Former members of the Calne First Scouts Group have visited Norway – 50 years after their first visit there as teenagers.

Five of the former Calne Scouts met up with old friends last week, reliving the two weeks they spent camping and hiking in Scandinavia as teenagers in 1959.

One of them, Peter Holley, 72, of Truro Walk in Chippenham, said: “Amazingly some of the faces were instantly recognisable after all these years.

“It was fascinating to reminisce about our experiences in the mountains and share our life experiences since 1959.

“It was a truly amazing experience and a reflection of what we had all gained from Scouting all those years ago.”

Mr Holley, who was 11 when he joined the Scouts in 1948, reminisced about the 1959 trip and how Scouting teaches valuable life skills.

He said. “One week was in the mountains and then we had several days tramping about without tents – I don’t know how we did it.

“Scouting taught us skills of independence and of mixing with other nations and realising we all have the same sorts of experiences and problems. I think it gives you life skills and it has given us life-long friends.”

Like Scouts today, Mr Holley and the other 36 in the group, spent his free time camping, hiking, and gaining badges and pennants to demonstrate the acquisition of new skills. “I am sure it has all changed now,” he said.

“But the principles of making friends and learning new skills are still there.

“We were involved in camping, hiking, cooking and learning and teaching the skills needed to live in the open.

“I can remember the sing songs we used to have around the camp fire and I still have my pennants because we used to collect them – we were all very proud of them indeed.”

In the 1950s the Calne First Scouts Group was led by Frank Gregory who, as a result of injuries sustained during the First World War, had only half a lung.

Mr Holley said: “He still used to take us camping and we used to have an annual camp in Sidmouth.

“We had great fun with the leaders and I still look out for the camp site today.”

One of Mr Holley’s most vivid memories of his time as a Scout is of cleaning up Cherhill White Horse for the Queen’s coronation in 1953.

He said: “The white horse had been covered with broken bricks and concrete during the war because they wanted to stop the Germans being able to use it as a landmark to find the air fields in Yatesbury.

“We went up there to clear all the rubble off ready for the Queen’s coronation.”

Mr Holley has kept his Rover Scout hat, which he wore to the reunion in Norway, and can still remember dressing in the full khaki uniform and kerchiefs of the Baden-Powell era.

“We had coarse short trousers and long socks with epaulettes,” he said.

“We wore a neckerchief with our woggles and the flat brimmed caps you see in history books – it was very smart.”