Members of the 1st Norton-on-Tees scout group. The group was founded in 1908.
Photograph courtesy of Norman Huckle.
Picture Stockton Archive
A Pictorial History of Stockton-on-Tees
Members of the 1st Norton-on-Tees scout group. The group was founded in 1908.
Photograph courtesy of Norman Huckle.
The Gang Show.- 1st Roseworth Cub/Scouts. I remember one year when the audience had to guess the name of a wild animal, the syllables of the word broken down to form part of the show, my part was to portray the first syllable of the name ‘Alley’ , the next was ‘Gate’ and the last ‘Tore’. Do you remember? Roy.
Osmotherley to Swainby in the 1950’s. One of my earliest experiences of being away from home was a week end away with the First Roseworth Cub/Scout Pack, Pack was an understatement, but that’s for another day? All excited as we all loaded on to the Charabanc screams and excitable shouts, the bus driver being rather annoyed that he had to go around half of Roseworth for the sleepy heads and late comers, but I am sure we all got on in the end, paid for and no refunds made sure of that. Never saw any of the wonderful sights out of the Chara windows we were told about, to busy chattering with excitement on the weekend to come. Pulling up outside our accommodation, youth hostile? Some sort of old building used by the cub/scouts? Looking back on it, more like a dilapidated old chapel? Somebody out there might know? A Lot of???’s I know but I was only a little boy away from home for the first time and in minds eye in hostile territory, not knowing what was coming next. All packed in to the main hall, don’t think there were any beds just palliasses on the floor, cant remember if there was any form of heating, but it was summer with cool nights, but I did notice in the pan bash area at the back of the row of Belfast sinks, a long row of two tone brown stone bottles, very large and fat, was told these were hot water bottles! One of the places to visit was the local beck which sprawled all over the sandy valley floor, (a beck running through a little gully might be your description but these are my memories and my great adventure). I saw my first and last Newt; I think it was scurrying through the sand trying to get away from a multitude of feet. I say my last because I never looked for any more after that, a few bigger ones came looking for me later on in life in West Africa, but that has nothing to do with local cub scout outings in the 50’s. Sunday morning came, if we did go to a church service I don’t remember it, this is what the whole weekend was about, our great safari trekking from Osmotherley to Swainby. a long way for my little legs as I remember. We passed one shop as I remember none of us supposedly to have any packet money the sweet and biscuit shelves were rather depleted after our passing. Did we walk back, can’t remember hopefully we got a lift back, as the driver stayed with us, well it was a long way. Back in our little hostelry after tea we were left to our own devices and the contents of the shop, jammy dodgers I had, had is the word, any body want a jammy dodger I said and wham bang all devoured not even a crumb left for the church mice. Isn’t it funny how in early life you learn to keep your mouth shut! But all cant be compared to our gang shows that we annually put on for our parents, friends and the public? Roy.
The lady in uniform is Ann Huckle, wife of Norman Huckle. She was “Akala” when I first joined the cubs. I and her son Ron were the 1st cubs to start after the War. We had to go to the Fairfield Group first and to her house at 3 Surrey Road which was a prefab on the Albany Estate. We then went to the Scout HQ in Finkle Street, Stockton and then onto the Tan Yard in Norton. The Scouts then acquired the Old Mill from a Mr Skelton who was the last owner of the Mill. When building the new Scout Hut it was our job to clean up the bricks for the Bricklayer, who was Goff Simpson (Senior Scout) to build the hut. I always thought that the neckerchief for the 1st Norton was mainly green with a red surround. It looks as though the colour has changed. I would like to thank Mr Norman Huckle for all the photos that have been posted.