What are you reading at the moment?

factormax said:
'Scouting for Boys' - Robert Baden-Powell
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Good stuff. I went to his alma mater, and, oddly enough, of about 600-odd boys there, only a very few were in the Scouts (aka "Skits"). The rest of us were in the CCF. I suppose it was the attraction of Lee-Enfield rifles and itchy battledress that did it. The way we felt at the time about being imprisoned in a public school (very-unScouting) when the 60's were getting under way foreshadowed the film "If...", which came out in 1968, a few years after I was "asked to leave".

The poor old Scouts were the butt of many a nasty trick and remark.
 
Ferrum said:
Good stuff. I went to his alma mater, and, oddly enough, of about 600-odd boys there, only a very few were in the Scouts (aka "Skits"). The rest of us were in the CCF. I suppose it was the attraction of Lee-Enfield rifles and itchy battledress that did it. The way we felt at the time about being imprisoned in a public school (very-unScouting) when the 60's were getting under way foreshadowed the film "If...", which came out in 1968, a few years after I was "asked to leave".

The poor old Scouts were the butt of many a nasty trick and remark.
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Wish I'd read this as a boy. Things could have turned out so differently.
 
factormax said:
Wish I'd read this as a boy. Things could have turned out so differently.
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It's a very instructive book. Even if the scouting, woodcraft etc. bits were left out, and notwithstanding some of the more "Imperial" aspects, it's still an excellent description of what goes (or used to) to make a well-formed, well-mannered, responsible and civilised citizen.
 
Ah! Scouting for boys. That's probably illegal these days, in the modern parlance! I confess to never having read said volume, but I was in the Scouts as a saucepan, and it has to be said, it was probably one of the best times of my life. My mates all went into CCF and made much of how we scouts tied improbable knots and helped old ladies across the road, whilst they were square bashing, stripping down Lee Enfields and polishing boots, but generally imagining themselves on a battlefield, whilst we got up to all manner of cool shit. We all carried 6" sheath knives (good luck with that in 2021) and played British Bulldog (banned years ago for generally being violent and against H&S), rode horses, went canoeing, climbed cliffs, went potholing (where I nearly drowned 500m below the surface in a flooded sump) and generally set fire to stuff, and smoked tabs and got pissed. Hmm, let me think, would I rather have polished boots and wrapped puttees round my ankles whilst being griefed by an 18 year old NCO? Lemme think...
 
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factormax said:
Like I say. I wish I'd read this when I was young.
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hotmetal said:
Ah! Scouting for boys. That's probably illegal these days, in the modern parlance! I confess to never having read said volume, but I was in the Scouts as a saucepan, and it has to be said, it was probably one of the best times of my life. My mates all went into CCF and made much of how we scouts tied improbable knots and helped old ladies across the road, whilst they were square bashing, stripping down Lee Enfields and polishing boots, but generally imagining themselves on a battlefield, whilst we got up to all manner of cool shit. We all carried 6" sheath knives (good luck with that in 2021) and played British Bulldog (banned years ago for generally being violent and against H&S), rode horses, went canoeing, climbed cliffs, went potholing (where I nearly drowned 500m below the surface in a flooded sump) and generally set fire to stuff, and smoked tabs and got pissed. Hmm, let me think, would I rather have polished boots and wrapped puttees round my ankles whilst being griefed by an 18 year old NCO? Lemme think...
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We had bayonets, blanco and blank ammo, but by the sound of it, you had a better time of it. The army surplus tinned Maconochies Irish stew on field days was vile. My great-grandfather was very pro-Scouting, and laid the foundation stone of our Scout Hut here in 1948. My grandson has recently joined, but my offer of clasp knives, belt with rings and clips, mess tins etc didn't go too well, and they are rather more contemporary now; so I am severely informed.
 
Yes I think they've watered it down somewhat, in line with modern mores, legal blamedodgery and political correctness. I remember in the 80s being on one of the first mixed camps ("Scougui One") and how our imaginations ran away with us. But it was still fairly segregated and IIRC we spent most of the time trying to obtain illicit cider rather than running the gauntlet of dodging the amazonian, or at least doughty and matronly guide leaders. Apparently girls can join the Boy Scouts these days. I doubt the same is true in the other direction but then I suspect the demand isn't there. Most of us back then would have preferred hunting chickens, heavily armed but with zero skill, as opposed to toasting marshmallows with Brown Owl. These days is anyone's guess!

I clearly remember our troop leader ripping open the flaps of our patrol tent with the immortal line "hands off cocks, hands on socks!" (which alone would probably get you 6m in chokey today) before telling us that our mission was to kill, prepare and eat a live chicken that he had in a hessian sack. It was like out of the Benny Hill Show, you could overdub "Yackety Sax" over a film of our patrol running after this hapless chicken, knives out. We caught it, none of us could bring ourselves to wring its neck, (cos we were about 14) so the leader dispatched it, whereupon we proceeded to pluck and gut it before boiling it in a 5l Billy can over an open fire we had made. It was grim, a complete waste of chicken life. Utterly inedible. Our parents were shocked and made a great big fuss, declaring that this was an infringement of our innocence etc etc blah blah.

Then we would have all sat down to Sunday dinner... what's for dinner tonight then mum? Er, chicken... that I paid someone else to kill on my behalf so I can feed my family whilst feeling morally superior...
 
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Good to hear. I'm all for it, there was only cubs when we were young, now there's beavers (fnurr fnurr!) so if you can get them socialising and doing stuff earlier then it has to be good. Otherwise they'll likely grow up behind a laptop with all sorts of social awkwardness.
 
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Revisiting Kim - just wonderful, so atmospheric...

“He drew from under the table a sheet of strangely scented yellow-Chinese paper, the brushes, and slab of India ink. In cleanest, severest outline he had traced the Great Wheel with its six spokes, whose centre is the conjoined Hog, Snake, and Dove (Ignorance, Anger, and Lust), and whose compartments are all the heavens and hells, and all the chances of human life.”
 
Missoni said:
View attachment 76755

Revisiting Kim - just wonderful, so atmospheric...

“He drew from under the table a sheet of strangely scented yellow-Chinese paper, the brushes, and slab of India ink. In cleanest, severest outline he had traced the Great Wheel with its six spokes, whose centre is the conjoined Hog, Snake, and Dove (Ignorance, Anger, and Lust), and whose compartments are all the heavens and hells, and all the chances of human life.”
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A great game classic - apart from the short story The Man Who Would be King - the best of Kipling for me. I'm just about to re-read the following, my sister sent me a handsome vintage Penguin edition. - I.

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@Scotshave @Blademonkey
 
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