Part I: Seals teeth and whales ears - Scott Polar Research Institute ...

inculcated self-reliance and practical problem solving and I suppose it also taught
me something about leadership. Another interesting part of my life at that time was
a number of weekend visits which I made to High Tower Plantation further south
along Windermere, where there was a scout hut and I met some interesting people. I
also learnt about woodcraft. One of the things I remember was how easy it was to
make a "well" in the mossy/peaty soil, which collected clear, naturally filtered,
drinkable water. Scout camps in ‘the holidays’ were one of the highlights, where we
cooked over campfires and put into practice what we had learnt.
My younger brother Michael, had not initially come to Windermere, but with
some other boys he was evacuated later. I felt a strong responsibility for him and
helped him to settle in. On account of his age he was not billeted out, but lived in the
‘School House’ with other younger boys. Occasionally he came over to Green Gables
for a treat and we played cards or otherwise entertained him. He was a very likeable
and charming lad, three years younger than myself. One memorable day I took him
to Langdale, by bicycle. The two of us spent the day scrambling up the Dungeon
Ghyll, collecting blaeberries. We followed no particular path, but made our way up
the rocky stream, wandering upwards through fields of the berries, eating as many
as we collected and getting our faces stained blue with the juice. One of my favourite
dishes still, is summer-pudding made with blueberries, which was something that
Freda Woods introduced me to. Michael joined the scout troop and appreciated the
varied activities. I think he also participated in the tree felling and bridge building at
the Ferry Hotel.
In September l940, aged 14, I went on my First Class hike for the Boy Scouts; I
think my companion was ‘Thos’ Walker. We went by bus to Troutbeck, with full kit
and camping equipment - I suppose about 40-50 lbs each. We made our way by
Troutbeck Church to Long Green Head Farm and a cart track, and then through
swampy ground by Hagg Ghyll we reached the foot of Froswick. There was a steep
climb up a valley between Froswick and the Tongue and then over scree to the top of
Froswick (2359 ft). A Roman road runs along the ridge. We followed this undulating
path by Ill Bell (2476 ft) and Old Yoke (2163 ft), from where we cut across moorland
and then descended to Kentmere village. Pitching camp in the field behind the Post
Office, having covered about 15 miles, we cooked supper (dumplings, boiled
potatoes and beans, stewed plums).
After a good night's rest, we washed, lit a fire and had breakfast (cornflakes,
scrambled eggs and twists). Then we struck camp and set off in rain through Hall
Woods and, using the compass, to High Borrans, where we had lunch. From there
we went back to Orrest Head and so on down to the Windermere Railway Station.
As we later learnt an error in the instructions from Charles Hay had added a number
of miles to the journey and we had covered about 25 miles. I had to write a report,
which I still have and I see that Charles Hay wrote, encouragingly: "One of the best
1st Class Journey Reports I have had. There is little to criticize. Map, sketches are
excellent and the layout of the report could not be much better. Well done!" Of
course it wasn't all that good, but Charles knew that encouragement is good for the
young.
During my time as a scout I put in a lot of effort into passing various
qualifications, starting with tying knots and mastering rope-lashings. Later I
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