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Scout Jamboree Sutton park

My wife, who was 15 at the time of the Sutton Jamboree, visited the campsites with her parents to meet some of the scouts from around the world. They happened to meet up with some Dutch sea scouts and really enjoyed swapping stories to the point that they invited three of them back for a meal at there house in Sutton. The scouts visited the house a few times and a close friendship resulted. A year later my wife was invited by the family of one of the boys to visit them in Utrecht. My wife's father, who had business contacts in Holland, checked that everything was above board and gave her permission to go on a visit to Holland. She spent an excellent 2 weeks travelling around Holland including a visit to Amsterdam. The following year the sister of the Dutch family visited Sutton for 3 weeks. My wife still cherishes these memories of the Jamboree and the resulting visit to Holland.
 
I own a smallish paperback book all about Sutton, it contains a couple of paragraphs about the Jamboree. I will copy the text and put it on this thread if anyone is interested.
 
Scanning through the posts of this thread the date most quoted is 1957. I wonder if the Scouting Jamboree took place every ten years? I would not have been in Sutton Park in 1957 - the RAF had other ideas about my location at that time, but I do rememberer as a junior scout, being at a Jamboree somewhere between 1947 and 1950.
 
Alan we used to have Jamborees every year at Handsworth Park I was still going as a Queen Scout at 18 that would have been 1961. Dek
 
View attachment 64373View attachment 64374View attachment 64377You are right Dek, there was a Scout Rally every year in Handsworth Park. Alan that is where you would have gone as all my friends in scouting in Sutton came each year. We had the most amazing time every year with the parades on the streets and in the park and the fund raising booths the groups set up.I am pleased to say it is 49 years this year since taking my Part 1 Wood badge and I am still friends with other scouters I met on the course and my Part 2 the following year.
These are two Scout Rally photos from 1966.of St Mary's Cubs, Handsworth. The small photo is me with out cub pack at Yorks Wood. not sure how to enlarge it as it is scanned. Click and it will enlarge slightly. Mo
 
The Scout Jamboree was obviously enjoyed by countless thousands over the years and there must be many memories that we will never hear of because not every ex-scout is a member of this great forum. I was never in the scouts but I did try the Boys Brigade for a short time but my dad considered me helping on the allotment to be more important. When I would have been finally able to get involved I was a teenager and found other things to do.
 
I am not sure but I have always believed the venue to be Sutton Park. I only ever went to one Jamboree and that was the one I mentioned which was an International one.

I recall log fires with foreign Scouts singing and of course it was the first occasion I had slept under canvas: albeit a rotten canvas which tore as soon a someone tried to stand upright!!
 
I used to help my dad on the allotment off Oxhill Road. He shared a hut with Mr Nightingale, I just loved it.
 
Alan, the Jamboree at Sutton Park was amazing, my brother was a Yorks Wood Rover and they helped with security and first aid I think. I thought there were 65,000 there but I am not sure. We went to visit just for the day. Not having a car it was a long way from Handsworth.
My scouting friends when I was older were all involved with the Sutton Gang Show and some still are.
Tents were certainly not what they are today but we had fun and have many happy memories.
 
A photo I took in Sutton Park a few years ago of the 1957 Jamboree Commemorative Plaque. I think it was bronze so hope it's still there.
Jamboree_1957.jpg
 
All I can remember of the Jamboree is going to find the son of friends of my Mom who was over with the Belgian scouts. He was frozen and all his clothes were soaking wet so we took him home, gave him a hot meal and dried all his stuff off ~ I reckon the weather was pretty grim
 
My late Dad was a scout master (skip) at that time. I remember that he attended with some scouts from Ambrosden in Oxfordshire.
Wasn't it called The Jubilee Jamboree?

Will have to see if I can find any photos or postcards from there.
 
I have some pics of my mom and my cousin at the Jamboree, will try to get organised this week and scan and post them - along with the other pics I need to put on other threads!!
Sue
 
Hi TCWARDPLUMBERS
I am afraid it is hard toknow if this is you end or on the Forum. Due to the Forum being attacked last week a lot of the photos can't be opend. Members are doing their best to replace what they can. If you scroll up to oldmohawk above,A photo I took in Sutton Park a few years ago of the 1957 Jamboree, if you can see the plaque, then you should be ok.
regards Stars
 
hi stars,thank you for your reply, i can see the picture,but i am having a problem opening attached thumb nails, i am not sure how to open them, i may be doing the wrong thing . again thank you for your reply terry
 
I was a Senior Scout with 70th Birmingham (King Edwards) at the time of the Jamboree. I did not attend, but we spent a day putting up some of the army tents beforehand - the canopy but not the walls. Our patrol took about an hour for the first one, but once we got the idea, we got it down to about 20 minutes (efficiency!), we erected about a dozen by the end of the day. We were all totally knackered!

We also put up an aerial ropeway for the BBC during the event. They were interviewing participants from around the world, and each one arrived to meet the interviewer via our ropeway. Never saw the programme as far as I can recall - all programmes were live back then, I think.

We had great times back then - we could go anywhere in the City, and beyond on the Midland Red. We felt invincible and the world was at our feet!
 
Maybe one of your tents was amongst those in the photo below. I had previously put it in the Sutton Park thread here/click.
Noting your Location reminds me of many weeks I spent living in a company house on Carolina Trace near Sanford.
oldmohawk
 

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I went to the Jamboree .It was in 1957.I was in hospital at the Forelands in Bromsgrove.They arranged a mini bus so that we,orthopaedic patients,could visit the globe centre piece.I was not long back on my feet and took my crutches.My Mom and Dad met us there I remember it well,,,I would be 14yr old then
 
I was brought up in Sutton Coldfield and even though I was only 6 remember visiting the jamboree on the day of the Queen's visit. I vaguely remember her going by in the car. The Jamboree was a big event for Sutton and was talked about for years. I joined the Brownies when I was about 7 so it probably had some influence on me.
 
I lived in Sutton Coldfield in Clifton Road between Manor road & Windley pool lane and I remember the Scout Jamboree well. One American boy gave me a piece of 'Fools Gold' which I still have today, I think he was from Texas.
 
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