Back from Camp
So, here I am. Back in civilisation. I'm absolutely knackered but it's been an amazing week. My role on the camp was to look after one of the tents and its occupants and generally be 'one of the team' heading up the activities. Part of the briefing was to give the kids the best holiday we could, and I hope we succeeded.
I really enjoyed being able to be a kid again and partook in all sorts of activities from crab-fishing to a high ropes course - an assault course at 40ft up in the trees has to be one of the most terrifying things I've done, but it was so rewarding. Needless to say, the kids were fearless...
I lived on six hours sleep a night and my diet somehow included an excess of bananas (blame Q for ordering too many) and Wonka Bars (mmmm). It was also very cold for August, and very windy at times, but that didn't stop us having a good time. The location - a cliff top on the North Sea Coast - was incredible.
Highlights included going on a putting trip with just one kid and a female leader - after getting a few funny looks it dawned on me that we were being mistaken for a family and everyone was doing the maths to ascertain just how we could have had a 9 year old son.
There was also the painted dolphin (one of many) on the cookhouse wall I got to name Milhouse; I've always wanted to give something that name. Then there was the roast dinner in the middle of the night during a storm - surreal. The leadership team was just wonderful - so supportive - and I made so many new friends. One of the guys heading the whole thing up was truly a legend; I think his tattoo sums it up - whilst invigilating an exam he saw an illustration of a scarab beetle and without a second thought, got the paper photocopied, went to the parlour and said "this is what I want". Nice...
The biggest let-down has to be opting to man the "sock shoot" game as part of the "It's a Knockout" competition. It sounded cool, and in preparation for it a scaffolding platform had been erected, complete with a contraption to hang a bucket from it. Imagine then my disappointment when I discovered that the game worked as follows: stand under the bucket, and throw as many old socks in it from the pile provided in the allocated time.
Sadly we ran out of time to play 'Coastguards and Smugglers', which meant that the inhabitants of the beach and the surrounding area did not get to see me sporting a cassock, a Canterbury Cap and some dodgy shades. They were also spared the sight of at least one cross dresser, but credit has to go to the dude who painted his toe-nails in preparation and then had to endure a trip to the swimming pool sporting his new look.
This week it's back to my book (currently Harry Potter I'm ashamed to say, but I feel that it's important to know what all the fuss is about), my physics, and choosing my new bike.
Before I go however, I would like to take this opportunity to confirm for those of you who read the recent tabloid reports that I have size 12 feet.
I really enjoyed being able to be a kid again and partook in all sorts of activities from crab-fishing to a high ropes course - an assault course at 40ft up in the trees has to be one of the most terrifying things I've done, but it was so rewarding. Needless to say, the kids were fearless...
I lived on six hours sleep a night and my diet somehow included an excess of bananas (blame Q for ordering too many) and Wonka Bars (mmmm). It was also very cold for August, and very windy at times, but that didn't stop us having a good time. The location - a cliff top on the North Sea Coast - was incredible.
Highlights included going on a putting trip with just one kid and a female leader - after getting a few funny looks it dawned on me that we were being mistaken for a family and everyone was doing the maths to ascertain just how we could have had a 9 year old son.
There was also the painted dolphin (one of many) on the cookhouse wall I got to name Milhouse; I've always wanted to give something that name. Then there was the roast dinner in the middle of the night during a storm - surreal. The leadership team was just wonderful - so supportive - and I made so many new friends. One of the guys heading the whole thing up was truly a legend; I think his tattoo sums it up - whilst invigilating an exam he saw an illustration of a scarab beetle and without a second thought, got the paper photocopied, went to the parlour and said "this is what I want". Nice...
The biggest let-down has to be opting to man the "sock shoot" game as part of the "It's a Knockout" competition. It sounded cool, and in preparation for it a scaffolding platform had been erected, complete with a contraption to hang a bucket from it. Imagine then my disappointment when I discovered that the game worked as follows: stand under the bucket, and throw as many old socks in it from the pile provided in the allocated time.
Sadly we ran out of time to play 'Coastguards and Smugglers', which meant that the inhabitants of the beach and the surrounding area did not get to see me sporting a cassock, a Canterbury Cap and some dodgy shades. They were also spared the sight of at least one cross dresser, but credit has to go to the dude who painted his toe-nails in preparation and then had to endure a trip to the swimming pool sporting his new look.
This week it's back to my book (currently Harry Potter I'm ashamed to say, but I feel that it's important to know what all the fuss is about), my physics, and choosing my new bike.
Before I go however, I would like to take this opportunity to confirm for those of you who read the recent tabloid reports that I have size 12 feet.
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