16th Reigate Scout Group ..... N E W S - S H E E T ..... Number 205 .. January 2008

Many thanks to all those who sent Christmas cards, especially to those who included news. I hope they approve of its edited inclusion here.

Many readers will be sad to learn that both Eric and Edith Coupland died during last summer (2007), aged 89 and 90 respectively. They had both been very supportive of the Scout Group from its earliest days, even before John joined us. Indeed, one of John's earliest memories is of the Scouts in February 1955, on a half-term hike, dropping in on the family home in South Nutfield, and being royally entertained with mid-morning refreshment. Many Old Scouts, not just from John's generation, had contact with Eric as a teacher and a general presence round the School. He was always pleased to come to the Scout Reunions, and took great pleasure from meeting the earlier generations again.

Mike Pupius always sends us news at Christmas. He continues to travel a lot as part of his job at Sheffield Hallam University. He has been to various parts of Europe, and further afield to Australia and India. He also went to Dubai to address the Ministerial Forum of the United Arab Emirates. He is now half way through his Doctorate in Business Administration. He now mountain-bikes with his old running mates and goes to the local gym. Both his sons are in IT, Dan being a Senior Software Engineer with Google.

I see Bernard Hawkins at irregular intervals when he comes to one of my hand-bell ringing parties. He sent an e-mail in November saying "Thanks for the latest news, - always interesting to hear what the rest of the Reigate rogues are getting up to ! For my part, I have just spent three weeks out in Australia, visiting a daughter with a cracked skull. I seem to have overcome the problems of flying a long distance whilst requiring oxygen throughout the flight. It's magic that they can do this, although I have learnt that despite some excellent support services I have yet to have a flight without some complications due to lack of co-ordination. I have returned to rapidly practise my hand-bell ringing for the annual service at Guildford Cathedral."

We have made contact again with Adrian Ballisat who is still at the same address in Wembury, Devon, and says we may publish < aballisat@tiscali.co.uk >. "Life in Devon is good. I have been working freelance for over five years now. I have managed several rather large projects for the DfES, etc, but am now rather heavily involved with the evolving Plymouth 14-19 agenda, specifically the introduction of the new Diploma provision. We are piloting three from 2008, and submitting bids to pilot another seven from 2009. I am working with all seventeen secondary schools, two FE colleges and the University. I am also involved with Peninsula Arts at the University, and several other arts projects, - which keep me in touch with reality. At the moment, Tom and Suzanne are ok, - hopefully leaving some rather traumatic years behind us. Dan is in year 5 at Oxford, reading Medicine, and loving every minute. One more year to go ! We have enjoyed regular visits to Oxford, and will miss it when he moves."

We saw Martyn Yeats at the Old Reigatian Dinner, but he has sent an e-mail to fill us out on what he is doing. " Thanks for the News-Sheet which, as always, is appreciated. My news ? Well, Margaret and I are still living in Brighton & Hove. The kids have largely flown the nest ,- Tom is a paramedic in London, and Rowena is in her final year at Aston reading Human Psychology. I have finally hung up my formal studying boots; - I completed my second Masters degree in 2002 and more recently qualified as a clinical hypnotherapist, - more for fun than anything serious. However, I do see the occasional private patient if they look interesting ! I'm in my third year of running my management consultancy, - infinitely preferable to working for someone else. I've had a variety of health and social care project management contracts across the country. I'm currently doing work for the MS Society and the East Sussex County Council. In my spare time I chair the Board of a local mental health care organisation. We are very busy developing services and winning contracts, which is always exciting.
Martin Arnold and I meet from time to time, - to work our ferrets in local woods, - and that is neither a joke nor a euphemism ! "

Andy Tyerman has regularly sent a Christmas card from Buckinghamshire. Also last November he gave us addresses for his brothers Alan in Paignton and Peter in Barnsley. With these was an update on his family news:

"Ruth, Emma (19), Robin (12) and I live in Ickford, a village in Buckinghamshire near Thame, about twelve miles from Oxford. I continue to work in the NHS as a consultant clinical neuropsychologist and head of service for a community brain injury service in Aylesbury. I undertake regular teaching around the UK, and have been involved over recent years in the development of national standards and guidelines in brain injury rehabilitation. Outside work I play table tennis and badminton, and walk regularly across local fields. I still enjoy mountain walking and kayaking (interests developed with the 16th ) on family holidays, mainly in the Lake District and Swiss Alps, but with excellent recent trips to the Canadian Rockies and the Azores, the latter including a lovely five-hour sail off the coast of Sao Miguel. Ruth is an occupational therapist, also specialising in brain injury rehabilitation, and is the manager for our brain injury vocational rehabilitation programme. Emma is currently in the second year of a degree in Psychology in Education at Lancaster University. She completed her Gold Duke of Edinburgh Award, and spent a month in Tanzania on World Challenge, where she climbed Mt Meru (c.15,000ft) and visited the Ngorongoro Crater, before completing a community project helping to build a school classroom. Robin is studying for AS Biology, PE, Physics, and Psychology. He loves sport and plays basketball and rugby regularly, both at school and in local clubs. He is also very keen on kayaking when the opportunity arises. He works at the local leisure centre earning money for a World Challenge trip to Brazil and the Amazon in July / August 2008."
( I am tempted to keep clear of a house full of psychologists ! )
Let us hope that Alan and Peter will send us their news.

Mark Ingram now lives in Reigate (very near School ) with a garden which is like a park full of colourful plants and fruit trees. Recently this has acquired an office and a 'play room', - what is the difference you may well ask. His children, Alex and Nicky, have twice been to my own garden to cook twists, sausages, baked potatoes and apples in foil. Perhaps they will take this skill to their Woodcraft Folk, - or Scouts ?

After having lost touch with them for several years, we have recently found James and Andrew Powell. James is back living in Reigate, and Andrew is now in Teddington, within half a kilometre of where I spent the first seven years of my life ! Now they must write and tell us what they have been doing for the past fifteen years, please.

Roger Pickard , on his Christmas card, wrote : I do enjoy reading the regular News-Sheet, even though I recognise so few names ! Apart from now having six grandchildren I have little to report myself.

Peter Wheatley writes: " My first full year in the new house. I have done, or had done, major works in the garden, laying paths, re-sowing parts of the lawn, getting fruit and vegetable gardens planted, and getting a patio and raised bed put in. In the house, a new fire-place has been installed, part of the chimney re-built, and the roof re-tiled. Soon I will have my log fire.
"Scouts are still running well, though we have lost our Cub Pack. The leader had to withdraw, and no-one has come forward to fill the gap. My assistant leader gave up last January, and I have been running the Troop on my own. Fortunately, I have several 17- and 18-year-olds who come and help out. Things like camps and trips are too risky to run on my own. This was illustrated rather too well at our New Year camp last winter. We were staying in a bunk-house on the south edge of Dartmoor, and we took the Scouts into Plymouth for a swim. Four of the older lads were allowed to nip across to Toys R Us, about 400m away. They were attacked by a local gang, and one of them was stabbed, with the knife nicking his heart. Fortunately, there was a paramedic ambulance close by, and the boy was saved. I had an assistant leader with me, and he was brilliant, - dealing with the police and all the aftermath of the incident. The boy has made a full recovery. We had a really good Easter camp in Dorset, a Spring bank holiday in Snowdonia, Summer Camp in the Lake District (with many Centenary celebrations), and in the Autumn mountain biking in the Brecon Beacons. So you can see the Troop is still very active ! "

Those in the Group in the early '70s may remember that I was in a similar leadership position, and several parents and teachers came to help at camps. Among these, we have learnt that Alan Clarke, who moved to a school near Manchester, retired last term; and Patrick Carmael will retire from Norwich School at Easter. Alan came to our camp at St.Aubin, Switzerland, and also helped us find accommodation at Sandbach on our way to the Lake District. Patrick helped us out on our first camp on the River Dart in 1975.

I am always cajoling Old Scouts to send us their news, and two or three of you have said I ought to tell you what I do in retirement.
I used to say that when I had to give up cricket, I would take up Bowls. In fact, I took the opportunity to join the Reigate Priory Bowling Club about eight years ago, but continued playing cricket for several seasons. I even played once last year ! Apart from playing bowls about four times a week during the summer, I also join a club working party every Monday morning throughout the year. Then on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday mornings, I go into the Reigate St Mary's Prep School to listen to the 6- and 7-year-olds reading. This is most interesting, and many of them read far better that I did at that age. This is purely voluntary, though they give me a free lunch. Soon after I retired, I learnt that Age Concern were looking for volunteer minibus drivers, so for ten years I gave Friday mornings to picking up elderly people in and around Merstham, and taking them to the Day Centre. Unfortunately, Age Concern has an age-limit for drivers, so now I go to the centre to collect the lunch payments, and help generally. On Saturdays I watch and advise and report on the London Society referees who officiate at the School senior rugby matches. So you see I have a regular weekly time-table, at least during school terms, and on Sundays I go to Church.
When I first came to Reigate (1953!), I had several friends who went to the Methodist Church, so on the rare occasions when I was here for the week-end, I went to the service there. After I bought the maisonette, this became more regular, though I did sometimes go to the Congregational ( now United Reformed ) Church. From about ten years ago, I did this more and more often, and now the Reigate Park Church is my regular place of worship. Scouting is not a religion, but we do hope Scouts will try to find God. I was always glad that our boys were keen to have Prayers at the end of each Troop meeting, and morning and evening in Camp, as well as Scouts' Own services. There was no reluctance, more usually eagerness, by the Scouts themselves to lead the prayers.

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We mentioned in the last issue that our next Reunion should be in late February 2009, but we have had only one comment mentioning any date preference. Please tell us if you have any; and, of course, let us have your news for others to read.

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