Silver Cross Camp Site near Swansea
Sandleheath and Barton Explorer Scouts - Friday 25th July to Saturday 2nd August
Sandleheath Scouts - Sunday July 27th July to Saturday 2nd August
| Patrols | Scouts | - Cromarty, Fastnet, North Utsire, Faeroes. |
| Explorer Scouts | - Rockall and Dogger | |
| Network Scouts | - Viking | |
| Leaders | - Finisterre | |
| Friday 25th | Left Fordingbridge Car Park at 9-30am. Started raining on the way. More rain!! | |
| Arrived at Silver Cross early afternoon and set up camp. Site was awash!! | ||
| Evening - climbing tower - very slippery and slimy! | ||
| Saturday 26th | Caving - Neath River area - Bridge Cave (a wonderful cave with fast-flowing stream, formations, a waterfall and an impressive rock bridge), White Lady (wet) and Town Drain (no better than it sounds!) | |
| David Ward and Michael Chase were both brave enough to cross the rock "Bridge". Rain. | ||
| Sunday 27th | Explorers went to Gower to canoe in Oxwich Bay and then walked along the beach | |
| for 1km to climb at Three Cliffs (climbing from the beach). | ||
| Scouts arrived 1pm and set up camp (with a little help from the drivers). | ||
| Stephen and James arrived back from Gold D of E practice in Brecon Beacons. James had an amusing walk! Stephen was still bouncing - much toeveryone's annoyance (it was supposed to be a difficult and exhausting walk). | ||
| Evening - everyone Low Ropes Course - Amelia flattened David. | ||
| Sandleheath Explorers (Dogger) won the competition - getting the last man furthest round the course. | ||
| Monday 28th | D of E hikes for Explorer Scouts - Three Castles / Offas Dyke area with camp (a field) at Pandy, near Abergavenny, overnight. Lots of rain!! The Explorers all survived the walk, their cooking and the night. | |
| Scouts Archery (Alex won) then Caving in Neath River area - Bridge Cave - rain!! | ||
| More rain!! Camp site awash again! More rain! | ||
| Tuesday 29th | Scouts went to Oxwich bay to canoe – but there was so much rain that we had picnic in the minibus and returned to camp. More rain! | |
| Explorers returned from the D of E hike in the afternoon. All in good spirit - well done. | ||
| Josh, David and Michael completed the assessed hike and impressed everyone with their competence. | ||
| The Barton Explorers did really well in very difficult conditions - but must learn right from left! | ||
| Everyone went swimming in the evening at Neath to soak off the accumulated dirt and grime in the swimming pool. | ||
| Wednesday 30th | Morning - Explorers - archery. Scouts - Climbing Tower (still slippery and slimy). | |
| Afternoon - Scouts canoed in Oxwich Bay (Sandleheath Scouts Ben and Matthew were very enthusiastic and quite wet by the end). After various beach games they all walked to the climbing on the cliffs at Three Cliffs (no stopping Amelia who climbed like a monkey). The Explorers who had been climbing belayed the scouts or played Beach Rugby. The tide came in rapidly and some scouts had to make a hasty retreat and paddle/wade round the end of the cliff to a bay which the tide did not reach. | ||
| Evening - Beach BBQ for everyone with more Beach Rugby (beware the Cleall twins!). | ||
| Thursday 31st | Visit Big Pit mining museum. Minibus did a tour of South Wales on return! | |
| Everyone - Assault course in evening (a bit muddy) followed by hosing down! | ||
| Liam was the fastest Scout, and David Ward fastest overall. | ||
| Friday 1st | Archery. Barton Explorers Ben and Matt went canoeing on the River Swansea which was quite fierce due to the overnight downpour. James displayed his canoeing skills. The Scouts walked down the hill near the camp site to the river and railway. Henry almost lost a map - which he then spent an hour searching for. | |
| We visited Mumbles in afternoon and all had a Fish & Chip supper (to the annoyance of the Kebab Shop next door). | ||
| In the evening James built a Camp Fire - Jane and Camp Warden Andy led the singing. Hot chocolate and marshmallows. | ||
| Saturday 2nd | Pack - first group started back about 11am whilst the other group continued to jam things in to every available nook and cranny in cars and trailers. | |
| All arrived back at Sandleheath safely in the afternoon. | ||
Awards - Best Scout - Ellie Best Patrol - Cromarty (Ellie, Bryony, Becky and Lydia).
Thanks to all the Leaders who worked hard all week to ensure that appalling weather did not spoil the camp too much.
Special thanks to Camp Warden Andy Shurey for making us so welcome.
I'm sure the one thing we will all remember about Silver Cross (other then the rain) is Andy.
- Ros White