Camping
Salford Lads’ Club first camp took place at Llandulas in North Wales in 1904, three years before the first scout camps set up by Lord Baden Powell. The camp was held during the Whitsuntide Holiday and involved 173 Lads. The picture on the left shows a group of the younger lads at the 1904 camp.
By 1913 the size of the camps had risen to 350 lads 10 leaders and 20 tons of equipment! They Travelled by train to Liverpool and then by packet steamer to the Isle of Man.The club also held its first junior camp in 1913 at Marple.
The loss of 151 members of the club during WW1 had a devestating effect and it was 10 years before the junior camp was able to take place again. By the mid 1920s the club held camps in Hoylake, Bridlington, Harlech and Deganwy. Day trips were a regular part of the Whit week camp.The fatigue party set up the campsites well in advnce of the lads setting off from Salford.
The 1930s saw the establishment of regular camps at Deganwy and Aberystwyth and by the late 1930s Aberystwyth became the main base for the Whit week holiday.
No camps were held between 1940-1945 during WW2 . The club restarted camps at both Kettleshulme and Aberystwyth in 1946.
The club camps of the 1950s and 1960s camps were popular events and still attracted as many as 140 lads in 1964.
The club membership and scale of the camps reflected the changes to the Ordsall estate in the 1970s. Many families were rehoused in different areas of Salford This led to the smaller camps of between 40 and 50 lads.
The 1980s and 1990s camps continued with numbers of around 30. The picture from 1985 shows a group of lads on the river, the boat belonged to the club and was kept at the campsite.
The club has continued camping each year including the centenary camp of 2004. The last 3 years have seen an increase in membership and a renewed interest in lads going to camp. 