Scout reunion on Blackstone Edge

Every few years, a team of Milnrow Scouts trek up Blackstone Edge, a piece of moorland 1323 feet high, a windswept crag that overlooks Rochdale.

In 1990, at midnight on the eve of the Armistice Day Parade, a group of 1st Milnrow Scouts climbed to the Aiggin Stone at the top. When they reached it, they made a promise to meet at midnight on the year 2000, to see if they could do it all again.

After wheezing to the summit, they discussed how they weren’t getting any younger, and 10 years was too long a time. So they agreed to repeat the ordeal in 5 years, and in 2005 they made it to the top again.

Trevor Winn, registered instructor for the scout group, said: “We all meet at the Aiggin stone and renew our promise.

It’s nice to get everyone together again. We’ll go come rain or shine.”

The hike started because it was always difficult to get all the scouts prepared for the Armistice Day Parade. “It was a carrot to get them all together in uniform,” Steve Tansey, Scout leader said. “We’d take them up the hill, then bring them down to the Scouts Headquarters in Milnrow where they’d all sleep. Then we’d wake them up with bacon and eggs and they’d all have to throw their uniform on and get outside.”

The hikers will range from people in their 30s, who were children on the first hike, to people in their 70s, who were leaders. An 81-year old will join them at the start but will not climb the hill. People are coming from as far afield as Exmouth and Aberdeen, Cardiff and Northumberland.

“At least 18 people will be coming but only the hardy few will be walking,” Mr Winn said.

Mr Tansey was also there at the very start, leading the troops up the hill. “All the children who were there at the start are at the marrying and children stage,” he said. “In fact, this week I’m going to a wedding reception with one of the former members. A lot of us are still in touch.”

He thought nostalgically about the ‘pioneering poles’ the scouts used to have. Every member of the group had a specially-engraved log, he explained, and if they did not bring their pole to a meeting then they had to buy a round. This started an ongoing joke of people stealing each other’s poles. “Mine’s been missing for 2 years,” he said. “People get anonymous photographs of their log in places like the North Pole or Texas or on the deck of a ship,” he said.

“It was a great crew”, he added.

Rather than walk back to Scouts HQ, this year they’ll walk back to the pub.

On a clear day, Bolton. Manchester and even the mountains of North Wales are visible from Blackstone Edge. A Roman Road passes over it, in order for the Romans to get their armies across to Yorkshire.

The Aiggin Stone is a medieval guide stone for travellers, marking the summit of the ancient road.

It is now time to meet up again so a date has been set - Saturday 13 November.

The venue will be The White House pub for a meal, a few drinks and a short walk to the Aiggin Stone to yet again make the promise to meet again.

All ex 1st Milnrow Scouts, Venture Scouts and helpers are invited to attend and should let either Ged Palmer (gpalmer@thinkbanner.co.uk) or Trevor Winn (trevor.winn@btinternet.com) know if they are coming along.