Bridge a fitting tribute to lovely Scout master and wife

LOVELY COUPLE: It was with great sadness I read that Pat and Millie Osborn are no longer with us, but I am really pleased that the bridge over the Trent And Mersey Canal in Stoke has been renamed The Osborn Bridge in their honour. I first met Pat when I moved up from the cubs to the scouts in the early 1960s and he became "Skip Osborn" to me. He was a brilliant scout master. At that time, Skip and Millie lived at Little Chell. I have fond memories of our camping trips to Somerford Park where Skip and Millie had a caravan and we pitched our tents by the river Dane. Their son David was also in the scouts and came along in the back of Skip's lorry with the rest of the lads and the camping equipment.

He also took us camping at Kibblestone on many occasions and it is only when you get older that you appreciate all the spare time he gave up for us young lads and the scouting movement.

FITTING TRIBUTE: Pat and Millie Osborn's children David Osborn and Jill Heals unveiled the plaque in memory of their parents. Below right, Pat and Millie Osborn.

I read about Mr Osborn saving a young girl's life in 1978 by diving into a lock at Kidsgrove.

This was the sort of man he was – always putting others before himself. I met him one day repairing a roof at our local garage at Newchapel, and even though it had been 35 years since I had left the Jubilee Scouts, I still called him Skip Osborn, and that put a smile on his face and brought back some good memories for us both. The plaque and the naming Osborn Bridge is a fitting memory to such a lovely couple.

ALBERT GROSVENOR

Chell