As with last year, I have created a single blog post for the camp diary. Each day was written by a nominated Scout (except Friday and Saturday, written by Ivor and myself). Pictures of the camp are on www.magpieschest.co.uk. Where possible, I have corrected spelling and grammar (although some typos may have slipped through)
Quick update: Pictures of the camp can be found at:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/frog101/sets/72157626272872761/show/
25 July 2009
We left Wealstone at 10:00 and arrived at 11:00. We emptied the trailer and set up the District White, when we finished we had lunch. When we finished our lunch we set up my tent. When we finished Ivor took us around the place and he bought us an ice cream. When we finished the tour we came back to the tents and cooked our dinner. After we finished we went to flagbreak at which they told us about the place. After flagbreak we went to the people who worked there and they showed us where all the activities were. It was good.
(Vishan)
Ed Note: (challenging, as I wasn’t there Saturday!) Come To Tolmers is an activity camp ran by Tolmers. This year it was attended by 800 young people and approximately 200 adults. With the exception of Saturday and Wednesday activities are run each day around the site. With so many people on site, Tolmers also operated a simple, but effective security system. Everyone had to wear a coloured scarf – one colour for the young people, another colour for adults/leaders and a third colour for staff/crew. If someone wasn’t wearing a scarf (or a visible visitors pass) they could be challenged.
From the 8th/12th Ivor, Ash, Vishan, Oskar, Jamie and Mason headed out on the Saturday.
26th July
At first we waited for at least an hour queueing up and Jamie got angry at bowling this afternoon. Mason and Vishan were on the climbing wall while Jamie was talking with his friend. Mason, Vishan and Jamie signed up for the inflatable assault course, the vertical walls and the bowling. Luke just came at 8 o’clock and Luke and Oskar [signed up for] Mountain of Air, the Slippery slope and now we’re eating dinner.
Until tomorrow, goodbye.
(Mason)
Ed Note: Luke and I both headed out on Sunday. The camp started every morning with a flagbreak and after this, the queueing Scouts had an opportunity to sign up for up to four activities – two in the morning and two in the afternoon. However, some activities, such as Bowling, Sailing, swimming were “double session” activities as they were off site. Ivor and Ash signed up to be coach marshalls for the Bowling, so they went bowling that afternoon, whilst I walked round the site getting a few pictures.
27th July
First we had breakfast – fried egg, sausage and mushrooms. Then we went to flagbreak, after we went to pick the activities; me and Oskar did the inflatable assault course, Mountain of Air, Gladiators and Human Table Football. Vishan and Mason went to Laser tag, Mountain of Air, Big Slide and Coconut climb.
At tea we had Broccoli & Stilton soup (Mason got sick), Mash potatoes and Steaks. David bought us some pegs to write messages & peg other people. At night we had hot chocolate, then we went to sleep.
(Luke)
Ed Note: Jack joined us today and was able to get onto a number of activities (you couldn’t sign up for “your friend”). The pegs were a brilliant fun game. You wrote a message on a wooden clothes peg (such as “you’ve been pegged by Frog” – or in some cases, phone numbers!!) and tried to peg someone’s scarf without them noticing. In some cases though it was a case of straight swaps, or just handing one over. On my scarf I now have a collection of 8 pegs!
A camp newspaper was produced everyday; a fun item that was read avidly. I particularly liked the jokes – my favourite for the day “What’s Yellow and Smells of Bananas?” “Monkey sick!!”
28th July
First we had breakfast and cereal. Then we went to flagbreak. After that, we signed up for activities. Me and Oskar did Quad biking, inflatable assault course, Human Table Football and Bungee Run. After that we had flagbreak. Vishan really wanted his girlfriend’s group (Gummi Bears) to get through but they didn’t. After that we played football and threw water balloons. Then we went to bed.
(Jack)
Ed note: Favourite joke for today: “What goes Ho-Ho-Ho-Plop-Plop-Plop?” “Santa Claus on the toilet!”
Anyway, as part of the evening’s flag down activities was “Tolmer’s Got Talent”. Very well hosted by Mr.C., each evening showcased the top three acts from that day’s talent show. Each act was reviewed by three Tolmers Crew – although I suspect Mrs Wembley was more fierce than she let on! – and then the fourth umpire – the audience – would cheer for their favourite, the winner going through to the final on Friday.
AND – how could I forget – Ivor, Dan (from the 27th Harrow) and I had a lovely cream tea in the Leaders area; we were joined by the Lady Mayors from Hatfield, Welwyn Hatfield and Roxbourne! Their company was very enjoyable and it all felt very down to earth!
29th July 2009
Firstly we had breakfast, after Ivor woke up – we had to hurry our breakfast so we could get to the coach.
On the way to London we saw a chromed Audi. After we passed a posh hotel we saw even better cars, but we weren’t allowed to go to them.
The walk was long. Soon we came to the Thames. Luckily it was low so we could go down the steps to the sand. Soon we met street performers and a huge flagpole made from one tree?
Soon Ivor was getting annoyed with the Scouts because no-one (repeat, no-one) was paying attention to where we were going. Later we visited the portrait gallery and saw some amazing paintings. Soon Mason said “I need a drink!” Ivor replied “Same”. We we got to the shop I kept shouting “Doughnut!”
Then we hurried off to the coach and went back to the campsite.
(Oskar)
Ed Note: I love the way Ivor seems to be the sleepy head here! Actually, Ivor had to wake both Vishan and Mason twice. I also feel the need to publish this quote, relayed to me from last night: “I thought that something had pooed in my tent last night; but it was part of my sleeping mat”. Apparently, this phantom animal had also managed to wake the leaders up from the next pitch!
Today there were no onsite activities. Options were to be part of an organised incident hike, go to Thorpe Park, head into London – or do your own thing. We decided to head into London and follow part of the Jubilee Walkway, which went past many of London’s landmarks. Dropped by Wellington Arch, No.1 London, we walked to Buckingham Palace, through St James’ park to Parliament Square; along the Thames to Lambeth Bridge where we crossed; walked East along the Thames past Lambeth Palace, The London Eye and County Hall, Festival Pier to Gabriel’s Wharf where we had lunch(and the boys went onto the sand). After lunch we went passed the Oxo building to the Tate Modern, across the Millenium bridge to St. Pauls, along Fleet Street, passed the Royal Courts of Justice and around to Covent Garden. We then dashed through to the Portrait Gallery (more in a mo), then passed TrafalgarSquare up to Piccadilly Circus then along Picadilly and back to Hyde Park where we got the bus back from near the Dorchester. A fair trip!
We made a special effort to get to the Portrait Gallery as one of Harrow & Wealdstone’s Scout Leaders was successful in getting his portait of Harry Patch ( a WWI veteran) displayed there.
Thursday 30th
First we got up at 7:30 and went to the bathroom and then we had breakfast. Then we washed up. After that we went to flagbreak at 08:30. at 09:00 we went to sign up for activities. After the activities we had dinner I can’t remember what. After dinner we washed up and at 7:30 till 8:00 is flagdown then there is an evening activity till 10:00pm and then lights out 11:00pm
(Jamie)
Ed note: Although this seems quite “nothingy” this is the format for each day! The boys signed up for the following:
Jamie: Rock (indoor climbing wall), crazy golf, Jump mats, Laser clay
Vishan, Luke & Mason: Bowling, Rope-a-phobia, coconut climb
Oskar & Jack: laser tag, laser clay, Gladiators, Bungee trampoline
Luke and Jack also went home today.
Just in case you felt that the leaders hadn’t been doing anything – Thursday evening was Quiz night in the Leaders area!
Friday 31st
AM. Only four Scouts but Malcolm (leader) now here do 4 leaders. Wasn’t easy to get up by 7:30am as Ivor found boys had not set their alarm clocks!! Mason still fussy about eating his breakfast – scrambled egg on toast – but ate half when told he would not eat until the evening meal. Everyone happy that the weather report looks good until Saturday afternoon. Boys have selected the days bases with Oskar & Jamie choosing swimming PM, which Ivor & David are coach marshalls.
Lunchtime was upset by Vishan and Mason turning up late but they made up for their error by being helpful to the leaders. In fact this camp Vishan has been very good. The afternoon activities entailed David and Ivor being coach marshalls for the swimming and were joined by Oskar, Jamie and 41 other young campers (mostly girls). Evening meal’s stew was well received but Mason was up to his usual trick and surprisingly Oskar took ages. Scouts were allowed free time at 6:40pm when jobs were completed and they had showers in preparation for the camp disco that night. Mason entertained us by walking in his underpants through the field from the shower to his tent.
(Ivor)
Ed note: The camp disco was for the young people only – all leaders were excluded. To make up for that there was a live band in the leaders area. Mason’s decision not to change in the shower area is made even more brave when you realise that to walk from the showers to our pitch you have to walk past two Guide camps and three mixed Scout Group sites!
1st August
Last morning. After breakfast of bacon sandwiches (chosen to minimise the numbers of plates used – and still we didn’t succeed) we went up to the flagbreak for one last time. We had to be off site by midday so that the next round of campers could come on site (CTT is a two-week event at Tolmers).
The weather managed to hold off, so we were able to drop, dry and pack all the hike tents and the District White. Malcolm took some of the unused tentage in his car; the minibus was loaded up once more as was the trailer. By 11:30 we were fully packed and ready to leave – just as it started to rain.
We had a very pleasant lunch by the flagpole – Ash had brought a selection of salads to enjoy. He had also brought some pasties – but had unfortunately misread the packet of “3 Cheese and Onion pasties” (it was a pasty made from three different cheeses); fortunately only three people wanted them!
On leaving the site, we made good time getting home and unpacked. Mason’s dad was very helpful in getting the kit and equipment away and we finished over half an hour before our earliest estimates.
It had been a fun camp. There had been less Scout activities than in previous years (and we didn’t find out until later in the week that some of the activities would go towards badges – so we couldn’t encourage the Scouts) but it had been a very successful camp in that all campers, both leaders and boys, had made new friends or strengthened friendships that were already there. From our perspective, we have a new location option for our cycle trips – but we also spent quite a while getting to know the leaders from the Roxeth groups and 27th Harrow groups that were also on site.
Next year is planned to be kandersteg, but 2011….?
(David)
