Welcome to the Barrow Jamboree
In 1957, the above group of people used to meet regularly to go dancing, camping, fishing and to each other homes to play cards and have parties. We were all from Britain, 7 of us from Barrow-In-Furness, and at times were a little home sick. One Friday night at Tom & Edith’s home, our regular Friday night spot, Tom told us he had been thinking and would like to make a suggestion to us that we should have something like a Boy Scout Jamboree. We would write to the Barrow mail and to our families back home to see what response we got. We all agreed it was a great idea and starting that Friday, and each week after, we set up a kitty of 25 cents each to cover stationary and postage, also for setting up children’s games and races.
We were quite surprised how many people answered the newspaper items. We decided the end of June and the beginning of July would be a good time to hold the jamboree, as this would be Canada’s and the States holiday time. It was to be held at Fanshawe Park in London, Ontario. Each family would be self-supporting, and when I look back, quite primitive compared to today’s camper. Our tents were without floors and no windows, where as today, a lot have trailers and the tents usually have two rooms and a canopy for shade, plus a screen room for eating in. But getting back to the beginning, the weekend finally arrived and the London crowd waited at Fanshawe Park to greet our fellow Barrovians. We had a registration table and had a coffee urn ready for them. We helped them pitch their tents and get set up. Then after the evening meal, we lit the campfire. We swapped stories, told each other where we had lived and worked in Barrow, and where and what we were doing on this side of the Atlantic. We had people from the States and Canada and had a wonderful time together. We had the children’s race followed by the adults. We had the men’s hurdles over upturned wooden benches. 3-legged races and sack races, and such a lot of fun. Jack Newton took all the kids fishing on Saturday morning, which they thoroughly enjoyed, and the mothers were grateful, as they were able to get things done. On the Saturday night we all went to another part of Fanshawe Park where they had a pavilion, and the London hosts put on the entertainment and dance. We had a meeting that night too and we discussed whether this Jamboree would be held again the next year and if so where. Everybody said yes. Hold it again, and please would the London group do it again, and as history shows, we said yes we would. One of the visitors, I wish I could remember who, went around with the hat to start the 1959 Jamboree off.
Alderman Harold Turner was really impressed with what was happening in Canada and proposed that a flag be sent from the people of Barrow to the Barrovian Jamboree, which we received in 1959. We had really advanced since our first reunion. Most of us had good tents and equipment and had become much more experience campers. It was like family arriving, cars came loaded with camping gear and children. There were lots of cars with blue and white ribbons flying from their aerials. The London hosts this time had been preparing all year and had got a show together. Ivor Thorne built a small stage, also we had a tiny talent time for the children. Also we had rented a small marquee so we didn’t have to leave our camp sights for the Saturday entertainment. I can’t remember 100% but I think it was Frank Tebay who went around with a babies potty to collect the donations from the visitors. We started the next year charging a $2 registration fee to help cover the hosts. We had all the usual activities plus we added bingo on Saturday afternoon or cards and a penny table for the kids. Believe me for 3 days every minute was filled.
Another chapter in the history
of the Barrow Jamboree
It was Canada's Centennial and the hosts in London decided we would make it a theme weekend, we asked if the people attending would dress in pioneer costumes or become native Indians.
Another year all the men, on the London committee dressed as clowns they picked the hottest day, but the kids loved it they were blowing up balloons and giving out candy, they were like the pied pipers and the children followed them everywhere. By this time we had started having a sherry party before the evening entertainment 4pm to 5pm, but we found that sherry is very potent, and lots of folks were having a little sleep, and were getting later & later into the marquee so we changed the format to wine at 7pm followed by the evening events. One year Eric Horlacher, supplied his home made wine and it was good, (talking about beverages, the year of the beer strike in Ontario, some private breweries in the north saw more southern Ontario folks than ever before, and beer sales over the border must have shown quite an increase, but it seemed none of the Barrow lads went without at the jamboree).
The men's dart tournament was introduced in the late sixties, and became very popular, a couple of years later mixed darts, and today's are all mixed. In 1973 quite a number of us decided to have a jamboree in barrow after the one held in London, we contacted Alderman Harold Turner, ex Mayor of Barrow, and he arranged for us to have the civic hall on the Saturday and Sunday also the Windermere room on the Friday at a minimum cost to us. This was in the Barrow mail inviting friends and families of all the Canadian Barrovians to visit with us, there were about 40 of us, we took pictures and movies of the Jamborees from Canada, also we had a plaque of the Maple Leaf made (To this day the flag is in the Town Hall), and a flag from the USA, that had flown over there capital, which was presented to the people of barrow through the mayor.
We were overwhelmed by the number of people who came, when we first went we thought that half of the civic hall would be enough, but they had to open it up fully, and again on Sunday afternoon for the movies of families also for a concert on the Sunday night. What a marvelous time we all had. The Barrow venue covered the whole weekend, families in Barrow were so happy to see the movies of there children and grandchildren. We brought back lots of messages for them. There's much more to come, but for now its.
We were quite surprised how many people answered the newspaper items. We decided the end of June and the beginning of July would be a good time to hold the jamboree, as this would be Canada’s and the States holiday time. It was to be held at Fanshawe Park in London, Ontario. Each family would be self-supporting, and when I look back, quite primitive compared to today’s camper. Our tents were without floors and no windows, where as today, a lot have trailers and the tents usually have two rooms and a canopy for shade, plus a screen room for eating in. But getting back to the beginning, the weekend finally arrived and the London crowd waited at Fanshawe Park to greet our fellow Barrovians. We had a registration table and had a coffee urn ready for them. We helped them pitch their tents and get set up. Then after the evening meal, we lit the campfire. We swapped stories, told each other where we had lived and worked in Barrow, and where and what we were doing on this side of the Atlantic. We had people from the States and Canada and had a wonderful time together. We had the children’s race followed by the adults. We had the men’s hurdles over upturned wooden benches. 3-legged races and sack races, and such a lot of fun. Jack Newton took all the kids fishing on Saturday morning, which they thoroughly enjoyed, and the mothers were grateful, as they were able to get things done. On the Saturday night we all went to another part of Fanshawe Park where they had a pavilion, and the London hosts put on the entertainment and dance. We had a meeting that night too and we discussed whether this Jamboree would be held again the next year and if so where. Everybody said yes. Hold it again, and please would the London group do it again, and as history shows, we said yes we would. One of the visitors, I wish I could remember who, went around with the hat to start the 1959 Jamboree off.
Alderman Harold Turner was really impressed with what was happening in Canada and proposed that a flag be sent from the people of Barrow to the Barrovian Jamboree, which we received in 1959. We had really advanced since our first reunion. Most of us had good tents and equipment and had become much more experience campers. It was like family arriving, cars came loaded with camping gear and children. There were lots of cars with blue and white ribbons flying from their aerials. The London hosts this time had been preparing all year and had got a show together. Ivor Thorne built a small stage, also we had a tiny talent time for the children. Also we had rented a small marquee so we didn’t have to leave our camp sights for the Saturday entertainment. I can’t remember 100% but I think it was Frank Tebay who went around with a babies potty to collect the donations from the visitors. We started the next year charging a $2 registration fee to help cover the hosts. We had all the usual activities plus we added bingo on Saturday afternoon or cards and a penny table for the kids. Believe me for 3 days every minute was filled.
Another chapter in the history
of the Barrow Jamboree
It was Canada's Centennial and the hosts in London decided we would make it a theme weekend, we asked if the people attending would dress in pioneer costumes or become native Indians.
Another year all the men, on the London committee dressed as clowns they picked the hottest day, but the kids loved it they were blowing up balloons and giving out candy, they were like the pied pipers and the children followed them everywhere. By this time we had started having a sherry party before the evening entertainment 4pm to 5pm, but we found that sherry is very potent, and lots of folks were having a little sleep, and were getting later & later into the marquee so we changed the format to wine at 7pm followed by the evening events. One year Eric Horlacher, supplied his home made wine and it was good, (talking about beverages, the year of the beer strike in Ontario, some private breweries in the north saw more southern Ontario folks than ever before, and beer sales over the border must have shown quite an increase, but it seemed none of the Barrow lads went without at the jamboree).
The men's dart tournament was introduced in the late sixties, and became very popular, a couple of years later mixed darts, and today's are all mixed. In 1973 quite a number of us decided to have a jamboree in barrow after the one held in London, we contacted Alderman Harold Turner, ex Mayor of Barrow, and he arranged for us to have the civic hall on the Saturday and Sunday also the Windermere room on the Friday at a minimum cost to us. This was in the Barrow mail inviting friends and families of all the Canadian Barrovians to visit with us, there were about 40 of us, we took pictures and movies of the Jamborees from Canada, also we had a plaque of the Maple Leaf made (To this day the flag is in the Town Hall), and a flag from the USA, that had flown over there capital, which was presented to the people of barrow through the mayor.
We were overwhelmed by the number of people who came, when we first went we thought that half of the civic hall would be enough, but they had to open it up fully, and again on Sunday afternoon for the movies of families also for a concert on the Sunday night. What a marvelous time we all had. The Barrow venue covered the whole weekend, families in Barrow were so happy to see the movies of there children and grandchildren. We brought back lots of messages for them. There's much more to come, but for now its.