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=Tolmers Scout Camp and Activity Centre=

Tolmers Scout Camp and Activity Centre is owned by the Scout Association and operated by Hertfordshire County Scout Council, both of which are registered charities.

Tolmers provides camping facilities and activities to members of the Scout Association and the Guide Association. Tolmers is also used by schools, other youth organisations and some private companies.

The campsite covers 100 acres of countryside, consisting of about 30 acres of woodland and 70 acres of meadow with a small lake (Berts Pool) used for water activities.

History
The land occupied by the campsite was purchased from Tolmers Park Estate in 1939, with the aim of completing a ring of National Scout Campsites around London. The site was bought for the total sum of £4,600 of which £2,000 was donated anonymously by a "Mr B", and the balance of £2,600 came from the "Gang Show" fund. It originally consisted of about 49 acres.

It was officially opened on 11th May (Whit Saturday) 1940, the day after Hitler had invaded France, Belgium and Holland and Winston Churchill became Prime Minister. 800 Scouts and visitors attended, despite wartime restrictions. The opening was performed by Lord Wigram, a distinguished member of the Council of the Boy Scout Association and the former private Secretary to King George V. Sir Percy Everett, the Deputy Chief Commissioner read a letter from Lord Baden-Powell wishing he "could be there in person to support you on the opening of Tolmers". The Opening Ceremony took place where the Pembrooke now stands. Two marquees, a number of trestle tables and a temporary flag-pole were the limit of the fixtures.

The Main Entrance (by which the dignitaries entered, and continued to do so for many years), was on Carbone Hill. With the current Tolmers Road entrance being the ‘back door’, as the road was not made up until the 1950’s.

Camp fees back at this time were 1 old penny per camper per night, usually collected by one of the Cuffley Rover Crew, 'Jum'. he started on his rounds at 7.30am collecting camp fees, catching many still in bed and others preparing their breakfast!

After 1940, Tolmers lost the use of the site apart from the Brick Field and the Valley Field until the 1950’s, as it was requisitioned by the Ministry of Food Production. Even during this period, the Valley Field was restricted as Brook Farm used it as a hay field.

During the War years, all tents had to be camouflaged, if not printed, then shrubbery and mud from the brook was used. Blackout regulations meant that by dark all campfires and lights had to be out. With the Service Crew making sure that this was adhered to.

Names (Needs work)
(Was it just called Tolmers Scout Camp originally?? If so, when did it go 'National'?)

Originally named Tolmers National Scout Camp, it was one of the many sites owned by Scout H.Q. In 1985/1986 The Scout Association began looking for Scout Counties to take on the management of the National Sites.

The campsite was further renamed in ???? to Tolmers Scout Activity Centre, then again in ???? to it's current title of Tolmers Scout Camp and Activity Centre. (??? WHY, WHEN ETC??)

Wardens
The original title of ‘Warden / Bailiff’ was an honourary post, carrying a Scout appointment of Commissioner.

* There was an overlap of the honourary and the first two full-time Wardens (then called 'Bailiffs').

Service Crew
Tolmers operates with a large voluntary Service Crew who help out on weekends and school holidays with the running of activities, maintainance and security of the campsite.

The first "Service Crew" were the Cuffley Rover Scout Crew led by Ron Erwood. They were responsible for a great deal of the work in 1939-1940 prior to the official opening of the campsite.

In 1964, a system of five seperate Crews began, ensuring that there was a team of volunteers available for every weekend of the month. Also at that time, the recording of each Crew's work began in the Crew Log, which continues to the present day. In 1968, the first female Service Crew Members joined.

Crew Accomodations
The first Service Crew sleeping arrangements were two Niger Patrol tents, with an assortment of army dixies as the cooking equipment. Plus the ‘luxury’ of one large, very doubtful paraffin Primus stove and an assortment of ‘blacked-out’ hurricane lamps. They had one 5 feet square tool shed, and an equipment store of about 8feet x 6feet, with the First aid kit being kept in the tool shed.

There have been several 'Crew Cabins' over the years, most notably a wooden building called "The Shambles" which stood where the rubbish skip is now. The current one was built in 1979, to replace 'Berts New Crew Cabin Mk.5' that had rotten beyond repair. According to the 1980 log book, it was the first time wood has ever been shovelled!.

Berts Pool
Bert Longdon, who was Warden from 1964, envisaged the creation of a small lake, by damming Cuffley Brook. In 1976, a licence was granted by Thames Water Authority for the flow of the brook to be impeded "by means of a weir" and to create "a pond suitable for canoe instruction" with a capacity of 120,000 gallons. Sadly, Bert died in 1977 before any work could be done, but it was completed as his memorial, and the first Scouts canoed on it at Easter 1980. It was officially named "Bert's Pool" at a ceremony on 20th July 1980. It is now regularly used by Tolmers' fleet of kayaks and canoes and for raft building. Bert's Pool supports a variety of wildlife; carp and roach, moorhens and mallards as well as visits from herons and kingfishers.

EIIR Plantation
In January 1953, work started on a plantation of Scots Pines in the Main Field, in the shape of the new Queen's cypher; EIIR. The project was planned and executed by Cyril Alan, assisted by Eric Medlicott and Senior Scouts on the Forestry Course that Tolmers still runs every year. Despite damage by the storms of 1987 and 1990, the original shape is still clearly visible.

Providore
'Headstone Hall'

Provi, now office

Radio shack, part now provi

Accomodation
The Training Hut. The first permanant building at Tolmers was a small brick building that initially served as weekend accomodation for the Warden. After the Warden's Bungalow was built in 1948, it was used by the Service Crew and as the Providore (camp shop). In the 1960s, it became a lecture room for many of the badge courses that were run at the site and it acquired its name at this time. By the 1980s it had became a store for newspaper which was recycled to raise funds for the Service Crew. This eventually caught fire - the re-roofed buiding is now used as a store by a local gardener.

The Cub Hut. In 1970, work started on a building in the Lower New Field, suitable for Cub Pack holidays. Built by the Service Crew from second-hand wooden sections, it was a long building with bunk rooms at one end, a hall with a large iron pot-bellied stove in the middle and a kitchen at the other end. It had a short life, as by 1980 it had deteriorated to such an extent that it was declared unfit for Cubs. It continued to by used by Scouts and for Forestry Courses until it was demolished in Easter 1983. The concrete base was made of sterner stuff and resisted all efforts to break it up. In 1996, a steel frame supporting a metal roof was erected over it, named the Dutch Barn. In 2006, it was refurbished and renamed "Len's View" in memory of Len Spikesly, a former Site Chairman.

The Indoor Accomodation or Pembrook. In 1982, the Texaco Oil Company donated a large number of modular buildings to the Scout Association. These had been used for the workforce that constucted its new refinery at Pembroke Dock. Scout Headquarters distributed these around its campsites; Tolmers were given three. One was placed on the base of Headstone Hall to become the new Office and Providore (camp shop) and one went on the base of the old Crew Cabin to replace the Cub Hut. They were installed in June 1982, the Service Crew took the chance to abseil from the jib of the crane that arrived with them. Fitting out was completed in the following February and the first booking for "The Indoor Accomodation" was in April. In 1999 it was refurbished; it was fully rewired and central heating was installed, the bedrooms were enlarged to accomodate 32 instead of 28, a pitched metal roof was added and a toilet and shower block was sited just behind it. The name was changed but the volunteer who engraved the new sign mis-spelt "Pembroke" as "Pembrook" and the name stuck. In 2007 the toilets were re-sited onto the side of the Pembrook so that they became integral.

Storm Hut or Sleepover Centre. The third Texaco building (see above) was sited on a new base parallel to the Indoor Accomodation and became the Storm Hut. At that time, Cubs in camp had to be guaranteed alternative accomodation if the weather became very bad, hence the name. It was basically a large hall and soon found a variety of uses including meetings, badge courses and in 1989, the first home of amateur radio at Tolmers. In 1998 a kitchen and leaders room were added, as well as a pitched roof and central heating and folding beds. In 2007, it was decided that the name no longer reflected its function and it became The Sleepover Centre.

Come To Tolmers 'C.T.T'
Started in 1979, Come To Tolmers or C.T.T. as it's better known, has become the main event on the Tolmers calendar. Originally C.T.T. was designed by Scout HQ to provide an activity camp for Scouts whose Leaders were unable to provide a traditional summer camp. The first CTT was run by Paul Heyday, a Leader from Southgate and a team of his Venture Scouts, with support from Warden John Cole.

could come to camp with or without their leaders.

The activity camp is organised and run entirely by the Warden and the voluntary Service Crew.

One of the unique features of this camp is that it publishes a, what is probably the longest running, daily scout and guide newspaper in the world. Follow The Bear is written almost entirely by the scouts and guides on camp.