think- ago

H. G. Wells.

H. G. Wells - wasn't he a science fiction author -

kestrel9 ago

Yes, War Of The Worlds was a famous title of his.

kestrel9 ago

Info about some names listed:

Order of Woodcraft Chivalry

Harry 'Dion' (Dionysus) Byngham

After Ernest Westlake's death in a motoring accident in 1922, the role of British Chief of the Order fell to Harry Byngham, who subsequently changed his name to Dion, short for Dionysus. Unlike Westlake, Dion Byngham found no attraction in Christianity, and zealously promoted paganism, naturism and phallic worship as a veneration of the life force.

He started publishing an Order periodical called The Pinecone, which contained many provocative items, including a nude Dionysus on the cover of one issue, a photograph of a nude Byngham and his semi-nude girlfriend in Grecian dress, and a verse play by Victor Benjamin Neuburg, who also introduced Byngham to the ideas of the famous occultist Aleister Crowley.

All this brought Byngham into strife with many of the Christian members of the Order, which was primarily aimed at children and had, by its pacifist stance, particularly appealed to Quaker families as an alternative to Scouting. In 1924 Byngham was replaced as editor and in 1925 he was suspended from the Council of Chiefs after posing nude with his girlfriend for press photographs to promote nudism.[6]

Between 1922 and 1927 the rituals of the order continued to evolve along Masonic and quasi-Masonic lines, adopting elaborate titles and ritual equipment. In 1928 a compromise was accepted between the pagan- and the Christian-inclined members whereby the order would promote both the sanctity of nature and Christian ethics, while criticising the "repressive" aspects of Christianity. However membership fell. In 1929 the Society of Friends formally withdrew support for the Order, and by 1930 there were only 400 members remaining. In 1934 Aubrey Westlake, the son of Ernest, resigned as Chieftain, and in 1935 he left the order, depriving it of its meeting place at Sandy Balls.[7] Steve Wilson argues that some of the pagan-inclined members split off to form the New Forest coven, which became the origin of the religion of Wicca.[8]

In the meantime Aubrey Westlake had been working quietly in the background to realise his fathers earlier vision to create a co-educational Forest School where children could be educated while experiencing nature at first hand in a natural environment. Housed in two wooden buildings on the Sandy Balls estate, the first Forest School opened in 1929 with four pupils. However this first attempt to open the School failed when all four pupils contracted scarlet fever and they were forced to send them home. Undeterred by this set back, a year later Aubrey appointed his cousin Cuthbert Rutter as the Headmaster and the school re-opened successfully and continued to grow. link

HennyPenny ago

Sandy Balls was bought out by Away Resorts Ltd: first resort was on Isle of Wight

here's some of the negative employee reviews:

" And as someone else said they will take anyone off the street / pub / local crack house. But I am sure the general public are in safe hands. Fantastic place for a break but do not go there to work and expect to be treated with any speck of respect - it will not happen. They take all the good you give and leave you totally void. Ended up walking out mid shift during my 2nd season because I'd had enough of my manager speaking to me like a dog. As soon as you get some one new they gone.get where the can not get staff and take any one off the street /pub. if you do leave you will be banned from park for at least 6mths Unacceptable language and comments from certain members of management made this an un-enjoyable place to be. I have seen a massive Exodus of staff, some Sacked and others having tolerated the Bullying culture, had the sense to move on to better pastures! "

Considering that these resorts cater to families with children, you wonder how efficient is their background checks to weed out pedophiles.

HennyPenny ago

Dionysus: he who runs in the woods, also aka Bacchus, father of Priapus and Hymen, AKA in Macedonia Pseudonor or "false man" referring to feminine qualities. Funny name for a leader of children's nature activities