Trooping the colours as Portsmouth scouts go platinum

Hundreds, if not thousands of lads '“ and now lasses '“ have passed through the 54th Portsmouth (Great Salterns) Scout Group in the past seven decades.
Summer camp 1986. Rear: David Coppini; Middle (l to r): Paul Clark, Paul Holman, Chris Hall, Ed Morehouse, Paul Pascoe; Front: Peter Adams and John PenfoldSummer camp 1986. Rear: David Coppini; Middle (l to r): Paul Clark, Paul Holman, Chris Hall, Ed Morehouse, Paul Pascoe; Front: Peter Adams and John Penfold
Summer camp 1986. Rear: David Coppini; Middle (l to r): Paul Clark, Paul Holman, Chris Hall, Ed Morehouse, Paul Pascoe; Front: Peter Adams and John Penfold

Now they are planning a celebration to mark their 70th anniversary and would like as many old boys and girls as possible to attend.

The Baffins-based group was formed in 1946, immediately after the Second World War as scouters and ex-scouts were demobbed from the services.

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Then the troop was run by Johnny Hoskins and met at Westover Road School, less than a quarter of a mile from where its HQ now stands and hence the inclusion of Great Salterns in its title.

Cubs from the 54 Great Salterns group heave their trekking cart over Copnor Bridge, Copnor, Portsmouth, in the early 1950s.Cubs from the 54 Great Salterns group heave their trekking cart over Copnor Bridge, Copnor, Portsmouth, in the early 1950s.
Cubs from the 54 Great Salterns group heave their trekking cart over Copnor Bridge, Copnor, Portsmouth, in the early 1950s.

The group’s meeting place changed several times from Westover Road School to George Street School and then to Langstone School where it stayed for 18 years.

Perhaps the most important decision made by the group was to build its own HQ which was opened in 1976 by Sir Alec Rose.

- The 70th anniversary reunion takes place on Friday, September 16 from 7.30pm at a pub in the Copnor area. There will be a finger buffet and the night will close about 11.30pm.

E-mail group leader John Penfold via [email protected] for details of the venue and to confirm attendance.

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