Ist Kingsteignton's Camp at Fosterville 1925
Scouting, has been a feature of the life of the town since the 1st Kingsteignton Troop was formed in 1924. The troop met, first at the former Council School in Sandpath Road, and later in Hackney Lane at the coach house of the Old Vicarage.
Pictured here are the 1st Kingsteigntons around 1925 camping near Fosterville where the Hygrade Piggery was later built in the early 1970’s. The scout on the left, with the Mountie style hat, is Fred Harris who later became the scoutmaster of the group, succeeding Mr Bob Ridgway of Ridgway’s shoe fame.
The shaft of the handcart they used to haul their equipment to their campsite and a large tarpaulin form the makeshift shelter the boys are huddled under.
The old Scout Hut Hackney Lane
Now converted into residential use this building for many years served as the headquarters for the local scout troop.
Prior to WW2 it had been the home of the 1st Kingsteignton tropp but that had to disband when its masters went off to serve their country. In the late 1940s the 1st Newton Abbot troop moved out to Kingsteignton after finding accommodation difficulties in its home town. In the mid 1970s the troop were given two weeks notice to quit and following fundraising acquired the redundant St John Anbulance Hall in Homers Lane.
The building pictured here was orginally a coachman's residence for the adjacent vicarage but during the incumbency of the Rev Percival Jackson, he and his wife turned it into a centre for the youth of the village. Woodworking classes were held there for boys and girls attending the GFS learned needlework and embroidery.
1st Newton Abbot (Haytor) Sea Scoouts at Hackney 1957.
A search on the internet for a picture of the 1st Newton Abbot Sea Scouts took former Newton Abbot resident Melvyn Lloyd to the Kingsteignton History Society website and a picture which appeared in the Mid Devon Advertiser of 15th June 2012 and had been passed to the paper by the KHS. Melvyn was delighted to see the picture as he was standing fourth from the left in the back row.
After contacting the Kingsteignton History Society he shared some of his memories of his time in the scouts and how he practised his rowing on the Teign Estuary to compete in various competitions.
Melvyn’s recall of the Hackney Regattas, held by the troop in the late 1950s and early 1960s, was all the more poignant coming
as it did in the week that one of the event’s most famous guests, Ken Dodd, died. Melvyn remembered Ken opening the 1960 regatta when he was performing at Torquay and how Ken boosted the scouts’ coffers with his generous spending on the stalls, as well as keeping everyone amused throughout the afternoon with his jokes.
One member of the KHS, who was a seven year old boy at the time, still remembers getting Ken to sign his elder sister’s souvenir programme. As he politely asked Ken to sign the programme, Ken asked him, “Are you working?” When the boy answered “No!” Ken replied, “Hmm, on the dole like me then!”
Melvyn’s interest in boats saw him progress from the scouts to work for Morgan Giles at Teignmouth and recently has been jotting down his memories of his time there for the Teignmouth Heritage Centre. His career took him to Ireland working for Shorts in Belfast and he now lives in County Laois in the Irish Republic.
Hackney Regatta 1959
The picture on the left was loaned by former resident Rod Bougourd whose family had long associations with Exeter Road Garage. and shows a fancy dress competition held as part of the 1959 Hackney Regatta. The original regatta was first held in 1886 and featured amongst other things rowing races between the crews of men that sailed the barges of the Hackney and Stover Canals.
In 1959 the scouts organised races against their rivals from Totnes and had a variety of side shows on what in now the car park for the Passage House Inn.
A popular event which attracted much amusement was the pillow fight on a pole suspended over the water of the Hackney Channel. The winner and losers all ended up with a ducking and spectators eager for a frontline view often got a soaking as well!
The scouts often arranged for celebrities starring in summer shows at Torquay such as Ken Dodd and Roy Hudd to open the event. Roy Hudd once incorporated the scout’s band into one of his routines when appearing at the Babbacombe Theatre.
Of the children in fancy dress the following have been identified from the far left:-
Jeffrey Sharland, n/k, Stuart Mosley, n/k, Pauline Snell, Dave Bray, Chris Bray, n/k, & Rod Bougourd.
Of the onlookers Jennifer Loveridge, Vivienne Ball, Sandra Brimmecombe, Ian Miller, Colin Dore, Rodney Daniels and Anne Jemmett have been identified.
Messing About On The River - circa 1960
The picture on the left shows Melvyn Lloyd in a boat of the 1st Newton's having just taken the photographer across to the saltmarsh so that he could take this snap of the Passage House Inn.
The old pub to the left, which a few years before had been derelict, had been renovated and the former boathouse to its left converted into a restaurant. Note the old toilet block to the right of the "new" pub and that there were two landing stages.
SCOUT BAND circa 1962
Members of the troop band with bandmaster Ray Trust.
Left to right: D Matthews, P Germon, B Godfrey, P Vallance, D Hunt, R Trust, G Walke, C Senior, M Anthony.
DISTRICT SPORTS 1963
Certificate won by Mike Savage at the District Sports held at Forde Park 1963.
CUBS circa 1965
A group of cubs pictured in Town Penns (opposite the old Hackney Lane HQ).
Scout Camp 1967 Eastdon House Dawlish Warren
Cookhouse with S Voisey, A Mosley, S Johncock & B Clarkson about to dish up the Speciality of the Day!