm creating havoc during the second night while camping at Glen Rosa. Several lightweight tents became unusable and they ended up huddled in three larger tents. ‘Pop’ approached the Marquess of Hamilton who provided alternative accommodation in a barn at Home Farm.

After an interesting journey at the end of the week they arrived at Brig o’Turk where they were to camp. The ground though was like a wet sponge making it impossible to pitch tents, so once again they slept in a nearby barn. And, once again ‘Pop’ set about arranging for an alternative site. This was in Airdrie where they slept in barns at the home of Professor More. The poor weather continued until the end of the week when they finally made their way home via Edinburgh.

The year ended with two events in December: a parents’ social on the 8th when the Group was able to demonstrate their progress during the year, and a very successful Bazaar on the 16th that had been organised by the parents, which considerably benefited the Group’s funds.

The star attraction at the Group’s concert in March 1924 was Don Potter, the Rope Spinning expert from Gilwell Park.

Note: Don was an Assistant Camp Chief at Gilwell Park who was also an expert wood carver and Sculptor. Baden-Powell recognised that he was an expert craftsman and became his sponsor. He carved many Scout related items including Gates and Totem Poles. He later went on to produce the granite statue of Baden-Powell that was for many years outside BP House in London, but is now located at Gilwell Park. More information about Don Potter can be found on Wikipedia.

By popular demand Jersey was again the location of the summer camp, and a Handbook was again produced. This numbered more than 30 pages with lots of additional information such as places of interest, the menu and proposed programme. Those not attending the camp could purchase a copy for three pence.

Once the authorities heard this they arranged their summer fete to coincide with the dates. The full band was present and they were kept busy with a number of engagements. They entered the band competition, the ‘Concours Musicale’ at the fete and won. In addition they won the Fancy Dress just by wearing their normal uniform.

During their stay they visited all the usual places: Plémont, Devil’s Hole, Bonne Nuit and La Corbière.

Later in the year the older Scouts started the Gordon Dramatic Society and the first production was ‘The Private Secretary’ with Lex Lawford taking the lead role.

At the end of September the census revealed that there were 22 Rovers, 42 Scouts and 37 Cubs. In addition to running the Troop ‘Pop’ was also a District Scout Master and Howard, who was running the Pack, was also a District Cub Master.

Having won the sports trophy earlier in the year the Scouts went on to win the first District Swimming Gala and were presented with the Clarke Shield. The Group also won the Cadogan Shield for the first time.

1925 followed a similar pattern to the previous year and the Scouts again won the Sports Trophy. This year however, the Cubs were able to match this by winning their own sports to claim the Lady Peat Shield.

Summer camp was once again held in Jersey and the band again won the music competition at the fete. The Camp Handbook was slimmed down to 20 pages and interestingly one of the instructions under ‘Preparations for Camp’ was ‘Have a haircut if you have not recently had one’.

Towards the end of the year the Group held their annual concert and later the Dramatic Society performed ‘Mrs Gorringe’s Necklace‘, which proved very successful.

1926 started with a lot of talk about summer camp. It was generally thought that a camp overseas would be good and as several of the older boys could speak a little French it was a case of where to go in France. The sister of one of the Patrol Leaders had been to Cauterets in the French Pyrenees and recommended it, so ‘Pop’ set about finding somewhere there to camp.

The Scouts won what is thought to be the inaugural Inter Troop Cross Country Race. Having scored 48 points they were awarded the Pulham Shield. There had been 56 runners representing 6 Troops. The 2nd Finchley were second with 77 and the 8th Finchley third with 82 points.

Over Easter there was a Rover Moot in London attended by Rovers from all over the United Kingdom as well as some from abroad. The biggest meeting was held at the Royal Albert Hall on Saturday 3rd April with the 10th performing a number of roles. Two members were part of the welcome group for the Chief Scout, a dozen acted as stewards and took up a collection in the balcony and the pipers had the honour of playing into the arena a procession of flags of the Empire. Additionally P R Hubbard had the privilege of being personally invested as a Rover Scout by the Chief Scout.

On the Sunday there was a special ‘Rovers’ Own’ at the Coliseum where the address was given by the Lord Bishop of London. On the Monday there were several different conferences and discussion groups.

The Scouts won the sports for the third year running with 61½ points, narrowly beating the 8th Finchley who had 56½ points, both teams being well ahead of the 7th Finchley who gained 16 points.

There was a Whitsun camp at Hatfield Park but the main camp in France was held from the 24th July to the 6th August inclusive. There had been some difficulty in finding an appropriate site but this was resolved after writing to Dr Meillon, the Chairman of the Syndicat d’Initiative (Publicity Committee), who happened to also be the President of the camping club in France. Mr Louis and nine Salford Scouts meant that the party was 50 strong.

To some people’s disgust a decision was made not to cook main meals at the camp but to eat at the local hotel every evening. The reasons were the problem of acquiring the food at the right price and not having to leave a Patrol behind on days out, just to prepare the meal. After factoring in this cost, as well as the fares, day trips and other sundry items, each participant had to pay the sum of £7 (approx. £350 in today’s {2023} money).

The Group’s history book and annual report provide a fairly detailed account of the two week adventure but there are perhaps a couple of events that need highlighting. The first was the outward  journey when they were delayed at Dieppe by the customs authorities who would not look at their luggage until all the other passengers had gone through, resulting in them missing their train to Paris. This was followed by another issue in Paris that resulted in Eric Rutherford being left on the platform minding a hundredweight of kit that had not been loaded onto the train before its departure.

The second noteworthy fact was the near diplomatic crisis that was caused in Paris during the return journey. Having received permission to lay a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in memory of their French brother Scouts who had died during the war, they marched to the Arc de Triomphe. The problem was that in doing so they marched through the arch with their flag flying high. It was apparently the first time since the days of Napoleon that a foreign flag had done so, apart from during the war when the Germans occupied France.

Towards the end of the year the Rovers found that their Den was a bit cramped and decided to build themselves a new home about fifty yards from the main building. They purchased railway sleepers from the LNER which made a firm foundation for the hut and then purchased wood as funds would permit. After much hard work the new accommodation was habitable by the end of the year.

The New Year started with the usual Troop party and in February there was a parents’ social. During the same month the Scouts easily retained the Cross Country Shield.

In April the new Rover Den was officially opened by Gil Bullard, a former Rover leader. It was officially named ‘Rome’ because it was not built in a day. Later in the year though it was suggested by Baden-Powell that it could also be an abbreviation for ‘Rover’s Home’ (R ‘ome). This was conveyed in a letter he sent congratulating the Crew on their achievement and the history of the building, they had entered in MacKay competition, which was highly commended. 

A Whitsun camp was held at Bushey Grange Farm and the Scouts dominated Sports Day, held at Sangster’s Farm on Saturday 11th June. They scored 170 points, more than the other Groups’ combined score. However, the Group did not win the Cadogan Shield, losing by one point to the 2nd Finchley.

Forty five members, including four members from the Caledonian Schools, attended the summer camp held in Cornwall. There is not a lot of detail but it is known that there were a number of trips out that included Penzance, the Isles of Scilly, St Michael’s Mount, a tin mine at Pendeen and a china clay quarry.

During the year a small patch of Gordon tartan had been added to the Group’s scarf, near the point. However, after being noticed by someone at Imperial Headquarters they were instructed to remove it as it was thought to be too similar to the Gilwell scarf that has a MacLaren tartan patch. In place of the tartan patch they adopted a badge with a stag’s head on a shield, which is worn on the shirt above the right pocket.

Later in the year the Troop won the Swimming Gale. It was the 4th year in a row that they had achieved this, thus retaining the Clarke Shield for another year.

A fun December evening for the Rovers was a social with the 66th North London Crew. It was billed as a rough games evening and everyone wore their oldest clothes. The event lived up to expectations and fortunately there were no casualties. Nevertheless everyone was pretty stiff for about a week afterwards.

At the start of 1928 there was a reorganisation of the leadership team. ‘Pop’ Barclay officially took on the role of Group Scout Master and Eric Rutherford became the Scout Master. Additionally R P North became the Rover Scout Leader and H S Lawford the Cub Master.

During January 1928 the Group’s sponsor The Duke of Richmond and Gordon died. His funeral, at Chichester Cathedral, was attended by ‘Pop’ and PL Denman.

After the usual Troop party and parents’ social the Gordon Dramatic Society performed another play – ‘Angel in the House’. The play was staged at Holy Trinity Hall and was fairly well received.

The Group’s sporting success continued in 1928 by retaining the Pulham Shield in the Cross Country race. They also retained the ‘Lane’ Shield at the Sports Day held at the Gun Station on the 2nd June. This was their 6th win covering the previous seven years. However, their achievement was slightly overshadowed by F Moyle of the 4th Finchley, who won the ‘Victor Ludorum’ Cup for gaining the most individual points having won three of several events that he entered.

In July the 11th Barry Sea Scouts spent a weekend at Gordon Hall, en route to Hungary. They had been the winners of the 1927 MacKay competition and were quite keen to see the Rover Den. Unfortunately this had recently been dismantled due to a filling-in operation on the ground surrounding the hall.

After agreeing that the 1928 Summer Camp would be held in Neuchâtel, Switzerland, contact was made with the British authorities and to their good fortune all the arrangements at the Swiss end were made for them by the British Vice-Consul, M de Pury.

They arrived early in the town and after loading their kit onto a special tram with a trailer they marched to the ‘Restaurant des Jeune Filles’ for their breakfast. After this they then travelled by tram along the shore of Lake Neuchâtel to Areuse where their site was located about fifty yards from the lake.

The rest of the day was spent setting up camp and during the evening a trip was made by steamer around the lake.

The Group’s first mountain trip was to Chaumont, a ridge overlooking Neuchâtel. They reached the lighthouse at the summit by funicular railway and were rewarded with excellent views over the lakes. With the aid of a telescope they were even able to see as far as Morat, a town some 12 miles away.

A later visit was made to Morat which necessitated a steamer trip through a canal cut between the two lakes. On that visit they were met by M de Pury who had arranged a big tea for them at a local hotel.

Having taken the whole band to camp the Group were booked to lead the parade at the National Day Festival in Boudry, after which some members gave a display of highland dancing.

A day was spent hiking up the Gorge d’Areuse, a noted beauty spot and another in Bern, the Swiss capital. In Bern they attended a morning service at the local English church, where they assisted in distributing hymnbooks. After the service they were provided with lunch by the British Minister at the Hotel Schweizerhof. The afternoon was spent sightseeing, including a visit to the famous bear pit, and ended with tea at the Swiss Scout Chalet on the banks of the River Aare.

At the start of the camp a small boat had been hired from Neuchâtel and rowed to the camp, where it was kept in a little creek adjacent to the campsite. This proved to have been a good move as it was used every day by those who wished to go swimming in the lake.

As the camp came to an end M. de Pury invited everyone to his house where a magnificent spread was laid out on the lawn. As a thank you for all that he had done the Group presented him with a suitably engraved silver salver.

A night was spent in Paris on the journey home but the rest of the trip was uneventful.

Whilst there is quite a bit of information about the Scouts and Rovers it is worth pointing out that the Cubs were still thriving. The census at the end of September states that there were 24 in the Pack that was being looked after by three leaders.

There is not a lot of information relating to 1929, although it is known that the Scouts again won the ‘Lane’ Shield at the Sports. Nearly 200 Scouts represented the eight Groups that entered the competition which was held on the 29th June at the Gun Station. The 10th scored an impressive 118½ points with the 2nd Finchley finishing 2nd with 55½ points, although it should perhaps be said that some Groups did not unfortunately have representatives in events specifically for the older Scouts.

Summer camp was held at Hyères on the Mediterranean coast a few miles east of Toulon in France. Having heard in advance that there were a large number of mosquitoes at that time of year, someone contacted the London School of Tropical Medicine who recommended a special ointment. This was purchased in bulk but it was never used as the problem had been over exaggerated.

The journey there was by boat and train, and according to a report it was not a pleasant experience. The site though was fairly good and sheltered by trees. However, as a result of the ground being very sandy several guy lines were tied to trees as the tent pegs would not stay in the ground.

According to the report much of the time was spent exploring the local area with several trips out. These included ones to Montreux, Toulon and Nice. There was a trip to Italy that involved a small dispute with the frontier guards as they would not permit the wearing of sheath knives. In the end they were left at the guard post and collected on the way back.

Most evenings were spent in the Pension Reve where there was often a sing song after their evening meal. Some music was provided by a ‘one-man’ band, consisting of an accordion, drums and a few other instruments. Dancing was held on a small piece of ground at the rear of the hotel where some wooden floorboards had been laid.

The camp as a whole is recorded as not being a very good one, being too hot for comfort, too much sand and too many strange and unpleasant insects.

During the last few months of the year quite a bit of time was spent carrying out maintenance work on the hall, including emergency repairs to the roof.

Twenty three trees were also planted in the surrounding area but only about half a dozen survived.

By comparison with previous years 1930 was a relatively quiet one.

The District cross country was held on the 15th March. The race started at Woodside Park and finished at Gordon Hall, with the 10th once again winning the trophy.

On the 5th July 1930 the District held a Rally and Fete at the Gun Station in Summers Lane, North Finchley. Organised principally by Mr J McKeown (Mac – 15th  Finchley) and Mr W Barclay (Pop – 10th  Finchley) it was considered to be a great success with an estimated 1,500 paying for admission.

In essence it was two events in one with one area being devoted to a fair with roundabouts, stalls and sideshows, and another where the Scouts provided arena displays. The 10th presented an amusing, modern day slant on the legend of St George, where he arrives on a motorcycle to rescue the damsel in distress.

There is no official record of the summer camp that was held at Port Soderick in the Isle of Man. There is a note though that states it was not really a ‘Scouty’ camp with most entertainment being obtained in the nearby town of Douglas.

After the camp work seriously commenced on the hall, the contractors tiling while the Rovers built two extra rooms and a balcony at the south end of the hall. Eric Rutherford installed electric light in place of gas, and a large coke burning stove was put in the hall in place of the expensive gas radiators.

The census figures at the end of September were 30 Cubs with 2 leaders, 36 Scouts with 5 leaders and 35 Rovers with 2 leaders, by far the largest Group in the District.

At the end of the year J. S Hartley became the SM and P G Meredith an ASM.

1931 started as usual with the Troop party and at the end of the month several volunteers assisted as stewards at the Burns’ Night concert held at the Royal Albert Hall.

The Group again won the District cross country in March, thereby retaining the Pulham Shield for a further year.

During April the District joined forces with the Guides to hold a Scout and Guide week during which Scout Groups and Guide Companies opened their doors to the general public, attended special church services and provided entertainment. The 10th played a significant role, providing two amusing burlesque ‘ballets’ at the combined concert on the Monday evening, by providing the band to lead the St George’s Day Parade on the Thursday and staging their play ‘Of One Blood’ on the Friday, which received a very favourable press report.

A month later the Group provided more entertainment when they put on their Group concert with the Cubs, Scouts and Rovers all taking part, and in July five Groups entered the Sports Competition that was again won by the 10th.

The big event though of 1931 was the summer camp. After much deliberation, based on one of the Rovers having recently seen the film of a very picturesque ceremony in Liechtenstein, they decided that that was the place to go. Upon investigation they discovered that it was one of the smallest nations in the world, being located in the Alps between Switzerland and Austria, and being only 25km long.

The country had no Scouts so they wrote to the Scouts of both Switzerland and Austria without much success. However, a letter to the consular official in Zurich resulted in a reply saying that Prince Emanuel of Liechtenstein would welcome a visit and would place the grounds of Vaduz Castle at their disposal.

After obtaining several copies of ‘Scouting for Boys’ in German and much correspondence, including letters to 5 different railway companies and 9 steamship companies they finally set off on their 700 miles journey on Friday 24th July.

Space prevents much being written here about the trip that proved to be a great success and resulted in many Liechtensteiners visiting the camp, which had become something of a show-piece. However, more details and photographs from the Group’s records can be found in the Gallery.

By the end of the camp the Prince and Princess expressed a desire that one day Scouting would start in the Principality, despite there being a law prohibiting societies for children under the age of 16 years.

As a postscript it should be noted that about 3 months later an article appeared in the Daily Express announcing the formation of the National Liechtenstein Scout Association. Prince Emanuel became their Chief Scout and ‘Pop’ Barclay was elected Honorary Scoutmaster of the Vaduz Troop.

After the camp it was back to the task that had occupied much of the free time throughout the year – repairs and maintenance of the Hall and the surrounding grounds. One of the most tiresome jobs was to knock down hundreds of nails that were holding the floorboards in place, prior to them being planed. The boards were in a very poor condition having been warped and twisted by the constant dripping from the leaky roof.

Group numbers had remained solid throughout the year with the census figures being 31 Cubs, 29 Scouts and 38 Rovers.

November 8th being the nearest Sunday to Armistice Day was the occasion of a good turnout for the Group’s church parade, and on the Wednesday, which was actually Armistice Day, two King’s Scouts attended the Cenotaph as part of the Scout guard of honour.

The year concluded with the usual three events: the St Andrew’s Day dinner, a parents’ social and a Hogmanay carnival dance at the hall for which all tickets had been sold some weeks earlier.

The start of 1932 followed the usual pattern with the Scout Troop entertaining the Cubs at a party, with each Scout bringing enough refreshments for himself and one guest. Two weeks later the Troop held their own party in the hall.

During the latter part of 1931 Bertie Dawson had introduced to the Group Mr Peter Dawson, the famous Australian bass-baritone and songwriter, whom he persuaded to give the Troop a cine talk on Australia. This he did on the 20th February and followed up the evening with a selection of songs. On the 2nd April he gave a chat to the Rover Crew and having become a good friend of the Group he became, at the age of 50, an honorary Rover.

The band again led the parade on St George’s Day when the District Commissioner also announced that the Group had won the Cadogan Shield for 1931.

A week later the Group held their annual concert at St Barnabas Hall with all sections taking part. The main attraction though was that Peter Dawson had agreed perform. He initially sang three songs but was encored on 3 occasions. The other items staged by the Cubs, Scouts and Rovers were all highly praised in the press report.

There were camps at Easter and Whitsun which provided a good opportunity to pass first and second class tests as well as undertaking practical work.

A site at Redmire in Wensleydale was chosen for the summer camp after Peter Dawson had taken ‘Pop’ and two Scouts on a preliminary survey. However, before then there was time for the Group to win the Scout sports again.

The camp site was on the banks of the River Ure, a mile from Redmire village, 2¼ miles from Wensley village and 4½ from Leyburn, the nearest town. As a result there were fewer outings than usual and more entertainment had to be found at the camp itself. This included swimming and canoeing, the erection of a rope bridge with a bosun’s chair across the river and plenty of hiking.

A Group of Scouts from Bradford camped not too far away and were accompanied by a dozen Scouts from Norway. The Norwegian Scouts were frequent visitors and on occasions borrowed the canoe. 32 members of the 10th attended Sunday evensong as did 20 Bradford Scouts, the Norwegian Scouts and 24 Girl Guides, which proved interesting as the normal capacity of the parish church is about 70.

Trips were made to Aysgarth Falls, Semerwater and Bolton Abbey as well as a coach trip through beautiful moorland scenery to the Lake District. There they had tea at a cottage on the shores of Windermere.

The only other noteworthy fact was that on the August Bank Holiday the Group attended the Wensley Fete where they put on a dancing and piping display.

After the camp the Group programme took on its normal format that included the Armistice Day church parade, the parents’ social and the New Year dance. It is also noted that the Troop decided to change their uniform top from a jersey to a khaki shirt as already worn by the Rover Crew.

At the start of March 1933 everyone was sorry to see Peter Dawson leave when he set off for a concert tour in Australia. 

At the end of March there was a big surprise – the 10th did not win the District Cross Country. Instead the honour went to 2nd Finchley, meaning that for the first time the 10th had to part with the Pulham Shield.

However, at the St George’s Day Parade the following month it was announced that the Group had managed to retain possession of the Cadogan Shield, having won the 1932 competition. Major Cadogan was at the event and able to present the Shield in person.

The Group’s annual concert was held in May but without the attraction of Peter Dawson ticket sales were down.

A Whitsun camp was held at Barnes Wood, Welwyn where the Troop camped in an orchard on a private estate.

During July, prior to the summer camp, the Rovers won an inter Group hiking competition and the Scouts visited the Port of London Authority, travelling by steamer from Tower Bridge to the Docks.

Norway and Holland were among the countries suggested for the 1933 summer camp, but in the end Belgium was chosen as it was not too difficult to get to, and the cost was deemed to be acceptable. With the assistance of the Belgian Scouts a site was found at Villers-sur-Lesse, in the Ardennes. This was an interesting region of hills and dales, well wooded and with rivers winding through the valleys.

The site turned out to be far from ideal, being grazing land for cattle, and was occupied by several cows at the time. They trampled on the tents and made a general nuisance of themselves. It was later discovered that following the camp two of the cows had died, with their death thought to be the result of eating tent pegs and blanket pins.

There is no day-to-day log of the camp but visits were paid to Namur, Dinant and the Grotto of Han.

The period from the end of the camp to the end of the year was surprisingly quiet. The District Sports were held in September, later than usual, which the 10th won, and the Annual St Andrews’ Day dinner was held on the 25th November at the Salisbury Hotel, Barnet.

At the time of the 1933 census the Group consisted of 35 Cubs, 20 Scouts and 43 Rovers.

The first functions of 1934 were a Rover and Scout social, the usual Burns’ Night celebrations and a Group party.

The District Cross Country was held on the 3rd March with the 10th regaining the Pulham Shield that they had unexpectedly lost the previous year.

Early in May there was a camp at Stanmore and another over Whitsun at Denham.

Lex Lawford relinquished his post as Cubmaster owing to his working hours and A W Hartley, the ACM, looked after the Pack.

Shortly after, the Group held a Fete, which was opened by the Marquis of Huntly, their patron. And, in the evening they held a dance that was attended by about 120 people.

Summer camp was held at Dartington Hall, Totnes in Devon by permission of the Dartington Trust. A fine site on the bank of the River Dart was provided for the 34 campers which included 20 Scouts, forming 5 Patrols, some Rovers, Scouters and 3 guests from the Caledonian School.

In addition to a steamer trip on the River Dart there were organised tours arranged over the various departments of the estate and coach trips to Plymouth via Dartmoor and Buckfast Abbey.

The District Sports was again won by the 10th and the Group also managed to win the swimming gala, regaining the Clarke Shield that had been held by the 2nd Finchley for the previous 6 years.

During the latter part of the year working parties were provided at the newly acquired District Camping Ground in Frith Lane and 1934 was concluded with the Hogmanay Dance which was attended by about 100 people.

Cross country practice runs took place on the 9th and 16th March which were justified when the Group won the District event on the 23rd. 

Like most of the other Groups in the District the 10th took part in the various celebrations that were held as part of the King’s Jubilee. A beacon was lit at the Camping Ground on the 6th May, a torchlight procession was held on the 10th followed by a firework display at the local football club and on the 11th there was a Searchlight Tattoo at which the Scouts acted as stewards.

The Group’s patron, the Duke of Richmond and Gordon died and the new Duke agreed to take on the role.

The District Sports were held on the 6th July which the 10th won. However, there was a new trophy – The Nellie Allen Lane Shield. Following the death of Ernest Lane in 1933 his widow, Nellie Allen Lane, presented the District with a new Shield to replace the one that had been donated by her husband. 

In view of the number of times that the 10th Finchley had won the old Trophy – The Lane Challenge Shield – , it was presented to them to keep.

The Group had planned to hold their summer camp abroad but owing to the unfavourable rate of exchange it was thought to be too costly. As a result they went to the Wye Valley and camped at ‘The Biblings’, Symonds Yat between the 17th July and 10th August. 

Unfortunately there is no record of the daily activities.

The Group won the swimming gala on the 19th October, narrowly beating the 2nd Finchley.

The annual dinner and dance that took place on the 30th November was a double celebration in 1935. Not only was it St Andrew’s Day but it was also used to celebrate the Group’s 21st Birthday. A substantial article about the event appeared in the local press. 

The Group’s annual party was held on the 1st February 1936 after which training started for the District Cross Country. However, on this occasion the Group did not win the shield.

Nothing of note occurred during the following couple of months although it is recorded that the Rovers devoted much of their free time to maintenance work on Gordon Hall and helping to improve the state of the Camping Ground prior to the official opening on the 23rd May.

All Groups were represented on the 23rd with many providing side shows and arena displays. The 10th‘s contribution was a ten minute item entitled ‘In Old Saville’.

The Cub Pack won their sports, the first time since they won the inaugural event in 1925, enabling them to once again hold the Lady Peat Shield for a year. 

Shortly after the Scouts held their event and once again they came out on top. On this occasion they amassed 110 points with their nearest rivals, the 4th Finchley, gaining only 35 points.

With the previous two summer camps having been held in England it was decided that another trip abroad was wanted and the general choice was Austria. The exact location was the Alpine Camping Ground of the Austrian Scouts, at Thumersbach, near Zell Am See, Salzburg.

As usual a camp handbook was issued that provided various bits of useful information. Interestingly though it carried a reminder that while travelling through Belgium everyone should wear their hats as it was considered by the Belgians to be ill-disciplined not to do so. 

Another interesting part of the journey was the section through Germany, where the Group were accompanied by the Hitler Jugend. Although Scouting had flourished in Germany until 1934/35 nearly all associations were then closed and their members had to join the Hitler Youth.

As for the camp itself there were several outings which included a coach trip via the Kaprun Valley to the Kesselfall and another to the Grossglockner over what is considered to be the finest alpine road in Europe. On another day the Group divided into three to ascend the Schmittenhöhe (9,000 ft), where they were able to enjoy the magnificent panorama of the Bavarian Alps. One party, consisting mainly of the older Scouts, made the climb, taking about three and a half hours and later returned by cable car. Another party ascended by cable car and hiked back while the third party ascended and descended by cable car.

There was plenty of time spent with the Scouts from Tthe Netherlands, Poland, Hungary, Czechoslovakia and France, who were also in residence. The fine weather also allowed a good deal of time to be spent boating, bathing and fishing on the free days.

The camp was, on the whole, considered to be a unique experience and one never to be forgotten by those attending. Apart from the work involved in organising a trip of over 2,000 miles that included having to load and unload 78 packages of kit 40 times.

The census figures at the end of September comprised 18 Cubs with 3 leaders, 26 Scouts with 5 leaders and 36 Rovers with 3 leaders.

As usual the main Group activities at the tail end of the year were the St Andrew’s Dinner at the Salisbury Hotel on the 28th November and the New Year dance. However, during December ‘Pop’ was also awarded the Medal of Merit, along with Mr Ballinger, the District Commissioner and William Kelsall, the Camp Warden for ‘their good service to the Scout Movement over a long period of year’. They were the first in the District to receive this award.

During the start of 1937 there was talk about selling the land occupied by Gordon Hall and the erection of shops along the frontage of Nether Street. Although It is not entirely clear as to who owned all the land, despite ‘Pop’ making the original purchase, it was thought that if the proposal went ahead the price obtained would go towards the building of a permanent HQ on the ground at the rear.

The Group’s annual concert was held at the end of February with performances on the 25th and 27th. A parents’ social though, planned for the 6th March, was cancelled due to lack of interest.

During March, the ‘Gannett’ (Sea Scout) patrol, that had recently been formed, held their weekly meeting at the Sea Scout headquarters at Lambeth with some weekends being spent on the river working on the boat.

The District Cross Country was held on the 10th April and was again won by the 10th, thus retaining the Pulham Shield for a further year. They scored 19 points, well ahead of the second placed team (11th Finchley) who scored 42 points. The first training session had been held on the 9th January with regular practice runs taking place before the event. The local press report gives special mention of the efforts by Messrs Wingate, Martin and Cooper in Classes A & B, and to Messrs Underwood and Burton in Class D.

On the 12th May, the day of King George VI’s coronation, 9 Rovers were on duty, assisting the police at barriers while 13 other Scouts were among 50 from the District who were engaged in selling programmes, in East Carriage Drive, Hyde Park, from 6 a.m.

Two days later the Scouts set off for their Whitsun Camp that was held at Sarratt, Hertfordshire.

During June the Troop lost two leaders. Firstly the SM J S (Stan) Hartley got married on the 5th and moved to Ewell, after spending his last night of bachelorhood entertaining the Troop to a fish and chip supper. Secondly ASM Meredith got married on the 25th and left the area. ASM Reid took charge temporarily.

Summer camp was held at Coombe Farm, Fowey, Cornwall, but apart from the usual handbook there is unfortunately no other record of the camp.

On the 10th September a serious fire broke out at Gordon Hall causing considerable damage and rendered the place unfit to use for meetings. Unfortunately it was also impossible to secure the premises against entry by unauthorised persons, resulting in the loss of a lot of property and equipment by theft.

The 15th Finchley came to the Group’s rescue by allowing them to use their hall.

From the 18th September the Gannett Patrol met at Richmond and continued work on their boat. With the cost of fares being high they cycled there, but eventually this, along with the fact that they were really so far from the river, caused the eventual demise of that patrol.

For the first time ever the Swimming Gala resulted in there being joint winners. The 10th and 2nd each had to be content with holding the Clark Shield for just 6 months of the year.

Around this time the Group were saddened to learn of the death of Hon. SM and Pipe Major Eric Rutherford, who had been a loyal member of the Group for many years. A detachment of the Group attended the interment at Potters Bar, including his colleagues who were in the band.

With the development of the shops being approved the sale of the land went ahead, which was good news to all as a new hall was badly needed.

The Rovers’ Christmas Good Turn consisted of decorating the wards at Finchley Memorial Hospital and supplying stewards for serving at the nurses’ dinner.

Several weekends at the start of 1938 were spent removing all available fittings and furniture from the derelict hall, along with sorting the salvaged records.

Plans for the new hut were drawn up by the Group’s former SM Stan Hartley, who was a qualified architect. Fortunately satisfactory arrangements had been made with the insurance company regarding fire damage compensation, which along with £1,000 from ‘Pop’ allowed the plans to be approved and the building work to commence.

‘Pop’ also presented two new flags to the Group, which had been designed by Mr Kelsey, a specialist in heraldic design. They were dedicated at a special service at the Presbyterian Church on the 20th February.

The Group’s domestic problems resulted in some of their other activities taking a back seat. Little practice for the District Cross Country took place and they finished third, and lack of rehearsal time resulted in the annual concert being postponed until later in the year.

Nevertheless, patrol camps were held over Easter at Flaunden and Sarratt with the PLs being responsible for their own catering. Following ASM J I Crocket taking on the role of SM some new practical training schemes were introduced. For example, instead of there being a Whitsun camp at a fixed site the whole weekend adopted the nature of a continuous inter-patrol ‘wide game’.

On Saturday 18th June the Group took part in the ‘Good Turn Rally’ that was held at the Camping Ground. This event was held to raise money for the Boy Scouts’ Fund, opened as a national tribute to the work of the Chief Scout, Lord Baden Powell, so that for all time Scouting would be financially secure. 

The Group’s contribution in the arena was an item entitled ‘Hieland Gathering – A Demonstration’. 

The evening concluded with a combined campfire and sing song.

The District Sports were held at Woodhouse School on the 2nd July which the 10th won with 99 points, well ahead of the second team that finished with 50 points.

On the 16th July 1938 the new Gordon Hall was completed and was opened by Sir Percy Everett, Deputy Chief Scout, supported by the Mayor and Mayoress of Finchley.

Proceedings opened with a combined photo of the Group and distinguished guests taken outside the hall, after which Sir Percy unlocked the main doors. Speeches were made and after the ceremony was concluded a tour of the premises was personally conducted by the Hon. Architect Stan Hartley.

A Handbook / Programme was produced to mark the occasion which contained several interesting bits of information, including the names of all of the current leaders, summer camp locations and trophies won.

Many friends of the Group had donated articles of furniture and fitments for the new hall; outstanding amongst these was a fine grand piano, the gift of the employees of the late Alderman Samuel Pulham, a good friend of the 10th.

After tea had been served the main hall was cleared for an evening dance, for which the hall was packed to capacity.

A full report of the day’s event appeared in the local paper.

More to follow.

Gallery

Click here to view associated photographs.

Memories

My connection with the Tenth came about in an unexpected manner. Towards the latter part of 1917 the school I was attending issued an instruction that all boys above a certain age would be required to join the cadet corps unless they were scouts. Scouting seemed the most attractive proposition, and as there was a very keen scout in my form named ‘Pip’ Kelsall, I arranged to go along with him one evening and apply for membership. This was not my first introduction to scouting, for I had spent some time previously in the 93rd North London troop, whose numbers were rapidly dwindling owing to lack of leaders.

I also remember that my first meeting with ‘Pop’ Barclay was in a convalescent home off Park Lane, where he had been sent after discharge from a hospital in Manchester. ‘Pop’ had received shrapnel wounds in the leg and was hobbling about with the aid of two sticks. This convalescent home was formerly a club, a vast tomb-like building with the atmosphere of a cathedral, where it seemed sacrilege to speak louder than a whisper. Fortunately we didn’t have to stay long as ‘Pop’ took us all round to the Corner House where we had eggs on toast, fruit salad and cream for tea. How they managed to provide such fare during war-time was a bit of a mystery, but I remember that meal well enough.

Albert W Hartley – 10th Finchley

(Extract from his book – ‘History of the Tenth Finchley Scout Group’)

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“We arrived at Glasgow at ten minutes to seven. We then had another wash and brush up and went to breakfast in Glasgow, as guests of Mr MacGreggor, commissioner for Paisley. We had bacon and eggs, tea, biscuits and bread.”

“On our way to Brodick we passed Rothesay, the Kyles of Bute, Tignabruaich and Corrie. From Brodick we made our way to Glen Rosa, and after fording Rosa Burn, we put up our tents.”

“On Monday morning we took the trek cart to Brodick to get supplies. While we were there we went rowing. In the afternoon we went towards the source of Rosa Burn, and discovered between the huge boulders, a magnificent bathing pool, into which we soon tumbled and had a swim.”

“On Friday after breakfast we cleared up the two sleeping rooms of the barn, and packed our own kit. We then went into Brodick and caught the 3.10 boat (Duchess of Argyle), and sailed to Wemyss Bay calling at Rothesay.”

“After a night in Glasgow we packed our kit when we had finished breakfast and caught the 10.53 train for Balloch Pier. We arrived at Balloch (the foot of Loch Lomond) at 12 o’clock and boarded the ‘Prince George’ a Loch Lomond pleasure steamer. From Balloch we sailed to Inversnaid.”

“When we arrived at Stronachlacher pier we found that the captain of the Loch Katrine steamer ‘Sir Walter Scott’ had kindly waited twenty minutes for us. We were all soaked to the skin, and as we crowded into the cabin it was easily seen that the beautiful lake had lost its charm for many.”

“We soon arrived at our new camping place, Achray Farm, Brig O’Turk. We laid our beds and after a good meal turned in. It rained all day Sunday and there was nothing at all to do but eat and sleep.”

“On Monday we again packed our kit, and at 11.10 we left Brig O’Turk for Callendar. At Callendar Station we caught the 2.53 train to Larbet passing Stirling, and in doing so, obtained a fine view of the Wallace Monument and the castle.”

“We then took the local train to Cumbernauld, where a lorry and hay-cart awaited us. We packed the lorry with kit bags and the first batch of scouts went to Dalmacoulter near Airdrie, where at the home of Mrs More a fine dinner was prepared for us.”

“We walked into Airdrie and took the tram into Coatbridge where we went rowing on a decent lake. We then walked home, a distance of about five miles.”

“On Friday morning we packed up and took the train to Edinburgh, where we stayed at the headquarters of the 49th Edinburgh troop. During the afternoon we took a look round Edinburgh.”

“In the morning we took the train to Euston arriving there at about 6.30. We subsequently arrived home (Gordon Hall) by lorry at twenty past seven.”

“Note: Although it rained hard nearly every day, and we were drowned two or three times each, the eighth scout law, (A scout smiles and whistles under all difficulties) was upheld.”

Snippets from ‘A Trip in Scotland’ a Camp Diary

By Stanley Hartley (aged 16) – 10th Finchley.

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