Day One: by Gemma Lucas & Mya Bell
We met at the Link Centre at 8:30.
Finally, we got there at 12:30 and ate our picnics. Then we went for a two hour training session – got back and had dinner. After dinner, we had a bit of free time and then went downstairs for our meeting and activities. We played Fishy Fishy, Capture the Flag and some relay races outside in the dark! It’s a bit colder here than in Cyprus!
Day Two: by Amber Davies & Rosie Mundy
Today we had an early start to the day! We got up at 4:15am, well 4:20 as it took some people so long to get out of their beds including us! We got to the pool at quarter too and were in the pool at 5:00-6:30am! We came back for a good breakfast before a busy day of PGL activities. Group 1 braved the abseiling wall first as Group 2 had archery first. Then we all swapped round to the other activity.
After a morning of being active, all went for a good meal before another swim session in Torrington pool. The dinner was good with a pudding! All topped off with a bar of dairy milk chocolate!!!!!!!! Now we are off to play “Passport to the World” with our Groupie Sara.
Day Three: by the lovely coaches and team managers
Our second early morning swim session and the children are were very much quieter! Liam is building quite a rapour with the elderly residents of Northam, who arrive for their 6:30am one length of the pool!!! I think he is hoping they will bring him homemade scones and Devonshire cream by the end of the week.
After breakfast it was on to the days activities of fencing and high ropes which everyone seemed to enjoy but Phil failed in his attempt to break the course record on the high ropes.
It was off to Westward Ho! after lunch for a wild afternoon of surfing. Even Sharon managed to put on a wetsuit (thanks Emma and Megan) and braved the icy shark infested waters. Lots of great surfers emerged and managed to stand up on the boards. Well done Adam, Lauren, Josh, Conor and Noah to name but a few. Niall unfortunately lost his battle with the surfboard and his hand is a little bruised – but fear not the surf board lives on to ride another wave. As a consequence, Sharon, Phil and Niall headed off to A&E in Barnstaple for a “quick” visit – say no more about that!!!
The others missed out on all the fun of Barnstaple and played a game of Scrapheap Challenge before heading off to well earned sleep.
Day Four: by our roving reporters of the day – Niall Westman & Noah Kirby
“An account of a day of Quad Biking, Challenge Course and Camp Fire”
On a midsummers evening we went on a quest to find ourselves. As we walked through the forest we saw the ghost of our past lurking in the shadows. Then, we stared into the camp fire and the smoke opened up new beginnings for Noah and Niall.
As we toasted our marshmallows the fire crackled and burned. We realised now that it was not us that needed to be found, it was our souls! Niall’s broken fingers told a story, a story of some guy called Scott spraying us with a hosepipe and Meg crashing into some tyres.
So when we looked into the flames of the blazing fire, we said to ourselves, we are awesome just the way we are! x x x
note: Scott with the hosepipe!!
Day Five: all good things come to an end!
Our final 4.00am start, our last swimming session in Devon, a morning of mountain biking, lunch and then our long journey home.
The swimming was great, the activities challenging and the company amazing!
Niall, Noah, Adam, Josh, Conor, Ben, Gemma, Ellie, Emily, Meg, Emma, Gina, Becky, Holly, Rosie, Mya, Lauren, Amber, Tess, Liam, Sharon and Liam ……. we are awesome, just the way we are!
Many thanks to everyone who helped to make it all possible xxx
