Colin Parsons was in the 91st Bristol Scouts based at Horfield, and he remembers the summer camps of the 1940s and 1950s. ''I was away from home for the first time with people my own age. We were all in it together and it gave you a certain independence.' The boys would cook their own food over a fire: 'we'd usually fry some eggs, bacon and sausage for breakfast. For our main meal at night it was vegetables, potatoes and meat.' They often created a makeshift oven with the use of a large biscuit tin. 'They say food tastes better if you cook it yourself. And they are right, especially when you're away with the Scouts.' Midnight feasts 'while the skipper was asleep' were considered great fun, as was singing around the campfire. He became group secretary when he retired. 'I got so much out of being in the Scouts: friendships, skills, and camaraderie. It's a very special organisation.'

Another former member of the 91st, Alex Nichols joined the 91st in 1941, as World War Two was raging. 'It was essentially a lot of fun but it gave one independence.' The war had an impact on the troop: 'in those days if you weren't in the scouts then you were on you're own. There was nothing else going on. Because of the war, we were being led by 16 and 17 year-olds - everyone over 18 was in the forces. Scout groups were left without leaders, so the older boys took over.'