5th Friern Barnet
Following the news that the County boundaries were to change in 1964 and with the creation of Greater London North County Scouts, arrangements were made for 5 North London Groups in the Friern Barnet area to join Finchley. In order for them to retain some of their own identity and common link they were renamed as the 1st – 5th Friern Barnet.
The 177th North London, who met in the Methodist Church Hall, Manor Drive, became the 5th Friern Barnet within the renamed District of Finchley and Friern Barnet.
The District Bulletin at the time listed Mr I Osmond as the Group Scout Master (GSM) and Scoutmaster (SM). Miss M Biggs was in charge of the Cubs, Mr N Kettle the Senior Scouts and Mr J Oates the Rovers. The names of any Assistants were not given. Their scarf was recorded as being royal blue and light blue diagonal.
Unfortunately we have very little information about the Group prior to it becoming part of Finchley and Friern Barnet District, although there is the following reference to the Group on the church website: ‘In 1954 a Wolf Cub Pack was started which in time grew up into a Scout Group.’
It is understood that the new church hall was opened in about 1956 and was then used by the Cubs and the Scouts. Before then they used a wooden hut on the Manor Drive side of the building which was later reduced in size and used to store the Scouts’ equipment and probably other items belonging to the church.
Around 1963/64 there were very few Senior Scouts with no leader. It was therefore decided to meet jointly with the 94th North London (later 1st Friern Barnet) at their hut, adjacent to the North Circular Road at the end of Alexandra Road. However, they remained part of the 177th NL and were recorded on the census as such, with new Senior Scouts and leaders that specifically joined the 177th NL. They never did return to the church hall as a stand-alone Troop.
At the end of July, along with some Senior Scouts from the 94th NL and some from the 199th NL, they went to Austria and camped in the grounds of Salzburg Castle, overlooking the city. During the trip they visited a salt mine that involved a ride on a ‘mine trolley’ that ran on rails.
It is known that 4 of the Scouts (S Chaudoir, D Tucker, G Smith and B Osborne) represented the Group in the District Cross Country on the 27th March 1965 and finished 8th out of 13 Groups in the team competition.
Around this time Chris Nelson became a Queen’s Scout.
The first District census in which the Group appears is March 1965, which confirms that all four sections were still in existence. There were 19 Cubs with 1 leader, 20 Scouts with 3 leaders, 7 Senior Scouts with 2 leaders and 3 Rovers with 1 leader.
According to the District Bulletin the Scouts held their Summer Camp at Mayfield, Sussex and were visited by a local SM who reported that ‘All appeared well and happy’.
Towards the end of 1965 Miss B Newlands joined the Group as an Assistant Cubmaster (ACM) and, during the early part of 1966 Marshall Lamb and Eric Simpson became ASMs. It is known though that Marshall Lamb did not stay long as he took a new job which meant that he needed to move away.
By March 1966 the number of Cubs was down to 14 although there were then 2 leaders, the Scouts were down to 11 with 3 leaders and the Senior Scouts were down to 2 with 1 leader. There was no longer a Rover Crew but a GSM was noted.
The Scouts’ Summer Camp was held jointly with the 1st Friern Barnet. They spent the 31st July to 13th August at a small village called Rockfield, near Monmouth in South Wales.
In November Mr Osmond resigned and, by March 1967 Group numbers had again fallen with there being only 12 Cubs and 7 Scouts.
Unfortunately by July the Group almost ceased to exist and the District Commissioner approved a merger with the 2nd Friern Barnet who met at the Congregational Church.
The 5th Friern Barnet officially closed.
Gallery
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Memories
I lived very close to the Manor Drive Methodist Church and in 1956, at the age of 8 I joined the 177th North London Cub Pack that met there. We met in the new Church Hall that had just been finished. There were regular monthly church parades that were also attended by the Church Lads Brigade. Always a good turnout and occasionally the Brigade played whilst we marched out at the end of the service behind the Group flags.
I have very little memory of what we did and how many boys attended. I do remember one of the Cub leaders leaving as she was getting married and all the cubs were invited to see the wedding ceremony – she must have been very brave! I remained with the group progressing into the Scouts when I was 11 but by then I had moved to Muswell Hill. It seems amazing now but I used to cycle down Colney Hatch Lane, across the roundabout at the North Circular Road (it was a three-lane two-way road then) up to Friern Barnet Town Hall and then along Friern Barnet Lane to St James school every morning and then back later, so going to Scouts the same way was no problem!
I can recall attending the camp site at Bounds Green on several occasions as well as Gilwell and Phasels Wood as both a Cub and Scout but what we did or when this was, I regret that I cannot remember.
That said, I do remember, as a Scout, being involved with what I believe was a special Duke of Edinburgh scheme in 2 parts, One, where you had to hike somewhere you had never been and seek out some educational benefit. Two, whilst camping do a service for someone. Travelling by coach I went with some of my Patrol to walk a section of Hadrian’s Wall near Haltwhistle where we spent a couple of days and a night learning about the Wall and a fort. We spent the night wild camping under canvas sheltered by Hadrian’s Wall but even then, as it was so cold, our tent zip was frozen shut when we awoke. We all agreed it was one of the best trips we had done.
For the second trip I took some of my Patrol to the bird nature reserve started by Sir Peter Scott at Slimbridge near Bristol. He was just Peter Scott then and he had bought a house on the edge of the River Severn. This area is home, for part of every year, to thousands of migrating birds – especially swans. He had opened up his nature reserve to the general public so everyone could enjoy getting close to wild life. I had written to him explaining the scheme and he very kindly arranged for a free visit, booked us a space on a local campsite that did not charge us and suggested we could do something helpful when we got there. Unfortunately – as I would have loved to have met him – Peter was away when we arrived but he had arranged for the manager to look after us. We spent a full day walking around the reserve collecting rubbish that had been blown about into the pens and wetlands where the birds were living. One of the larger ducks I recall was none too keen on a KitKat wrapper being taken away! The highlight of our visit was to the breeding centre that was not open to the public. Peter and his staff would collect eggs from the rarer visiting wild ducks and incubate them as many ducks were, we were told, poor parents. He used chickens to do the absent duck’s parenting duties and it seemed very strange to see how well they looked after ducklings and sat for hours on the eggs.
I was only able to go on these trips as I successfully applied for funding of travel expenses through the scheme. At that time neither the Group nor my parents would have been able to assist financially.
I have very happy memories of camping in Dunwich as a Scout. We all travelled there and back in the back of a lorry (that was owned by a local greengrocer) sitting on our rucksacks and tents. It had an open back, just a small tailgate but did have a canvass roof and sides.
We camped under canvas for a week in a field fairly close to the sea. We cooked all our meals on an open wood fire, spent a lot of time building gadgets and playing games, swam in the sea and had a trip on the bus to Lowestoft and to a large boating lake at Thorpeness Meare. There was only one tap for water in the corner of the field that normally fed an animal drinking trough. Seemed fine for us and we all survived! The Scout leader (Skip) at the time while demonstrating how to use a felling axe he put the axe through his shoe and into his foot. He was taken to hospital but was back camping with us later the same day. We all learned a very useful lesson.
I remember a cooking competition in 1960 – we had to cook boiled potatoes, Corned Beef Hash and a vegetable for main course, and something with custard for dessert. All over a wood fire! I’m sure that we were not the worst but came pretty close!
By the time I was old enough to be a Senior Scout there were only a few of us and no leader. As a result, while retaining our own identity, we joined forces with the 94th NL and we held weekly Senior Scout meetings at the hut adjacent to the North Circular Road at the end of Alexandra Road.
It was about this time (1963/64) that I became friendly with Chris Terry who was from the 94th NL. His mum Kath was the cub leader. I spent a lot of time with him and his parents. As well as helping with the Cubs and Scouts at my own Group at the Methodist Church, I remember spending time helping out at the 94th.
I was also one of the Senior Scouts that went camping in Austria in 1964. I recall that we carried everything needed in rucksacks and went by train, ferry and train to Salzburg. I am unable to remember how long we stayed but we camped in a small enclosed grassy area within the grounds of Salzburg castle overlooking the city. On one side there was a solid rock wall with a sheer drop of several hundred metres (yards in those days!) down the mountainside. On the other was the main pathway that tourists walked when visiting the castle.
I have no real memory of my time as a leader with the 5th Friern Barnet, especially as, upon taking a new job, I moved away forcing me to take a long break from Scouting.
I returned to Scouting when my son joined the Cubs. I became an assistant leader then a leader and later introduced Beavers. My daughter joined Scouts and a good time was had by all for around 10 or more years when due to lack of leaders the Group closed.
However, my son, now living in Wales, is very active in Scouting where he is an ACSL. His eldest daughter is a Scout, his middle one is a Cub and the youngest a Beaver. Scouting just runs in your blood. It certainly gave me a lot to remember and skills that I still use today. I can still tie all sorts of knots!
Marshall Lamb – 5th Friern Barnet (177th North London)
