On Saturday of the August Bank Holiday weekend six Griffin scouts joined another six from 7th Malvern to camp at Rough Close just outside Coventry.
We pitched camp on a fine afternoon and the sunshine continued as the Scouts took part in shooting and archery on Sunday, but in true Bank Holiday fashion the remains of Hurricane Cristobal dropped in on Monday. By 6pm a new stream had appeared and the Wombat patrol’s tent was hastily moved as the stream headed straight for it. Fortunately we were able to obtain the key to a small hut and the heaters were soon hard at work drying wet clothes.
Having spent Tuesday preparing, the whole camp set off for a day’s hiking on Wednesday, well almost. Having dropped the day hikers I returned to camp to find that the Warden (who was in sole possession of the codes for the locks) had left site, marooning the overnight hikers in the car park. They quickly transferred to the minibus and we set off for their drop point somewhat later than planned. I returned and met up for lunch with day hikers just in time to hear the scouts singing “One pound beef” to a herd of bullocks (from the safety of the other side of a gate).
Thursday found us (and a layer of mud from the campsite) in the swimming pool in Coventry, before the (now clean) scouts went shopping to buy ingredients for the meals that they had planned for the next 24 hours. Back to camp for some tasty and creative meals, with extra points for the week long patrol competition on offer and the scores neck and neck, the scouts were eager to find ways to impress the leaders.
Friday night is ‘bivvy’ night with the scouts sleeping out in shelters that they build in the woods around camp, with Monday night’s downpour on everyone’s minds and more rain in the forecast, the shelters were constructed with great care.
When the final scores were added up on Saturday the patrol competition had been won (by the narrowest of margins) by the Malvern Eagle patrol.
Mark Firth