A HISTORY of Scouting in Haslemere has been published by one of its oldest supporters, 84-year-old Peter Moorey,

The book comprises three “yarns” – those of Peter, his elder brother John, now 87, and John Stone, 89, who spent 60 years in Baden Powell’s movement including as a district commissioner.

Peter, who was Scoutmaster of 1st Haslemere Scouts for nine years. has produced ‘1st Haslemere Scout Group’ in a limited edition of 100 – and £1 from the £11 sale of every book will go towards sending two Scouts from the twon to the World Jamboree, in Japan, next year.

“When I went to the jamboree in Moisson, France, in 1947, it cost about £15, but now it will cost £3,000 per boy, so I really want to help,” he said.

Peter, who was born in Underwood Road has lived in Haslemere all his life, apart from his period of National Service as well asthree years in Chiddingfold.

He first went to work at 14 as an apprentice tradesman working on the Sicklemill estate. He was told his writing was “almost illegible” at Shottermill Elementary – now the junior school – but confounded the critics, as this is the third book he has written on a local theme.

Mr Moorey suffers from glaucoma, but still manages to live independently in Wey Hill. His first book ‘The Post of Haslemere’ about the Penfold post box and the early days of the postal service, won a bronze medal at the 1998 Brighton and Hove International Literature Class and again at the British National Stamp exhibition in 1999.

‘Who was the Sailor Murdered at Hindhead? 1786 A Search for His Identity’ was published in 2000.

It chronicles the victim – a sailor travelling back to his ship at Portsmouth – and the famous hanging on Gibbet Hill.

Little had been known about the sailor until the publication of the book and Mr Moorey describes the incident and surmises who the murder victim was.

Mr Moorey was a taxi driver at Haslemere station rank for around 10 years until the 1970s. When he took fares to London used to do research at the British Library.

He said: “While I was waiting for them I looked at 200-year-old papers to do my research into the murder and when I was waiting at the station I used to use the time to write it up.

In his latest book, he describes an outing to Langham Printers and The Herald offices, then in West Street, where Jack Chalfont, the Group Scoutmaster worked.

“Jack showed us how the words were made up of letters back to front in blocks before smearing them with jet black ink.

The rolls of paper were passed over under pressure, and The Herald was born.”

After Peter’s three years in the RAF?as an air wireless mechanic, he was asked to become the Assistant Scoutmaster at Fernhurst. But he became Scoutmaster in his home town in 1955, starting up the troop again after it had been disbanded for a few years.

Mr Moorey’s family comes from a long line of well-known personalities locally – his great grandfather cut birch to make brooms on Hindhead Common, while his grandfather was a builder who had six children, building six houses for each of them, in Lion Lane.

His father William fought at the Somme in WW1 before joining the Aldershot and District Bus Company.

The Scouting memoirs span from 1939 when Peter first joined as a Cub, until 1964. There is also an account of the early history of Scouting from 1912, when 1st Haslemere including some pictures.

Copies can be bought from Haslemere Museum shop or email pmoorey@ btinter net.com