"SEEING the photograph of the Seymour Road 'Pirates' in the Looking Back column on January 3, and reading some of the names, brought back memories," writes reader Mr Brian Fielding.

"That particular period, the 50s and 60s, probably constituted the halcyon days of scouting in Bolton, with more than 50 scout groups, our own weekly newspaper column in the Evening News written by Arthur Catherall, and headed by a dedicated District Commissioner in Sir Geoffrey Hulton, whose generosity provided an excellent district campsite in Hulton Park, which is soon, sadly, to be lost to the movement.

"In 1957, on the occasion of the Scout Jubilee Jamboree at Sutton Coldfield, a team of Scout leaders from Bolton, under the overall leadership of Ted Harrison, took about 200 Bolton Scouts to camp near the Jamboree site, so that they could visit the Jamboree; I well remember two of those on the Looking Back photograph, Arnold Hubbard and Richard Whewell, who were part of that contingent, as well as many others - Stephen Lewis (now a prominent local solicitor) Keith Andrews, Sam Chiffey, Ray Glancy, Roy Pemberton, Robin Chapman, David Hodgkiss, David Platt, Alan Butterworth, Alan Tyson, whose names are all in a book which they presented to me and which I still have.

"Some of them were from my own Troop, and I am still in contact with them, but I have often wondered what became of the others, and would be most interested to hear from any of them if they would care to get in touch."

So if any of you wish to take up the invitation, Mr Fielding's address is 17 Great Stone Close, Egerton, Bolton, BL7 9UY (Tel. 307252).