Formation to the 1940’s

Our original HQ was located here:

The following has been provided by Eric Nichols who was a Cub in the late 1920’s:

Did you notice one particular name in the photograph captions!?

The following has been provided by Dennis Nichols:

I joined the 1st Haywards Heath Wolf Cubs at the age of 5 or 6 years old in 1936 or 7. The uniform was blue shorts and jersey, green cap with yellow piping, a green scarf and woggle, as well as long socks with green garter tabs. Cubs were all very Jungle Book. You joined as a Tenderfoot before passing tests to be invested as a proper Wolf Cub.


Other tests had to be passed to receive stars for your cap and to get the first star was to get one eye open before more tests to get two eyes open. The pack was split into sixes and the leader was called a Sixer who had two yellow stripes on his arm. The meeting started with us forming a circle round the Totem pole which was a pole with a Wolfs Head on it and doing the Grand Howl and “Dyb Dyb Dyb Dob Dob Dob we will do our best.” Meetings were held in the 1st Haywards Heath Scout Hut which was a large wooden hut located at the rear of the United Services Club next to the Broadway Cinema, and adjoining the railway fence. Access to the hut was via a path from the Broadway between the cinema and the Club. There was someone’s allotment between the club and the scout hut. Meetings were in the evening and on dark winter evening if you were lucky you had a battery for your torch if not you struggled down in the dark.

Miss Giles was Arkela and ran the Cub Pack with the aid of her mother, who I think was called Bagheera. The Scouts were run by Harry Randle.

During the war some summer meetings were held in a field at Great Haywards. We had to practise running for cover in a ditch if the air raid siren went and we had to do some National Service. I had to go to all the houses on Muster Green and Bolnore Road every week asking for eggs for the local hospital. I think I only ever got one egg a week, but I did get the National Service badge, I also got my gardeners badge which after being examined by Mr Caswell who was head gardener at Great Haywards.

During my time in the cubs we had a parade at the Cottage Hospital where we were presented with a new flag. I was escort to the flag party and I think Freddy Giles received the flag.

If you have any information, stories, etc. that could be added to this, please email chairman@1sthaywardsheathscoutgroup.org



HM King Charles III has been confirmed as our new Patron, a great honour for UK Scouts.

The King continues a long tradition of the monarch giving their Patronage, dating back to 1912. This was when Scouts was granted its Royal Charter and HM George V became our first Patron.

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King Charles III

Our Patron, HM King Charles III