Memories Cafe
Our THIRD CAFE was on Sunday, 3 May 2026 when we had all our maps out on display. We had three very unique maps, not only unique to us, but unique to the town of Renfrew, so there was a special treat for those who joined us.
The first was a handdrawn, scale map, of the original Blythswood Estate, showing Blythswood House, the stables and various outbuildings, the tree areas and the rivers surrounding the land. The map is of significance to 2nd Renfrew because when the Estate was in use, the Scouts used the land to practice their outdoor skills. During the war, the Estate was also used to cut wood for the elderly to heat their homes. There will be more information on that at a future Cafe.
The second map was another handdrawn one of Blythswood, from a different perspective. Both the Blythswood maps were drawn using coloured pencil, are in perfect condition and, as far as we know, were drawn by one of our former Scout Leaders.
The third map was Renfrew Town in 1939, the map used by 2nd Renfrew Scouts to train the Home Guard and for Scouts to use during World War 2. In addition to being a perfectly created map, it also notes the sites of decontamination posts, first aid posts, telephone boxes and other place of interest, so definitely one for use during the war.
There were other local maps, but the three above were of particular interest to all who attended.
Our next Cafe is on Sunday, 7 June 2026 where there will be a slight change in the format, as the theme will be a strawberry tea. What better way to celebrate summer than with a cream and jam scone or a strawberry tart, along with tea or coffee?
You don’t need to have a connection to the Scouts to come along as we’re part of local history, so please do drop in for a cuppa and a natter, along with the chance to see items from our archive, which link to local and Scouting history. There’s no cost for our event, it’s a donation. We’re a community event, which is also dementia friendly, so there’s no reason not to come along. We look forward to seeing you.
Here’s a little bit of background as to why we think the Cafe is important and will become an integral part of our Scout Group:
When we realised how large and varied our archive is, we thought we should use it for community support. To progress this we spoke to Alzheimer Scotland with a view to us setting up a monthly coffee afternoon for everyone in our community, including Scouts/former Scouts, and anyone who has a Scout connection, especially those who have dementia and their carers (equally the carer could have been a Scout), using the archive as a talking point to bring back memories. If you have no Scout connection, you’ll also be welcome to visit us to see our archive, have a cuppa and a chat, as our history is closely linked to Renfrew’s history.
We’re delighted that Alzheimer Scotland are happy to support us and assisted by providing Dementia Awareness Sessions. The Sessions were very interesting and informative in helping us prepare for our Memories Cafe, so our sincere thanks to Carolyn Irvine, the Renfrewshire Dementia Adviser for giving up her evenings to lead the Sessions.
