A photograph that first appeared in the Billericay Gazette in 1982.

The Scout Troop had recently been reformed.

The flag was awarded to the winners of the Essex Marathon, which was a cycling event held each year. 1st Ramsden and Downham were presented with the flag to mark our four wins.

1st Ramsden Saint Mary's Own won in 1926, 1927, 1933 and came third in 1934 and 1935

1st Ramsden Crays won in 1935

The Scouts from early 1982. Simon Stickland, Paul Williams, David Breading, John Hanson, Dean Howard, Gareth Lewis, Andrew Miller, Christopher Barker, Ricki Fulcher, David Ovendon and Nicholas Howard (but my memory might be playing tricks on me after 25 years).

The following is an extract from Stanley Harvey's "Some Personal Recollections and Short History" 1st Ramsden (St Mary's Own) Boy Scouts. Written in 1991.

The other noteworthy event I remember was the County Scout Marathon held in the early summer, when teams of three Scouts on bicycles spent a week-end covering a given route, camped overnight, and wrote a log of the journey and the adventures encountered. We were then required to arrive at the appointed destination within a set time and were faced with an inspection for cleanliness of person and equipment, safety of bicycles and distribution of equipment among the team. This was followed by a number of Scout tests. I recall on one occasion we were asked to tie a "bullon knot". The expression on our faces must have been one of shock or horror for no one had heard of such a knot, least of all me who was a patrol leader at the time! It turned out to be the examiner's way of saying "bowline". I dare not say we we said to that! At the conclusion of the tests came the highlight of the week-end for three weary travellers - tea and buns and a general get together with other teams from the Group and from all over County.

The Group regulary entered teams in the senior and junior section of the Marathon with quite successful results, so much so that we were eventually awarded the special Marathon Flag because our name appeared on it more times that any other Group. Previously the flag was held by the winning team each year. I still have a dictionary bought with a gift voucher and a small hand axe, prizes for third place in the 1934 and 1935 Marathons. I still wonder who chose the place names to be visited when I led a team whose distance should have been less than 30 miles but which neccessitated us riding for over 50 miles, which was 10 miles more than the distance for a senior team. No on was able to show we had not chosen the shortest route - except as the crow flies, but then we weren't crows, we had bikes!