During our Centenary there has been much use of the Milestones pages for many articles about the Brownsea Sunrise etc. - and again we do not mind, given the briefest of acknowledgement. We would far rather somebody takes the time to get things right. Even Scouting Milestones however can make mistakes! We do however work very hard to eliminate them as soon as possible. Most of our mistakes are 'typos' and thesr often provide the clue that out work is being copied without permission. In an early version of the Milestones Brownsea Article' I mistakenly typed that Brownsea Instructor Coastguard Stevens came from Sandown on the Isle of Wight. This was because I had misread Sandown for nearby (to Brownsea) Sandbanks in a handwritten census return. You will see that mistake is now put right on Milestones in the . However the spelling of Stevens I got right from the Cencus return whereas previously this had almost universally been written as Stephens. So when you see an article about Brownsea and it mentions Coastguard Stevens from Sandown, Isle of Wight you can be sure that it was copied from Milestones. Equally certain is that it we will not have been informed else we would have put them right, and almost as certain is that there will not be a reference to your favorite Scouting History Website! Shall I tell you who the latest perpetrator of this crime? - There have been plenty- but this one was paid money for copying my research for his article in a 'County' magazine. No, its not Scouting is it?
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Colin Walker (Johnny)
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The BBC throughout the day has carried headline news about the opening and the coverage is going to get bigger and better throughout the Jamboree, not forgetting the Brownsea Sunrise Event on August 1st. If you want to hear exciting live coverage for Scouts by Scouts then visit Scouting Radio - The No 1 Scout podcasting station.
On learning that at least four of the original Brownsea Boys were buried in the Somme Battlefields he set about, with his friends Bert Jeurissen and Danny Vliers to find the graves and mark them with a special Scouting wreath- and of course photograph and document them. As you will know if you have read my book Brownsea:B-P's Acorn. I have a particular'hobby horse' that the Brownsea Boys were never given the accord they deserved - and that is even more true for the seven that died as a result of the First World War. That their graves should be marked in time for the Brownsea Cenentennial which is being taking as the anniversary is both appropriate and wonderful! That it should be inspired by 'Milestones' is of course also gratifying but every credit goes to Wim who in a total private capacity set out to do the long over-due task of honouring these Brownsea Pioneers in time for our Centennial. B-R-A-V-O-! The photographs supplied by Wim will be added to the Milestones Brownsea Page in due course.
Maybe imitation is the sincerest form of flattery but I would hope that those seeking info on Scouting History come to the horse's mouth and not a very pale imitation. Am I though 'just peeing in the wind'? As good as our visitor's book contributors say we are, my precised and un-attributed work on Wikipeadia gets thousands of hits per day- whereas we battle on with a comparatively small but enthusiastic band dedicated readers. If you ever get a chance to add Scouting Milestones as a link to the many Wikipeadia Scouting Topics that use our material, please do, but better still tell your friends/scouts/cubs etc to come visit the best researched Scout History Website there is. (I do not under-estimate the very excellent Pine Tree Web-we are very complimentary as Lou Orans provides very useful copies of first hand resources whereas we publish researched articles. Let's leave Wikipeadia to the those who enjoy dull and bland. That can we confidently state, we (and Pine Tree Web) will never will be!
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Colin Walker (Johnny)
(Use my name as a link to write to me)
During their time in Yorkshire, the B-P's have been very keen to visit those sites that have had a direct connection with the Founder (Michael's Grandfather). I was fortunate to be with them on these occasions and our first destination was the Regimental Museum of the 13/18 Hussars at Cannon Hall near Barnsley. The Founder first joined the 13th Hussars from school and maintained his connection with them for over 50 years so, not surprisingly, the excellent museum has a corner specially dedicated to B-P, containing letters, art work and a silver plated tobacco pouch that B-P specially commissioned in 1926 to give to the men of the 13th, to mark his long association with the regiment.
The B-P's were specially impressed with a wonderful life-sized scene between bell tents that included a video screen showing an actor 'in role' giving a moving eyewitness account of his life a lancer in the 13th during the Crimean War and particularly the Charge of the Life Brigade. Robert Baden-Powell himself had also been very moved by real eyewitness accounts of the charge and wrote a little known history of his regiment at this time. Barnsley Museum Services arranged for us to visit when the museum is normally closed to visitors (Mondays and Tuesdays) which was most helpful as these were only days the B-P's could have visited.
We then travelled across country to the heart of the City of York where, adjacent to the famous Clifford's Tower, is the Regimental Museum of the Royal Dragoons which records the history of the 5th Dragoons, another of B-P's old regiments. Again there is a special section for B-P alongside that of Captain Oates of Antarctic fame and other famous figures. Our visitors were able to see B-P letters and artefacts including a beautiful signed original of a B-P watercolour showing trees in the Canadian Rockies. I am most grateful to Capt Alan Henshaw, Curator of the Museum for his help in arranging this visit.
Further north lay the Garrison Town of Catterick, now the largest British Army Base in the UK, which was (again a little known fact) originally laid out by B-P. We were met by the Garrison's C.O., Col Nick Millan who was very well aware of the role that B-P had played in the history of the place. He proudly showed us them magnificent portrait of B-P in his South African Constabulary Uniform by Harold Speed (of which he also had a copy in pride of place in his own office). The original is be loaned to the Scout Association for the Centennial.
Our last 'port of call' was only three miles away in the town of Richmond where we were most warmly welcomed by the Mayor, John Robison, whose Mayoral Parlour contains some interesting B-P memorabilia including another painting of the founder by Harold Speed. Of considerable interest was a copy of a letter to B-P whilst he was living at Richmond Castle (1907-1909) from President Roosevelt. The letter acknowledged the gift of a special edition of 'Scouting for Boys' that B-P has sent to him early in 1908 - which as the letter was dated August 1st 1908 must have been a very early copy. Roosevelt replies in glowing terms about the message contained in the book but divulged that he had already obtained a first edition, but the presentation copy with B-P's personal measure would be most treasured. The parlour also contained a special album with details of correspondence between Lady Olave Baden-Powell and the town council. Lady B-P presented the council with pages that she had taken from B-P's diary concerning his time at the Castle. This was followed up in 1953, when Lady B-P herself visited the castle and unveiled a stone plaque commemorating B-P. The magnificent view from that point across Richmondshire looks towards the Catterick camp. Michael B-P was pleased make a presentation to Richard Good, a local Scouter, who had achieved the magnificent record of 43 years service. The B-P's were also pleased to meet other N.Yorks Scouters including the N Yorks ACC John McGrath and Richmond's D.C and town councillor Mike McGarry and his two sons Reuben and Nathan. These two went on to do a special interview with Tyne Tees Television about the B-P's visit and our Scouting Centennial at the site of the 1953 plaque.
All in all a very eventful but rewarding day. Despite the distances covered and the trying nature of the weather, our two visitors were 'on the trail' again the following day when, in a private capacity, we visited Castle Howard and the Yorkshire Air Museum at Elvington (Michael has a great interest in the history of aviation.)
It is true to say that the B-P's were very impressed with our traditional Yorkshire Hospitality, shown to them where ever we went, - and the state of Scouting in the County. They will be taking back to Australia treasured memories supported by hundreds of photographs and 'movie' film, as Michael like his grandfather is most interested this media.
Before they left Micheal B-P recorded a message for the Scouts of the World to be broadcast on August 1st (Sunrise Day) and passed on a special message to Milestones Readers, 'Good Scouting', and that "... we should continue spread the knowledge that our interest in Scout History gives us to future generations of Scouts".
Our new FORUM Page.
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Colin Walker (Johnny)
(Use my name as a link to write to me)
I have recently returned from the castle where I have mounted a small display in the museum of the present owner Sir Humphrey Wakefield (Bart.)that explains fully its significance. The castle is well worth visiting and is a wonderful part of Northumberland between the Cheviots and the wonderful Northumberland coastline. Let me know if you visit?
The new very fine stamps can be seen as an 'Update' at the conclusion of the Discovery Pages
The thought occurs to me that in a very minor way Milestones has not only records the past Scouting history of some of the topics it covers (for example this one and Brownsea)but itself becomes part of the subject's continuing Scout history!
There will further updates on new issues and other projects to which Scouting Milestones has contributed in the near future.
As is always the case on my travels I seem to bump into Scout History where ever I go. An example of this would be our campsite at the Neptune Locks, Banavie where the Caledonian Canal begins its climb from the sea. We were within a hundred yards or so of where the camping coaches of the Scout Train Cruises were sited to enable the 'cruisers' to ascend Ben Nevis on each of the pre-war Cruises. The siding has now been cut through by the 'new' road that goes over the swing bridge just below the bottom lock, and it is totally overgrown - so much so that even I didn't recognise what I was looking at until it was pointed out to me by a British Waterways employee on the canal, who very helpfully rang his cousin working in the 'new' railway signal box just 50 yards away at Barnavie Railway station confirm the location.
If you have not read about the Scout Train Cruises I think you will find their story quite amazing. I was hopeful that I would be able to take a good photograph of the siding with Ben Nevis in the background - but the weather just gave no view of the mountain at all but through the courtesy of local Tornevis B&B Guest House I have at last been able to add an image of the actual view the traincruisers would have seen from their camping carriage windows. The weather though shielding Scotland's highest mountain during my stay reminded me that all the boys on the train cruises made the quite perilous ascent - sometimes through snow - without training or proper equipment. It wouldn't do today!
"Boy Scout Regulations definately state that no scoutmaster or Boy Scout may have any connections with the Girl Guides." ! - (The exclamation mark is mine.)
Our new FORUM Page.
Our new Visitors' Book.
Colin Walker (Johnny)
(Use my name as a link to write to me)