1950 saw the final stages in the purchase of the site. The cost of repairing the banks as required by the Port of London Authority encouraged Nazareth House to seriously consider selling the land. The Borough Council no longer intended to prevent the Group from purchasing “The Meadow” with a strip along the river front. Sale would be subject to two conditions:
- That a 6’ high fence should be erected between the Group property and Nazareth House gardens
- That the Group should be responsible for camp sheathing the bank.
It was hoped to obtain grants to cover much of this work and negotiations for the purchase were completed for a nominal sum of £25.
The present success and independence of the Group is a direct result of the foresight of “Pa” and the trustees of that time in purchasing the site, which provides not only a fine base for Sea Scouting but a valuable source of income from varied activities.
Moorings were vacated at J.S. Waite, just upriver, and the boats moored opposite the Group HQ. Later they were moved back, but above the half tide lock. A Nissen hut 36’ x 16’, and 10’ high was purchased for £40 for use as a workshop and Rover den. First moves were made to form the Third Osterley Old Scouts Guild. In the Admiralty inspection, practical boat work and whaler races were observed by the Mayor and Mayoress of Heston and Isleworth from a fine cabin cruiser berthed in mid river.
The early fifties were a difficult period in our history. “Men returning from the forces did not find it easy to carry on scouting as before”. Numbers were dropping and the Group had financial problems. At the end of 1951 there were just 17 Cubs and 30 boys in the Troop. £200 was granted to us by I.H.Q. towards necessary work needed for the HQ and site. The remaining £115 was to be raised by the Group. £60 was available and great effort went into raising the rest. Doing much of the work ourselves and salvaging waste paper recouped some cost.
In June 1951, a new Sea Ranger Crew “Reclaim” was formed. The name had been taken from the Royal Naval deep diving ship. The Group guaranteeing their right to share the Headquarters and grounds presented the Sea Rangers with a Charter.
By 1952 our numbers had dropped to 11 Cubs, 21 Juniors and 10 Seniors. Admiralty inspection and recognition demanded 32 boys under 17. Urgent recruitment by “Advertising at once” was considered. The dedication of the Scouters helped the Group survive this period.
“Pa” had been GSM since the Group’s foundation. Through his efforts the challenge of Scouting was made available to boys of all backgrounds. We had our own HQ on our own site.
Mr. E. Crawford took over as GSM and the message of the day was “We need to go forward with renewed vigour to get our Third back on its feet again”.
In 1953 a large grant was obtained from the Thames Youth Venture Organisation and soon our Group and amenities were “The envy of the County”. Numbers were still poor and it was decided to let people know we were Sea Scouts by erecting a large notice board on the site. The Rovers were well occupied on boat repairs and work on the den, which they discovered, should have been demolished 2 years after construction!
The terms of the Thames Youth Venture Scheme gave a boathouse, slipway and repair facilities to other youth organisations as well as Middlesex Sea Scouts. Administration of the Base was by the Third Osterley and opening was on 17th September 1955. The County at first wanted 300 feet of river frontage, but later it was agreed to use 100 feet and leave 200 feet for houseboat moorings as a source of income for the Group. As things became more organised, health and safety became an important matter. Fire buckets, a fire hose and protection for the site in the way of fencing were purchased. Life jackets became essential for boating activities. More boys had been recruited particularly in the Cubs. The Rover den had been very comfortably refurbished. By the end of 1955 our Group was well on its feet again. Mr. L. Barber took over as GSM from Mr. E. Crawford.
The HQ building had been a bargain when purchased, but by 1956 it was recognised that it would not last for many more years. Our numbers were growing steadily and the Group Committee was asked to help raise money for a new HQ. Whist drives, hire of the hall, sales of football draw tickets and jumble sales were held. £15 came from a donation on the disbanding of the 2nd Isleworth. We helped London Transport at their Annual Sports Day and also assisted at the Daily Mail Boat Show. Training was given to boys in order to obtain charge certificates needed for boating duties.
1957 was a very successful year. We won the Johnson Trophy at the District sports, the Amesbury Cup at the County Gala and the Collar Cup and Eagle trophy at the District Gala. The large poplar trees by the gateway were felled. At the AGM the ADC reminded us that “Scouting was for the boy and the grounding he obtained was invaluable in making him self-reliant”. Mr. A. E. Young became our new G5M. We had 81 invested Scouts and Cubs and 10 Leaders on our books.
A new Senior Scout section was formed in August 1958 with nine Senior Scouts. A pictorial record of this section can be viewed in the Wardroom. This adventurous age group was kept busy with challenging camps and night hikes and later built their own fleet of canvas kayaks. The Old Scouts Guild was busy making gadgets for disabled people and the Group Committee were making plaster cast models to raise money. Thoughts of the new HQ were taking shape and the idea of building round the old one was favoured.
A license was obtained for use of a hose to wash boats but the Water Board wished to know the number of boats to be washed per week or year to assess the rates! The roof of the HQ was causing concern and was re-covered in one week despite torrential rain. Phil Gibbard ‘Akela’ who had died in 1956 was remembered by the unveiling of a memorial plaque in HQ. It was with sadness that the death of our founder “Pa” Wright was also recorded, but he will always be remembered in the Group. A memorial award is presented each year to the boy or girl showing most effort in scouting activities. We were involved with his new group, the Third Brentford in a joint show when he died. The show went on and was very successful. For £4 we acquired one dozen tropical naval kits from surplus, as stage property.
Summer Fair 1958 was opened by Bruce Seaton of TV fame as Fabian of the Yard, having been rowed to our site from Isleworth. 3000 handbills were distributed for a grand firework night display to swell funds. The GSM said, “Perhaps our dreams of a new HQ will come true earlier than expected”. 1959 saw all sections at camps and full participation and success in the sports and gala events locally. Max Miller was the celebrity guest at a fund raising fair that year. At the London Sea Scouts meeting on St. Marys Island, Chatham we joined 1500 Sea Scouts under canvas. The camp was honoured by a visit by the Commodore for Sea Scouts, the late Earl Mountbatten of Burma.
Repair work to the fence between Nazareth House and us was necessary and we offered to help in future tree felling within their grounds. The building committee had investigated 3 types of building on different sites to evaluate costs, and financially we had raised about one third of the estimated target.
The outlook became brighter at the prospect of obtaining suitable steel framework possibly at scrap value. Consultation with the Borough Surveyor followed and very soon the steel framework was on the site.
The boys set to with wire brushes and paint, and development plans were well in hand. The generosity and help given by parents, Scouters, and local firms is recorded on a plaque in the new HQ today. As the fifties came to a close our scouting activities reflected a successful and energetic Group.
1930s 1940s 1950s 1960s 1970s 1980s 1990s The New Millennium
Key World Events of the 1950s
- US Government tests hydrogen bomb
- Jitterbug is the latest dance craze in the US
- King dies; Elizabeth becomes queen
- Edmund Hilary scales Mount Everest
- Einstein dies
- Elvis first appears on television
- Soviets send a dog named Laika into space
