Be Prepared…

…to find the unexpected every Saturday at Charing Cross Market. For example, this box which belonged to a former scout leader in Surrey during the 1960’s. It’s chock full of patches and pins. While many individual patches like this (and for the girl guides) can be had for as little as one pound, a box containing over 200 soon adds up.

The world record for a single scout patch was a cool $71,000. This related to the post-war World Jamboree in France in 1947. With scouts staying in different camps, the organisers needed a way of ensuring everyone was camping in the right place. Every location was sewn on the patch and these used a cloth loop so they could be worn straightaway.