Matlock Bath's First Baden Powell Scouts and Rovers, with one cub^[1]. The Matlock Bath Scouts were playing bugles and a variety of sizes of drum. It is somewhat speculative but, as the picture was taken in the autumn, it is quite probable the boys and young men were taking part in Remembrance Sunday parades and we believe the photograph was taken in the grounds of the former Royal Hotel.

On Sunday 22 October 1933 a service was held at Holy Trinity Church and the District Commissioner, the Reverend W. H. Nixon, dedicated the colours of the Matlock Bath Rovers and Scouts.When he addressed the congregation Rev. Nixon said that some regarded Scouting as a great game. He added that he agreed with it being a game but it was also a sacred game which made the boy God's man. At the same time several young men were instituted as Scouts. Their names are shown with asterisk* below. The following young men, who also became Rovers or Scouts in the October, are not on the photo: Wilfred Shaw, Eric Shaw, Eric Locke and Cecil Henshall.^[2].

The photograph shows two Troop colours. The left one belongs to the Matlock Bath & Cromford Troop and the one to the right of the Union flag has Matlock on it, so is probably the district colours.

Back row, left to right
1 Jack Clay* | 2 John Morten* | 3 Frank Gill* | 4 Tom Morten (holding colour) | 5 Josh Whittaker* | 6 Charles Morten* (holding union flag)^[3] | 7 Maurice Morten^[3] | 8 Frank Evans | 9 Lesley Mosley | 10 Bernard Shaw* | 11 Frank Clay*

Front row, left to right
1 Percy Sewell* | 2 Charles [Charlie] Yeomans* | 3 Lawrence Troy* | 4 (Drum) Reuben Smedley* | 5 Leslie Sewell* | 6 Cub Ron Binks (partly hidden - holding colour)^[3] | 7 Phil George | 8 P. Parker

Matlock Bath's Rovers used a room over the stables next to the Devonshire Hotel. The North Parade headquarters had been officially opened in 1932 with the Vicar, Rev. C. T. Walker, presiding^[4]. The building was demolished when the A6 was widened.

In the 1990's someone wrote to the Matlock Mercury enquiring about this photograph and I believe my late father provided either him or the newspaper with all the names but I believe they were never published. The title "Bugle & Drums, Matlock Bath B. P. Scouts" was written on the back on the photograph by my father.

References (coloured links are to transcripts and information elsewhere on this web site):

^[1] Baden Powell had visited Matlock Bath in 1917 and had inspected the local Troops. See The Royal Hotel, with the large extension

^[2] "Derbyshire Times", Sat 28 October 1933. Rev. Nixon was the vicar of All Saints', Matlock.

^[3] Three of those named above were killed during the second world war. See Names on Matlock Bath War Memorial

^[4] "Derby Daily Telegraph", 18 November 1932. Scout Headquarters. The new premises opened.