Post by JEM on Sept 23, 2007 12:46:09 GMT
THE DYFFRYN DELIGHT
#####################
A report of BB Camp 2007 at Dyffryn Ardudwy at Gwynedd on the West coast of mid- Wales
Based on the private diary of Mr Madds (John Maddams - Associate Member of BB )
Surnames have been eliminated or reduced to a letter.
Saturday August 18
#################
Someone overslept John alias Madds or Mr Madds, should have risen at 4am but had failed to correctly set the alarm Clock so someone was hammering on his door. Apparently his neighbour Helen was concerned that he was not up and on his way before 5.30, and Joyce in the next block was looking out for him to go. Several people had offered to phone him at 4am, but he declined.
Anyway he got a knock at 5.50am and he said “give me 10 minutes” In that time he became fully clothed, had part of a glass of squash, ( a week later several flies lay drowned in what remained) , picked up his bag and walking stick and went out, only as quickly to go back in again having forgotten to put his dentures in. Simon said “John after all these years you will never live this one down. Late on parade”
He was made very welcome with a reserved seat and the first aid box to put his legs up on although he used his hand luggage bag and his condition checked from time to time by Steve. Real courier service.
Andy W was already on, having been up since 4am and brought over to Walden by his Dad
So we left Walden at 6.02am but soon caught up Geoff’s minibus and overtook him to put Simon where he wanted to be , in front. ( was that in case, carrying all the baggage, we’d need a push up the Welsh passes?) Steve received a text message from Keith L which said simply “Rain, Rain, Rain”, Steve sent a reply “Why are you up so early? ”
We stopped first at the Services Centre at Corley. With the sunshine well out. Henry Wells drooped a £1 coin in a rubbish bin and could not see it and did not want to put his hand in, and told his younger brother Edward. For them losing a pound was serious so an adult fished it out and restored it to him. Madds had chats with Joel and Lewis and had a toasted Egg and Ham roll costing £3.45 as his Breakfast, while he chatted with Stephen and Phyllis who had stopped their car there with their young charges, their son Thomas, and Matthew, and Richard .
We set of again and reached Birmingham at 8.20am and had another stop later on but the burger- king cafe was not open which disappointed the boys.
In Wales it began to rain and the water began to drip inside the Luggage minibus so Madds put his umbrella up to protect himself but it has not worked properly since so maybe that was a mistake. We had Dominic with us in the Luggage Minibus as his Dad was still at Walden conducting a wedding.
So we stopped at Barmouth having entered slowly in a traffic jam due to the Harbour Festival. We could not get on the camp site as the other company was not leaving until 12 noon. The boys from Geoff’s minibus found a restaurant serving burgers and went there for a meal. Simon stayed with the other minibus but the rest of his mini-bus went for a walk along the promenade avoiding or passing through the puddles, depending on age and experience, and some went along the beach. From about 12 noon till 12.15 we had some light rain as forecast by the overnight weather news.
We finally arrived at the Camp Centre about 12.30pm and the gateway to the field was muddy with ruts. The row of boys tents were a long way from the row of staff tents and we did consider pitching them nearer each other but in the end we didn’t and that may have been just as well.
Those who had not already done so ate their sandwiches lunch in the Dining Hall. We then chose or had allocated our tents.,
We laid the ground sheets out and then erected the central poles to the tents.
A crowd of us walked down to the beach noting the changes since we came in 1998.
The caravan and camping area has extended along the road in the site to link up to another road further south. That end is also linked to the beach over the dunes by two wooden decking bridges.
Just down from our site a new house had been built. The pub is now a hotel. The field where 1st Birmingham were in 1998 had a marquee in it and later in the week another company moved on to it. In the field beyond that was another wooden building and marquee and a camp of BB & GB etc from the Midlands using several mini buses and cars with maybe 60 -70 campers.
The caravan site has been developed with a pub and restaurant and chalets.
On the edge of the dunes is a gate, a ditch, a bridge and the path through the dunes is no longer on decking but simply on sand. I think in fact the route has been changed. No longer at that point on the beach is their a post with a life jacket or ring on. That is further south. Just before the beach this path rises and then drops and the sign on the posts warn of not playing in the dunes.
Our boys apparently assuming the sign did not apply to them, promptly started climbing the dunes and sliding down them, where as our Seniors Benn, Ben, Sam N, Joel, and Ansley simply disappeared into the dunes for a private get together.
Was it then or later in the week that they enjoyed jumping off the dunes as depicted in the video on the Tube linked to Benn's bebo.com site? Did Benn teach them from his experience in a nother part of the country?
Andrew H produced a kite which he flew and then Phyllis flew it assisted by various boys,
As we sat down for Dinner Madds realised his cutlery had not been washed after last camp so he transferred to his other set used at Dartmoor the year before.
Dinner was of beef hot pot and mixed vegetables, of chocolate sponge pudding and custard.
We had hilarious staff washing up antics and eventually we formed quite a good team of conveyer belt precision in washing in a large sink, drying, passing one to another back to the table.
Matt was coughing a bit. Poor chap brought a chest infection with him and took it home again a week later. He was on antibiotics. He plodded on refusing to let it stop his work or his fun.
As the weather was damp it was decided to have as an evening activity, a Quiz in the Chapel hastily prepared by a group, and it was decided to run tuck shop at the beginning and in the interval . Out of the window went any planned idea for recording sales, The money just got chucked in an old biscuit tin.
Steve had the questions and answers thrust in his hands at short notice and was asked to compere, which like others dropped in the deep end before him, he did admirably well. The Quiz was as hilarious as it was noisy.
AWT told us of a chap he met at university who seemed to be an odd ball at first sight and AWT steered clear of him, but he then discovered that he was one of the most popular persons there with lots of friends and a disposition for friendship. First impressions can be wrong.
The day ended with hot chocolate and a less than serious attempt to get the boys asleep.
Stephen led Staff Evening Prayers
After everyone else had gone to bed RM, LC and AWT discussed financing and planning, and Madds sat up late with AWT on night duty and chatted.
Returning to his tent about 1am Madds had forgotten to take any water so had to soak his dentures in Lucozade, then his bed collapsed as he sat on it throwing his head pillows and him on to the ground sheet. Eventually he sorted that out and dropped off to sleep. So ended DAY ONE.
Sunday August 19th
#################
When Madds’s alarm went off at 5.30am and he finally rose at 6.15am to light drizzle, he found his pillow in it’s black bag had fallen onto the rear canvas and was wet. He ate an apple pie and went to the shower unit for a shower but forgot to take his shower gel so did not bother.
Matt joined him and had a shower but then we found the floor of shower block and toilets were flooded, some problem with the boiler tank drainage system.
At 7.15am staff prayers took place. We meditated on The Heart of the Church. 1 Thessalonians 3 v 6-13 “Abound in love” and interceded for the camp staff and campers.
The rain continued to fall. We held Camp Inspection. AWT went off to arrange a wet weather plan.
For Breakfast we had cornflakes or porridge, followed by bacon, mushroom, and hash.
Matt led Thought for the Day about journeying and getting lost and how to get back by God’s alternative route. God over rules the way we journey when we go wrong, whatever stage we are at . we washed up together with me as washer upper for the staff tables. Tuck Shop opened up.
AWT took the boys to see the 8th natural wonder of the world a slate cave that told them a bit about slate mining. Heiny took Sharon and the girls to a farm to see the animals. Simon Pr as quartermaster went out for more supplies. Matt. Kath and Rachel Mu stayed on site getting the Dinner ready.
The acting-duty officer put up signage about “ caution mind your head” due to the low beam into the dining room, and making the central door the main one and the one near the kitchen out of bounds.
At 11.30 Simon M arrived and was greeted with the BB Handshake and passed over to Simon P for the job of sorting him out, and getting a ground sheet laid,
He had a white ridge tent all to himself at the far end of the executive line beyond the Assistant C0, the CO and the Camp Canvas officer, where he could set up his Ipod, computer, and television set, home from home. Rachel & Lyndsey went out to find a better place to phone from. The visit to the farm had been enjoyable. Amelie had shown confidence in feeding the goats when other children held back.
The Slate Cave party returned. They reported that people worked those caves from the age of 12 to about the age of 40 sometimes in water as the caves flooded. The Seniors - Benn, Ben, Sam, Ansley and Phil went to the beach. Andy W played Jenga . Others played draughts or cards.
We sat down on time for dinner at which we had roast ham, roast potatoes, Carrots, beans . swede and greens, followed by peaches or oranges and ice cream
Four Seniors were late, only one having made it back before Dinner. They got told off and told that if they did it again they would have to be accompanied by an adult when they went out. After washing up AWT took us all through Canvas Care after which some played games, and Simon M went off in his car to find civilisation.
Phyllis, Stephen and Madds went off to Barmouth for a towel, and a walk around the streets, Back on site Phyllis and Madds walked to the beach where AWT was leading the younger boys while Joel was keeping an eye on the seniors in the dunes.
We all walked back to camp together, some stopping at the caravan site shop to buy ices, chocolate, and joke sweets.
Simon M arrived back with a barbecue set with logs. AWT told him that camp site rules did not allow us to use it, but they negotiated and got agreement to use it in the courtyard.
Heiny was having problems with boys not keeping their tables tidy. We enjoyed a Tea of salad followed by cake.
Steve organised a warming up session on the field involving various exercises. While he did so Madds hunted all through his luggage twice for a whistle for him but never found one. He had 3 with him and later found them all where he had put them in a safe place tied to a coat hanger within one of his plastic suit protectors hung up ready for use. The warming up session woke the boys up and tired the staff out.
So at Pudducks the boys romped home.
============================
First Innings Staff 35 Sam N bowling Boys 88 Phyllis bowling
Second Innings Staff 44 Sam N bowling Boys 94 Rachel Mo and Matt bowling
TOTAL Staff 79. Boys 182
In the Second innings some staff played twice representing other staff members that did not play. It did not make much difference.
Top scorers were Ben 37, Philip 26, Matthew 21, Steve 19,
Geoff 18, Dominic 18 ,
Simon outlined his plans for the week on Christian teaching and gave everyone a special colour printed illustrated 16 page brochure printed on the new church copier
“2007 DARE TO BE RADICAL”
and we proceeded with Session 1 GET A LIFE. If the 10 Commandments Exodus 20 v 1-17 gives us rules about we shouldn’t do, The Sermon on the Mount in Matthew 5 - 7 and Luke 6 v 20-49 is a manifesto of what we should do. First we were encouraged to list what in Luke 6 v 20-49 Jesus tells us we should do and should not do.
Then the challenge was on to elect a Camp President. We had to get into groups and decide who we should nominate, and they had to work out with our help a manifesto , and then make s speech to convince us of the changes they would make if elected and with the £20 to be given to the winner.
Rachel Mu was convincing but a shade upset when Madds voted 3 times for different people on the grounds he had “arrangements” and “understandings” with people in different “groups”. Simon disallowed his votes as spoilt for voting 3 times.
Joel couldn’t tell us and had to sit down. Ben offered us little, Richard was quite vocal but convinced no one and got but 1 vote, his, Tom could not read what they had written down and kept giggling but with Edward’s help they won, with Edward’s vote winner as ghost writer for his speech,” to get more women on the camp”. So Tom got the £20 but he did not get any extra women. This was then linked to Jesus Manifesto speech in the synagogue and what he promised he did deliver.
We were also asked to take a pinch of salt with us as a reminder of how we were going to make a positive difference this week and we said together the LORD’s PRAYER.
The local owner of the land warned us a great storm was coming so we battened down.
After cocoa everyone went to bed, or at least to their tents
After staff meeting and staff prayers led by Matt some of us stayed up looking at records of previous camps and campers and a copy of the “Dyffryn Dragon” of 1995.
Madds retired at 1.30am leaving AWT, RM and LC and lay down in his trousers, fleece, raincoat, and 2 blankets over the top but despite this he was cold in the morning because during the night the skies cleared of cloud and we had an air frost, and when we got up we all agreed it had been a jolly cold night, except Geoff who claimed to he came prepared with the right equipment. Simon M in the outpost tent felt the cold most keenly.
Monday August 20th
##########################
We awoke to near clear skies but it was short lived for soon there was drizzle but it did not last for long. At Staff prayers the theme was “ BEARING FRUIT” John 15 v 5-8 and 1st Corinthians 3 vv 5-15. . Despite the cough that plagued him all the week, Matt carried on with determination as Duty Officer, ever setting a good example, soldiering on with courage and a high level of efficiency as well as maintaining his duties to the catering department.
We had Inspection and all tents showed an improvement except Tent 3, that dropped 1 point from Sunday but still won the shield for the day.
For Breakfast we had Scottish slim sausage, fried egg and baked beans after porridge or cornflakes.
Evening Worship was switched to the Morning which meant that as Simon P as Quarter Master could not be there as he had to go and get supplies. Simon M’s Radical form of worship involved dice and M & M sweets to portray how different communities finish up with disproportionate resources.
We had several praise songs with the orchestra leading us - AWT and Geoff on guitars and Joel on the drums. His teaching was GO LARGE! On being generous, with a questionnaire and explanation about going the extra mile
We had a presentation about Phil B, our former Staff Sgt who had visited Zimbabwe in support of a High School project with Simon H and they had done a bungie jump off the bridge over the Zambesi river. He had gone on to be part of a BMS Action Team to Thailand, and had then led a BMS Action Team to Uganda.
Now he is working in South Africa with his wife Amie helping students, helping set up a BMS Teams Centre, helping the College move to a new location and helping a Baptist Church at Soweto Township In support of them and their 2 year term project our appeal is made. Also mentioned were Richard and Sarah Lubale’s work with AIDS victims in Uganda.
Following this everybody apart from Kathryn, Rachel, Matt, Andy W and Madds went to Barmouth shopping.
AWT left his car keys with Madds in case of emergency, but said that in that case he did not want him driving his car. They were then passed to Matt as Madds and Andy W went on a walk to the beach by a different route to the one we as campers usually used, through part of the south end the Nature Reserve and then on the beach then turning South.
Eventually returning via the coast guard 999 phone point, passing over the dunes by 2 long decking bridges with lay-bys in to allow people to pass if they were laden, this brought them to the Southern end of the now enlarged caravan and camping site and then they walked back down the lane to Camp arriving 5 minutes ahead of the minibus.
For Lunch we had sausage rolls and salad, and cake. Matt produced a new improved system for Washing Up with Staff using a sink, and the Fatigue team using two or three sinks, and each of the boys tables using bowls of water on their table, though this meant the tables got pretty wet and the floor, but with mops as well all went well.
At 1.30pm most people went with AWT swimming at a swimming pool. Phyllis and Stephen went to Harlech shopping. Heiny , Sharon and their daughters came back from a day out. Simon Pickhaver got his remote controlled car working. He and Simon Mattholie played with it on the Camp site.
Eventually the swimmers returned AWT said that Andy W had swept everyone from the pool by his unique form of stroke.
The Seniors then gathered at the far end of the camp field near the Railway Embankment under a tree.
We all came together for Lunch of chicken in sauce, corn, carrots and peas.
After the meal most of the campers went off about 40 miles away for indoor rock climbing. Some folk stayed on site.
Simon took Dominic to Barmouth an evening’s entertainment only to find most things closed down and no trains back until 10.
Another Company arrived and put up ridge tents in the field next to us where the solitary marquee was. Three of our Seniors and Rachel moved to the memorial seat in the courtyard where they were drinking coke and singing, and Joel was trying to dance.
Heiny was preparing maps for tomorrow’s walk to Harlech returning by train.
An officer from the other larger camp came over to see AWT. Kath said we expected him back about 10pm.
The evening moved on and became quite dark and our rock climbers were still not home.
Heiny scared 3 of our Seniors by moving towards them silently in the dark with his headlamp on his forehead and flashing it by putting his hand in front of it , dot, dot, dot - dash, dash, dash, dot, dot, do. He even fooled Madds and Sharon for a bit. He laughed when the lads said that he had scared them.
The climbers finally rolled back having been caught in a traffic jam at 11.10pm.
The boys had their chocolate drinks and all went safely to bed by now pretty tired. We had a brief staff planning session re-planing Wednesday and Thursday. Rachel Mo led staff prayers. Simon M “locked up” about 1am.
#####################
A report of BB Camp 2007 at Dyffryn Ardudwy at Gwynedd on the West coast of mid- Wales
Based on the private diary of Mr Madds (John Maddams - Associate Member of BB )
Surnames have been eliminated or reduced to a letter.
Saturday August 18
#################
Someone overslept John alias Madds or Mr Madds, should have risen at 4am but had failed to correctly set the alarm Clock so someone was hammering on his door. Apparently his neighbour Helen was concerned that he was not up and on his way before 5.30, and Joyce in the next block was looking out for him to go. Several people had offered to phone him at 4am, but he declined.
Anyway he got a knock at 5.50am and he said “give me 10 minutes” In that time he became fully clothed, had part of a glass of squash, ( a week later several flies lay drowned in what remained) , picked up his bag and walking stick and went out, only as quickly to go back in again having forgotten to put his dentures in. Simon said “John after all these years you will never live this one down. Late on parade”
He was made very welcome with a reserved seat and the first aid box to put his legs up on although he used his hand luggage bag and his condition checked from time to time by Steve. Real courier service.
Andy W was already on, having been up since 4am and brought over to Walden by his Dad
So we left Walden at 6.02am but soon caught up Geoff’s minibus and overtook him to put Simon where he wanted to be , in front. ( was that in case, carrying all the baggage, we’d need a push up the Welsh passes?) Steve received a text message from Keith L which said simply “Rain, Rain, Rain”, Steve sent a reply “Why are you up so early? ”
We stopped first at the Services Centre at Corley. With the sunshine well out. Henry Wells drooped a £1 coin in a rubbish bin and could not see it and did not want to put his hand in, and told his younger brother Edward. For them losing a pound was serious so an adult fished it out and restored it to him. Madds had chats with Joel and Lewis and had a toasted Egg and Ham roll costing £3.45 as his Breakfast, while he chatted with Stephen and Phyllis who had stopped their car there with their young charges, their son Thomas, and Matthew, and Richard .
We set of again and reached Birmingham at 8.20am and had another stop later on but the burger- king cafe was not open which disappointed the boys.
In Wales it began to rain and the water began to drip inside the Luggage minibus so Madds put his umbrella up to protect himself but it has not worked properly since so maybe that was a mistake. We had Dominic with us in the Luggage Minibus as his Dad was still at Walden conducting a wedding.
So we stopped at Barmouth having entered slowly in a traffic jam due to the Harbour Festival. We could not get on the camp site as the other company was not leaving until 12 noon. The boys from Geoff’s minibus found a restaurant serving burgers and went there for a meal. Simon stayed with the other minibus but the rest of his mini-bus went for a walk along the promenade avoiding or passing through the puddles, depending on age and experience, and some went along the beach. From about 12 noon till 12.15 we had some light rain as forecast by the overnight weather news.
We finally arrived at the Camp Centre about 12.30pm and the gateway to the field was muddy with ruts. The row of boys tents were a long way from the row of staff tents and we did consider pitching them nearer each other but in the end we didn’t and that may have been just as well.
Those who had not already done so ate their sandwiches lunch in the Dining Hall. We then chose or had allocated our tents.,
We laid the ground sheets out and then erected the central poles to the tents.
A crowd of us walked down to the beach noting the changes since we came in 1998.
The caravan and camping area has extended along the road in the site to link up to another road further south. That end is also linked to the beach over the dunes by two wooden decking bridges.
Just down from our site a new house had been built. The pub is now a hotel. The field where 1st Birmingham were in 1998 had a marquee in it and later in the week another company moved on to it. In the field beyond that was another wooden building and marquee and a camp of BB & GB etc from the Midlands using several mini buses and cars with maybe 60 -70 campers.
The caravan site has been developed with a pub and restaurant and chalets.
On the edge of the dunes is a gate, a ditch, a bridge and the path through the dunes is no longer on decking but simply on sand. I think in fact the route has been changed. No longer at that point on the beach is their a post with a life jacket or ring on. That is further south. Just before the beach this path rises and then drops and the sign on the posts warn of not playing in the dunes.
Our boys apparently assuming the sign did not apply to them, promptly started climbing the dunes and sliding down them, where as our Seniors Benn, Ben, Sam N, Joel, and Ansley simply disappeared into the dunes for a private get together.
Was it then or later in the week that they enjoyed jumping off the dunes as depicted in the video on the Tube linked to Benn's bebo.com site? Did Benn teach them from his experience in a nother part of the country?
Andrew H produced a kite which he flew and then Phyllis flew it assisted by various boys,
As we sat down for Dinner Madds realised his cutlery had not been washed after last camp so he transferred to his other set used at Dartmoor the year before.
Dinner was of beef hot pot and mixed vegetables, of chocolate sponge pudding and custard.
We had hilarious staff washing up antics and eventually we formed quite a good team of conveyer belt precision in washing in a large sink, drying, passing one to another back to the table.
Matt was coughing a bit. Poor chap brought a chest infection with him and took it home again a week later. He was on antibiotics. He plodded on refusing to let it stop his work or his fun.
As the weather was damp it was decided to have as an evening activity, a Quiz in the Chapel hastily prepared by a group, and it was decided to run tuck shop at the beginning and in the interval . Out of the window went any planned idea for recording sales, The money just got chucked in an old biscuit tin.
Steve had the questions and answers thrust in his hands at short notice and was asked to compere, which like others dropped in the deep end before him, he did admirably well. The Quiz was as hilarious as it was noisy.
AWT told us of a chap he met at university who seemed to be an odd ball at first sight and AWT steered clear of him, but he then discovered that he was one of the most popular persons there with lots of friends and a disposition for friendship. First impressions can be wrong.
The day ended with hot chocolate and a less than serious attempt to get the boys asleep.
Stephen led Staff Evening Prayers
After everyone else had gone to bed RM, LC and AWT discussed financing and planning, and Madds sat up late with AWT on night duty and chatted.
Returning to his tent about 1am Madds had forgotten to take any water so had to soak his dentures in Lucozade, then his bed collapsed as he sat on it throwing his head pillows and him on to the ground sheet. Eventually he sorted that out and dropped off to sleep. So ended DAY ONE.
Sunday August 19th
#################
When Madds’s alarm went off at 5.30am and he finally rose at 6.15am to light drizzle, he found his pillow in it’s black bag had fallen onto the rear canvas and was wet. He ate an apple pie and went to the shower unit for a shower but forgot to take his shower gel so did not bother.
Matt joined him and had a shower but then we found the floor of shower block and toilets were flooded, some problem with the boiler tank drainage system.
At 7.15am staff prayers took place. We meditated on The Heart of the Church. 1 Thessalonians 3 v 6-13 “Abound in love” and interceded for the camp staff and campers.
The rain continued to fall. We held Camp Inspection. AWT went off to arrange a wet weather plan.
For Breakfast we had cornflakes or porridge, followed by bacon, mushroom, and hash.
Matt led Thought for the Day about journeying and getting lost and how to get back by God’s alternative route. God over rules the way we journey when we go wrong, whatever stage we are at . we washed up together with me as washer upper for the staff tables. Tuck Shop opened up.
AWT took the boys to see the 8th natural wonder of the world a slate cave that told them a bit about slate mining. Heiny took Sharon and the girls to a farm to see the animals. Simon Pr as quartermaster went out for more supplies. Matt. Kath and Rachel Mu stayed on site getting the Dinner ready.
The acting-duty officer put up signage about “ caution mind your head” due to the low beam into the dining room, and making the central door the main one and the one near the kitchen out of bounds.
At 11.30 Simon M arrived and was greeted with the BB Handshake and passed over to Simon P for the job of sorting him out, and getting a ground sheet laid,
He had a white ridge tent all to himself at the far end of the executive line beyond the Assistant C0, the CO and the Camp Canvas officer, where he could set up his Ipod, computer, and television set, home from home. Rachel & Lyndsey went out to find a better place to phone from. The visit to the farm had been enjoyable. Amelie had shown confidence in feeding the goats when other children held back.
The Slate Cave party returned. They reported that people worked those caves from the age of 12 to about the age of 40 sometimes in water as the caves flooded. The Seniors - Benn, Ben, Sam, Ansley and Phil went to the beach. Andy W played Jenga . Others played draughts or cards.
We sat down on time for dinner at which we had roast ham, roast potatoes, Carrots, beans . swede and greens, followed by peaches or oranges and ice cream
Four Seniors were late, only one having made it back before Dinner. They got told off and told that if they did it again they would have to be accompanied by an adult when they went out. After washing up AWT took us all through Canvas Care after which some played games, and Simon M went off in his car to find civilisation.
Phyllis, Stephen and Madds went off to Barmouth for a towel, and a walk around the streets, Back on site Phyllis and Madds walked to the beach where AWT was leading the younger boys while Joel was keeping an eye on the seniors in the dunes.
We all walked back to camp together, some stopping at the caravan site shop to buy ices, chocolate, and joke sweets.
Simon M arrived back with a barbecue set with logs. AWT told him that camp site rules did not allow us to use it, but they negotiated and got agreement to use it in the courtyard.
Heiny was having problems with boys not keeping their tables tidy. We enjoyed a Tea of salad followed by cake.
Steve organised a warming up session on the field involving various exercises. While he did so Madds hunted all through his luggage twice for a whistle for him but never found one. He had 3 with him and later found them all where he had put them in a safe place tied to a coat hanger within one of his plastic suit protectors hung up ready for use. The warming up session woke the boys up and tired the staff out.
So at Pudducks the boys romped home.
============================
First Innings Staff 35 Sam N bowling Boys 88 Phyllis bowling
Second Innings Staff 44 Sam N bowling Boys 94 Rachel Mo and Matt bowling
TOTAL Staff 79. Boys 182
In the Second innings some staff played twice representing other staff members that did not play. It did not make much difference.
Top scorers were Ben 37, Philip 26, Matthew 21, Steve 19,
Geoff 18, Dominic 18 ,
Simon outlined his plans for the week on Christian teaching and gave everyone a special colour printed illustrated 16 page brochure printed on the new church copier
“2007 DARE TO BE RADICAL”
and we proceeded with Session 1 GET A LIFE. If the 10 Commandments Exodus 20 v 1-17 gives us rules about we shouldn’t do, The Sermon on the Mount in Matthew 5 - 7 and Luke 6 v 20-49 is a manifesto of what we should do. First we were encouraged to list what in Luke 6 v 20-49 Jesus tells us we should do and should not do.
Then the challenge was on to elect a Camp President. We had to get into groups and decide who we should nominate, and they had to work out with our help a manifesto , and then make s speech to convince us of the changes they would make if elected and with the £20 to be given to the winner.
Rachel Mu was convincing but a shade upset when Madds voted 3 times for different people on the grounds he had “arrangements” and “understandings” with people in different “groups”. Simon disallowed his votes as spoilt for voting 3 times.
Joel couldn’t tell us and had to sit down. Ben offered us little, Richard was quite vocal but convinced no one and got but 1 vote, his, Tom could not read what they had written down and kept giggling but with Edward’s help they won, with Edward’s vote winner as ghost writer for his speech,” to get more women on the camp”. So Tom got the £20 but he did not get any extra women. This was then linked to Jesus Manifesto speech in the synagogue and what he promised he did deliver.
We were also asked to take a pinch of salt with us as a reminder of how we were going to make a positive difference this week and we said together the LORD’s PRAYER.
The local owner of the land warned us a great storm was coming so we battened down.
After cocoa everyone went to bed, or at least to their tents
After staff meeting and staff prayers led by Matt some of us stayed up looking at records of previous camps and campers and a copy of the “Dyffryn Dragon” of 1995.
Madds retired at 1.30am leaving AWT, RM and LC and lay down in his trousers, fleece, raincoat, and 2 blankets over the top but despite this he was cold in the morning because during the night the skies cleared of cloud and we had an air frost, and when we got up we all agreed it had been a jolly cold night, except Geoff who claimed to he came prepared with the right equipment. Simon M in the outpost tent felt the cold most keenly.
Monday August 20th
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We awoke to near clear skies but it was short lived for soon there was drizzle but it did not last for long. At Staff prayers the theme was “ BEARING FRUIT” John 15 v 5-8 and 1st Corinthians 3 vv 5-15. . Despite the cough that plagued him all the week, Matt carried on with determination as Duty Officer, ever setting a good example, soldiering on with courage and a high level of efficiency as well as maintaining his duties to the catering department.
We had Inspection and all tents showed an improvement except Tent 3, that dropped 1 point from Sunday but still won the shield for the day.
For Breakfast we had Scottish slim sausage, fried egg and baked beans after porridge or cornflakes.
Evening Worship was switched to the Morning which meant that as Simon P as Quarter Master could not be there as he had to go and get supplies. Simon M’s Radical form of worship involved dice and M & M sweets to portray how different communities finish up with disproportionate resources.
We had several praise songs with the orchestra leading us - AWT and Geoff on guitars and Joel on the drums. His teaching was GO LARGE! On being generous, with a questionnaire and explanation about going the extra mile
We had a presentation about Phil B, our former Staff Sgt who had visited Zimbabwe in support of a High School project with Simon H and they had done a bungie jump off the bridge over the Zambesi river. He had gone on to be part of a BMS Action Team to Thailand, and had then led a BMS Action Team to Uganda.
Now he is working in South Africa with his wife Amie helping students, helping set up a BMS Teams Centre, helping the College move to a new location and helping a Baptist Church at Soweto Township In support of them and their 2 year term project our appeal is made. Also mentioned were Richard and Sarah Lubale’s work with AIDS victims in Uganda.
Following this everybody apart from Kathryn, Rachel, Matt, Andy W and Madds went to Barmouth shopping.
AWT left his car keys with Madds in case of emergency, but said that in that case he did not want him driving his car. They were then passed to Matt as Madds and Andy W went on a walk to the beach by a different route to the one we as campers usually used, through part of the south end the Nature Reserve and then on the beach then turning South.
Eventually returning via the coast guard 999 phone point, passing over the dunes by 2 long decking bridges with lay-bys in to allow people to pass if they were laden, this brought them to the Southern end of the now enlarged caravan and camping site and then they walked back down the lane to Camp arriving 5 minutes ahead of the minibus.
For Lunch we had sausage rolls and salad, and cake. Matt produced a new improved system for Washing Up with Staff using a sink, and the Fatigue team using two or three sinks, and each of the boys tables using bowls of water on their table, though this meant the tables got pretty wet and the floor, but with mops as well all went well.
At 1.30pm most people went with AWT swimming at a swimming pool. Phyllis and Stephen went to Harlech shopping. Heiny , Sharon and their daughters came back from a day out. Simon Pickhaver got his remote controlled car working. He and Simon Mattholie played with it on the Camp site.
Eventually the swimmers returned AWT said that Andy W had swept everyone from the pool by his unique form of stroke.
The Seniors then gathered at the far end of the camp field near the Railway Embankment under a tree.
We all came together for Lunch of chicken in sauce, corn, carrots and peas.
After the meal most of the campers went off about 40 miles away for indoor rock climbing. Some folk stayed on site.
Simon took Dominic to Barmouth an evening’s entertainment only to find most things closed down and no trains back until 10.
Another Company arrived and put up ridge tents in the field next to us where the solitary marquee was. Three of our Seniors and Rachel moved to the memorial seat in the courtyard where they were drinking coke and singing, and Joel was trying to dance.
Heiny was preparing maps for tomorrow’s walk to Harlech returning by train.
An officer from the other larger camp came over to see AWT. Kath said we expected him back about 10pm.
The evening moved on and became quite dark and our rock climbers were still not home.
Heiny scared 3 of our Seniors by moving towards them silently in the dark with his headlamp on his forehead and flashing it by putting his hand in front of it , dot, dot, dot - dash, dash, dash, dot, dot, do. He even fooled Madds and Sharon for a bit. He laughed when the lads said that he had scared them.
The climbers finally rolled back having been caught in a traffic jam at 11.10pm.
The boys had their chocolate drinks and all went safely to bed by now pretty tired. We had a brief staff planning session re-planing Wednesday and Thursday. Rachel Mo led staff prayers. Simon M “locked up” about 1am.