Please note that the link from the old MADA address

"www.mada.org.uk"

will soon cease to operate, use the new address

"www.midangliada.co.uk"

for quick access

In 1950 members of the Camping Club of GB & Ireland Ltd living in the Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire and Huntingdonshire decided to form a District Association, known as Beds, Cambs & Hunts. The motif was a passive swan. The first Chairman was Mr. W. Haylock , the Secretary was Mr. Peter Rowell , whom we believe is a member of the Association of Lightweight Campers, the Treasurer was Mr. W. Todd , the Regional Rep was Mrs. E. Gill and the Committee consisted of Mrs., W. Haylock , Mr. J. Downer and Mr. S Newell .

In those “old days” almost everyone camped in tents and did not arrive on site until Saturday morning. They held annual Feast of Lanterns, the first being held at Luton Hoo 26/ 27 th August 1950 . They had DA holidays in Cornwall and Bank Holiday weekends in Derbyshire at Alstonfield and Easter in the Forest of Dean . It was quite a go ahead DA.

In 1971/72 the powers that be from HQ in Grosvenor Gardens , London decided to change the boundaries and BCH would no longer be. There was an uproar and petitions were forwarded to HQ but the decision had been made. Bedfordshire became part of Chiltern Region and Cambs & Hunts became Mid Anglia with a new DA being formed in the Region, Fenland DA, which took parts of Huntingdonshire.

The first Annual General Meeting of Mid Anglia DA was held in October 1973 with Jack Sandham as Chairman. The DA decided to have an “angry swan” as their logo in defiance of the Region changes.

In 2003 we held a 30 th Anniversary Reunion Party at Kimbolton School and how nice it was to see some of the BCH members attending, although no longer camping.

Our large youth membership of the 1970's and 1980's have now grown up and some have come back camping with their own families.