MORE than 100 years of Scouting in Teignmouth was celebrated on Saturday when Mayor Iain Palmer hosted a special tea party, writes Viv Wilson.

This is at a time when the Scout group is hoping to expand and you can read about that below. Saturday’s event came about because at the full town council’s last meeting, councillors were asked if they had ever visited the scout hut – few raised their hands.

The Mayor and Mayoress, Iain and Jackie Palmer, offered to host an afternoon tea for the whole group to thank the leaders and more importantly to meet the young people.

This took place at Bitton House on Saturday with the young people and leaders arriving in full uniform. The Mayor had the guests in fits of laughter with his quips before explaining some of the history of Bitton House.

David Weekes, a former scout and town mayor, spoke about the huge amount of effort that has gone into keeping the scout movement alive in Teignmouth.

He mentioned Dave Tickell (Former Town Clerk) Mike and Paula Bladon, Warren and Jo Bennett, Pat and Jane Gourd, Richard Newton, Roland Western and all the other supporters who worked tirelessly for the cause.

Iain Wedlake (Town Clerk) himself a former scout, gave a superb presentation showcasing the new development and enthralled the assembly with his wry banter.

Among the 112 attendees, several made offers of practical help. A delicious spread was enjoyed by all, many commenting that they have never been in Bitton House and how good it was to see this old community asset come alive with the presence of so many people.

Deputy Mayor Joan Atkins (Editor of Wavelength) expressed her appreciation of the dedication of those who keep the scout movement running and said how much it was a pleasure to see the uniforms worn with such pride.

The 4th Teignmouth Trustees thank all its leaders and supporters for their continued service and a special thanks to The Mayor and Mayoress, Town Clerk, David Weekes and all the scouts and parents for making this event a great success.