Jamboree Training Camp – 8 to 10 April 2011

Yesterday evening, Dad drove me to a campsite in Stoke Poges (just outside Slough) for another Jambroee training camp. We’re all so close now that we quickly noticed the lack of about 10 members. Still, the sun was going down over a glorious campsite, we were with our mates, and we were doing what we love best. It was sure to be a great camp.

Friday evening was pleasant. Some chose to sit inside the cabin building, watching Star Trek, but many others of us lied down on the grass, looking up at the stars, just talking. When we were all suitably tired, we packed ourselves off to bed.

Saturday morning broke bright, but the wet dew on the grass quickly dampened our shoes. However, the day quickly warmed up, and the campsite dried out. After a hearty breakfast, we enjoyed a range of activities from sedan chair building (and racing!) and pancake tossing, to a blindfolded ‘follow the string’ challenge and an adventure playground where we had to carry an open pot of water over the obstacles.

I really enjoyed the string challenge. It was, in parts, dangerous, as we had to clamber around a tree blindfolded. But we all came out in one piece, thanks to our fellow patrol members helping us out by providing instructions.

My patrol were on duty for preparing lunch, but actually this was a basic task; all it invoked was buttering some bread and laying out a table of sandwich fillers and crisps.

Once we’d all finished are lunches we burst into song, joining in with Hakuna Matata from The Lion King. It was a great atmosphere, even if it was melodiously dodgy.

Not long after this, Dad came and picked me up a day early (in order to attend a Taplow Youth Choir rehearsal ahead of tomorrow’s tour). However, my friend, fellow blogger, and co-Jamboreer Andrew Mott is still there and he tweets @AndrewJamesMott and gave his take on today’s events from his iPhone here.