Holtwood scouts 70th anniversary

Story:Vin Machin Group Chairman, joined the Scouts, aged 7, in 1943

This year is the 70th anniversary of the foundation of the 205th St Catherine's Scout Group. It was affiliated into the Scout Movement on the 1st April 1943 during the dark days of World War II. The first meetings were held in the sisters’ dining room within the grounds of the old St Catherine's School on Andover Street (now demolished and replaced by Pye Bank School). There were Cubs and Scouts. The first Scout leader was Brother Frank Murphy from De La Salle College on Scott Road, on the site of the housing estate named after the college.

The group was well supported by the school and Canon White, the Parish Priest and it flourished. The Scouts used to help harvest the apples every year from the church orchard and the Convent of Mercy grounds off Burngreave Road.

Funding was always difficult and Bob-A-Job week was an important time when the Scouts went out in uniform to do jobs and raise money for the group. They also used to collect waste paper and jam jars and organise jumble sales.

I can remember making wooden trolleys with four wheels to go out into the community and collect jam jars. Andover Street at that time was a cobbled street and when the trolleys loaded with jam jars travelled on the street – more jars dropped off the trolleys, but it was hilarious and fun.

Eventually from 1950 onwards the group had to change premises and the group was allowed to use the cellar and billiard room in the old youth club at Rockside (a house now demolished just to the right of Osborne House).

Annual camps at Walesby Forest were a regular feature. The Parish Priest, Father Finn, would visit to say morning service and then, after prayers later in the day, return to Sheffield on his motorbike.

The group had always dreamed of having its own headquarters in the area. In 1956, a fundraising committee was set up with the following members: Mr Illingworth, Mr Hammond, Mr Duggan, Mr Jackson, Mr Sheehan, Mr Buckley, Mr Smith and Mr Hart. All had children in the group, all of whom became exceptional leaders dedicated to the group.

There were tombola sessions three times a week, occasional barn dances and raffles. I approached the Sisters of Mercy to persuade them to allow us to use the land at the back of the Convent. Agreement was reached with the Duke of Norfolk for us to rent the land and work began.

The site was 15ft below the level of Holtwood Road and we are always grateful to the residents for allowing 20-30 lorries a day for 2½ weeks to dump building material there to build the level up to allow access. Next we had to find a building to put on the site. In 1958 we visited a disused RAF camp in Cannock Chase and agreed to buy, dismantle and bring the hut to Sheffield on three flat loader lorries. Back on Holtwood Road, everyone worked hard putting in foundations and laying the brick wall on which the hut sits.

During all this time, the group carried on meeting, excited by the plans to build a group hut. Many of the younger generation were now becoming leaders and patrol leaders for the group. I remember P. Duggan of course, who is still living on Holtwood, where he cares for the hut on a daily basis.

We travelled to collect the hut in 1960 and spent three days getting it loaded. On returning to Holtwood there was a rapturous applause and smiles all around. There was so much work to do to put the hut up and prepare the interior. By the end of 1961/early 1962, the headquarters was finally completed and opened officially in the summer of 1962.

We can only thank and remember everyone who took part in these years of work to found the group. We will be holding events to celebrate this later in the year and we hope you will take part. This is the first part of our history. If you would like more information, please contact 205stcaths@gmail.com

(An edited version of this article appeared in the February 2013 edition of the Burngreave Messenger)