Saturday 23rd July

After meeting at the hut at 9:00am, we left promptly. The trip to the site was at least 3 hours. Once arriving at the site, many of the Scouts explored the area. Once we received the place and the kit (tents, poles, flysheets) we began pitching the tents and making our site. Our patrol was finished first.

After this, we had our packed lunches. Once this was completed we tackled the mess tent. For the mess tent we had a little more difficulty. We had to have four people doing the mess tent so as not to bend any of the poles. We had it up in time. For snack we had biscuits and juice.

After this, while we waiting for the other patrols to catch up, we could prepare our fires, but we were told specifically not to light them. There are three different patrols. We had our fire lit last, however our food tasted really good. One Scout was washing up while another dried. The rest of us either helped tidy up or stacked the wood pile neatly.

By the time this was done we had an activity, which was cricket. Our patrol did really well. We played till it was dark. While most people were sorting out their sleeping area, we could get supper. Most people in our patrol had hot chocolate. There were those that had coffee or soup. Then it was to bed, but the seniors had to still have a meeting.

Sunday 24th July

We made our camp gadgets today: A dresser and a washing line. It was tipping it down with rain so we all got really wet whilst we did it. In the afternoon it stopped raining and started to be sunny with drizzle occasionally.

The activities in the afternoon were archery, rifle shooting and hike skills. In the archery, we had lots of practice goes before having a competition. You had to get an arrow in every circle in ascending order. In the air rifle shooting we had some more practice goes before trying to get our best score for the camp sports competition. In hike skills, we were taught how to use trangias and made a hot drink on them.

In the evening we played in the stream and on the assault course before playing a wide game. We played two wide games. One was a game where you had to try and mend a space ship. Different objects were scattered in the woods and we had to find them. The first team to find all the bits to the space ship wins. The second wide game was man hunt. The troop went to hide in the woods and three people went to try and find them. Later on in the evening we had tuck shop, supper and then went to bed.

Monday 25th July

Firstly we had to get up really early because we had to leave early. I didn't like it too much and got very tired. We didn't have to cook ourselves because it would take too long. We had to leave early because there wasn't a climbing or caving place in the site. I went in one of the leader's cars. He put something on the laptop so it told him where to go.

When we got there we split into groups. One group got to abseil first, go caving then climb up. The next group did exactly the same just after them. The first group had to abseil in caving suits. I got scared and didn't want to do it at first as I had not abseiled before down a proper cliff. After lots of encouragement on my second try to go down I did it. That meant I could go caving. We swapped suits with the people who had just done caving. We followed the instructor. Some of it was a real squeeze. When we got out we had to climb up the cliff in the caving suit.

Lunch was buns, crisps and fruit. In the afternoon we did exactly the same apart from abseiling a different cliff and caving in a different cave. In caving we got to go round on our own this time. It was really fun. It was great turning the lights off and going round in the pitch black. We then climbed the cliff. One of the leaders got me a 7-up for doing it. On the way back we stopped at Sainsbury's. I spotted the sweet section and we got some. I just had lots of fudge.

In the evening one of the other Scouts and I cooked dinner. It was pasta and bolognaise. I couldn't eat it all because of all the fudge I ate.

It was a fun day.

Tuesday 26th July

Everyone slept in due to the early start the day before. This meant that no-one was ready for flag break. But after about 15 minutes everyone was awake and ready to prepare breakfast and start the fire. Because of the reasonably dry night before, the fire lit easily and soon we had our meal of black pudding, tomatoes and egg. However those who were in the mood cooked themselves some fired break. Soon everyone was sitting at the table eating their fried breakfast.

But there was no time to talk as ten minutes later we found ourselves preparing for an inspection. However, the morning wasn't all bad because the next activity was going to be fun. It was called the drobe. The idea was that there was a sledge facing down the hill with a rope attached to it. The rope would then be held by the Scouts who pulled as hard as they could. Soon the sledge would accelerate quickly down the hill.

Nearly all the Scouts enojyed this, but the fun wasn't all over as the next activity was swimming where they had inflatables. If most of the Scouts throught the drobe was fun, all of them thought swimming was fun. Everyone had a huge ball fight (including the leaders) which for once wasn't spoilt by the life guards. But they weren't all being nice as a few were being fussy about people mucking about on the inflatables.

At 2.00 everyone got out of the pool to have a sandwich and crisps. This fueled us up for a rounders match which counted towards the sports competition. Every patrol had two innings. Tigers and Eagles drew first with Kestrels just a few rounders behind.

When we got back to the campsite, we quickly prepared the fire for a nice meal of sausages, mash and baked beans. After all the washing up we had to prepare for the hike to enable an early start the next day. After supper, everyone took to their beds to get revved up for the hike.

Wednesday 27th July

On Wednesday morning we prepared for our hike. Breakfast was cereal bars. We all had to set off at different times for the hike: the seniors set off first as they were doing a full hike, then our group and the other juniors. The juniors started off in the minibus which took us to a disused quarry. We then had to walk the last 7 miles to a place called Pen Wood campsite. On the way there. lunch was rolls and crisps but we arrived at the car park where we were having lunch and the minibus had gone to the wrong place. We sent a message over the walkie talkie saying that the leader driving the bus was useless.

When we got to the campsite, we stayed in hike tents and I stayed in a tent with two other Scouts. We cooked our dinner on trangias and we had cheese and bacon pasta, and I discovered I didn't mind it. We then had free time where I just went to sleep.

The Wednesday started out cold and wet. Our rucksacks were completely packed. We needed a fork, spoon, bowl, plate and cup. The PLs set out first. We progressed exceptionally well. After a few kilometers however, we could feel the fatigue pressing down on us. Our group (PLs) stopped outside a pub. One of the other groups (some juniors) passed. They, however, were not using rucksacks. After this came a very big hill. Once this was complete we walked along a ridge. The view was quite spectacular. While other groups were nearing their lunch area, which was in a car park, we trudged on. At one stage we even crossed a golf course. At the car park we stopped for lunch. Because we were on expedition, we had to carry everything we needed, including our food.

After this, the next leg of the journey was through a forest. Along the way we saw some views from through the gaps in the trees, we were quite high. After walking through the forest we came out into the open. By now our feet were aching quite considerably. We walked through towns or village, across busy roads, railway tracks and even fields with cows or horses. What was also quite fun was corresponding with each other via walkie talkies. As the evening drew nearer we continually checked that we were on the right course. At the bottom of a steep hill, called Pen Hill, there was a corn field. This we had to walk through. The rain was coming down on us hard. There were massive cracks in the ground which we kept stepping into.

Slowly we made our way to the hill. We were all in pain. Our bodies were aching all over. Then it was just up. Along the way we passed a church building. Then the rain came down very hard on us. Nearing the top of the hill we got separated. Using the walkie talkies we made our way to the campsite, which was typically on the top of the hill.

Once we arrived at the camp, we quickly set up our tents. My tent was really small. Then we had to cook our expedition meals on our trangias. Some of us went to other tents while others just relaxed in their own.

Thursday 28th July

Today we went on our second part of the hike. It wasn't as easy as the day before because we were tired from the day before. We started off well but it got harder as we got to the end. The bags were heavier, especially mine because I had the wet tent in mine. I didn't really like it because of the cows and I don't like cows. It was very hilly, long up-hills and steep downhills, hardly ever flat.

We were so happy when we got back for two reasons: 1) the other seniors didn't make it back without the minibus, and 2) we really needed a rest. Then five minutes later we had to put our tents up to dry. For breakfast we had cereal bars, for lunch we had rolls and for dinner we had chicken curry with rice and fruit salad. That was really nice but the hike was hell.

Friday 29th July

Breakfast on Friday was hotdogs. After breakfast we went kayaking. That was really fun, we played games like tag in our boats. Then we did chariots which you need two people for. You form a chariot shape and race, but we all fell in. At the end we all capsized on purpose.

After kayaking we went back to camp for lunch. It was sandwiches. Then we went to Gloucester. We all went shopping - lots of people bought CDs. One Scout bought AC/DC Back in Black, and someone else bought Green Day American Idiot.

While we were in Gloucester, the PLs went food shopping for MasterChef. Our patrol did a BBQ, Kestrels did sweet chilli noodles with spare ribs, and Tigers did bolognaise and a lovely cheesecake, and they won overall.

Today we were going canoeing, Gloucester, MasterChef and a campfire. This was obviously a fun-packed day and I was quite excited. We got up early today because we had to leave for canoeing at 10:00am. First we had to get all our stuff ready, some wet clothes and dry ones. We got to the minibus and off we went. About 30 minutes passed and we had arrived at some sort of lake place. We waited for about 20 minutes wondering what was happening and then we found we had been sent to the wrong place, so a man who was teaching us canoeing directed us to the real place.

We got to a small river type thing and then we put ourselves into two groups: seniors and juniors. Seniors were going first so I had to get my gear on, grab a canoe, helmet and lifejacket and automaticly we were in the water. The instructor told us some simple strokes and after a while I had got the hang of it. I thought it was really fun and I started to paddle upstream.

The instructor then said we were going to play touch tag. This was a game where we had to throw a ball at each other and whoever had the ball was on. We then paddled back downstream and one instructor asked if anyone wanted to capsize. Me and one of the other Scouts wanted to do it, so we did and it was really fun but the water was freezing.

Then while the juniors were doing their canoeing, the PL's went out to ASDA where we got some food for the MasterChef. I was cooking pigs in blankets for starters and chilli noodles and BBQ ribs for main course, and for dessert was caramelised apple. I thought the starter and dessert was good, but the main course was so nice it was lovely.

We then washed up a lot and got ready for a campfire. We sang a curry song by me and another Scout which everyone laughed at, and 'twinkle twinkle little star' opera version. Eagle's Fat Matt chronicles was very funny too. At the end we were very tired, so we went to bed.

Saturday 30th July

On Saturday we had omelettes for breakfast, then we did Scout's Own where we talked about the Scout Law in different countries and Baden-Powell. After that we did the assault course which we won, then we had lunch and played a football tournament, which we also won.

The football carried on after tea, then we played a wide game where we had to get glow sticks from the other patrol, which we also won, then we had supper and went to bed.

Sunday 31st July

After an excellent camp, it was time to pack everything up, say our goodbyes and come home. Congratulations to Eagles, who won the sports competition, and to Tigers, who won the Patrol competition.

Thanks everyone, and lets look forward to next year!