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History
Past Events
1927 - Priory Park, Southend-on-Sea
1947 - Danbury Park, Chelmsford
1949
Belchamps
Scout Campsite, Hockley |
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1952
Belchamps
Scout Campsite, Hockley |
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1956
Belchamps
Scout Campsite, Hockley |
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1960
Belchamps
Scout Campsite, Hockley |
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1964
Belchamps
Scout Campsite, Hockley |
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1968
Belchamps
Scout Campsite, Hockley |
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1972
Belchamps
Scout Campsite, Hockley |
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1976
Belchamps
Scout Campsite, Hockley |
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1980
Belchamps
Scout Campsite, Hockley |
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1984
County Show Ground,
Great Leighs |
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1988
County Show Ground,
Great Leighs |
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1992
County Show Ground,
Great Leighs |
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1996
Devereux Farm,
Kirby-le-Soken |
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2000
Devereux Farm,
Kirby-le-Soken |
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2004
Devereux Farm,
Kirby-le-Soken |
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Jamboree Reunited ?
Why not catch up with old friends... from previous
Essex Jamborees at the Scouts Reunited website...!
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Between 1949 and 1980 more than 15,000 Scouts from around the world
have attended the Essex International Jamboree... including;


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Armenia, Australia, Austria, Bahamas, Barbados, Belgium, British
Guiana, Canada, Cuba, Czechoslovakia, Denmark, Egypt, England, Eire,
Estonia, Finland, France, Gambia, Germany, Ghana, Gold Coast, Greece,
Haiti, Holland, Hong Kong, Iceland, India, Indonesia, Iran, Israel,
Italy, Jamaica, Japan, Kenya, Kuwait, Latvia, Libya, Liechtenstein,
Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malaysia, Malta, Mauritius, New Zealand,
Northern Ireland, Nigeria, Norway, Philippines, Poland, Portugal,
Rhodesia, Seyschelles, Scotland, Sierra Leone, South Africa, Spain,
Sweden, Switzerland, Thailand, Turkey, United States Of America
and Wales. |
Jamboree Gateway
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Every Essex International Jamboree has had a gateway that has
been built on the site to welcome all the visitors of the Jamboree
to Essex.
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Buy the book !

Back in 1976, Tom Parrinder the then Assistant County Commissioner
(International) wrote a short history of the Essex Jamborees which dealt
with such things as why we have an Essex Jamboree, some of the many special
visitors we have had, how the programme was laid out and on, and gave
a list of the many overseas contingents we have hosted over the years.
Twenty years after Tom’s book Malcolm Treacher undertook the task
of writing a further chapter bringing us up-to-date. This revised history
was published in time for the fourteenth Essex International Jamboree
held at Devereux Farm in 2000.
Copies of this small publication are still obtainable and can be obtained
by sending a cheque for £2.00 made out to Essex County
Scout Council along with a stamped addressed C5 envelope to
Bill
Marshall, 47 Western Road, Brentwood, Essex, CM14 4SU, England.
Overseas enquiries, please email for details : .
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History
between 1927 and 2004

Jamborees have been a part of Scouting since the early days of the Movement
and Essex County soon caught the bug and held its first event in 1927
at Priory Park, Southend where the highlight was a visit by the Chief
Scout Sir Robert Baden-Powell. It was not until twenty years later however
in 1947 that Essex held its next Jamboree this time at Danbury Park near
Chelmsford over the long Whitsun weekend, again with a visit by the then
Chief Scout Lord Rowallan.
1947
The first had been for the Scouts of Essex, the 1947 event was opened
up to Scouts from all round the UK, from this was born the idea of an
International event for Scouts from far and wide, so in 1949 Essex ran
its first full week International Jamboree at Belchamps near Southend.
Added to this was the idea of offering home hospitality to the overseas
contingents after the event, and so this tradition has continued every
four years since.
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Campfire at Belchamps in 1949. |
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Pole Climbing at Belchamps in 1949. |
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Belchamps in 1949 |
1949 to 1984
From 1949 to 1980 nine Jamborees were held at Belchamps based on a similar
pattern of 6 sub-Camps with a programme of activities large and small
throughout the week, mostly on site with some visits out in the area,
one special trip for a number of years was the mass exodus of the whole
camp on a cruise up the Thames to London on the steamer ‘The Royal Daffodil’.
Because of the size of Belchamps the Jamboree numbers were restricted
to 2000 and in 1980 we had officially allowed girl Scouts from overseas
to attend. It was therefore decided that we should expand the event to
include the Guides, so a new site was sought and plans put in hand for
a ‘new look’ event to be held in 1984 at the Essex County Show Ground
at Great Leighs near Chelmsford. Participants went up to 3500 including
Guides and a sub-Camp for Venture Scouts.
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Belchamps in 1964. |
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Belchamps in 1976. |
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Belchamps in 1980 |
1988 to 1996
The event continued at the Show Ground for 1988 and 1992, then with our
intention to expand even more it was decided to move yet again in 1996
this time to a coastal location at Kirby-le-Soken near Walton on the Naze,
where the numbers reached some 5600.
Catering
Catering at the Belchamps camps had been included in the overall fee
and food supplies issued daily to the sub-Camp sections plus a Staff Mess.
From the Show Ground events, catering was additional to the fee and purchasing
could be made at a Marquee ‘supermarket’. Various teams have been recruited
over the years to lead and run the events, many of the leaders having
stayed involved over long years, one particular name that linked the first
9 Jamborees was Tom Parrinder who was the ‘king-pin’ enthusiastic leader
of the day.
Chief Scouts visits
Our Chief Scouts have always shown a keen interest in the Essex events
and all have visited during their period in office, Lord Rowallan, Sir
Charles Maclean, Sir William Gladstone, Major Gen. Michael Walsh, Garth
Morrison and George Purdy, plus several Chief Commissioners and HQ Commissioners,
also the grandson of the Founder, Lord Robert Baden-Powell.
The Jamboree has always been an excellent PR event with coverage by the
Press and Local Radio, and visits by Civic guests from all over the County.
The international aspect has grown over the years and thousands of young
people from over 70 different countries have come to Essex for the Jamboree
and stayed to enjoy the home hospitality. It is truly a real world-wide
experience for all involved.
Page updated by Robin 15/5/2007
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