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Updates for Our Sea Scouts
Feature
As many of our readers will know, we have a
permanent feature on the 2nd Whitstable Sea Scouts and it has generated
quite a lot of memories for our readers. Now, Jock Harnett and Alf
Tilley have provided extra material that explains some of our
existing photos and draws attention to some the unit's other activities in
the past. So here we go....
Carnival Photos
of the 1930s
Some of our oldest photos were supplied by Jock
and they come from carnivals stretching as far back as the 1930s. Apart
from one or two scouts, we had virtually given up on our quest for
names. However, Alf has now taken a look at them..... and named
virtually everyone! He has also been able to provide some clear
cut dates.
Our first sample is one taken in Cromwell Road
close to the junction with Regent Street. It was snapped shortly
before the carnival procession commenced...... in 1934!
| Scouts (L to R):
Charlie Humphrey, Eric Creeber, George Beer, George
Mummery, Reg Humphrey, Dickie Sandford, Ken Zeederberg,
Alf Revell, 'Fudge' Whorlow, Horace Kenny, Alan Waters,
Alf Tilley, Shirley Harnett, Timmy Foreman, Charlie
Cuttelle, Harry Beale, 'Buckle' Lawson, Dick Loudwell (?),
Kenny ?, Harold Mount, Ken Treliving, Norman Coleman. |
I am sure some of those names will ring a few
bells!
Alf believes the photo below was taken two years
later.... in 1936. The scouts were further up the carnival
procession and lined up outside the old Drill Hall. Again, it's
Cromwell Road - close to the entrance to Westmeads Recreation
Ground....
| Scouts (L to R):
N. Coleman, H. Mount, S. Harnett, R. Ashcroft, C. Walker,
J. Rickwood, H. Tilley, K. Zeederberg, T. Foreman, K
Treliving, Bob Kemp, H. Tilley, ????, A. Tilley, H. Marsh. |
Alf has also been able to unscramble confusion
surrounding the last of our carnival shots.....
| Scouts (L to R):
????, John Humphrey, Dick Loudwell (?), Charley Cuttelle,
Eric Creeber, Jack Rickwood (?), Jack Sharp, Norman
Coleman, Harold Tilley, Horace Kelly, Jim Kenny, ? Joiner,
Charley Humphrey, Dicky Sandford, Ken Zeederberg, Shirley
Harnett, Peter Merritt, 'Bubbles' Marsh, John
Merritt. |
This was also taken close to the entrance to the
rec'. On the back it contained a pencil note.... "Jubilee
Carnival". That would refer to George V who reigned
from 1910 until his death in January 1936. His Silver Jubilee
took place in.... 1935. However, the annotation was
incorrect and Alf dates the scene as 1937.
Sea Scouts
Sports Days
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The 2nd Whitstable Sea Scouts are associated with many things... including
sailing, camping and more. However, in the distant past, it seems that the
local unit also held an annual Sports Day and to prove it
Jock has supplied some sample
programs. The one on the left was printed by local printers W J
Cox & Son. The event was a combined effort that
included the 1st Whitstable Scouts. and it took place on Wednesday, 9
September 1931.
It may seem strange to arrange it for mid-week... until you realise that Wednesday was the
town's early closing day.
The schedule was amazing. Just look at the timings
shown below. It it all started at 2.30 and ended at a very
late 7.45 pm!
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The senior
competitions were familiar athletics events..... but
measured in yards rather than metres!
However, there were some oddities.... including Blindfold
Boxing..... and Musical Chairs on Cycles! Another oddity was
that the program didn't bother to mention the venue!
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Fortunately, our next sample (probably also from the
1930s) was more helpful. It was printed by another well
known company of typesetters (Rideouts of Harbour St) and it gave the location as the
Belmont Ground, Church Road.
I presume that this refers to the town's football or
cricket ground in modern day Belmont Road. So, why is it
called Church Road? If you don't know the answer, you
haven't read Page 2 of this week's Chat Column.... have
you?
I am sure our historians will correct me if I am wrong
but I believe that Church Road was a very old thoroughfare
that ran from All Saints Church (generally accepted as the
site of original "Whitstable") to
Oxford Street where it linked to the modern day "centre
of Whitstable". That "modern centre" grew
up on a narrow strip of raised ground under the title
"Whitstable Street". (For more historical
information, see Brian Smith's article "Origins -
Name and Place - click
here) |
As the town expanded, Church Road was split into
sections for address purposes.... each
with its own modern name - Bridge Approach, Old
Bridge road and Belmont Road. What amazes me is that the
name Church Road was still in use as late as the 1930s.
The Rideouts program shows that the sports day was organised purely by the 2nd Whitstable
and it had some even more bizarre events..... including Tilting the
Bucket, a Peg Race, a Toffee Apple Race, a Pillow Fight and a
Yo-Yo competition!
I hope Sebastion Coe is taking note. I could see
us picking up a few "golds" in event's like this in
2012. Who but the British could possibly win things like that!
Mind you, by far the most bizarre event was the "35
yard race for married ladies over 35". Why did they
have to be married? What did they do when they arrived home with
the trophy and discovered their Decree Absolute on the mat?
A 1950s
Photo....
Jock has supplied a much later photo to
add to our collection. This dates around the late 1950s/early 1960s and it was taken in the field between St John's Road
and Swalecliffe Halt railway station.
I am sure it will be easier to come up with some
names.
Thanks To
I would like to thank Jock and Alf for sharing
these mementoes and information with us. We will of course be including all the
material in a revised version of the Sea Scouts feature.
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