The Scout Hut, Totley Hall Lane

Until 1933 there were no Scouts in Totley, the nearest group being 2 miles away at St. John's Church Abbeydale Road where Dr. Mary Andrews was the Scout Master. There was never any obvious interest from my two elder brothers, possibly because Totley village was very remote from the activities so far away or, because they knew that my Father was of the opinion that Scouts were the beginning of militarism, and would not allow them to join. Nor did I hear of any village boys who had the urge to join. 

Then, in 1933, during a discussion with six 13 year-old boys at the end of a Sunday-school class in the 'Tin-tabernacle' room of All Saint's School, Lesley Aubrey, (Aubrey to those close to him), an enthusiastic and enterprising teacher, suggested that they should form a troupe of Totley Scouts. The first problem was a place to meet, and here, after a little negotiating with Mrs Milner of Totley Hall, they were offered the white-tiled old round kitchen at the base of the turret, which still contained the circular wrought-iron staircase that led to the large dining room above. Sadly three of the boys; Ken Seals, Vin and Ken Webster, lost their lives very early in the second world war, and the names of the other three elude me. However, the following extract from the All Saints Church magazine of January 1937 may threw some light on one of them, for the name of Johnson is mentioned, possibly indicating that this was John Johnson of Lanehead who was the same age and a friend of Jeff’s, perhaps someone will remember a friend or relative who was one of the other two originals. 

With Aubrey as their Scoutmaster the troupe flourished, and in 1935 Jeff, now a King's Scout, had the great honour of representing Derbyshire at the St. George's Day Parade of Boy Scouts in the great Hall and Chapel at Windsor Castle. One of his proudest memories was his meeting with King George 5th an experience to be repeated in 1937 when he represented Derbyshire again at Windsor Castle, this time to meet the new King George 6th. Jeff was a dedicated King's Scout, and the family were very proud when he represented Derbyshire at the World Scout Jamboree in Scotland a year later; a week he said he would never forget with memories of the King moving freely amongst them and heartily joining in with their songs, as well as the many friends he made from all over the world. 

The following is an extract from the Parish leaflet of All Saints' Church Totley in January 1937. 

SCOUT GROUP 

ROVER SCOUTS. The Commissioner is taking the necessary steps to license the formation of a Rover Scout Crew in connection with the Group. Thus will All Saint's Group be complete. A preliminary meeting of those interested will be held when an outline of Rovering will be given. Will any at all interested please send their names at once, either to the Vicar or Mr. Aubrey? They will then receive notice of the meeting. ‘The age limit is over 17’. 

BOY SCOUTS. It is with mixed feelings that we report the resignation of A.S.M. Rawson. We look back on many happy times with him and recall his willing spirit to be of service at all times. Those of us who have been to camp with him know what a stalwart he was there. Mr. Aubrey loses a real supporter and adviser by his departure. We congratulate him on his appointment as Scoutmaster of St. Chad's Sheffield and wish him the best of luck and happiness in his new work. May we take this opportunity of thanking the many people who have helped two of our Scouts to raise funds for the Troup by joining their Christmas Club. It was nice to have a visit from our Brother Scouts of Our Lady and S. Thomas Troup recently when we had a most rollicking meeting together. 

Troup Leader Jeffrey Salt gives weekly instructions to the Troup in Physical Training - passing on knowledge he gained at a special course for leaders in Chesterfield. We welcome Deric R Platt who comes to us from the Cubs. Johnson gains his 2 years star and Barr his first. 

Wolf Cubs. The Cubs recently had a lantern lecture on their meeting night called "A journey to Switzerland" which contained some fine slides of the Rhineland and Switzerland. Interest was added by A.S.M. Balbernie who has recently visited these places & was able to illuminate things by his reminiscences. Thanks to the L.N.E.R. for the free loan of these l00 fine slides. 

'CYMRY'
Perhaps someone reading this will know where the Totley Church Scouts met after Mrs. Milner left Totley Hall for Baslow, Jeff could only remember that it was a Hall somewhere, but where? and for how long?. War was declared on September 3rd, 1939 and next morning Jeff volunteered for the R.A.F. depleting the Scouts of four of its founder members. My son Arthur was the Scribe to the Scouts in 1953 when the new Scout Hut in Hall Lane was opened by Mrs. Tozer of Totley Hall. This Group he says were the ‘1st Totley Scouts’ as today, but when were they founded? and what happened to 'Totley All Saint's Scout Group?'.

Jo Rundle

December 2005

Totley Scouts

by Jo Rundle

         Lesley Aubrey (left) Totley All Saints Scoutmaster 1930-39



There is so much speculation and interest in the first Totley Scouts that I think the following might be of interest. In 1930 a man called Aubrey formed a Scout Group when Mrs Milner allowed them to use the room under the Turret kitchens as their headquarters and my brother Jeff age ten was one of the first to enrol. They were a very dedicated group and by the time he was fifteen he had qualified as a King’s Scout and been invited on two occasions to attend Windsor Castle for special celebrations and later, after the death of King George the Fifth, to represent Derbyshire at the Jamboree held near the Scottish border in 1l937. Thousands of Scouts from all over the world gathered with the new King George 6th.when their singing and hand-slapping ‘Hands, Knees, and Upsa-daisies’ went with the rhythm.

Their Headquarters remained in the little kitchen and was quite adequate as they spent most of their time on manoeuvres in the little wood and in the stream. Then came the War in 1939 when Jeff and my next in line brother Geoff immediately volunteered, Elijah the eldest was not allowed as he was in a reserved occupation as the pattern maker of the moulds for making the complicated bricks that lined the kilns when special designs were called for.

No more Scouting was done until 1944 when, so far as England was concerned the war was over, although it continued in Germany until August 12th. 1945. My son Arthur lived with my parents from the age of 2 to the age of 7 whilst I was busy as a SJAB Sister at First-aid Post 13 Prince of Wales Road Darnall when we lived at Gleadless, but soon we were to leave when I bought a field next to the Leylands on Moorwood Lane and created a nursery garden. Our son was now 12yrs. old and had become a Totley Scout, when, I believe, Birley was the name of the Scoutmaster. It is obvious that Arthur had been the scribe for, many years later after leaving Grammar School, and spending four years at Durham University he spent the next eight years in Antarctica and it was during this time that I found the scribes book in a drawer in his room and noticing that it had not been used for so many years I took it to Totley and was advised to take it to a man called Carter, which I did, but, having arrived amid some sort of argument, he took it from my hand and threw it through an open door onto a sofa in an adjoining room. Nobody knows what happened to it since!!

I remember the wooden Scout-hut newly built just over the curb in the field that later was to be the site of the new College. It was to be officially opened the following day by Lady ? who lived in a very large house off Newfield Road, or Lane, Dore. The date 1946, College opened about 1952; I remember standing on Moorwood Lane with G.H.B. Ward and looking down on it when he said "It’s like a great big packing case".

October 2011

From J. W. Abson

I was in the Totley Scouts in 1938, before John Tinsdale and John Wood joined. Tinsdales took the grocers shop (run by Walter Evans at that time) at the top of Main Avenue. John Wood of course arrived in Totley when his father also John Wood came from Norton to be Headmaster at All Saints School. I remember him having a house built just before Main Avenue. 

The Scout Master at that time was called Mr Aubrey. I believe his first name was Leslie and he lived on the Laverdene Estate. He was helped by another Rover Scout by the name of Epworth. The Scout Hut was in what is now the car park at The Crown Inn We used to go to camp some weekends in Farmer Kelk and Farmer Inkeringill fields both of Fanshawe Gate but as most of the scouts at that time were in the choir we had to be back to sing in the choir for the evening service at All Saints Church, otherwise the Vicar Rev Jerry Hutton would be rather displeased. There was also a Lady Akela for the cubs, I cannot recall her name but she lived down Main Avenue, near Baggy Parker, her brother was also in the scouts. I also remember going with the troop to Chesterfield Church for a special service and we walked there and back. It is pleasing to know that scouting in Totley is still going strong. 

November 2011