Scouts light up the sky to celebrate birthday

A large crowd of at least 250 Scouts and Guides with their parents and helpers watched as the promenade beacon flared into life.

They were joined by Cllr John Hayward, Bognor's town mayor, for last Thursday's special occasion for both organisations as the birthday of Lord Baden Powell and his wife, Olive.

The date has added importance this year as the 150th anniversary of the birth of Lord Baden Powell and a hundred years since he founded the Scouts.

This was the perfect reason for a party so Scouting officials around Bognor invited the Guides to join them to jointly celebrate the organisations' annual Founder's Day and Thinking Day.

Both groups burst into singing Happy Birthday as the beacon's flames soared into the evening sky.

A selection of camp fire songs followed.

The whole group strolled along the seafront to west Bognor where a fireworks display was admired by all.

The Cubs and Beavers of Felpham and Middleton were presented with giant birthday cards by the Rainbows and Brownies of the Bognor east division.

A light-hearted competition of skittles rounded off an evening hailed as a resounding success and start to several centenary occasions.

Next will come a Cubs' show at the Alexandra Theatre on March 31.