In late 2002, Bert Crane was asked to write down what he remembered of the history of our Scout Group. Reproduced below are his recollections.

The Early Days of the 4th West Bridgford Scouts

In the autumn of 1928 the Sunday school superintendent convened a meeting of anyone interested in forming a Scout troop. This was attended by some of the school staff, Mr Les Trivett, Assistant District Commissioner and Group Scout Master of the 1^st West Bridgford, and four young people interested in taking charge; Bert Crane, Malcolm Gray, Kenneth Woodruff, and Bill Gates.  At this time quite a number of the Sunday school boys were members of the 1^st West Bridgford and the Assistant District Commissioner raised no objections to the start of a troop, provided that none of his boys were transferred. This was agreed but, with hindsight, it was not a very satisfactory way to start because it left a small number available who had not shown any interest in joining a troop and at the first meeting on 11^th November (I believe) only five prospective recruits turned up: the two Smith brothers, Denis Gates, Duncan Campbell, and Raymond Knott. However, we started and I being the only one over twenty-one applied for a Scout Master warrant, and Malcolm at eighteen, an Assistant Scout Master warrant. Bill Gates soon left the district and Ken Woodruff some months later (I can’t remember the date) started the Cubs. He left after a short stay and one of the Cubs’ fathers took it on for some time, but eventually had to leave and I took on the Cubs as well as the Scouts, and continued with them until I too had to leave.

It was very unsatisfactory to run a troop with such small numbers and although a few more joined it was not until the Cubs began to reach Scout age that we became a reasonable size troop; and because we had the whole of ‘our’ school to recruit from and were not subject to the 1^st West Bridgford embargo, soon had a reasonable pack. Another limiting factor was that we were a closed troop and were restricted to boys from our Sunday school.

I had not been a Scout before taking on the troop, but Malcolm Gray had been a member of the 1^st West Bridgford. I was however a member of the Camping Club of Great Britain and was well kitted out.

We were very restricted for funds and the policy in those days was for the boys to raise their own, and gifts were frowned upon.  We gradually collected camping kit and for the first camp bought a second-hand bell tent from Garfords on Wilford Lane for £2 and pulled it and our necessary cooking equipment on a borrowed trek cart to a good camp site in Rough Hill, overlooking Welldale Farm, belonging to my future wife’s relations.  This was hard work and on future occasions we managed to get the use of a lorry.

As we grew in numbers we found sites owned by relations and had very good camps at Halam, Cotgrave, Thorpe Arnold, Mapleton and, becoming more venturesome, went to Stonethwaite in the Lakes and West Malvern.  The latter was an outstanding camp. It was the Whitsuntide just after the Coronation of King George VI and as it was such a wet day on the Sunday, the lighting of the Worcester Beacon was deferred until Whit Monday when our troop was able to join the procession to the hills.  Unbeknown to us at the time there was a three counties jamboree at Eastnore Castle and the local scout master arranged for us to join his troop.  The Chief Scout of the World, Baden-Powell, and the Crown Prince of Rumania were also present.

The train journey was the great attraction for camps away from home as very few had ever been on a train before.

I was keen on swimming and for many of the early years the 4^th West Bridgford carried everything before them in the Association Swimming Gala but starting with the Cubs we gradually started swimming and eventually, were top dogs for many years.

The 4^th West Bridgford Guides were started a year or so after us, and my future wife became Captain and Malcolm’s wife Lieutenant.  We were able to join together for fund raising efforts and shared camping kit.

After we had been going for some years we staged a pantomime.  This became a very good show and ran for two or three nights each year and was a great attraction. The Scouts made the scenery and lighting; the Guides making the costumes.  The proceeds were the main source of our funds.

I was very keen on cycle camping but the idea was not popular. But, in 1938, I managed to persuade six to accompany me to Rutland and Rockingham forest area and after a reluctant start this was a great success.

In 1939 I had to give up the troop as I had joined the Air Ministry War Department and was sent to Manby near Louth.

Bert Crane,
December, 2002.

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