16th Reigate Scouts

Despite the fact that the authors apologise for writing them, I find Christmas news-letters very interesting. So I hope the following extracts will be of interest to at least some of our readers. I often wish I had a record of the dates each Scout was in the Group. Sometimes I can remember at which camp he was a first-year, or a PL. I usually try to put their bits of news in chronological order.

News of probably our oldest Old Scout has not come from a letter, but from the Daily Telegraph. Ian Whiteman noticed an advertisement stating that Captain David Goldson RN was retiring as secretary of the Royal Thames Yacht Club, in Knightsbridge.

An e-mail from Richard Charlwood just after our February Reunion, somehow got overlooked. - Apologies, Richard ! He had made a brief contribution to the first “What Scouting has Meant to Me” booklet, but amplified his thoughts in this letter :
Joining the Scout Group was probably the first major decision of my life which was truly my own. The opportunity to see places I would not otherwise have seen, Windermere, Wiltz, Lundy, etc, whilst they remain pleasant memories and were undoubtedly great experiences, are not the main reason why I treasure those brief few years in the fifties.
Over the years I have walked into some very strange places, and what you taught me was survival in those scenes, and how to plan my future.
We drove a convoy of two drilling rigs, three wagons and a couple of Mitsubishi Shoguns from Dakar Senegal, across the desert to Bamako in Mali to drill for water. No roads to speak of, just maps. Seven hundred miles took two weeks, give or take a few breakdowns and bog downs. We had to take everything with us. Not a million miles different from being dumped on an island in the Thames for a long week-end, carrying everything we needed. Not quite the hazards I grant you, but the question was just the same: “What will I need ?”
One thing I learned from Scouting was to plan ahead. When things start going wrong, if you haven’t planned your foreseeable future, events overtake you so quickly you never catch up, - and in some places, that will probably be lethal.
None of us will ever know how different we would have been without Scouting. When I look back on some of my scrapes, I tend to the view that I would not have survived without it. I can recall on a number of occasions saying to myself, “The next few minutes are going to be quite important to your future survival, mate, so think carefully.” I truly believe that the ability to analyse the “strange scenes” I mentioned earlier came from my time with the 16th.

Bill Songhurst signs his e-mail ‘Willie’, as he was always known. Seeing the reminiscences in our last issue writes: “I too remember singing the ‘Choirboys’, - cassocks supplied by Brockham Church, I think, - and the ‘Fairies’. I recall Freddie Huggins and John Woodhouse and others. I also remember the Luxembourg camp, - sitting in the log chalet for days after the crossing, and still seeing the room going up and down.”

Ashlin Harrington is literally counting down the days and hours until he can retire from ‘the day job’ when he reaches 60 next May. He is looking forward to more time to walk and paint. He has made a start by getting together a group of eight retired / semi-retired mates to do some walks based on the Bristol to Weymouth railway, visiting as many pubs within walking distance of the stations as possible. Ashlin and Joyce are also hoping to visit his relations in New Zealand, and also buy a touring caravan.

We have recently welcomed early Scouting memories from some of you, and we would be glad to have more.
Mike Pearman has written of a slightly different camp memory:
Reading the news-sheet made me think about a camp at Hay-on-Wye when I was the leader of the 1st Brookwood. It was enlivened by several things.
We arrived to find that there was a company of Guides in the next field. We had only been there a few minutes when I received a visit from their leader, who said that she “did NOT expect to see Scouts in her field.” As if our little darlings would have entertained such a thought. Actually it was fine, - all the Guides came into our field !
The other side of us was a troop of Scouts who in the dead of night let our guy-lines down and hoisted a cooking shelter up the flag-pole. All very easily put right, and yours truly did not think of reprisals. These other Scouts had to go through our field to get to theirs. Led by my beloved elder son, our lads hoarded their breakfast eggs, and - - - unfortunately they scored a direct hit on the leader who, shall we say, was seriously less than amused. However, when I explained the reason for this ambush, he brightened up, and went off to seek retribution from, or on, his own boys.
In one of our patrols there was a nice lad who, according to his PL, was trying to do himself a mischief with an axe, and would not stop. I had a quiet but strong word with him. Next morning, across the field came the patrol leader with the damaged Scout, with a considerable slice on his hand. Lots of blood. Almost spoiled my breakfast ! What did spoil my breakfast was deciding what to do with him. Casualty was the obvious choice, but the cut was remarkably clean, (which was a tribute to something), so I sat him down and told him to hold the cut together tightly until I said he could stop. I chatted amicably with him, and discovered that his Mum was the District Guide Leader. Bleeding stopped, lad seemed happy, and I wondered whether there was any connection. He did not mess about with the axe again.
Lastly, I nearly lost the Troop. At the end of the week, the PLs were going to lead their patrols over the Black Mountains. Weather forecast good. Lads properly dressed, except for one who had only brought “winkle-pickers” to wear. Maps, compasses, food, what could go wrong ? They were due back at the camp-site well before dark. They did not arrive. At what point does one involve the rescue authorities ? Well before dark, obviously. I walked towards the bottom of the hills with the light fading. In the distance, there they were. Phew ! The problem, dear reader, was that their maps and compasses would not have helped in the dark, as none of us, which really means me, had thought of torches. And the lad wearing the very strange little pointed shoes was fine.

There was a time when I was rather disappointed at how few old members of our Group had become Scouters; but I have since found there have been rather more than I thought. Well done, them ! ( - R.)

Mike Pupius writes from Sheffield, though he still travels a lot to Europe and the US. He also mentions a good holiday in Venice and Slovenia, as well as shorter breaks in Dublin, Edinburgh and Skiathos. His sons have also been busy. Jon has graduated, doing Sports Product Design, and has designed the ‘Pupius Fisch’ an organiser for climbing equipment that improves accessibility and safety. Dan has been in Honduras as a volunteer with the Operation Wallacea project that provides scientific research facilities in the jungle.

Frank Kroger is still in the US working as a longshoreman, - “getting paid for many hours not worked” as he wrote in my Visitors’ Book. He uses these monies, and those earned, to trade in stocks, - “hoping to get money away from other unsuspecting investors”. He also gets enough to come to Europe for a second time in the year, seeing his father in the Netherlands as well as friends in England.

Tony (Tant) Yeats still rings church bells twice a week, and spends one evening a week on a University of the Third Age course (Archaeology and the Countryside this year), or at one of the many Environmental Groups’ meetings. He is working on interesting projects in Botswana, Nigeria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Libya, Poland and Iraq, which keep him out of mischief; and he has become Parish Clerk for the village. Tony also has two grown up sons. Liam is employed by W.H.Smiths, but also works for Oxfam on Saturdays, and does the accounts for another shop every week. Corin has finished his Ph.D. at the Sanger Centre in Cambridge, - the establishment noted for its work on the Human Genome, - and he is now working on an EC project on that subject. Tony (like most of us) has to admit that he does not understand a word he is talking about.

And talking of bell-ringing : among those who rang the hand-bells at our Reunion last February were Peter Jackson and Julian Portch. They both came to one of my hand-bell ringing parties this month, and were glad to be able to renew the experiences of thirty or fifty years ago.

Richard Jopling and I have been having a two-way correspondence about Scouting, - how it appeals to modern youth, and whether RGS should re-launch the School Group. I suggested that our pupils can now get almost (but not quite) all that Scouting offers without commitment to regular attendance and a Scout Promise. Richard’s most recent e-mail sums up some of our thoughts.
“ Yes, I can see that modern ways do make Scouting more challenging for the young. There is more money around, particularly at an independent school, and so people have more opportunities. A glance at the ‘Pilgrim’ is enough to confirm this; trips abroad, PGL holidays, and overseas rugby tours are just part of the diet. But there is also a lack of willingness to commit to anything, - a case of ‘treats all the time’ so that what should be special becomes the norm. Scouting was good because you had to commit, and you built up relationships, made friends, and then had experiences.
You will be pleased to know that all my three sons were Cubs, then Scouts. They are now grown to be very fine fellows indeed; - please indulge me here. I still think RGS should try to re-start the 16th.”
I (Robin) would add that Scout Leaders would also need considerable commitment of time and energy, of which modern teachers have little to spare. Another problem now is the SL’s bits of paper, (see Peter Wheatley’s bit below}. Forty years ago, we canoed down the Wye without life-jackets ! And now we could not walk up the Pyg Track to Snowdon’s summit, let alone scramble over Crib Goch, without a qualifying piece of paper of dubious value.

Colin Harriden continues to work for social care services, most recently with the NHS, developing workforce planning across Staffordshire and Shropshire. He also has two sons; the elder one, Matthew, has just moved to the Sixth Form after passing GCSEs in eleven subjects; the younger, Thomas, has just started at the high school, after shining for the local Under 11 Cricket team last summer. They are both keen on music, playing in wind and brass bands.

Paul Shrimpton writes: “How are you ? Thanks for the News-sheet. Interesting to hear about Chris Wise (see NS 195). I enjoy hearing about other Old Scouts, and always think they have had much more interesting and worthwhile careers than mine. Still, having chosen to work in accountancy and computer systems, what can I expect ? I am currently finance director of the (Horse) Racing Division of Arena Pleasure Plc, and happily living in South Godstone on a farm with Lois, my second wife (of 12 years). We have five offspring between us, ranging in age from 17 to 22. The three eldest are at university. I am still in touch with David Cooper, Simon Jones, and Simon Arnold.
16th Reigate was a terrific Scout Group and the camps were wonderful. It is a great shame it folded. Please keep the News-Sheet going.”

Peter Wheatley’s annual letter ran to nearly three A4 sides, because he is as active as ever. As Head of Science at Dauntsey’s School he has been overseeing more building work for new science facilities. He has also been running two hockey sides. He is still umpiring hockey on the West Premier league panel, and thoroughly enjoying it, though it can be challenging at times. The play at that level is very quick, and he has to keep fit and alert to cope with it. He accompanied the School’s 1st XI hockey team to Barbados, where they only lost to an U21 side. Apart from that, his summer involved a Scout Camp, ten days walking in the German Alps, and a short trip to the Lakes.
His Scout Group is going well, 24 in the Troop, plus several older boys who come to help. They had their usual five camps in the year, including on Exmoor, a new area for them, over the sunny Spring Bank Holiday. Summer camp was in the Lake District, and it rained very hard indeed on occasions. “Thursday night saw some of the heaviest rain I have ever seen in England. The entire site (on the side of a steep hill) was running with water. We managed to keep the boys’ sleeping tents dry and secure, but our marquee had a river running through it. The Camp Warden’s house got flooded; he had been there for thirty years, and had never seen conditions like it. We spent half the night checking our own boys, and the other helping washed out groups of campers. Still, the days were generally dry, and occasionally warm and sunny, and the boys had a great time.
I have been having a run in with our new Scout County Training Advisor. They seem to think that I have to repeat all the training I have ever done, and a lot more besides. They want me to attend 24 training modules, some of them days, and some entire week-ends. I have told them that if this new system cannot take account of my experience in actually running a Scout Group, then they can have my warrant back, and Wiltshire will be one troop fewer. The local DC is supporting me, and has told them to back off, but it seems as if the new system is totally inflexible. I await the outcome with some interest. It will be a shame if I end my association with Scouting over such an issue, but I simply don’t have the time or inclination to do all this (useless) training.”
For the sake of the boys, Peter, we hope they will see sense.

Many thanks for all these contributions. Please keep them coming, especially if you have news of yourself, or opinions, or memories of camps or other Scouting activities.

My grateful thanks, also, to those who sent me Christmas cards. The good wishes for the Natal season and the New Year are much appreciated. Some interesting statistics on the cards I received:
12% depicted some version of the Nativity, 6% showed the Wise Men, 4% the Annunciation, and 2% the flight into Egypt. Also 6% called for Peace, and 8% had other religious connotations; so a total of 38% had some Christian significance. Of the others, 32% showed winter scenes, 18% had meaningless patterns or designs, and 12% showed robins !

My immediate plans include visiting Australia, where I shall be staying with Tim St.Pierre and Ross Letten, each for a few days, as well as seeing Alice Springs and Uluru (Ayres Rock). Perhaps there may be other Scouting contacts.

The News-Sheet is now published on the School web-site, ORA section, or type: http://www.reigategrammar.org/scouts/index.htm
The Data Protection Act will not allow us to publish postal or e-mail addresses on a web-site without the owner’s permission. So (a) if you send us any copy for the News-Sheet, tell us if your address may be included, and (b) if you want to be put in touch with other Old Scouts, we can do it privately. If any reader who still receives this by post does have an e-mail address, please tell us, - to save time and money.

Robin H. Bligh, robin@reigategrammar.org
39, Monks Walk, Reigate, Surrey, RH2 0SS. 01737-248135.


	16th Reigate Scout Group	Number 196 January 2005

Scouts home page		Reigate Grammar School Home Page

Despite the fact that the authors apologise for writing them, I find Christmas news-letters very interesting. So I hope the following extracts will be of interest to at least some of our readers. I often wish I had a record of the dates each Scout was in the Group. Sometimes I can remember at which camp he was a first-year, or a PL. I usually try to put their bits of news in chronological order. News of probably our oldest Old Scout has not come from a letter, but from the Daily Telegraph. Ian Whiteman noticed an advertisement stating that Captain David Goldson RN was retiring as secretary of the Royal Thames Yacht Club, in Knightsbridge. An e-mail from Richard Charlwood just after our February Reunion, somehow got overlooked. - Apologies, Richard ! He had made a brief contribution to the first “What Scouting has Meant to Me” booklet, but amplified his thoughts in this letter : Joining the Scout Group was probably the first major decision of my life which was truly my own. The opportunity to see places I would not otherwise have seen, Windermere, Wiltz, Lundy, etc, whilst they remain pleasant memories and were undoubtedly great experiences, are not the main reason why I treasure those brief few years in the fifties. Over the years I have walked into some very strange places, and what you taught me was survival in those scenes, and how to plan my future. We drove a convoy of two drilling rigs, three wagons and a couple of Mitsubishi Shoguns from Dakar Senegal, across the desert to Bamako in Mali to drill for water. No roads to speak of, just maps. Seven hundred miles took two weeks, give or take a few breakdowns and bog downs. We had to take everything with us. Not a million miles different from being dumped on an island in the Thames for a long week-end, carrying everything we needed. Not quite the hazards I grant you, but the question was just the same: “What will I need ?” One thing I learned from Scouting was to plan ahead. When things start going wrong, if you haven’t planned your foreseeable future, events overtake you so quickly you never catch up, - and in some places, that will probably be lethal. None of us will ever know how different we would have been without Scouting. When I look back on some of my scrapes, I tend to the view that I would not have survived without it. I can recall on a number of occasions saying to myself, “The next few minutes are going to be quite important to your future survival, mate, so think carefully.” I truly believe that the ability to analyse the “strange scenes” I mentioned earlier came from my time with the 16th. Bill Songhurst signs his e-mail ‘Willie’, as he was always known. Seeing the reminiscences in our last issue writes: “I too remember singing the ‘Choirboys’, - cassocks supplied by Brockham Church, I think, - and the ‘Fairies’. I recall Freddie Huggins and John Woodhouse and others. I also remember the Luxembourg camp, - sitting in the log chalet for days after the crossing, and still seeing the room going up and down.” Ashlin Harrington is literally counting down the days and hours until he can retire from ‘the day job’ when he reaches 60 next May. He is looking forward to more time to walk and paint. He has made a start by getting together a group of eight retired / semi-retired mates to do some walks based on the Bristol to Weymouth railway, visiting as many pubs within walking distance of the stations as possible. Ashlin and Joyce are also hoping to visit his relations in New Zealand, and also buy a touring caravan. We have recently welcomed early Scouting memories from some of you, and we would be glad to have more. Mike Pearman has written of a slightly different camp memory: Reading the news-sheet made me think about a camp at Hay-on-Wye when I was the leader of the 1st Brookwood. It was enlivened by several things. We arrived to find that there was a company of Guides in the next field. We had only been there a few minutes when I received a visit from their leader, who said that she “did NOT expect to see Scouts in her field.” As if our little darlings would have entertained such a thought. Actually it was fine, - all the Guides came into our field ! The other side of us was a troop of Scouts who in the dead of night let our guy-lines down and hoisted a cooking shelter up the flag-pole. All very easily put right, and yours truly did not think of reprisals. These other Scouts had to go through our field to get to theirs. Led by my beloved elder son, our lads hoarded their breakfast eggs, and - - - unfortunately they scored a direct hit on the leader who, shall we say, was seriously less than amused. However, when I explained the reason for this ambush, he brightened up, and went off to seek retribution from, or on, his own boys. In one of our patrols there was a nice lad who, according to his PL, was trying to do himself a mischief with an axe, and would not stop. I had a quiet but strong word with him. Next morning, across the field came the patrol leader with the damaged Scout, with a considerable slice on his hand. Lots of blood. Almost spoiled my breakfast ! What did spoil my breakfast was deciding what to do with him. Casualty was the obvious choice, but the cut was remarkably clean, (which was a tribute to something), so I sat him down and told him to hold the cut together tightly until I said he could stop. I chatted amicably with him, and discovered that his Mum was the District Guide Leader. Bleeding stopped, lad seemed happy, and I wondered whether there was any connection. He did not mess about with the axe again. Lastly, I nearly lost the Troop. At the end of the week, the PLs were going to lead their patrols over the Black Mountains. Weather forecast good. Lads properly dressed, except for one who had only brought “winkle-pickers” to wear. Maps, compasses, food, what could go wrong ? They were due back at the camp-site well before dark. They did not arrive. At what point does one involve the rescue authorities ? Well before dark, obviously. I walked towards the bottom of the hills with the light fading. In the distance, there they were. Phew ! The problem, dear reader, was that their maps and compasses would not have helped in the dark, as none of us, which really means me, had thought of torches. And the lad wearing the very strange little pointed shoes was fine. There was a time when I was rather disappointed at how few old members of our Group had become Scouters; but I have since found there have been rather more than I thought. Well done, them ! ( - R.) Mike Pupius writes from Sheffield, though he still travels a lot to Europe and the US. He also mentions a good holiday in Venice and Slovenia, as well as shorter breaks in Dublin, Edinburgh and Skiathos. His sons have also been busy. Jon has graduated, doing Sports Product Design, and has designed the ‘Pupius Fisch’ an organiser for climbing equipment that improves accessibility and safety. Dan has been in Honduras as a volunteer with the Operation Wallacea project that provides scientific research facilities in the jungle. Frank Kroger is still in the US working as a longshoreman, - “getting paid for many hours not worked” as he wrote in my Visitors’ Book. He uses these monies, and those earned, to trade in stocks, - “hoping to get money away from other unsuspecting investors”. He also gets enough to come to Europe for a second time in the year, seeing his father in the Netherlands as well as friends in England. Tony (Tant) Yeats still rings church bells twice a week, and spends one evening a week on a University of the Third Age course (Archaeology and the Countryside this year), or at one of the many Environmental Groups’ meetings. He is working on interesting projects in Botswana, Nigeria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Libya, Poland and Iraq, which keep him out of mischief; and he has become Parish Clerk for the village. Tony also has two grown up sons. Liam is employed by W.H.Smiths, but also works for Oxfam on Saturdays, and does the accounts for another shop every week. Corin has finished his Ph.D. at the Sanger Centre in Cambridge, - the establishment noted for its work on the Human Genome, - and he is now working on an EC project on that subject. Tony (like most of us) has to admit that he does not understand a word he is talking about. And talking of bell-ringing : among those who rang the hand-bells at our Reunion last February were Peter Jackson and Julian Portch. They both came to one of my hand-bell ringing parties this month, and were glad to be able to renew the experiences of thirty or fifty years ago. Richard Jopling and I have been having a two-way correspondence about Scouting, - how it appeals to modern youth, and whether RGS should re-launch the School Group. I suggested that our pupils can now get almost (but not quite) all that Scouting offers without commitment to regular attendance and a Scout Promise. Richard’s most recent e-mail sums up some of our thoughts. “ Yes, I can see that modern ways do make Scouting more challenging for the young. There is more money around, particularly at an independent school, and so people have more opportunities. A glance at the ‘Pilgrim’ is enough to confirm this; trips abroad, PGL holidays, and overseas rugby tours are just part of the diet. But there is also a lack of willingness to commit to anything, - a case of ‘treats all the time’ so that what should be special becomes the norm. Scouting was good because you had to commit, and you built up relationships, made friends, and then had experiences. You will be pleased to know that all my three sons were Cubs, then Scouts. They are now grown to be very fine fellows indeed; - please indulge me here. I still think RGS should try to re-start the 16th.” I (Robin) would add that Scout Leaders would also need considerable commitment of time and energy, of which modern teachers have little to spare. Another problem now is the SL’s bits of paper, (see Peter Wheatley’s bit below}. Forty years ago, we canoed down the Wye without life-jackets ! And now we could not walk up the Pyg Track to Snowdon’s summit, let alone scramble over Crib Goch, without a qualifying piece of paper of dubious value. Colin Harriden continues to work for social care services, most recently with the NHS, developing workforce planning across Staffordshire and Shropshire. He also has two sons; the elder one, Matthew, has just moved to the Sixth Form after passing GCSEs in eleven subjects; the younger, Thomas, has just started at the high school, after shining for the local Under 11 Cricket team last summer. They are both keen on music, playing in wind and brass bands. Paul Shrimpton writes: “How are you ? Thanks for the News-sheet. Interesting to hear about Chris Wise (see NS 195). I enjoy hearing about other Old Scouts, and always think they have had much more interesting and worthwhile careers than mine. Still, having chosen to work in accountancy and computer systems, what can I expect ? I am currently finance director of the (Horse) Racing Division of Arena Pleasure Plc, and happily living in South Godstone on a farm with Lois, my second wife (of 12 years). We have five offspring between us, ranging in age from 17 to 22. The three eldest are at university. I am still in touch with David Cooper, Simon Jones, and Simon Arnold. 16th Reigate was a terrific Scout Group and the camps were wonderful. It is a great shame it folded. Please keep the News-Sheet going.” Peter Wheatley’s annual letter ran to nearly three A4 sides, because he is as active as ever. As Head of Science at Dauntsey’s School he has been overseeing more building work for new science facilities. He has also been running two hockey sides. He is still umpiring hockey on the West Premier league panel, and thoroughly enjoying it, though it can be challenging at times. The play at that level is very quick, and he has to keep fit and alert to cope with it. He accompanied the School’s 1st XI hockey team to Barbados, where they only lost to an U21 side. Apart from that, his summer involved a Scout Camp, ten days walking in the German Alps, and a short trip to the Lakes. His Scout Group is going well, 24 in the Troop, plus several older boys who come to help. They had their usual five camps in the year, including on Exmoor, a new area for them, over the sunny Spring Bank Holiday. Summer camp was in the Lake District, and it rained very hard indeed on occasions. “Thursday night saw some of the heaviest rain I have ever seen in England. The entire site (on the side of a steep hill) was running with water. We managed to keep the boys’ sleeping tents dry and secure, but our marquee had a river running through it. The Camp Warden’s house got flooded; he had been there for thirty years, and had never seen conditions like it. We spent half the night checking our own boys, and the other helping washed out groups of campers. Still, the days were generally dry, and occasionally warm and sunny, and the boys had a great time. I have been having a run in with our new Scout County Training Advisor. They seem to think that I have to repeat all the training I have ever done, and a lot more besides. They want me to attend 24 training modules, some of them days, and some entire week-ends. I have told them that if this new system cannot take account of my experience in actually running a Scout Group, then they can have my warrant back, and Wiltshire will be one troop fewer. The local DC is supporting me, and has told them to back off, but it seems as if the new system is totally inflexible. I await the outcome with some interest. It will be a shame if I end my association with Scouting over such an issue, but I simply don’t have the time or inclination to do all this (useless) training.” For the sake of the boys, Peter, we hope they will see sense. Many thanks for all these contributions. Please keep them coming, especially if you have news of yourself, or opinions, or memories of camps or other Scouting activities. My grateful thanks, also, to those who sent me Christmas cards. The good wishes for the Natal season and the New Year are much appreciated. Some interesting statistics on the cards I received: 12% depicted some version of the Nativity, 6% showed the Wise Men, 4% the Annunciation, and 2% the flight into Egypt. Also 6% called for Peace, and 8% had other religious connotations; so a total of 38% had some Christian significance. Of the others, 32% showed winter scenes, 18% had meaningless patterns or designs, and 12% showed robins ! My immediate plans include visiting Australia, where I shall be staying with Tim St.Pierre and Ross Letten, each for a few days, as well as seeing Alice Springs and Uluru (Ayres Rock). Perhaps there may be other Scouting contacts. The News-Sheet is now published on the School web-site, ORA section, or type: http://www.reigategrammar.org/scouts/index.htm The Data Protection Act will not allow us to publish postal or e-mail addresses on a web-site without the owner’s permission. So (a) if you send us any copy for the News-Sheet, tell us if your address may be included, and (b) if you want to be put in touch with other Old Scouts, we can do it privately. If any reader who still receives this by post does have an e-mail address, please tell us, - to save time and money. Robin H. Bligh, robin@reigategrammar.org 39, Monks Walk, Reigate, Surrey, RH2 0SS. 01737-248135.