The decade started with the Group in good order. We had a fine HQ, adequate funds, a good supply of modern boats, good equipment, a transit van and enthusiastic leaders. Our Golden Jubilee Dinner/Dance and Open Day had been very successful. Older members had been reunited and introduced to the new look scouting to come. A good example was the Venture Unit, now mixed and with a 30% female membership. VSL Bryn Porter recorded “Much improved morale and behaviour in this challenging age group”. All sections were to become mixed very soon, and this would affect the way we planned our activities, organised the site facilities and trained leaders to take these changes forward in a positive manner. We held a Group Jubilee Camp at Polyapes and with 121 members and families attending, it was probably our largest gathering under canvas.
Running the Group was now costing about £30 per member each year, “Very good value for money”. Assistant County Commissioner Ken Krisp considered us “The best Group in the County” at the 1981 AGM.
We celebrated “75 Years Of Scouting” in 1982 with a Barn Dance, an It’s A Knockout competition and a Campfire in our grounds. We also joined with the Isleworth and Osterley District to celebrate their Golden Jubilee the following year. Training was given to two members to prepare them for five weeks at sea in the Transatlantic Tall Ships Race in 1984.
Our Beaver Colony was formed in January 1984 for children aged six and a half to eight years. The grey uniform and light blue scarf seemed strange colours at the time. They can of course now wear our Group colours. Securing these young people has proved a great benefit to the Group in maintaining a good intake into subsequent sections for the future.
In memory of Arthur Beal who had helped the Group and the District on the site for many years the new Venture Unit Room constructed at the end of the boathouse was named The Beal Room. A memorial sailing berth was also set up in his name with the Ocean Youth Club (OYC).
New rules allowed the Cubs to camp in the grounds for the first time and the older ones attended a “Beat Your Neighbours” camp at Downe in Kent. By the mid eighties we were busy planning ahead for a projected scout event in Ethiopia and the venture unit’s expedition to Iceland. Obsolete boats, camping equipment and our transit van needed replacement. The poor state of the banking along the River Crane caused concern but boating was thriving, and in 1985 the GSL recorded that “We could get 64 members afloat at one time and that the children go home tired and dirty but have had lots of fun”. That is what Sea Scouting is all about. A plaque was added to the Steve Tibble Award in recognition of the hard work and service given by GSL Brian Fall over many years.
Security of the HQ again came under review following a series of break-ins and vandalism. The Government Youth Training Scheme was put to good effect when the HQ received a facelift in a bamboo and spice colour scheme. The Beal Room was officially opened in May 1985 where it was decided not to encourage the wearing of stiletto heels!
First news of the impending flood prevention work on the River Crane was announced. This would have a dramatic effect on the site later on. Fund raising continued with book sales, sponsored walks and swims, card sales, donations from local firms and the first of our famous car boot sales, a money making idea that used the site to full advantage. Success in swimming galas, sailing and gang shows and gold, silver and bronze achievements in the Duke of Edinburgh award scheme reflected a healthy active Group. Indeed the Scouts had a waiting list with 37 invested members.
An ongoing threat to our privacy came in 1986 with the proposal to extend the riverside footpath from Nazareth House to the footpath at Railshead. During a gale a tree fell on the toilet block roof and later a series of fires started, a timely reminder that running a Group on your own land was not confined to just providing scouting activities for members. 1987 was designated as “roof conservation year” as the HQ roof also needed urgent repairs. The Local Authority was to inspect all trees on the site as a safety measure.
The Beavers now had a short waiting list. SRS Reclaim started a cadet section for girls aged 10 -13 years and planned to become fully integrated with the Third Osterley. “A marriage was planned”. December 1986 saw the Group move into the new District of Heston and Isleworth. The death of our Chairman Len (Smoky) Williams, a long-standing and loyal member of the Group and Scout Guild occurred at this time. A memorial plaque in the Wardroom remembers him. The Venture Unit’s expedition to Iceland had been a great adventure and success. They were commended for “Not only taking part but entirely planning and running their own event”. They were now considering the Great Wall of China. With 127-recorded members in the Group the need for more leaders was urgent. With over £20,000 passing through the Group account each year the need for a responsible Executive Committee to support the uniformed team was vital. In this the Group is very lucky.
1988 saw 25 years of Venture Scouting. Our own Mercury VS Unit was a fine example of what this age group can achieve with a little guidance. This made the sudden death of VSL Bryn Porter even more tragic. He had served in all sections of the Group, been a founder member of the District Gang Show team, provided an unrivaled collection of films and photographs for us, and steered the Venture Unit to success over many years. His family and Scouting lost one of the best. The fine brass bell on the main deck is in his memory, and his face is there, along with “Pa” Wright, to greet you in the Wardroom.
Pam Swift handed the tiller of SRS Reclaim to Vivian Bywater ready for the joining together of the Sea Rangers and the Third Osterley. A Memorandum of Understanding was signed and sealed with a kiss between GSL Fall and Skipper Bywater. The Sea Rangers were now fully incorporated as a section of The Third. Girls were “Free to have dual membership with the Venture Unit but would have to pay membership fees to both sections”.
All sections other than the Sea Rangers had full books in 1989 and preparations were put in hand to celebrate our 60th anniversary in 1990. This had been a decade of great achievements by our boys and girls. We had updated our equipment where necessary, survived the initial threat to our site privacy and lost key members, but the family spirit was strong and well able to move into the last decade of the twentieth century with confidence.
1930s 1940s 1950s 1960s 1970s 1980s 1990s The New Millennium
Key World Events of the 1980s
- John Lennon shot dead
- Charles marries Diana
- Argentina invades Falkland islands
- 1st Live aid concert
- Chernobyl accident releases radiation
- Jet crashes in Lockerbie
- Fall of the Berlin Wall
