Saturday 2nd July

Today is Saturday, we had to meet up at 7:00 am in Dublin Port. We got on the ferry at about 8:00 and it left the harbour at about twenty past. The boat journey was long but lots of fun XD we played card games and some of the group went to the arcade. There was another scout troop from Naas on the ferry. We were the last people off the ferry and there was no room left on the shuttle bus, so we had to wait for a little while and when the next one came we had it all to our selves.

The train we got on was really bad because it was way too full and many people where not able to sit but then when some people got off at the first stop we where able to sit down. We switched lines at Chester. The second train was so much better! We all got to sit together, we played some card games and sat around making scooby-doos! We went to the shop several times and were talking to the lovely staff on the train too 🙂 XD It was deffo the best train of the day.

After we disembarked the train at Euston we had to walk to a different station than we had originally planned as the Victoria line was closed there. 🙁

So off we went trying to find Euston Square but after using our epic navigational skills we soon arrived and took the tube to Liverpool Street and from there got the National Express to Chingford Station which was a 30 min walk by really fancy houses from Gilwell Park.

Luckily when we arrived the marque had already been pitched by the people who run Gilwell. So we pitched our sleeping tents, three for the boys and one for the girls. We also pitched our base tent which is a really warm and comfortable rec tent. Theres benches in there. Then Oisin helped Niamh cook the hot dogs and noodles which where delicious. For desert we had rice pudding which was delectable according to everyone as I didn’t want any. Then everyone went to bed except the pl’s as we went to play switch (which is like Uno) and Stephen, Fionn and I got over excited in our super awesome epic warm brand new exiting tent. 😀

Sunday 3rd July

So today is Sunday and we arose between seven and half eight. My patrol started making breakfast while most people had showers. French toast and cereal were for breakfast it was yummy. We started clean up with special help from honorary patrol leader Ruairi Mc who cleaned most of the equipment.

A golf cart came with our pionering poles and we began building. We didn’t have enough poles so we brought trailor and got more. The leaders built a lift using a pully system. The scouts built a swing(Stephen’s patrol), a see-saw(Emma’s patrol) and an arial assault course(Oisin’s and conors patrol) coolest pioneering gadgets I have ever seen. We have collected fire wood for a campfire its all cut up and into three piles; kindling, small logs and big logs. Ruari and cillian also made a tennis court.

Monday 4th July

Today is Monday. We first did the Leap of Faith which was a high ropes activity where we climbed up a ten meter pole to a small platform at the top and jumped through the air and cought onto a bar that was suspended in front of us. Callum got stuck at the top when he sat down on the platform and couldn’t stand up again but he eventually managed it (Well Done Callum!). The bar was pretty close to us when we jumped but some people got a second jump and the instructors moved the bar farther away from the platform. I was about to get another go but then Fionn had to go and tangle up all the ropes so no one else could go.

Then we walked back to the main square where we met with our instructor for the rifle shooting. We then walked down to the shooting range beside the swimming pool. First our instructor gave us the safety talk and then we started to shoot. Erin was one of the the best shots who got a score of 22 on one of her targets and was only beaten by me (Oisin) with a score of 29. We all got two rounds of five shots and on the second round most people tried the large target but I turned it around to the competition side and I managed to get a bulls eye on a target on target about the size of the bottom of a cup. Fionn also got a bulls eye on the other side of his target.

After that we went into Chingford and spent about two and a half hours there. We all spent alot of time in the sweet shop. They had all the sweets at the back in jars like a traditional sweet shop as well as all the other sweets like Refreshers and Aeros. We also discovered that Mountain Dew was two for one and got a load of that as well. Basically we pigged out on sweets. Then all us PL’s went to a little park and played switch again. Then when we where about to leave Conor followed some girls away from us and took his time coming back. Stephens patrol where on dinner and they cooked pasta bake and custard and banana for dessert.

Tuesday 5th July

Today is Tuesday. Basicially all we did was go on a hike and go swimming both of which was great fun 🙂 On the hike Fionn and Callum lead all of us, some of which were the wrong way… But we got home and went swimming which was extra great because it started raining while we were there.

Wednesday 6th July

Today is Wednesday. We had to get up really early to catch four trains and a bus to Legoland.
Once we got to Legoland we split into groups and went around the park. Us PL’s went around together. We went on most of the rides which were great fun then we went to have lunch.
We went to the Knights kingdom and went on the dragon then me (Stephen), Emma and big Emma went on the spinning spiders which made big Emma feel sick. So obviously I made her come on the big Jolly Rodger with me. The look on her face when we went on it was so funny, she tried to hide underneath the safety bar. We have decided to make a photo album of Emma’s face on roller coasters. We then went to meet up with everyone near the entrance where all the shops are.

We went home on the trains and bus which took about two hours. Once we got into Chingford the leaders said we could get chipper so we walked home from the station as they got our food.
Once we got to our campsite we saw that the mess tent was gone and everything was in a mess.
The half barrel had been flipped over and one of the tents was ripped and broken.
The van that brought all of equipment had been hit by something.

Once we talked to the staff of Gilwell Park they said that the wind was so strong that it blew down that mess tent which broke apart and smashed into the van, the tents, and into another one of the tents. The members of staff gave us another mess tent so we had some where to cook for the remaining days. We went to bed early that night because we were all tired from the long day.

Thursday 7th July

Today is Thursday and because of our long day on Wedensday we didn`t have to get up early. It was a very relaxed morning. After breakfast which was french toast we packed our bag up only leaving out our karri mat, sleeping bag and uniform. We decided to go into Chingford for last few things we wanted.

So we wouldn`t have to do too much on Friday we took down to the boys tents and packed most of the mess tent. We were all playing games then started tea which was soup but little ruairi ran in screaming hotdogs making everyone hungry for hot dogs. That night all the boys slept in the mess tent but the girls got to stay in our tent.

Friday 8th July

Its Friday and currently we are on our third and final train of the day. We set alarms for 5:30 but no one got up till 6 which was still way too early. We packed the last of the gear into the van and got a lift to the train station from the Cork scouts who had a van. Our first train was simple most of us got seats but the tube and the third train are packed with people.

By Griffindork, Blondie, McFly, Magic Tractor and “Bei”ker
(Patrol Leaders 2011)