uk

World Camp Uk Week 4

Monday 31st July

The last Monday of camp is here! While it’s always bittersweet for both our campers and tutors we all know that we have a week full of fun filled adventures awaiting us and we definitely started the week off strong today. The campers woke up bright and early for a nutritious breakfast of scrambled eggs on toasted muffins which the campers devoured in an attempt to fuel up for another famous dodgeball tournament! The children dodged and dived showing their new and improved skills from last weeks practice: we’ve never seen dodgeballs thrown this fast before!

After a long and competitive game of dodgeball against the tutors they all sat down to choose their morning activities. We started the week off strong with a stellar choice of activities.

In adventure we set out geocaching. We had a brave group of 10 adventurers – not only were they on the hunt for a series of 12 hidden treasure troves – they were also on the hunt for a hiding place to use for our first ever L&E geocache! The campers climbed over fences, through hedges and dug around with great determination to find all of the hidden boxes as well as finding the perfect hideaway.

Rounders kicked off with some practice games of throwing and catching as well as an intense warm up of bulldogs. The campers showed quick improvement and were eager to move into their first of four matches. Both teams battled it out with some hitting the ball straight out of the field while others were unlucky enough to get caught out by their competitors. After a very close back and forth the game ended in a draw of 8 all.

We kicked off creative this week with an energetic session of just dance and karaoke. The campers sang and danced their hearts out to all their favourite songs from musical classics like Mama Mia all the way to a bit of Celina Dion. It’s safe to say the campers had worn out their dancing shoes by the end and were ready to sit down and refuel.

For lunch the kitchen treated us to a delicious chicken korma with a side of naan bread and a full salad bar for us to help ourselves to. After the campers filled their boots and their stomachs the campers set out choosing how they would spend their afternoon.

For adventure we had another intrepid group of explorers set out on a treasure hunt in the wind and the rain this time. Through their determination and endurance they managed to make a record time finding all the boxes as well as hiding our own in the location that had been scouted out this morning! Feeling very proud of themselves, they were able to have a small break and recharge their batteries with a few biscuits.

In creative we had an all time favourite with bracelet making. For many of our campers this was a skill they were happy to dust off and improve. For the rest of the campers they were fast learners, quickly weaving more and more complicated patterns either for themselves or for their newfound friends!

In sport our young athletes tried their hands at netball. To start off they had a warm up of the numbers game to keep them on their toes and get them ready for full team matches. The campers quickly conquered the nets and were shooting hoops left right and centre in a fast paced match that ended with a score of 2-3 to the non-bibs team.

After such an exciting day the campers were ready for a bit of rest and relaxation with a scrumptious dinner of sausage rolls and herby potato squares. This led to full bellies and happy campers ready for the evening activities ahead…

The evenings theme: game show night. This led to the campers testing their skills in a variety of challenges based on old classics like CBBCs ‘Trapped’, ‘Family Fortunes’ and ‘Heads Up’ all the way through to current favourites like ‘Would I Lie to You?’ and ‘Carrot in a Box’. The campers showed us their knowledge, creativity and deception as their groups battled it out in each of the mini games.

After a long night full of laughter and fun we all settled down for a well deserved cup of hot chocolate to relax before bed ready for the Tuesday ahead.

Tuesday 1st August

It was pancake day at L&E to fuel yet another competitive game of dodgeball. The tutors didn’t stand a chance today against the energised campers, who won the final match again. Scuba day at this point was off to a great start, with all our campers having the opportunity to submerge into the swimming pool’s depth for a game of throw and catch. This took place in tandem with our other morning activities of postcard making in creative and tennis for sport. Be ready to receive a postcard through a lucky few of your doors articulating our camper’s favourite activities this summer. Tennis saw a fair few emerging Andy Murry’s take to the pitch.

Lunch in and tuck in bellies, and the afternoon activities commenced. More budding divers had the chance to explore the swimming pool’s depth. This is while the field saw the sports taking up bows and arrows in a compelling archery session. A competitive football game followed this to round off the sport for the day. This afternoon, creative took this afternoon to practise and explore their portrait painting skills, refining and developing new ones. Tutor Sam was drawn by our campers 60 times between them using various techniques with great success and engagement. Swim time was a great splash, as always, closing another afternoon at L&E. 

Our day concluded with my favourite night of the week, the campfire! What an array of talent displayed through song, dance and more. 

Wednesday 2nd August

The campers woke up to the delicious smell of sausages for breakfast which were quickly devoured to gain the strength needed for our traditional dodgeball morning! Once again the campers were unbeatable but tutors put in a strong performance.

After their triumphant win, the campers headed to their morning activities. Some enjoyed benchball, the more creative campers enjoyed creating amazing stop motion videos using plastercine and creating sets. Finally, our more adventurous campers braved the traditional ‘British weather’ and kayaked along the river in the pouring rain. They didn’t let the rain dampen their mood, camp songs were sang whilst paddling along the river, making it an unforgettable experience.

For lunch we enjoyed hunters chicken with potatoes and veg. After a busy morning this was a well deserved lunch which campers devoured. The afternoon kicked off with waterpolo, a very intense game with only 3 points between the teams! In the pool they also competed in a backflip and diving competition, with strong competitors in each section! In creative, they enjoyed making prints out of styrofoam. Another daring group of campers faced the afternoon rain to go kayaking, with not one, not two but all campers and tutors falling into the water from their kayaks! They were welcomed back to camp with paninis for dinner in order to refuel before our highlight of the day…. Trash fashion show!

The evening hit off with inspirational fashion quotes from our one and only Hope! The camp then scavenged for the best materials in the pile to show the world that almost anything can be fashionable. The campers rose to the occasion and created stunning outfits to walk the catwalk. Our judges had some very tough decisions to make and didn’t hold back on telling everyone how the truly felt about each individual outfit modelled! The evening ended by watching The Smurfs followed of course by hot chocolate!

Thursday 3rd August

When Nigella Lawson was once asked for her perfect breakfast recipe to warm up for a game of dodgeball, she reportedly said it would be baked beans, boiled eggs and lightly toasted bread. Well, well, well…it would appear our resident chefs are big fans of the great woman, because that is exactly what we had. And by Jove did that put us in the spirits for what was one of the greatest of all time (or GOAT as our campers would say) dodgeball sessions. It was the dodgeball equivalent of Andy Murray vs Thanasi Kokkinakis in the Australian Open 3^rdround earlier this year. There was dodging, ducking, dipping, diving, and even dodging. The campers, as they always do, rose to a commanding lead. Tutors dropping like flies. Young stars such as Lucas, Amaris and Ernest leading the charge in a ruthless display. But up stepped tutor Matt, like Gerard Butler in 300, single handedly fuelling a resistance as his colleagues fell beside him. Alas, after 15 minutes of balletic dodgeball, the campers conquered. One more day, once more chance for the tutors to finally get a dodgeball victory after 4 long weeks struggle. We’ll revisit this one in the morning.

For creative this morning the campers devised, designed, and created bespoke picture frames that wouldn’t be out of place in Musee d’Orsay. On the week of Yorkshire day, what better to do for our adventurers than scale some of yokrshire’s finest quarries. The reward, a view from the top where you could see the whole rhubarb triangle in actions! Sport this morning took swimming to a new dimension. There were synchronised dance routines. No leg races. Whirlpools. More cannonballs than Damien Rice!

Lunchtime dawned upon us quicker than you can say chipotele mayonnaise! Chicken goujons, Moroccan couscous, sweet chilli and more greens than Plymouth Argyle.

Replenished and ready to go, the afternoon brought even more excitement. Once again our adventurers went climbing to look at the rhubarb. What do you get when you cross SiiyaKolisi with Breanna Stewart? You get our afternoon’s sport activity! Tag rugby and basketball, bringing out every motor skill. And creative, heck – what didn’t they create? Masks, dance routines, karaoke performances and theme night props. Majestic stuff.

Aaaaaaaah! I scream. You scream. We all scream for ice cream! That’s right, after a humble pasta bake for dinner we were treated to a glorious desert of orange and strawberry ice loolies. And they were, to quote Gary Barlow, absolutely fantastic.

All aboard the bus to carnival. Take all the classic toys and games, and scale them by 10! Gigantic Jenga. Humongous dominoes. Extraordinary human hungry hippos. An inflatable vertigo running competition the likes of which we’ve never seen before. Top that off with a side of the signature L&E candy floss and you have a tremendous finish to a tremendous day.

There’s one day left of our camp adventure this year, and there is a bittersweet determination to finish together with the best day yet tomorrow. However, as Thursdays go this was as good as it gets.

Friday 4th August

The last day. The Finale.

The day kick started with a crowd pleaser breakfast of pancakes, what a great start to what will be the best day of the week!

We all wolfed down our breakfast as quickly as we could; all of us just can’t wait for the grand finale of Dodgeball!

Once again both campers and tutors put in their all in an attempt to annihilate the opposing team. In our very last game of our flagship game of Campers vs Tutors of 2023, once again our campers reigned supreme. Spirits ablaze, our tutors have put up an amazing fight, having caught the camper’s ball multiple times and bringing multiple players back in the game. The atmosphere was absolutely electric, and everyone very much enjoyed this very final game of Ultimate Dodgeball.

After an extended game of dodgeball, our creative stars went on to design the most engaging comic strips, showing off both their flair for drawing the most animated characters and their aptitude for humour.

Our adventurers meanwhile went on to produce the most gourmet bread and chocolate bananas and then went on to enjoy their fruits of their labour.

Our athletes meanwhile went through bowling and batting exercise which culminated into an exciting game of diagonal cricket, what fun!

After being refuelled by a scrumptious lunch of classic fish and chips, some of our campers transformed into army generals as they strategised and battled in a game of capture the flag. Others spent their afternoon gearing up for their evening performance in our very last Oscar’s, or partook in a game of indoor hockey.

Patriotism was in the air as our campers then went on to take part in the L&E Olympics, consisting of games of table football, indoor football, basketball and a dizzy relay! Thailand was triumphant at last, much to the delight of our very own Cam.

The day wrapped up nicely with the L&E Oscars, where the best of the best were awarded for their efforts in adventure, sport and creative activities, and for their positivity, kindness and sense of humour. Of course, our rising stars and star camper of the week was revealed in this very last L&E Oscars of 2023. Many of our campers have prepared the most exciting performances for this most formal event of the week, ranging from stand up comedy, to dances and piano and singing showcases. The event then descended into a full on disco, featuring classics such as the Macarena and the limbo, and not to forget various bops from various all time favourite pop stars, from Taylor Swift and Katy Perry to ABBA and Adele.

Under the shroud of music, our campers brought their sleepy heads to bed, ready to bid farewell to the delights of camp until next year!

World Camp UK Week 1

What a lovely first evening…it’s going to be a great week!

Monday, 10th July

The day of all days.

We started our first morning bright and early, with the ultimate breakfast of eggs and muffins, yum yum.
This geared us up ready for our very first, annual DODGEBALL TOURNAMENT.
The groups were great showing some amazing moves; dodging at every angles, catching and eliminating everyone around.
the staff are in need of an improvement session. But we will come back stronger than ever. Watch this space.
We then started our morning activities which consisted of ace den building, some of most unbelievable dens we’ve seen! They had many luxurious extras like hot tubs, rock pets and beautiful gardens.
In sport we defiantly put the ultimate in ultimate frisbee, throwing far and wide. The non bib team beating the others by 5 goals to 1.
In creative we put our moulding skills into test, creating pots, themed with faces on them. They turned out amazing and are drying, ready for plants, jewellery, or anything you like!
After this fun-filled morning we were treated to the ultimate curry for our lunch, cooked by Nobby the extraordinaire, we enjoyed this; replenished our energy ready for the afternoons events.
After getting our bellies filled some of us headed off for our first English class! We made posters all about ourselves, our countries, our favourite foods and our flags. The rain stopped us playing inside but we still did animal games to introduce ourselves, saying our name, our favourite animal and passing it along to the next person.
Our sport consisted of two huge games of bench ball, there was some serious competitiveness between the campers and the tutors.
The adventure was some serious boat building! We had to build a floatation device that survived the stormiest seas, which were tried and testing in the camp bucket. Every ship bar one survived our test, we were pleased to announce.
For dinner we enjoyed scrumptious sausage rolls, potatoes and extras!
This was needed for the money night Ice-breaker games! The chubby bunny contest was particularly tense; coming to the fine lines which left one champion with 14 marshmallows! We also did our very popular trash bag fashion show, where we saw outfits better than Gucci has ever headlined.
Of course we ended with the egg drop, a tense completion which saw many of our eggs scrambled….
Tonight we head to sleep happy with hot chocolate, ready for the next day ahead.

Tuesday 11th July

Our morning feast of grilled sausage and tomato awoke our campers appetites and minds to the excitement that awaited them on the dodgeball court.

With sprinting, dipping, and snipes galore, morning dodgeball was another sight to behold. Whether it be a campers vs students match or the classic 1 v 1, no mercy was granted. As usual, our star-stopping campers won against the staff, and did so with smiles on their faces.

The choice of a lifetime awaited the children as they picked between their sport, adventure and creative activity, each as tempting as the last.

First on the agenda was extreme deep pool scuba-diving with the legendary Scuba Steve!! Strapped with an oxygen tank on their back and enthusiasm in their heart, our campers explored the tiled depths of Aysgarth’s waters. A first time for many, it really was an experience for them all to remember.

Our English-learners took their time in recollecting their scuba experience in English. They also began planning the recipes of their favorite food for an exciting L&E bake-off held by the children themselves. Fun and linguistic talent met in the L&E English classroom and history made as usual.

British-history was made in the morning session of cricket, with wickets flying. Led by a cricket connoisseur himself, the kids really learned the true essence of the game. Ashes fever gripped the camp and really was a magnificent set of moments for all. With a specific game of Bazz-Ball and rounders on the side.

Simultaneously, loom jewelry was in the crafting and friendship brackets in the making. Many of the children also painted jewelry boxes to hold their new-found treasures. Colour Schemes were popping!!

Lunch in their bellies, the children headed back out for their second round of fun. Our budding athletes found themselves on the football pitch, scoring goals with every step they took. It was their ‘one love’ as Bob Marley would tell us.

Famous painting recreation was happening in our art studio, with mini Picasso’s showcasing their skill. A plethora of art pieces were on show, ‘The Scream’, Pop Art, and Hokusai on offer. Some may argue that our kids adaptations were more impressive; Mike Wazowski found himself in a Banksy work!!

Wilderness instinct was awoken in our campfire starting adventure, as the kids lined the fire with rocks and kindling ready for their marshmallows arrival later that night.

Speaking of the campfire, it was unforgettable as the legend tells. With our new tutors serenading us with their no1 talents, the fire side became a safe space for new friendship to blossom and music to be shared. The children were encouraged to share their respective cultural national anthems and they adored group bonding in their own home values. We roasted marshmallows as the sun set and the night came to a close with a hot chocolate and a chat.

Here’s to another great day under the Bedale sun!!

Wednesday 12th July

Merry Wednesday everybody! There’s no such thing as a hump day here at L&E, and with the camp ablaze with excitement after last night’s campfire delights, we arose with a spring in our step to tackle the day ahead. The Webster’s dictionary defines pancakes as ‘a flat cake made of thin batter and cooked (as on a griddle) on both sides’ – but we’d describe it as the breakfast of champions, and a camp full of champions is exactly what we are. Invigorated by the energy of Nobby’s finest flat cakes, we floated onwards to dodgeball.

If tickets were available to watch the campers vs tutors dodgeball displays so far this week, they would sell out even quicker than Taylor Swift’s era tour tickets (which came out this week). Unfortunately, today was not the same. The kids may have had pancakes for breakfast but judging by their incredible dodgeball performance, they must have been full of beans!The tutors have decided to remove Kenny as their dodgeball leader, with Sam Allardyce on the next train to Aysgrath to turn the ship around.

The selection of activities this morning is best described as a smorgasbord of sheer delight. Our English class of superstars solved riddles in the great outdoors, and played a bafta award worthy board game. For the first time this week, a lucky collection of campers went on an expedition to the Yorkshire (home of the rhubarb triangle) waterways. Canoeing the name. Fun the game. For those feeling sporty, a touch of tag rugby was on the menu. And last, but most certainly not the least, is our creative class. Think Krakatoa. Think Vesuvius. Think Eyjafjallajökull Then Take everything you have ever known about volcanoes, scrunch it up and chuck it in the bin. Because what our creative students created this morning arguably eclipsed all volcanoes before. Papier Mache, sculptures around bottles of a popular carbonated soft drink, with a popular mint dropped in, formed an explosion to end all explosions.

We had chicken burgers for lunch, yet that was not the most important aspect of the hour. We had TWO birthdays to celebrate, for Annelicia and Rose. Lionel Richie was playing, happy birthday was sung and chocolate cake was devoured. It was a privilege for us all to play a part in making sure the two campers had a wonderful day.

In 1998 Gina Gee came 2^nd for the United Kingdom in Eurovision. Her song featured the lyric “Just a little bit more” – and we took that exact approach to our adventure activities today! Canoe, round two, electric boogaloo. We also constructed some bracelets and jewellery in creative, and had a whale of a time playing water polo in the pool on sport.

Post dinner, lasagne Bolognese in case you were wondering, we sauntered down to the theatre for a bit of a chillax and a Disney classic. Big Hero 6  for our big bunch of hero’s, before hot chocolate and bed.

What a day. What a week. What a summer. We go again tomorrow.

Thursday 13th July

The day started with our morning fill of beans and French toast, giving much energy to our campers for the day ahead.

With our spectacular sports hall back in action, our campers wasted no time and immediately got stuck in our traditional morning game of dodgeball. Our tutors fought valiantly in the battle for victory in the most prestigious game here at L&E, but our campers were of course triumphant at last.

Our budding adventurers set off early for a morning of climbing. Courageous climbers they were, as they conquered the boulder wall in front of them in their stride.

Our imaginative artists meanwhile designed printing blocks and produced colourful prints which could give Picasso a run for his money. From Deadpool to Batman, all their artwork was lifelike and impressive.

Our aspiring linguists embarked on a quest to become Britain’s next top baker, as they followed detailed instructions from our judges to bake the most delectable cheesecakes and muffins.

Our well-loved water polo session also made a comeback, with our talented campers competing with each other for the honour of becoming the best athlete on the water.

The camp then got treated to a mouth-watering lunch of grilled chicken and cous cous. Good reviews all around and bellies filled, our campers headed to their afternoon activities.

Our athletes partook in a game of jailbreak in tennis, and ended the session in a riveting game of football.

Meanwhile our artists created the most realistic masks for our biggest event of the week – Disney theme night!

After dinner we immediately got knee deep in one of L&E’s most beloved evening activities, theme night! Tonight’s theme was Disney, with our tutors starting off with a rap battle. Our campers then continued on to playing a series of mini games, from a basketball battle with Troy and a treasure hunt, to picking out mozzarella balls from Ratatouille’s pasta and archery with Merida and Robin Hood, our campers really enjoyed their night in the world of fantasy.

With a terrific performance of Let it Go from our tutors, the Disney theme night drew to a close. Under the spell of hot chocolate, our sleeping beauties headed towards Wonderland; getting recharged and ready for another fun-packed day of adventure.

Friday 14th July

It was a cloudy day as we woke up to our final day with Nobby as our wonderful chef of the week. A nutritious breakfast of toast and eggs fuelled a competitive game of dodgeball. Once again, the campers reigned supreme, not without a spirited fight back from the tutors.

It was an enticing smorgasbord of morning activities to choose from. Campfire cooking involved making delicious choco-bananas and damper bread. Some skills were on show for indoor hockey and basketball, appropriate for the impending rain. Some more baked goods were made in English, learning the ingredients and instructions for cheesecake and cupcakes. Lastly, our musically instincts were put to the test with Just Dance and karaoke.

 Nobby delighted us for lunch with an all-time British favourite in fish and chips. Seconds were definitely had! This was followed by a surprise announcement for an afternoon of team sports. 

Competing for camp sporting glory were Brazil, Mexico, Thailand and Antarctica. After archery and a swim relay, Thailand came out as front runners. Meanwhile, some nail-biting games were being played out in the table football and bench-ball arenas. Thailand’s lead was narrowing. Final rounds of football, basketball and a team flag judging contest lead to a three-way tie between Thailand, Brazil and Mexico. Tie-breaking rules came into play, leading to the declaration of the champion as…..BRAZIL!!!

After free/swim time, paninis and ice cream were served followed by a standing ovation to Nobby and Michael for feeding us tasty meals all week.

Then the anticipation grew. The famed L&E Oscars Night, where legends become immortal. Black tie attire was a recommended optional, before being ushered into the theatre of dreams. There were loud cheers and applause for all nominees and award winners as well as brave performers. To cap off the night, a disco for the ages, with classics, bangers and possibly a dance floor injury or two. Get well soon Paul.

There was a lot of excitement at bedtime, partly post-Oscars buzz, partly for the day-trip tomorrow. See you soon, York.