This A5 exercise book contains a log of a holiday in Switzerland by boys from the 1st Huddersfield Scout Troop written by my father, a member of the Swift Patrol. There were 11 in the party including "Skipper" their leader.
The trip was in 1939 from 11th August to 26tth August and it is particulaly interesting as there are references, particularly towards the end, to the outbreak of war.
The destination in Switzerland was Kandersteg and they spent time in Paris on the way there and in Brussels and London on the way back. The references include: a unanimous decision by the boys to continue to explore Brussels despite "the grave state of affairs in Europe"; a description of the ferry being "absolutely packed with people fleeing from the continent"; and not being able to have breakfast on the Discovery (Shackleton's ship moored in London) where they were staying because "nearly all the crew had been mobilised and the rest were packed ready to go" - meanwhile the boys continued enjoying their lunches and exploring the sights.
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