A SEARCH on the internet for a picture of the 1st Newton Abbot Sea Scouts took former Kingsteignton resident Melvyn Lloyd to the Kingsteignton History Society website and a picture, which appeared in the Mid-Devon Advertiser on June 15, 2012. Melvyn was delighted to see the picture as he was standing fourth from the left in the back row, writes Steve Harris.

After phoning the MDA he was able to contact the Kingsteignton History Society and share some of his memories of his time in the Scouts and how he practised his rowing on the Teign estuary to compete in various competitions.

Melvyn’s recall of the Hackney Regattas, held by the troop in the late 1950s and early 1960s, was all the more poignant coming as it did in the week that one of the event’s most famous guests, Ken Dodd, died.

Melvyn remembered Ken opening the 1960 regatta when he was performing at Torquay and how Ken boosted the Scouts’ coffers with his generous spending on the stalls, as well as keeping everyone amused throughout the afternoon with his jokes.

READ THE FULL STORY IN THE MID-DEVON ADVERTISER, FRIDAY, MARCH 23 EDITION