Lindisfarne trail

The Lindisfarne trail is mentioned in the North Northumberland District page of the County Scouts website. Ford and Etal Scouts walked it in 2008 (obviously before the scout troop chose to leave the Scouting Association) so if you wish to find out more look at 'Ford and Etal Scouts meet the challenge' day 3. Click here

North Northumberland District Scouts

You may have noticed that there has been no activity on this blog for over a year. This is not because the Scout Troop has not been active. We have continued to be active, as much as we can, eg participation in the bivi weekend and survival skills camps held at Causey Park last year. Unfortunately, there was no District or County Camp and the Water Skills weekend at Kielder did not go ahead.

Further to this, we have had huge problems with the District. As most of you already know, the District claimed that Nick had been verbally abusive to Beaver Scouts and had taken them out into the pitch black woods without another adult. He is very grateful to all those Beaver Scout parents who have shown their support and have stated that they do not believe the claims. The District is unwilling or unable to provide any evidence! Either Joanne or Neil have been with Nick on any such occasion. The District has not sought any information from anyone who works with Nick in scouting!

The District has also claimed that Nick was running camps without the appropriate qualification to do so, despite the fact that Nick has never run a scout camp (being the Assistant Scout Leader and not the Scout Leader!) and at such camps has given alcohol to the scouts.

When we have been at camp we have ensured that there has always been a Nights Away Permit holder. The NAP holder, according to scouting rules, should check up on us during the camp, but this has only ever happened when our delegated NAP holder has been from outside the District. In other words, the District is prepared to turn a blind eye to the behaviour of certain personalities within the District but fabricates evidence against those that it does not approve of! It transpired that an explorer scout was supposed to have said at school that he had been drinking alcohol. However, the explorer scout in question has denied this via email to District, stating that it must have been a misunderstanding since, with his mother's knowledge and permission, he had a drink at a new year's part at Nick's house.

The District is unwilling to investigate the matter. The Acting District Commissioner, Gwyn Mackenzie, who is also county commissioner, is not prepared to do anything about the situation. The Scouting Association at higher levels has also closed ranks and obviously hopes that the whole matter will go away.

Peter Coates, District Chairman, has stated to scout parents that Nick is unfit to be left in the presence of children! Nick is a teacher! He is also very popular with the scouts.

All we can assume is that Nick has been targeted, and used as a scapegoat, since he is always happy to say his piece regarding areas that need to be improved within North Northumberland District ie communication, training, inter-group support etc.

As a result, some parents have refused to let their children have anything to do with the Scouting Association and those of us that are left are disgusted with the whole organisation.

The whole group, who have had anything much to do with Nick, are behind him. He has been instrumental in getting the group back on its feet ever since taking over the running of beavers, which has led to greater numbers in cubs, and with Joanne taking scouts to being 'the most active troop in the District' (according to Paul Marshall, in charge of District training).

Without question, the new year will see major changes to Ford and Etal Scouts. We will post more information soon.

If you wish to support and fight for Nick we would be very grateful. The following email addresses should be useful:

Peter Coates, District Chairman - coatespeterkay@talktalk.net

Gwyn Mckenzie, Acting District Commissioner/County Commissioner - cc@northumberlandscouts.org.uk

Northumberland County Scouts HQ - info@northumberlandscouts.org.uk

Scouting Association HQ - info.centr​e@scout.org​.uk

We suggest that all of the above are contacted. If you wish to contact Ford and Etal Scouts via email, our address is fordandetalscouts@hotmail.co.uk

Trick or treat

Beware! Hallowe'en approaches and a motley gang of ferocious, horrific scouts are preparing to wend their maggot-ridden way through the villages of Ford and Etal.

Don't run away in terror from the blood curdling demonic band. For they are on a charitable mission, collecting donations for Grace House, the forthcoming Children's Hospice for the North East. All donations (though probably hard currency will help the Hospice most!) will be gratefully received.

Scouts should meet at 2pm, Friday 31st October outside the Black Bull, in appropriate costume.

Quiz Night - Thank you

The Northumberland Quiz Night proved to be a hit with all who attended.

Quiz Master, Nick Allen, provided a range of questions based on some better known, some obscure and some intriguing facts. Meanwhile Kitchen Kommandant, Joanne Hall, rustled up a huge pot of homemade lentil soup and a fabulous array of stotties - and of course including ham and pease pudding!

Altogether we made £170. Not bad for a fun and informative, social evening out!

A huge thank you to all who donated and/or attended.

Scouts make a splash!

Ford and Etal Scouts once again carried on the area's excellent scouting traditions, this time by attending a Water Activities weekend organised by Northumberland County Scouts Activities Coordinator, Paul Henderson, at Hawkhirst Adventure Camp, Kielder.

Eight Scouts and one Explorer Scout from Ford and Etal made the journey alongside Scout Leader, Joanne Hall, and Assistant Scout Leader, Nick Allen, to meet up with Scout and Explorer Groups from all over Northumberland, Newcastle and North Tyneside. Camping in woods just metres away from the shore of Kielder Water added to the whole adventurous atmosphere.



The Adventure Camp, which is run by the Scouting Association, provides the facilities, equipment and expertise for a wide range of water-based activities under the direct supervision of qualified instructors and safety staff. However, this weekend would concentrate on just three of these.

In spite of the wet and miserable Friday night, which could do nothing to dampen the Group�s spirits, Saturday morning greeted everyone with fabulous autumnal sunshine glistening across the tranquil Kielder Water. Peace and quiet was not to last long as the Scouts were about to be let loose like pillaging Vikings hell bent on rampage and destruction! Ford and Etal were grouped with our Mid Northumberland neighbours, Felton and Rothbury, to undertake bell-boating. Bell boats were a completely new experience for the scouts, being like two long canoes joined together in parallel and designed for a crew of twelve. Ford and Etal were joined by Felton Scouts to form one crew and led to a lot of hilarity while the boaters tried, first of all, to paddle in synchronisation and then to work out how to steer. After a little practise, the crew was easily outstripping the Rothbury boat in friendly races. The safety staff were always fairly close by and constantly checking that all was well, but seemed to take great delight in allowing the swash from their speedboats batter the bell boats with an affront of waves.

The afternoon saw a change of activity to canoeing. This involved the open topped Canadian canoe type craft enabling two, three or four people in together. Again, this required all involved to work as a team while developing their canoeing skills. After an hour or so of this, confidence had obviously built and combined with the natural playful spirit of the children led to a lot of capsizing and getting totally drenched. Everyone had a fabulous time.




After a good drying off and change into dry clothes, followed by an evening meal of curry, all from the group joined up with Mid Northumberland Explorers and Felton Scouts around the camp fire for a good sing song and story telling to conclude the day.

The final activity to participate in was Rafting. This meant having to build the rafts first, using pioneer poles and barrels lashed together with rope. This was to be a test not only of the Scout�s rope work but also of faith in their team mate�s ability. Most completed rafts appeared 'sea worthy', but not all! The first few rafts seemed to float well enough and actually provided an adequate form of water bourne transport � but not all. Barrels loosened from the not so good lashings and floated off, and inevitably some Scouts got very wet.

Later in the day, a bell boat race was organised between Scouts and Leaders in which they had to reach the opposite side of the lake, run about 50 metres to a specified point before returning to the starting point of the jetty. The Leaders quickly got to grips with their bell boat and raced ahead of the Scouts. However, the people manning the two safety boats must have had money on the Scouts winning and conspired to sink the Leader's boat by forcing swashes of water over the sides. The boat upturned and all Leaders had to swim to shore. This gave the Scouts the opportunity to not only catch up but to overtake during the time taken to upright and bail out the bell boat. Again, the Leaders managed to power ahead of the Scouts and a famous win was in spitting distance but again they were sunk by a safety boat leaving the Scouts to reach the finishing point first. What a weekend! Fabulous weather, but ever so wet!

Northumberland Quiz Night - Thursday 23rd October

One of the tasks which forms part of the Northumberland Challenge is to take part in a quiz about Northumberland.

We have therefore organised for a quiz night to take place at Branxton Village Hall on the scout night of Thursday 23rd October, starting at 6.30pm. Food and drink, including homemade soup, stotties, tea and coffee etc, is included in the admission cost of £3 per child or £5 per adult.

All profits goes back into the Scout Group's fund so please support us.

Water Activities weekend 10 - 12 October

It's less than a week to go before we head off to Hawkhirst Adventure Camp at Kielder for the Water Activities weekend.

We plan to leave Ford at 5.30pm on Friday 10th Oct and return to Ford at approx 5.30pm on Sunday 12th Oct. Any changes or delays on the Sunday will be notified by phone!

The weekend will give all scouts the opportunity to be involved in canoeing, rafting, bell boating, gullets and possibly sailing.

If scouts have a wet-suit, bring it along. Scouts will get wet at some stage so please ensure that suitable clothing is worn while participating in water activities and that spare, warm clothing is packed, alongwith all other equipment on the kit list.

There is an adventurous play area which will also be used for activities during the weekend.