Excited and eager,the Highflyers reunited for a training weekend with a twist! Instead of meeting at a campsite, drop off point was Newark Train station! From there,we embarked on a journey to Gilwell park using two trains and a tube- probably not the best idea to try and get all 40 of us on a tube from Kings Cross Station to Liverpool Street station at 9 O'clock at night with baggage! We finally arrived weary eyed, to be assigned a room and a quick snack before bed in our luxury bunk beds with en suites!
Bright and early the next day, we set off for a great day out in London, visiting Christmas markets and meeting with the whole unit and certain times and places throughout the day. First stop of the day: Buckingham Palace for changing of the guard! However instead of watching the parade we may have gotten a little bored and switched to taking selfies for our unit twitter account! (@LincsScoutWSJ15)
Bright and early the next day, we set off for a great day out in London, visiting Christmas markets and meeting with the whole unit and certain times and places throughout the day. First stop of the day: Buckingham Palace for changing of the guard! However instead of watching the parade we may have gotten a little bored and switched to taking selfies for our unit twitter account! (@LincsScoutWSJ15)
Our first meeting point was at the Japanese Embassy which, coincidentally turned out to be just down the road from Buckingham Palace! As the best patrol we arrived a few minutes early and dished out housekeeping duties to the late patrols!
Our next adventure took us to Winter Wonderland, the huge Christmas Market in Hyde Park. However we kept getting split up because of the large crowds so settled on a meeting point before splitting up into groups to wander around. The girls and I decided to have a look at all the small stalls buying presents and gifts for family and friends. After we had met up again with the rest of the unit we revealed that we had something very special. When we were standing deciding which way to go next, a very nice gentleman gave us tickets for the rides- we thanked him religiously and counted them up- overall we had been given £20 worth of tickets!
However the boys in our patrol had decided that they had had enough and decided to go to Hamleys, whereas we stayed for a little longer. Our meeting point was decided: Oxford Circus at 2:15 to make it to Greenwich in time for a unit photo.
However the boys in our patrol had decided that they had had enough and decided to go to Hamleys, whereas we stayed for a little longer. Our meeting point was decided: Oxford Circus at 2:15 to make it to Greenwich in time for a unit photo.
After using the tickets gratefully received, we arrived at the meeting point expecting to meet the rest of the patrol AND STEVEN (he had gone to find Kev in Covent Garden).However Dan told us Archie and Andrew the two youngest members of the unit had gone to find a toilet and that Steven was nowhere to be seen. After about half an hour Andrew and Archie found us and a further 15 minutes passed before we caught sight of Steven coming with Kev behind. Off to Greenwich we went!
However that didn't go very smoothly at all! Firstly, we stayed on the train too long so it took us an extra 20 minutes just to get off at the right station. By this time we had missed the photo by an hour and it was starting to get dark and spirits had started to drop. After passing one of the other patrols,we were about to start the long walk up the steep hill to the Observatory when Maddie, our patrol leader, asked us to review the situation. We still had to go to the Imperial War museum for the Holocaust exhibition and be back at Gilwell for Christmas dinner promptly at 7. After much deliberation, we ditched the photo.
You'd think that that would be the end of our problems. Wrong.
Arriving at the museum we took the lift to level four where the exhibition was, to be met with a security guard that said we had to pre-book. Steven looked like he was about to kill someone and sent Maddie down to sweet talk to manager. Finally we were allowed in.
We all met up and the mood had completely changed, no one spoke and there were no smiles anywhere. This was meant to be preparation for Hiroshima.
With aching feet, we hurried back arriving just in time for Christmas dinner and the secret santa! The dinner was amazing and it was fun trying to workout who got who! Turns out Catherine had got me and I had been sat next to her all along. I received a lovely glass filled with all the necessary ingredients for hot chocolate!
We cleared the room up and the tension between the patrols rose as we started playing for prizes in Family fortunes! It was a tough battle but the overall winners: STEVEN'S PATROL! ( We didn't cheat.....promise!)
After a busy day everyone breathed a size of relief when we were told breakfast wasn't until 9 the next morning. After a delicious breakfast, we began our journey back to Newark train station but not without another test of teamwork and planning. The leaders decided it would be funny if they got off the train several stops early! This left us to find them at the correct meeting point without missing our train.
Finally we gathered together for our last few hours as a unit on the train back to Lincolnshire.
I'm sorry for the late update- I have been so busy with school! I hope everyone had a good new year! Tomorrow is actually the next camp #6, and from here on, we have a camp once a month leading up to the Jamboree JUST SEVEN MONTHS AWAY!
Kyra x
After a busy day everyone breathed a size of relief when we were told breakfast wasn't until 9 the next morning. After a delicious breakfast, we began our journey back to Newark train station but not without another test of teamwork and planning. The leaders decided it would be funny if they got off the train several stops early! This left us to find them at the correct meeting point without missing our train.
Finally we gathered together for our last few hours as a unit on the train back to Lincolnshire.
I'm sorry for the late update- I have been so busy with school! I hope everyone had a good new year! Tomorrow is actually the next camp #6, and from here on, we have a camp once a month leading up to the Jamboree JUST SEVEN MONTHS AWAY!
Kyra x
