Day 4
The sun has got his hat on hip hip hip horray!!!!!!!
There is silence on the corridor until Miss Clark’s “Good Morning!!!” rings out across the Moors! She is our own Julie Andrews!!
Slow movements like a zombie apocalypse start to emerge from the doorways and begin the morning routine of wash, dress, tidy room and get into breakfast by 7:45am. Full English again – we are loving the hash browns! (oh and the sausage, bacon, scrambled eggs and beans!) toast, cereal and juice finishing off the breakfast menu – without a fire in sight! (Miss Bowles was standing a good 3m away form the toaster today!)
No water activities today, so an easy bag packing session and we were off! Up to Bracken Tor site for Grass Sledging, Axe Throwing and the High Ropes. After a 15-minute walk and a session of getting the lorry drivers on the A30 to honk their horns, we arrived at the centre. Splitting into groups, A+B went grass sledging and took aim with the axes, whilst C+D conquered the High Ropes. Each group completed the same activities across the day.
High Ropes – The Leap of Faith – involved climbing to the top of a telegraph pole and walking out on a small platform. Jumping out and trying to hit the large orange ball hanging in the sky! This was scary yet fun and points given for the graceful decent to the ground!
Second activity, was the Triple Traversing Climb. This involved moving up the poles at three levels. Level 1 a rope to walk along with another to hold tight on. Level 2 a log suspended on a chain that you had to walk across that wobbled like mad! And finally, a line of boards that looked like the bridge had been broken from a western film. On completing this, the children had to lean back and fly to the ground on their fairy wings.
Grass sledging is literally what is says on the tin! The children had a toboggan with caterpillar wheels and they were sent down the hill using the left- and right-hand breaks to help steer. Once confident – let the races begin!!! It was so funny hearing these yells of delight echoing across the centre as they hurtled down the slope and cheering each other on. Cornel was at the centre of this activity. He brought the enthusiasm and spirit to the event.
Finally Axe Throwing – this is where people’s inner Viking came out loud and proud! Yelling AARRGGGH at the top of your lungs, whist launching an axe out of your hands to try and plant it in the wooden targets was great therapy for everyone! Teams competed against each other with the competitive side coming through thick and fast.
Logan so meek, became Logan the mighty Viking!!! Absolutely loving the activity and scoring straight away. Amazing axe throwers included: Elsie, Laura, Isobel, Pippa, Amelia and Jaye.
High Ropes Stunners were Tilly, Mollie, Lucas, Lottie, Darcie…. all scampered up, as if they were climbing the stairs, others had to really dig deep, but conquered the most amazing accomplishments; Tallulah, Andre, Gabriel, Louie, Niamh and Beth.
Grass sledging, Devon was the master of collecting the sledges and preparing for the next riders! Other grass sledging heroes were: Sharon, Ashton, Selena, Xavier and Arley. Cornel has found a new vocation as a formula 1 driver!
After the walk back to our accommodation, we enjoyed showers and chilling time, before packing for home. Some children struggling to get their suitcases to close.
Our meal for the evening was delicious pizza, potato wedges and sweetcorn, followed by a sweet sticky toffee pudding. This fuelled us for a walk to the park in Okehampton, where many activities were enjoyed such as rounders, skipping, football and tag. As a final treat, Mr Wilson surprised everyone with an ice lolly! What a way to spend our final night together!
A walk back to the hostel before lights out for the last night of camp 2025!
“Take aways” from Camp has been just what a fabulous group we have with us this year. The kindness that has been shown to each other, the care and support the demonstrate when feeling vulnerable has just been magical to watch. It has been a real privilege to be witness to and to be part of. Every Instructor has commented on how wonderful, polite and supportive they have been -- Parents, you should all be very proud of your child.
Thank you - Year 6 – it has been fabulous!
Mr Wilson, Miss Clark, Miss Bowels, Miss Boulton, MRs Perry and Mrs Jablonska 😊
Camp 2025 blog, over and out!
Day 3
The sun has got his hat on, and packed his bags and flown!!! Woke up to a silent corridor and the sound of rain!
There was not a sound from any room until Mr Wilson and Miss Clark woke them with a loud and cheery “Good morning” or the opening lines from the Lion King soundtrack!! Bleary eyed and slow movements meant it became a rush to get to breakfast for 7:45am, as some were still in bed “getting up” at 7:35am!!
After a breakfast of a sausage and egg muffin, cereal, toast and yoghurt everyone was ready to leave – whilst avoiding the hostel burning down when Miss Bowles set fire to the toaster! (no panic – blew it out before centre evacuation had to happen – so major incident avoided!)
Bags packed, and re packed as we headed to the drying room to get our wet, water clothes from the day before, ready for a session in the gorge! So after the 17th request for a waterproof jacket, water bottle, change of bottoms, tops and underwear, two pairs of shoes – oh and a waterproof – we arrived at the wetsuit shed to collect our suits, placed them in the van and then got sized up for our bikes.
Following a quick assessment for confidence, the team set off to the gorge - unaware of the downpour that was about to hit us!!! In a 30-minute cycle, we had 3 heavy down pours and sunny spells with the last one soaking everyone through to their swim kits underneath their clothes – so it didn’t really matter that Charlie and Mikolaj didn’t have their coats! The cycle ride along the Granite Way was lovely when it stopped raining with views across the moor and then across Meldon and the viaduct.
On arriving, we split in to groups. A+B in the gorge with C+D rock climbing. One final change into our wetsuits with more confidence and technique and whilst it had stopped raining the temperature had taken a drop or two! Would you believe Miss Clark if she told you just to drop into the freezing cold water and it will make you warmer!!! Honestly, who said teachers know what they are talking about! However – she was right – though it did get really cold. So, children in A+B have a mixed review of the gorge not because they didn’t like the scrambling, dropping in to plunge pools, sliding down rocks, making a human waterfall – but just because it was a little bit chilly! However, we got out and warmed up when we were back in our dry clothes and had lunch – only to be joined with the sun for a warm sunny afternoon – Lucky Group C+D got the sun and apparent the water was SO much warmer!!! Stand out gorge scramblers were: Selena, Alexander, Curtis, Laura, Robyn and Sophie. Other stand out scramblers for overcoming their initial fears of the chilly water were: Devon, Poppy, Logan and Niamh.
Rock Climbing was our second activity of the day, where we had three different ascends to navigate and complete. The children were apprehensive to begin with but conquered their fears and gave it a go! After the rain, the quarry was particularly slippery, which gave the children an additional challenge. The wonderful Cornel tackled his climb with grit determination and was so proud of his achievement. Some of our top climbers were: Corina, Malwina, Jaye, Darcie, Ava, Mollie and Mikolaj.
After our return cycle, we dived into a delicious chicken pie followed by a gooey, mouth-watering brownie – yum! Afterwards, we switched the groups for the activities for the evening – A + B completing a quiz and C + D low ropes and camp fire. Our quiz champions this week have been: A + B Lottie, Tallulah and Robyn and C + D Ashton, Andre and Lucas.
Bedtime 9:45pm and final noise was 10:30pm Lets see what time they wake tomorrow!
Night all - Team Okie!
Day 2
It’s day 2 in the big Victorian train shed and all is bright!
The sun is shining, children were awake for 6 am and it’s Florence’s birthday!!! Breakfast is at 7:45am and it’s full English so before that we have to get washed, dressed, room tidy for inspection, welcome “act” prepared and bags half packed for a day on the lake!
After a filling breakfast of sausage, bacon, eggs, beans and hash browns (with toast, cereal and juice on the side) we finished our jobs.
Miss Clark and Miss Bowles started the morning with a classic room inspection. We are pleased to say that all the children’s room were tidy and we were entertained by their performance including: a horror story and a light show.
With no winners announced until the end of the week, expectations have been set! What will await us tomorrow!
Then it was off to meet Jamie, Chris, James, and Ed who were taking us to the lake. Wet suits collected, minibuses boarded and we were off! On arriving at the lake we spied some deer and then the lake (actually there are two lakes - one for kayaking and raft building and one for canoeing). We began to get dressed and then found the true meaning of team work! As we realised just how difficult it can be to put on a wet suit! However, following some changes of suits and a lot of pushing and pulling we all made it in to them! Our four groups were divided up into 3 with the dynamic D’s being shared across the Awesome A’s, Brilliant Bs and Courageous C’s!
Then we became water babies for the day. With the sun shining it was perfect conditions for a lake day! Learning to use a paddle for each style of boat, as well as how to steer it was a funny thing, but after this was mastered and Mollie stopped going around in circles and Tallulah nose diving into the bushes - The games began!
In Group C, Cornel and Xavier took charge of the raft building. Lucy was outstanding in the water and conquered her fears. In Group A, Elsie and Louie tackled the canoe slide after initially being nervous and Sammy became the master of floating. The children were pleased to see all the adults falling off the rafts and canoes.
I think for everyone a highlight was sliding into the lake from the bank on an overturned canoe!
After a busy day at the lake, a roast dinner was enjoyed followed by a pudding of ice cream and jelly. Then groups A and B spent the evening playing games and singing songs around the campfire and completing low ropes. Whereas, groups C and D enjoyed a fun filled quiz, which was very competitive.
Bed time 10 pm and all asleep by 10:30pm!! Stark contrast! It’s been a busy yet brilliant day at Okie 25!!
PS Miss Bowles finally was found coming out of her Duvet this evening! All is ok! 🤣
Day 1 - Okie 25!
We packed the coach, we compared the size of suitcase for children and adults! Then with a cheer and a wave, and a few wet eyes - from the parents outside - we were off! Goodbye WPS. Hello camp 2025!
The journey to Okehampton was an easy one, with a stop off at Exeter Services, great excitement as we passed a double decker lorry filled with chickens and a road closure on the other side of the motorway with a police escort! But other than that a safe and calm journey!
Then our week began, and realisation that parents were not around! On arriving at the centre we pulled in to the station car park and unloaded the luggage. Then we had to find our own bags, carry our own bags and walk 300m down and then up hill with no parent to carry them for us! (Now we know we are not in Wincanton any more!)
Lugging the luggage up the hill we met Jamie, our lead instructor for the week, who welcomed us and introduced us to the centre. It’s a beautiful old Victorian railway shed over the track from a working station. Choo-choo!
Once we met Jamie, we were assigned our rooms and room mates and sent to unpack, make our beds and get ready for lunch! Do you know how hard it is to put a duvet inside its cover! You got to try this! We all had to sit down and have our lunch after that high risk activity! We are still waiting for Miss Bowles to emerge from her duvet cover!
Following our lunch we were straight in to our activity groups and started the afternoon of team building tasks. There was gutter ball (holding pieces of guttering together to pass a ball a down the line into a bucket or pot for points), tyre towers (sorting tyres in to a pile with the numbers in order), duck game (four ropes used to control the giant magnet to extra the ducks from the pond), crates,, and planks (using these to cross the crocodile infested river with the whole team on the planks off the ground and having to pass the used planks and crates to the front to re use), the memory maze (finding a path through a maze of cones) and finally playing all 50 of us in a game of “on an the river, in the river, on the bank” (jumping game and too many rules to type!!)
Out of the four groups, B and C were the winning teams therefore they went head to head, resulting in Lucy and Mr Wilson battling it our for their teams honour; with they victor going to team B!! Well done Mr Wilson! (Sorry Lucy!)
Next it was tea time with bolognaise and pasta twist, apple crumble and custard, fuelling us for the moor walk ahead.
On a warm evening there was nowhere else we wanted to be than on top of the moor seeing for miles around, being greeted by the sheep, lambs, Dartmoor ponies and their foals amongst the fern and bluebell covered moor. The children loved the walk so much so the instructors took them the long route home as we arrived ready for hot chocolate, biscuit and bed at 9pm. Needless to say by the time we all got that finished with and everyone had settled into their rooms it was more like 10:30pm! But a really lovely evening was had by all.
……. 11:20pm and there are still rumblings in the rooms!!!
11:45 pm- all is quiet!