I found this very interesting as my older brothers Tom and David also were in the 5th Morden and I went to church at the Methodist. I was in the Guides at the Congregational,they were the 12th St.Helier. I knew your sister Edna we were in the same class at school.(Glastonbury Girls)

Hi Carole thank you for the follow up, David is next to me on the shaft of the Trek cart. We did our first class hike together that was 21 miles over two days. We started in Westerham camping over night at the famous Reigate Fort. I remember he held his sheath knife close to an electric fence, saying we should see a spark between the knife and fence he got closer until it touched he got a shock, we wrote in our log '' it was not powerful enough to kill'' Tom was my second and was with me on my first ever camp in 1948.

I was in the 8th.Morden Cub pack, never made it to the scouts, joined the Boys Brigade instead.

I was in 2nd Morden Cubs at Methodist Church the joined 2nd Morden Scouts (a combination of 2nd, 5th and 10th Morden) we were based at Malmesbury School. Red & Yellow Scarf. I made it all the way to Patrol Leader with Badger Patrol!

FOLLOW UP ON SCOUTING AND 5Th. MORDEN It was interesting to read Ian Pearson’s input on the 5th. Morden’s amalgamation with the 2nd. and the 10th. I would appreciate knowing when that took place? What was the name the new troop took? Does it still remain as a joint venture? I note the scarf, red and yellow (blood and butter we called it) was taken from the 5th. Did any of the leaders move over? If so who? As I reported in my original article, I was with the 5th. for more than thirteen years and only left due to changes that the Group took in 1961. As it was a church group we understood the requirement to attend church parades when possible, this was always the first Sunday in the month when we all attended in uniform. This was a voluntary action, however, due to pressure from some members of the congregation early in 1961 it became compulsory and if you did not attend you were banned from the scout meeting the following week, again we accepted this so that at least we were able to attend our meetings for most of the month if we had had to miss a church service. Then in autumn of 1961 attending church every Sunday became the law, so that if you missed any Sunday you could not attend the following scout meeting. This caused serious unhappiness, the end result being that those who would not accept the new rule left the Group. This resulted in a complete disintegration of the Group, which prior to this time with about twenty five years history, including having had ex P.O.W’s and commandos in the group and at least two District Commissioners being appointed from its number, with a membership of about 125, the Group fell to about 25 only. If this 25 left to join the new troop, I wonder what benefit was gained by the actions of those who insisted on changing the rules so drastically? Ron Bird

Just discovered this website and particularly the scouting section. My parents Les and Olive Gooch for many years ran the 8th Morden Cub Pack at Glastonbury School. During holidays, the "Hut" in Glastonbury Road was the venue for meetings. The Hut was also the venue for the whist drives that were regularly organised, by my grandmother Ada, during the fifties and sixties along with jumble sales to raise money for groups funds. I was a cub in the 8th until I left to join a group nearer our home (3rd Banstead) but dad and mum kept on for many years even when the group amalgamated with the 14th. I did keep in contact obviously and even joined them as a helper for cub football and a number of camps. Interestingly, I eventually ended up at Glastonbury School where many of my parents' cubs went. I will try to look out some old photos - a few are posted on the Friends Re-United website. My mother is now 85 and suffers from serious memory loss and lives in Petersfield just off the A3. Les died nearly 20 years ago as did a number of other 8th /14th Morden scout leaders - Derek Warboys, Eric Piercy, and Ernie Batterbury. David Gentleman died about two years ago in Reigate. Who remembers: Patches campsite near Chessington, visits to the Zoo there, Summer camps in Kent and Angmering, Scout District Sports in Mitcham, football for cubs in Morden Park and film shows at the Christmas parties (quite a treat, during the 50w and 60s, especially the year Pepsi Cola sponsored things). So many memories have flooded back, I may even have seen a photo of my parents who met through scouting standing in the background of a group shot. Alas my mother probably cannot help now but I will try. Having known the St. Helier Estate during my early life - my baby years being spent with Nanny Gooch at 4 Glasonbury Road. Also, having been a cub there, and then spending 6 years at the Glastonbury School for Boys, there is much to be gleaned from this site - a wonderful project - thanks for the memories.

2nd Morden Scouts was fed by two cubs troops - one at Methodist Church, the other at Garth Primary. Shame to hear Derek Warboys died - he was friends at school with my Uncle (Don Pearson) and scouted all his life. Was the District Commissioner when I was there. Did our survival camp at Patches snowed all weekend. Remember winning the Morden Scouts wide game even though only 3 of us could make it that day - think we made it into the local rag!! Lovely memories!